1980-01-18; Central Michigan Life

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Contaminated sites found; others suspected
by KIM CLARKE
UFE Staff Writer
What started out as an investigation of a toxic chemical
burial site near Saginaw has
triggered inquiries of up to 11
dumping sites, including a
former plant in nearby St. Louis.
Velsicol Chemical Co. of
Chicago admitted earlier in the
week to burying 300,000 pounds
of low-level radioactive waste at
a   company   site   in   Bethany
Township of Gratiot County,
west of Saginaw.
Gary Randall, R-Elwell, said
the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, the
Michigan Department of Health
and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission have formed a
special- investigative team to
survey the area.
The investigative team will
determine the materials involved, whether or not they are
a threat to the well-being of
humans,   and   what   type   of
corrective action if any, should
be taken.
Randall said the Toxic Substance Control Commission is
investigating the non-closed St.
Louis Velsicol plant.
St. Louis is 16 miles south of
Mount Pleasant.
The soil around the plant
became contaminated, during
production. Velsicol purchased
the plant from the Michigan
Chemical Co., which was involved in the state-wide PBB
contamination,
Randall said soil samples from
the area show widespread
contamination of PBB, load,
phenol, tris and other chemcial
compounds.
A possible 11 or more sites
may have been Velsicol dumping
grounds, Randall said.
A former truck driver for
Michigan Chemical Co. told
Randall that he knew of other
sites where toxic wastes had
been dumped.
All of the suspected sites are
in Gratiot County.
"We don't really know what's
at the sites," Randall said. "The
sites are just suspected dumping areas."
"The most immediate threat
is the St. Louis plant site itself
and a landfill close behind it," he
added.
Randall said legal action
against Velsicol Chemical Co is
planned, either by the Michigan
Attorney General or the Environmental Protection Agency.
"No action can be taken until
the data is in "he said.
Randall said he had mixeN*
emotions over the issue.
"I'm extremely depressed
that additional sites have been
found," he said. "But now the
needed officials can be brought
in and the needed attention will
be given."
Randall said he will be
working with J, Michael Busch,
R-Saginaw. Busch is a member
of the Toxic Substance Control
Commission.
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Central Michigan LIFE
W
Today: Partly cloudy and colder.
Highs in the mid to upper 30s. Lows in
the upper 20s.
Saturday: Chance of rain. Highs in the
mid 30s to low 40s. Lows in the 20s.
Vol. 61 No. 47
©   Central Michigan LIFE
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Telephones 774-3493 - 774-3830
12 Pages
Friends and relatives
mourn Lloyd M. Cofer
Winterizing
CM UFE PHOTO BY JERRY ZOIYNSKY
Workers continued to insulate Rowe Hall Thursday. The construction, which also will
help renovate the hail, has been going on for the past month and is expected to be completed sometime next month.
by SHIRLEY SZELKOWSKI
LIFE Copy Editor
DETROIT-More than 200
relatives and friends attended
the funeral of CMU Trustee
Lloyd M. Cofer Wednesday at
St. Cyprians Episcopal Church,
where he had served on the
vestry.
Cofer, 74, died in his sleep
Jan. 11 at his home in Detroit.
The service was officiated by
the Rt. Rev. H. Irving Mayson
after which the body was taken
to Woodlawn Cemetery.
No Central representatives
were involved in the service.
_..Cofer .s.erye.d on Central's
Board of Trustees 17 years,
three years as chariman. But the
eulogies of three of Gofer's close
friends made it apparent his
position at CMU was only part of
what Cofer accomplished for
higher education.
Perhaps it was said best by
Snow F. Grigsby, "He met the
challenge and he's leaving
behind a legacy."
Grigsby and Cofer worked
together in the Detroit Public
School System where Cofer
became the first black counselor.
During his 35 years in Detroit,
he held assistant principal
positions at two schools and
principal at another.
"It was not just a hobby but a
part of his life to work with
people," Grigsby said of Cofer's
work in Detroit and eventual
positions at Michigan State
University and CMU.
■ Cofer became director of the
(See "Cofer"—page 11)
Trustee selection
lengthy process
,„,,CMU Trustees will meet
Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in the
President's Conference Room of
the University Center.
