KANSAN
The University Daily
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
Wednesday, April 28, 1982
Vol. 92, No. 142 USPS 650-640
Furley chemical waste site sparks controversy
By KEVIN HELLIKER
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
Around Furley, the site of the only chemical waste dump in Kansas, KU geologist Frank Wilson is known as a straight-shooter, even a hero.
Residents of Furley, a town of about 100 people in northeast Sedgwick County, say Wilson uncovered a action of careless and possibly covert actions involving an Oklahoma engineer, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Office, and the University Inc., the company that operates the waste site.
That trail stretches back to 1976, when construction on the waste site began.
The people around Furley, most of them farmers or commuters to Wichita which is 10 miles away, were uneasy about the waste site from the start.
Some life-long farmers of the area warned the Kansas Department of Health and Welfare that springs under the site would carry dangerous chemicals into larger creeks.
"they ignored us," said Bruce Bodecker, who lives about two miles from the dump. "They
thought we were just a bunch of dumb Polack farmers.
The atmosphere around Furley changed. Front porch conversations turned from small-town subjects to discussions of ecological and environmental personal libraries of literature on chemical waste.
Meanwhile, trucks loaded with barrels of toxic chemicals steadily kicked up dust along the roads in and out of Furley. In fact, so much waste began pouring in that the mercury of the cars had leaked into the Health and Environment for permission to expand the site from 80 acres to 160 acres.
ALONG WITH the expansion request, NIES, sent to Topeka an engineering study of the proposed 80 acres prepared by T. Allen a professor at Oklahoma State University.
Haliburton had found the 80 acres suitable for the storage of chemical waste.
Upon receiving Haliburton's report, Joseph Harkins, secretary of the Department of Health and Environment and a Lawrence resident, prepared to grant the expansion request.
But the residents of Furie, believing that Haliburton's study failed to report the presence
Stephan responded by ordering Harkins to step down as independent party to conduct a study of the proposal.
So Harkins turned to the Kansas Geological Survey, a KU agency on West Campus. The senior geologist at the Survey is Frank Wilson. He wanted no part of the Furley controversy.
"I could see that, no matter what happened, we were going to be losers when we got down 'They ignored us. They thought we were just a bunch of dumb Polack farmers.'
Bruce Bodecker, resident of Furley, Kansas
there," Wilson said. "I felt that the survey would be put in an untenable position between NIES, KDHE and the people."
But William Hambleton, director of the survey and Wilson's boss, agreed to take on the study and keep its findings quiet until Harkins said even though the survey operated on public funds.
"Again, I objected because were undertaking the study with public funds," Wilson said. "Dr. Hambleton agreed, however, with the stipulation that he was issued after one year from the date of conclusion."
"It was apparent from the start that they did not like our findings," he said.
So in late January of last year, Wilson led a team of geologists from the survey to the waste site at Furley. On June 4, 1981, Wilson delivered reports to the Department of Health and Environment.
WILSON found was underground water in areas reported dry by Haliburton. Wilson, at a legislative hearing on the waste site last month, said Haliburton either did not find—or did not report—the presence of water beneath the 80 acres, except in one corner of the site.
In that corner, Wilson said, a state geologist was present when Halliburton's crew struck the bridge.
In at least three other areas of the site, Haliburton drilled holes and reported finding no water. But when the survey team drilled holes near a spring, the team found immediately or within 24 hours, Wilson said.
"KGS investigators can think of no technica
When asked by a committee member what other explanation existed for Haliburton's findings, Wilson said, "He was either incompetent or a liar."
explanation for these apparent discrepancies," Wilson told a legislative committee.
Haliburton, contacted in Stillwater, Okla., said he would not respond to Wilson's accusation. But he would not respond to Wilson's accusation.
"I have the greatest respect for Frank Wilson's abilities as a geologist," he said.
Although few people have questioned Wilson's geological findings, his judgments about Haliburton and KDHE have been rebuked by several people, including his boss, Hambleton.
But one of Wilson's judgments—that underground water rendered the waste site unacceptable—began to appear warranted last January when state geologists found toxic chemicals in a stream near the existing waste site.
After the geologists found larger concentrations of waste moving off the site and toward the stream, Gov. john Carlin ordered the waste dump closed.
that was on Jan. 14, 1982, more than six months after Wilson delivered his report.
