European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 22, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 random drug tests urged for airline rail workers Washington a transportation Secretary Eli Sbeih dolt declaring there is no room for drugs in the transportation  Friday urged con Gross to swiftly enact Laws requiring random drug test ing for aviation and Railroad employees. Random testing provides he most reasonable deterrent available to substance  Dole told the Senate Commerce committee. The committee is considering two Bills that would require random drug testing of airline and Railroad workers in cases where safety is a concern. Sen. Ernest Hollings . The committee chair Man said he plans to steer the drug idling legislation through his committee As quickly As possible saying random testing is the Only practical Means of prevent ing drug or alcohol use in he transportation Industry. Mailing and several other senators acknowledged the Issue raises constitutional questions but they suggested those concerns Are outweighed by Public safety needs. Dole who outlined a Broad drug testing program sever Al weeks ago said she is certain random testing Wilt be challenged in inc courts. But she told the Senate panel i am confident the Scales will be tipped in favor of Public health and safely in any court proceeding. Widespread congressional sentiment in favor of an expanded drug testing program among key aviation and Railroad employees has emerged since the collision of an Amtrak passenger train and a freight locomotive in Early january in Maryland. Investigators have deter mined both crewmen aboard the Conrail locomotives had marijuana in their systems at the time of the i d Donl. In which 16 people were killed and 175 injured. Earlier last week John Riley head of the Federal Railroad administration said that without new legis lation it could be Well into the 1990s before random testing will be possible in the Railroad Industry because of expected labor opposition and court challenges. Rail and aviation labor strongly opposed random drug testing although the Railroad unions said last week they arc prepared to �0 along with a testing pro Gram if a supervisor can detect some physical signs of alcohol or drug use by an individual. Riley said that White no conclusion yet has been made whether the Conrail crewmen were impaired at inc Lime of the january Accident in Maryland impair ment has not been ruled Oul. National transportation safety Board investigator Are trying to determine what effect the drug might have had on the Conrail Engineer and brakeman just before the collision. Sen. James Exon a Nib. Chairman of inc Senate Commerce surface transportation subcommittee said concern has spread in Congress about drug and alcohol use among Railroad employees. This drug and liquor problem is something we want to get on with rather quickly Exon said while government requirements that certain employees be subject to random test ing for drugs is expected to be challenged in court done has said she believes the overriding safety implications might per Suade the courts logo along. The railroads have supported a random testing requirement but the unions say it violates a train worker s right of privacy can be used to punish employees and is not reliable. Random i Sling victimized innocent people to get at those who do use drugs at the workplace Susan Bianchi Sand president of the association of flight attendants told a House government operators sub committee thursday. Richard Stone speaking for the air line pilots association called random Lessing of pilots repugnant and  he said it conflicts with the Basic principle of inc presumption of  he prob Tennis anyone a sumo wrestler carrying a Tennis Racket Thul appears too Small fur him winces As he is hit by a Ball during the filming of a television program in Tokyo. Group report ranks state environmental programs Washington a Wisconsin California and new Jersey have the Best stale environmental Protection programs and Mississippi. West Virginia and Wyoming have the worst an advocacy group said Friday. The fund for renewable Energy and inc environment ranked state programs in six areas air pollution soil Conser vation ground water Protection Hazar Dous waste management solid Wane and recycling and renewable Energy and conservation the fund assigned Points according to ils judgment of what a state program should contain and what it should accomplish. For example a slate ground water Protection program gels More Points if it a Jows no degradation of an aquifer than if it allows some degradation. The Point assessment was arranged so that each state squid earn 10 Points in each area. By this measure Wisconsin earned 49 Points out of a possible 60, California earned 48 and new Jersey 47. Mississippi had 14, West Virginia 15 and Wyoming 16. Not surprisingly some states with the worst problems have the Best pro Grams the fund s analysis said. Also states with High per capita in come arc generally Able to direct More funds to environmental  the report noted Mississippi did no receive needed Federal assistance and funding because of a Lack of slate fund ing a number of slates with Low per Ca Pila incomes Are caught in this Dilem  nationwide inc group said inc last 15 years had brought impressive Progress in cleaning up the  Bui each week seems to bring new revelations of leaking underground Stor age tanks hazardous waste dumps contaminated drinking water controversy Over landfills and garbage incineration plants and threats of far reaching climatic change from air pollution. Although Hope remains Strong. Inc facts and i rends behind the news stories indicate deepen ing trouble it said. Backsliding has appeared in some areas with some states slashing air pollution monitoring the fund said funding for environmental programs is often sacrificed to pay for important education housing and Highway repair programs. Unless environmental threats arc immediate and dramatic an Ion is frequently delayed allowing Public health dangers Long term environmental damage and the ultimate Cost for Remedi Al action to increase it said. Miami boy fears hell die waiting for new liver Pittsburgh a Ronnie do Sillers is afraid hell die waiting for a transplant his Mother said As Organ procurement officials prepared to search for a new liver for the seriously i 117-year-old. The Miami boy remained in serious condition Friday at children s Hospital of Pittsburgh where he arrived amid considerable fanfare and Best wishes from president Reagan last week. He s very worried. He s afraid they win l be Able to find a liver that he s going to die Maria Dewillers said in a Telephone interview from her son s hos Pital room thursday evening. What i m trying to do is keep his spirit up and get him feeling a Lille Bil better about what s going on she said. Ronnie underwent a second Day of tests thursday to determine whether he is a suitable transplant candidate. He faced More tests although Organ procurement officials already Are gear ing up for the search for a liver of com parable size and blood Type. He is definitely not formally on the candidate list. But they arc aware of his need and Are taking the necessary Steps to enable him to become a candidate said Hospital spokeswoman Lynn Mcmahon. Every indication Al this Point is that he will be a liver transplant candidate. The Small bespectacled boy attracted nationwide attention after thieves broke into his fort school and stole $4,000 raised by class mates to help finance his operation. The Money was part of Aboul 189,000already collected. It was announced several Days ago that an estimated 1400,000 had been raised including $ 1.000 from the presi Dent and Ronnie and his Mother were flown us Pittsburgh for free by corporate Jel tuesday. Ronnie was born with liver ducts Loo Small to expel fluids. Baa Baa Black sheep leads to Nursery Brouhaha London a the parents Ofa 5 year old mentally retarded boy withdrew him from a Day care Center after a staff member criticized him for learning Baa Baa Black sheep saying the Nur Sery rhyme was racially  Islington Council which runs Beacon Day Nursery a Day care can Ler for 15 men tally handicapped preschoolers blamed inc incident on an overzealous interpretation of its anti discrimination policy. A Council spokeswoman said inc Par Ems of Daniel Griffin who is severely retarded withdrew the boy from inc Nur Sery Lasi Friday after receiving a report critical of his having Learned a hummed version of Baa Baa Black  in a Book for comments on the boy s Progress a staff member wrote we do not encourage he rhyme Baa Baa Black sheep Asil has been identified As racially derogatory and is actively discouraged by Islington Council it was unclear what aspect of the Nur Sery rhyme the unidentified staff Mem Ber considered racist. Chris King inc Council s chief whip. Said the staffer s action resulted from an Over jealous interpretation of our equal opportunities  it is Noi Council policy to actively Dis courage his or any other Nursery  King said of Boa Baa Black  we have Oiler More major problems to give our time and Energy to in the Multi ethnic common ily we serve he said