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One hundred four years of editorial freedom
Thursday
March 9, 1995
Umiversity, state settle hazardous-waste suit out of court
By Daniel Johnson
Daily Staff Reporter
The University and the state De-
partment of Natural Resources an-
nounced yesterday that they have
reached a settlement for the pending
litigation over the University's stor-
age of hazardous and low-level radio-
active wastes.
A consent judgment was submit-
ted to 22nd Circuit Cout Judge Kurtis
T. Wilder yesterday by the Univer-
sity and the DNR. The out-of-court
settlement reached by the two sides
provides that the University will
obtain the appropriate permits and
licenses to store mixed waste at its
Willow Run facility on Beck Road.
In addition, the University will
manage and transport mixed waste in
accordance with DNR and Nuclear
Regulatory Commission rules, main-
tain proper records and devise a pol-
lution-prevention project costing more
than $1 million.
"We were in between two agen-
cies with conflicting regulations,"
William Krum, University associate
vice president for business operations,
said in a statement.
"There was no release of any mixed
waste into the environment, nor was
any alleged."
The DNR filed a notice of viola-
tion against the University in 1991 for
failing to apply for a state permit for
storage of mixed waste.
The University subsequently filed
suit against the DNR claiming that it
was disadvantaged by the state's lack
of long-term storage and disposal of
mixed waste.
The University also claimed to be
abiding by the NRC's regulations and
said it was unaware that the DNR had
jurisdiction over issues regarding the
handling of mixed waste.
"At no time was the DNR assert-
ing that we were mishandling or re-
leasing the material into the environ-
ment," said University spokeswoman
Julie Peterson.
"It was an issue of jurisdiction and
paperwork."
The mixed wastes at the center
of the controversy are produced
largely by biomedical research con-
ducted at the University Medical
Center.
After collection, mixed waste is
sampled, tested, labeled and stored
on a short-term basis at the North
Campus Transfer Facility before be-
ing taken to the Willow Run facil-
ity.
The University allows for cer-
tain low-level radioactive waste to
decay at the Willow Run facility
until it is safe to dispose of as haz-
ardous rather than radioactive waste.
Some compounds with longer half-
lives, such as tritium and carbon-
14, must be removed from the Wil-
low Run site.
"We do not have a location in the
state of Michigan for storage and dis-
posal of hazardous and low-level ra-
dioactive waste," Peterson said.
"Eventually, there will have to be a
site established for long-term stor-
age.
Peterson said the Willow Run fa-
cility has the capacity to store the
University's waste for about five to
10 years.
As part of the settlement with the
DNR, the University will create a
pollution-prevention project.
"We see the waste minimizing
process as being a benefit in reducing
the amount of these materials released
into the environment," said Jim Sygo,
chief of the DNR's waste manage-
ment division.
The University plans to recycle
See WASTES, Page 2
ay
Penn 0ate- e
Good-DBe
' prof. asks
committee for
racism study
Jacks on,
King play
last game
S n
at Cnsler
By Antoine Pitts
Daily Basketball Writer
Short three of its original mem-
bers, the Fab Five era came to an end
last night at Crisler Arena.
The 67-60 victory over Penn State (8-
9 Big Ten, 16-10 overall) not only was a
big step for Michigan (11-6, 17-12) in its
quest to make the NCAA tournament,
but it was a chance to say goodbye to the
team's most-heralded members.
Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, who
came to Michigan as part of arguably
the greatest recruiting class ever, made
their final appearance in front of the
home crowd.
Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Chris
Webber, Jackson and King took the
nation by storm, accomplishing what
nobody thought they could do, when
they arrived together in the fall of
1991. All five of them started in the q
1992 National Championship game
and repeated the feat a year later.
Webber opted to go to the NBA
after his sophomore season and Rose
and Howard did likewise after their
junior seasons, leaving King and Jack-
son to finish things off.
Flanked by their parents, King and
Jackson were honored in a pregame
ceremony. Coach Steve Fisher pre-
sented the duo with framed jerseys.
"I didn't know anything about it," Michiga
Jackson said. "It will be exciting see- greates
See FAB FIVE, Page 5 home gi
'91-'92 25-9 '92-'93
Students' Party
"would increas
groups' fun d
By Amy Klein
Daily Staff Reporter
Saying they will appropriate more money to student
groups, the Students' Party is proposing a reorganization
of the Michigan Student Assembly budget.
The Students' Party plan would grant a 15-percent
increase in funding to the Budget Priorities Committee,
the group that makes recommendations to the assembly on
the amount of money given to each student group.
"Committees and commissions have been the traditional
focuses of student outreach. It's time to restore their funding that
By Jonathan Berndt
Daily News Editor
LANSING - A University pro-
fessor with a history of activism ad-
dressed a state House subcommittee
yesterday and asked that the
University's state funding be tied to a
study about racism on campus.