JON HARDESTY/Kansan Staff
After fifteen years of hard work, professor of art Elden Tefft sits with his completed sculpture of Moses to be erected in front of Smith Hall May 5.
Moses to wander no longer; promised land awaits statue
By JANET MURPHY
Staff Reporter
After 15 years, Moses is finally going to his promised land.
On May 5, a 18-foot, one-ton bronze sculpture of Moses, commissioned by the Kansas School of Religion, will move from a cavernous foundry in the Art and Design Building to a spot in front of the "Burning Bush" stained glass window in Smith Hall.
Lyn Taym, dean of the Kansas school of Religion, said that the statue would be hoisted on a flatbed truck, secured by guidewires and transferred to Smith. Upon arrival, a crane will lift it onto a four-foot square platform, which has been skimmed 20 feet into the ground.
Moses has had many different homes in the past 15 years. The project was originally started in the Bayley Anne, then was moved to the old engineering building, which was later destroyed and Learned Hall before moving in 1978 to its present location in the Art and Design Building.
"We will work with a master landscape to make the area look like a desert," he said.
Taylor said the area around the sculpture would be landscaped after the move.
There are actually two Moses. The first one was built as the model for the casting mold. Tefft first built a support system of steel rods and covered it with styrofoam.
TEFFT WAS chosen because of his work in redesigning the University seal, which shows the shield of an eagle.
The casting began a year ago and took two teams to keep a continual flow of bronze going, be said. The sculpture was poured in eight sections.
Elden Teftt, professor of art and creator of the sculpture, has worked on the project since its inception, but not always alone.
"Literally hundreds of students were able to work on it." he said.
He then covered the form with melted wax and the features were molded in.
In February 1891, the building of the molds for the casting began. They were made out of a flexible, synthetic rubber. The largest mold weighed five tons, Teff said.
It took a year to put the clay on and mold it just right, he said, because the form may have been a bit more brittle.
Telfa said all that remained to be done was the finish work. He said they were "chasing" the waterfall, but the company didn't know.
See MOSES page 3
OAS backs Argentina, calls for truce
By United Press International
WASHINGTON—The Organization of American States today called for an "immediate truce" between Britain and Argentina in the Falklands crisis and offered to support new regional or global peace efforts to end the dispute.
Over the objections of the United States, an emergency meeting of the OAS approved 17-9 a nine-point resolution that endorses Argentina's position over the disputed South Atlantic island chain.
The United States, Colombia, Chile, and Trinidad-Tobago abstained when the resolution was put to a final vote by the members of the House. The Senate Treaty for mutual hemisphere defense.
As the OAS was meeting late last night, diplomatic sources in Washington disclosed U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Hawke was making a request for proposals to avoid a South Atlantic War.
The sources close to the Argentine delegation to the OAS conference said the Haq proposal "is being studied carefully" by the Buenos Aires government, but declined to say whether it raised new hopes of avoiding hostilities in the South Atlantic.
But the New York Times and the Washington Post reported in this morning's editions that
See related story page 10
Argentina rejected a proposal by Haig that he return to the country in an earlier attempts at the growing crisis.
Earlier, Argentine foreign minister Nicanor Costa Mendez told the OAS that Britain was preparing to launch an attack against the Falkland Islands within 24 to 48 hours.
The OAS resolution, based on a proposal originally made by Brazil and Peru, also calls on both sides in the Falklands crisis to refrain from further hostile actions. The resolution also urges full implementation of a U.S.-backed U.N. Security Council resolution calling for cessation
of hostilities, negotiations and Argentina's withdrawal from the Islands is invaded April 2.
The resolution "took note" of Haij's shuttle peace mission and said it would contribute to a peaceful solution of the crisis. Diplomatic sources said Brazil insisted on the mention of the Haij mission, although other Latin American nations, especially Venezuela, were reluctant to accept.
The United States has never publicly recognized either British or Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands, but it has made a splendid British control and administration" there.
Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and Honduras proposed the resolution and Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia cosponsored it.
Staff Reporter
By JIM LEHNER
Police say unlit campus invites crime
A nighttime walk alone on campus can be an eerie experience even to the bravest at heart. The reflection of the moon off Potter Lake, the creek that winds sidewalks can send chills up and down one's spine.
"I don't care what anybody says. I don't think that this University is a safe place at night, which is precisely why I don't venture out in the city." N.D., graduate student, said recently.
"I don't go to the library at night because it's dark from my dorm, McCollum, to Watson. Walking between the buildings gives me the creeens."