The meeting was rescheduled
from last week due to the death
of trustee Lloyd Cofer.
CMU officals said evaluator
Barry Munitz will not be in
attendance but will attend the
Feb. meeting.
A replacement for the late
CMU, trustee Lloyd M, Cofer
will be selected by the governor
and take at least a month, state
officials say.
Although there are no fixed
guidelines and time schedule for
appointing someone to fill
Gofer's term, Bob Berg
Assistant to the governor said
there is a general procedure for
the selection.
(See "Trustees"—page 2)
Drive to begin for
drinking age change
by KRIS PIOCH
LIFE Staff Writer
The petition drive to lower
the drinking age to 19 kicks off
Feb. 28, Doug Hargett executive
director of the Citizens For a
Fair Drinking Age announced.
Hargett discussed strategies
with Student Body President
Jim Krezeminski Wednesday for
obtaining signatures to get the
proposal on the November
ballot.
To get the proposal on the
ballot, petitions bearing 286,772
valid signatures are required.
Hargett aims to collect
350,000 signatures to ensure the
requirement is met. Some
signatures are declared • invalid
because the signers are not
registered voters or because the
petitions are not signed for the
county the voter is registered in,
he explained.
The petitions are due July 7.
"We should be ready to set up
by the 28th (Feb.)," Krzeminski,
Grand Rapids junior, said.
For the first three weeks the
petitions will be available daily
in the Student Association
Office in the lower level of the
University Center and in front
of the UC's Reservation for two
days a week. Later, the petitions
will be circulated in the dornis.
Deputized registrars will be
available at the petition tables
to register voters.
"Once things are going well on
campus it's a key we get out in
the community. This way we
reach people that will be
voting," Hargett said.
"It would be phenomenal to"
get half of the student body to
sign, but I would be more than
pleased to get a quarter," Kr-
(See "Drinking"—page 2)
Soaring gold price affects tradition
bySUEKAIN
LIFE Staff Writer
Inflation is affecting tradition as gold class rings are less
popular due to spiralling gold prices.
Alternative alloy metals are beginning to replace gold class
rings, said Tim Titus, Herff Jones Co., sales representative.
Herff Jones Co., which sells its rings at the Student Book
Exchange, 209 E. Bellows St., offers an "ultrium" metal ring
which is a nonprecious jewelers alloy similar to surgical steel.
"About 90 percent of our Michigan customers are now
buying our ultrium metal rings. The only people buying gold
rings are trading in old high school and junior college rings,"
Titus said.
Titus said the company previously changed prices twice a
month, but, because of the rapid increase in the price of gold,
now prices change weekly, if not more often.
Prices for 10 carat gold rings from Herff Jones range from
$80 to $130 for women and $150 to $200 for men.
Chuck Ramseth, SBX manager, said there has been no
significant change in class ring sales yet, but anticipates a
switch to alternative metals.'
Mary Coxon, assistant manager of the Univesity Center
Bookstore, said class ring sales have been steady and have
even increased slightly.
"The rise in sales may be because students are holding more
traditional values and w;ant to be identified with an institution.
Also, there are more women in college and they are purchasing
rings," Coxon said.
Bob Petran, sales representative for Josten's, which sells
rings through the UC Bookstore, said even though more
students are turning to alloy metals, there still is a market for
gold rings.
Josten's offers a "lustrium" alloy metal similar to white
gold, excluding the gold content.
(See "Rings"—page 2)
In Brief
Cross-country skiing and snow shoeing for
beginners will be discussed and demonstrated
at Neithercut Woodland Sat. at 10 a.m. The
program is sponsored by CMU's Biology Dept.
and is open to the public at no charge.
US
The Dutch Flyers have
found a new home in
Grand Rapids—but still
remember the
generosity of the people
in Mount Pleasant,
page \%
Sports
men **s
CMTj's
basketball team dropped
another conference game
Wednesday,   this   time
the culprit was Bowling
Green. •   n
,   page 9
Arts and Leisure  7
Classifieds.......... 1 j
Comment ............... 4
Doonesbury ......... t... 4
Horoscope. ..,,..>, \\
Off the Wire *..,.... 2
Sport-..,.. „ g
Spotlife....,,...,...... 11
TV Listings  10
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