KANSAS OPENS BIG 12 PLAY SATURDAY AGAINST IOWA STATE. SEE GAMEDAY ON PAGE 6B FOR A BREAKDOWN OF THE ACTION.
Can't get the game on TV? The Kansan football staff will be posting live updates with photos and wrap-up video from Ames this weekend on KANSAN.COM
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2008
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 32
CAMPUS
University found in violation of hazardous waste regulations
BY JOE PREINER jpreiner@kansan.com
The alleged mishandling of hazardous wastes will cost the University more than $80,000 to clean up.
The Environmental Protection Agency evaluated University laboratory buildings last December for compliance with the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. It cited the University for multiple violations of the RCRA and Kansas hazardous waste regulations. The University and the EPA reached an agreement on the matter Monday afternoon.
The violations included improperly labeling, documenting, handling and storing hazardous waste at several locations
around campus, including labs in Burt and Malott halls and the McCollum lab in the Higuchi Biosciences Center.
The University agreed to pay $39,431 to the EPA for the violations and will also spend at least $41,585 on a project aimed at reducing the use and production of hazardous and toxic waste on campus, usually produced during scientific processes. The process will involve evaluating 301 laboratories in various departments as well as the University's Natural History Museum. It will also include more training for people involved in the handling of the hazardous materials.
Chris Whitley, public affairs specialist for the EPAs region seven, said the University had to complete the project within the next
two years.
"We don't expect it all to be done right away," Whitley said. "Evaluating 301 labs is a big undertaking."
To assure the University stays on track with the project, Whitley said it would submit progress reports to the EPA. If the University fails to make the necessary progress in the allotted time, additional fines will be added. Whitley said whenever something such as hazardous waste was not being handled according to regulations, a potential for damage to human health was present.
Mike Russell, director of environment, health and safety for the University, said none of the violations the EPA cited involved exposure or harm to the environment or people. He said that while there was potential for harm in everyday life, the problem with hazardous waste handling on campus would not be hard to address.
"People need to follow through with the procedures and responsibilities," Russell said. "It is something we worry about."
Jack Martin, deputy director of the office of University communications, said the University's agreement with the EPA came after a series of discussions among University officials about the agency's inspection. He said the University was able to show that some of the issues the EPA had brought up were not violations. Despite disagreeing with the EPA on some remaining issues, Martin said the deal was fair overall.
Ryan Callihan, Lenexa senior and a coordinator of KU Environs, said that while the EPA fine may seem like a lot of money, it seemed petty considering the violations. He said the University wasn't immune to the rules and regulations imposed on other organizations.
Martin said covering the cost of the fines was a matter of reallocating existing resources to where the need arose. He said the money for the environmental project would come from assigning new duties to existing staff members. The source of funding for the $39,341 penalty is still being determined.
LOCAL
Edited by Rachel Burchfield
Concert to play at new location
Chris Armstrong, Lawrence junior, first organized an annual concert for local bands when he was in high school. This year the concert, "Music for the Masses," will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Sunday at South Park.
FULL STORY PAGE 6A
HEALTH
KU students exercising more at Rec
AND THE BAND PLAYS ON
New fitness classes are allowing more KU students to get in shape. Turbo Kick is the newest addition to the Student Recreation Fitness Center's class list.
FULL STORY PAGE 3A
ACCIDENT Student killed in one-car crash, one passenger injured
A student was killed early Thursday morning in north Lawrence when his vehicle crashed into a power pole and a tree, Lawrence Police Department officials say.
Neil Hockenbarger, 26, was driving northbound on Michigan Street when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, leaving the road and striking the impediments. Hockenbarger died at the scene of the accident. Officers were dispatched at 12:15 a.m. Thursday morning, according to a media release issued by the Lawrence Police Department Thursday morning.
Hockenbarger's wife, Tiffany, 25 was riding in the passenger seat of the vehicle. She survived the accident and was treated for minor injuries.
Hockenbarger was involved with the University's Air Force ROTC program and was also a student in the School of Mechanical Engineering. According to an e-mail sent by school administrators, grief counselors will be visiting each of Hockenbarger's classes today for anyone who needs assistance dealing with the loss.
Sgt. Bill Cory, a media relations officer with the Lawrence Police Department, said that the accident is currently under investigation.
Members of the KU Marching Band high-five football fans after a halftime performance in September. A recent $100,000 donation will allow the band to pay for instruments, uniforms and travel expenses.
Ryan McGeeney
Marching Jayhawks get $100K donation
Endowment comes from Dana and Sue Anderson of Los Angeles, who return to Lawrence for every home game
BY HALEY JONES hjones@kansan.com
One of the smallest marching bands in the Big 12 has a big reason to smile.
Dana and Sue Anderson, long-time donor to the University, donated $100,000 to start an endowment fund for the Marching Jayhawks, the 251-piece KU Athletics band. Dana Anderson said he wanted to establish a fund that would help cover the cost of
would have the opportunity to receive a scholarship in the future because of the donation.
"A first-class band is reflective of a first-class university and a first-class athletic program."
Smith said the band gave him an outlet
"A first-class band is reflective of a firstclass university and a first-class athletic program," Dana Anderson said.
Taylor Smith, Fulton, Mo., sophomore, plays the saxophone in the band and also receives a scholarship from band. He said he was glad that more band members
the band's instruments, uniforms, travel expenses and other costs.
DANA ANDERSON Donor
to play his saxophone and practice performing, an important aspect of his music performance major.
"It also helped me meet a ton of people right off the bat because I didn't know anyone when I got here," Smith said. "It's just a really fun experience."
tor of KU bands, said band members were aware of the effect they had on players and they took the job of supporting the team and rallying the crowd very seriously.
"We don't have to tell our students," Weiss said. "They know what a big part they play in a game."
Scott Weiss, direc-
Weiss said the marching band was as much a KU tradition as walking down the
Anderson said he decided to donate to KU Athletics several years ago when he noticed the University's football program was not as successful as Kansas State University's program. He said a strong athletics program helped schools attract students, securing more donations and allowing people to take greater pride in their university.
hill at graduation or running through the underground tunnels.
"These things are things that define game day at the University of Kansas," Weiss said.
"I think the University's front porch is its athletic program." Anderson said. "My goal was if K-State could do it, KU could too," Anderson said.
The Andersons were major donors to the $31 million Anderson Family Football Complex and have also donated to the School of Business, the Spencer Research Library, and Allen Fieldhouse's renovations. Anderson said athletics was his family's primary focus in donations.
"This donation really supports the long-term financial security of the Marching Jayhawks," Weiss said. "It will allow us to give more students scholarships and buy new instruments and uniforms."
While KU football has gained increasing attention, the Marching Jayhawks have
Weiss said he anticipated more growth, but that also meant the band would fund more members through scholarships. The band currently supports 10 times as many students through scholarships as it did last year.
grown by 40 percent during the last year, from 150 members last year to 251 this year.
index
Anderson and his wife, who live in Los Angeles, come back to Memorial Stadium for every home game. He said the band's sound no longer was swallowed up in Memorial Stadium and it was now able to do much more impressive formations because of the number of people involved.
"It's a night-and-day difference between two years ago," Anderson said. "Now it's very much of a presence."
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