"There are so many areas where someone might be hiding, like bushes and unlit parking lots. If the lighting was better, I'm sure I would attend more campus events at nighttime."
attract more campus visitors. Carlson and others are questioning the lighting system at the University of Kansas because of the hazards associated with the dark.
Jeanne Longaker, KU police sergeant of community services, said students would be doing themselves a service if they restricted their travel at night to well-lit campus areas.
"Well-lit areas include Irving Hill Road, the eastern part of Jayhawk Boulevard and the major walkway from Robinson gym to Wescoe," she said.
She said that areas with poor lighting were Memphis and north-north near the Campanile, where Fliers placed the tables.
"Although the campus lighting has improved, it is still below jar," she said.
"If one area is poorly lit, such as Memorial Drive, it can cause serious prisms. Any area that is unlit sufficiently can be a potential hangout for deviant characters."
migrating LONGAKER SAID the University had made an attempt to provide safe access routes to better lighted areas.
"Irving Hill Road and the adjacent parking lot at Stouffer Place was a personal safety and security area along with the Satellite Union." Imlaker said.
We feel relieved with the Irving Hill lighting.
Before lights were installed up there two years ago, it was considered an unsafe area for anyone. We had patrolnet monitoring that area constantly back there."
Longaker said that most lighting complaints her office received were about Louisiana Street heading north toward Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall.
longaker said lighting made people feel secure even if the security was just a state of mind.
"That's our biggest complaint area, but it's on city property," she said.
"It makes people more comfortable," she said. "They don't have to feel apprehensive about every more the makeover is lightning fast, but they must be more like a criminal most criminals work out of dark places."
Marsha Margolis, Highland Park, III, senior, said the lack of adequate lighting on campus and in the resident hall areas made those places more likely for rapes.
"It's a wonder there aren't more rape victims on campus with all the poorly lit areas,"
See LIGHTING page 12
Speakers argue man's origin
By JIM LEHNER
Staff Reporter
A creation scientist said last night that evolutionary theories were not supported by scientific research and an evolution advocate contended that creationist beliefs were full of失误.
The men, Duane Gish, creationist, and Wiley, evolutionist, were the speakers in a dual lecture sponsored by Student Union Activities. They would inform the lecture in the Kansas University Ballroom.
Each speaker lectured for 50 minutes, then had a 20-minute question and answer period.
Giah, a biochemist from California, said evolutionists based their theories on the faulty assumption that life is random.
"Evolutionists say that millions of years ago, a hydrogen gas explosion occurred, leaving us and the planet earth, and life simply began," he said. Club there was no scientific evidence to
She simply begin the said.
Gish said they were no scientific evidence to back this claim.
"It's a theory that many evolutionists pass off as a fact." he said.
But in his speech, Wiley, a curator of KU's Museum of Natural History, said creationists were the ones who had no scientific evidence for their beliefs.
CREATION-SCIENCE puts too much emphasis on the Bible. Wiley said, thus failing to be
"Religion is not a science, it is a matter of faith," he said. "Evolution is based on scientific
Last fall in Arkansas, Wiley testified against teaching creationism in public schools in the state.
theory and should be taught in the classrooms. Religion can be taught in a social studies class that deals with religion as a topic, but as a science it has no logical value."
"Science does not regard the Bible as logical, but it does. Wiley said." The Bible is full of misconceptions.
He said the Bible was written by people who perceived what they saw and heard to be the only truth.
"Creation scientists believe that the Bible is a truth. Therefore they're off base."
During a question and answer period, Giah said that he did not base his creation-science theory on the fact that he was born.
An audience member asked Wiley why he was trying to discredit Gish. Wiley said he respected Gish, but he thought Gish's theory that there had to be a God was illogical.
"Gish gives no scientific data to back up his claim that there's a God." Wiley said. "He just said that because of his scientific evidence, there must be a God."
"It's been proven recently that no type of early man walked upright. It was just a plain old ape walking upright, but evolutionists refuse to listen."
"I base my evidence on creationism on the experiments that I have performed "Gish said. "The evolutionists have bits of fragmented data, and there, and much of that has been proven false."
Weather
RAIN
Today will be mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka. The winds will be from the east-northeast at 5 to 15 m.p.h. The high will be in the rain for most of the day.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 40.
The outlook for tomorrow calls for clear to partly cloudy skies with a high in the 60s.