CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, June 23,1993
3
Drains do not catch everything
Malott, Haworth lack complete treatment system
By Carlos Tejada Kansan staff writer
Virtually nothing keeps hazardous waste dumped down drains in University of Kansas laboratories from entering Lawrence's drinking water, KU and Lawrence officials said.
The only thing preventing problems are the procedures various departments follow to dispose of their wastes.
The perception that a water filtering system exists underneath Malott and Haworth halls is wrong, said Mike Russell, KU's environmental health safety officer. Systems exist underneath both halls to neutralize acids and filter solid particles, but they cannot keep most chemicals from passing through, he said.
"It's not a complete waste-treatment system." he said.
According to regulations currently being revised by KU's office of environmental health and safety, only organic substances such as naturally occurring amino acids, sugars and
salts can be dumped down the drain. Some inorganic compounds can be dumped as long as they have low acidic levels.
"There are very few things that can go down the drain anymore," Russell said.
But many times, students who frequently use these chemicals are unaware of the regulations or that KU does not have an adequate filtering system, he said.
Although individual departments must enforce the regulations, poor communication sometimes occurs, Russell said.
"There's no way we've reached everybody in the system," he said.
Once chemicals are down the drain very little can stop them from reaching the water supply, said Dave Wagner, supervisor of Lawrence's wastewater treatment plant. Although there is no way to measure the amount of hazardous chemicals dumped at KU, the plant's filtering system could not catch many toxic organic chemicals dumped down the KU drains, he said.
"There's a good possibility they have substances we can't treat," Wagner said.
Russell said some professors and students thought dumping chemicals was acceptable if they were diluted in base or water.
"In the eyes of regulators, dilution is not an acceptable method of disposal" he said.
The regulations include the means of disposal for labs that use toxic substances. The substances must be sealed in special containers provided by Russell's office and properly labeled. The containers then are picked up and given to a private contractor for disposal
Russell said failure to follow the guidelines could have serious consequences.
"It poses a danger to me and my people, and it poses a danger to the environment," he said.
Dean Steatler, professor of chemistry and director of the undergraduate biology program, said most hazardous chemicals were used in research labs and were rarely used by students in lower-level classes.
"Most of the things we work with aren't any more toxic than the stuff under the kitchen sink," he said.
Most labs at KU follow hazardous waste regulations, said Mark Rose, Pittsburgh graduate assistant, who works in a pharmacy lab in Malott. He said lab workers were concerned with the consequences of dumping hazardous waste down drains.
"This is not something we can get away with." he said
Safe disposal
Many products can be poured down drains with no harmful effects on the sewer system.
ions including:**
aluminum, ammonium, borates, bromides, calcium, carbonates, chlorides, hydrogen hydroxides, iodides, iron, lithium, magnesium phosphates, potassium, sodium, sulfates tin, zirconium
- under 100 grams mixed with 100 times water *
* neutralized to 5.0 to 10.0 pH level
John Paul Fogel/ KANSAN
source: Robert Bowman, assistant professor of chemistry
Checking it out
KU officials and Lawrence firefighters inspect Malott Hall. The building was evacuated last night after a report of a chemical or gas smell. Later, authorities allowed people to return to the building.
Summer need for blood puts donors in demand
Kansan staff report
The American Red Cross summer blood drive will begin Monday at the Lawrence Collection Site, 2120 W. 25th St.
The fourth annual "Rare Bird" drive is one of the most important drives of the year, said Gayle Sigurdson. Red Cross donor recruitment consultant.
"Every summer we face the possibility of a blood shortage because volunteer donations drop, sometimes drastically," Sigurdson said. Summer also means a higher demand for blood, she said.
"more people are on the highways and lakes and in the farm fields, which means more accidents and injuries." Siurbordson said.
Donors must be at least 17, weigh at least 110 pounds and be healthy. Donors will be given T-shirts.
GLSOK expands with new name
Name change reflects inclusion of bisexuals in homosexual group
By Lisa Cosmillo
Kansan staff writer
Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas has changed its name to Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay Services of Kansas in an attempt to accurately define the population it serves.
"The name itself will draw in more people," said Alan Pierce. Independence senior. Pierce is a student senator and a member of LosBiGAGSOK.