Pharmacology assistant Prof. Tho-
mas Landefeld told the House Appro-
priations subcommittee on higher edu-
cation that the atmosphere for minori-
ties at the University is "deplorable."
"The pervasive racism that exists
at the University takes on many forms
including direct harassment, retalia-
tory action, discriminatory practices
and overt racial slurs," Landefeld told
the panel.
"Also, most assuredly realize that
these are all too representative of what
occurs, while at the same time they
only scratch the surface relative to the
degree of these occurrences," he said.
Landefeld gave several examples,
including the termination of Black
employees at the Dental School and
in the University's parking system.
Vice President for University Re-
lations Walter Harrison said each of
Landefeld's allegations has been ad-
dressed by the University.
"Dr. Landefeld has brought a num-
ber of grievances and charges. We've
investigated every one," Harrison
said. "If he has any other charges, he
should bring them to the administra-
tion or to the regents and I'm sure they
will be investigated."
Members of the committee were
not too receptive to cutting funding or
conducting a study.
"A lot happens that we don't have
to like," said Appropriations Com-
mittee chair Donald Gilmer (R-Au-
gusta). "Clearly, the only ultimate
remedy, in my personal view, is that
the administration of the University
will have to address it with you."
Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor)
said cutting funding would probably
lead to program cuts, which could hit
minority services.
"That would be self-defeating,".
she said.
Brater is on the House's standing
Committee on Higher Education but
does not have a vote in making an
appropriation recommendation.
Rep. Morris Hood (D-Detroit), the
head of the Legislature's Black Caucus,
said he could not handle this issue on
top of his other commitments.
"I m not pleased with the responses
of some of our college presidents," he
said. "It isn't that I do not sympathize...
but my time is very limited.
"Your presentation is enlighten-
ing to me. I hope you can convince the
University. They are not going to fan
the flames. They want to keep this
down," Hood told Landefeld.
Harrison said the University has
developed numerous programs for im-
proving the minority environment on
campus.
"I think the University of Michi-
gan has established nationally a repu-
tation for being a leader for bringing
a friendly. environment for diverse
populations to campus," Harrison
said. "We've demonstrated our com-
mitment to that.
"I'm confident we're doing a pretty
good job," Harrison said. "But I'm also
aware there are incidents of racism and
when they are brought to our attention
we try to do something about it."
Photos by DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily
an seniors Ray Jackson and Jimmy King, the two remaining members of perhaps the
st recruiting class in college basketball history, jog onto the court before the final
Judge to re visit bond
issue for Jake Baker
ame of the season.
1 31-5
93' 94 24-8
'94-'95 17-12
'94 football
capt. arrested
i domestic
violence case
From Staff Reports
Former Michigan football team
co-captain Walter Smith was arrested
Mon" y afternoon, charged with one
count of domestic violence and jailed
for one night in Pittsfield Township
following an alleged domestic assault
involving his girlfriend, The Ann
Arbor News reported yesterday.
Smith was released on a $100 bond
..,~ - - - -
By Josh White
Daily Staff Reporter
LSA sophomore Jake Baker re-
mains in prison today, his 21st birth-
day, but he may be released as soon as
tomorrow afternoon depending on the
outcome of the continuance of his
detention hearing.
Judge Avern Cohn had scheduled
the hearing for yesterday morning,
but after a motion by U.S. Attorney
Ken Chadwell at the 10:30 a.m. hear-
ing in Detroit, Cohn continued Baker's
detention until tomorrow.
"Ken Chadwell and (U.S. Attor-
ney) Chris Yates requested that a psy-
chiatric evaluation be done on Jake
Baker to have a professional opinion
as to whether or not he is a danger to
the community," said Sandy
Palazollo, a spokeswoman for the U.S.
Attorney's office. "They wanted to
11 - n .rnllnin _i r - 111 T r -h
the bond issue in his district court-
room and sent a letter to the 6th Cir-
cuit Court of Appeals stating his in-
tent. He scheduled yesterday's hear-
ing after the Cincinnati court's ap-
proval in an appellate decision an-
nounced Tuesday.
Cohn was the
judge who, in a
controversial 1989
case, ruled uncon-
r stitutional parts of
the University's
hate speech code.
His decision to
block parts of the
anti-harassment
Baker policy came after
he ruled that it
abridged the students' right to free
speech.
Baker's attorney, Douglas
T~MOrf cm h shnailrmt thea
JONATHAN BERNDT/Daily
The capital reserve budget is available to cover any
financial emergencies.
MSA President Julie Neenan said she thinks the Stu-
dent Party's proposed budget changes are irresponsible.
"Although I think BPC needs a lot of money. I think
this is the most fiscally irresponsible thing they could do.
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