Scott Manning, Lawrence graduate student, and Jennifer Papanek, Lawrence senior, are the new co-directors of LesBiGaysOK. They decided to implement the name change.
"The reason it happened now is two new people are in charge," Manning said. "It had been talked about for years, and we decided why keep talking about it?"
The movement toward inclusion is one that both co-directors said was important. They said there have always been bisexuals in the homosexual group, but they hope that by changing the name they will alleviate some of the tension.
they're perceived as gay by the straight world, and they're discriminated against when they're perceived as bisexual by many people in the gay community who think that bisexuality is a myth." Manning said.
Pierce expressed his doubts about the inclusion of bisexuals into the organization's title.
"Bisexuality is trendy in the nineties," Pierce said. "In the men-seeking-women columns in the personales they say, 'bisexual man seeking women only.' I think it might be a trend because of the idea of the sensitive male."
They're discriminated against when
Manning said trendiness was not the issue
"Lesbians are trendy — look at Newsweek," Manning said. "But that doesn't make them a group that doesn't need furthering."
Papenek said she felt it was inappropriate to expect a bisexual person to choose to between heterosexuality or homosexuality.
"It's like asking a straight person to be gay or a gay person to be straight," Pananek said.
There are several different kinds of bisexuality, Manning said.
that sort of thing I first came out to myself and defined myself as bisexual Later I started self-identifying as gay
"Much later, I started redefining my attractions, and although I consider myself a gay man, that is not exactly all of who I am. Sexuality involves a lot of things besides who you sleep with. I think it is really exclusive of any gay-and-lesbian movement to not consider bisexuality as a possible life."
"In some cases bisexuality can be a phase, and that's perfectly legitimate." Manning said. "I know I went through
He emphasized that each group had common and individual issues.
LesBiGaysOK has gone through many name changes in the past. Originally, it was called the Gay Freedom Alliance then Gay Services of Kansas and then Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas.
"There's this progression to be as inclusive as possible," Manning said. "The thing that I think is really important about the new name is that we chose it so we could use the term LesBiGay as one word which shows us as different groups but also allows us to have one inclusive word that shows that we do have common goals and issues too."
Papanek said she wanted LesBiGaysOK to be a safe space for bisexuals as well as homosexuals.
"We really need to stress acceptance here," Pananek said.
Lost library card cause of lawsuit
By Todd Puntney
Kansan staff writer
The library is suing Wilbur, a Lawrence resident, for $1050.30 for the loss of 39 books checked out with his library card two years ago.
Steve Wilbur doubts he will return to the Lawrence Public Library, especially after the library filed a limited civil suit against him.
But Wilbur said he did not check out the books.
Judge James Paddock has given attorneys from both sides 10 days for
"Someone just took the card," Wilbur said. "I didn't know the card, but I knew it."
Wilbur claims someone else used his card five times in December 1991 to check out the missing books. Wilbur said the books' topics included alchemy, wilderness and sex.
The library would not reveal the names of the books.
At the trial, Dan Yoe, attorney for the library, said that even though Wilburn might not have checked out the books, he was still liable.
"At no time did we state that Mr. Wilbur checked the materials out." Yoe said. "But he signed an application to get a card and is responsible for it."
The library requires residents to fill out an application before a card is issued. According to the application, the cardholder is liable for damage to or loss of borrowed materials.
Only a library card is required at the time books are checked out, she said.
Pattie Armbrister, who heads the adult circulation department at the library, testified that the library made no attempt to confirm the identity of the cardholder.
Ben Casad, Wilbur's attorney, said that under Kansas law, a library card was a credit card, and that credit card laws preventing unlimited liability for unauthorized use should apply to this case.
He also said the library's failure to notify Wilbur in a timely manner prevented a quick resolution of the case.
The library took 10 weeks to notify Wilbur about the overdue books, a delay Armbrister was not unreasonable.
Wilbur said he was ready for the issue to be resolved.
"There can sometimes be such a delay because the library isn't computerized, and everything has to be done by hand," Armbrister said.
"If nothing else happens, maybe the library will change their policy so that not everyone who comes in goes to court," he said.
This is the first time the library has dealt with such a case, said Wayne Mayo, director of the library.
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