European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 07, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes wednesday february 7,1990 Federal drug authorities want to Block some chemical exports los Angeles a . Drug officials arc trying to Block exports of certain chemicals to 52 latin Ameri can companies because the solvents Are being used to process cocaine a newspaper reported tuesday. The solvents include Methyl Ethyl a conc manufactured primarily by Exxon corp. And Shell Oil co., the Losangeles times re ported citing unidentified sources. The move was authorized under new legislation and targets about one in five of the companies that Verc regular importers of . Industrial solvents the news paper said. Disclosures indicating the extensive role 9f . Angina Ted chemicals in South american cocaine production were scheduled to be revealed later in a Senate subcommittee hearing looking into such chemical exports the times said. The drug enforcement administration s action could Force South american companies to turn to european suppliers. . Manufacturers argue that they double Check to make certain their International customers have legitimate uses for the solvents but a senior official with the chemical manufacturers association said . Exports often arc diverted to cocaine producers. It can happen that products arc sold to a customer who seems legitimate and that the product then is diverted into illegal drug marketing r. Harnly Baker the association s director of International activities said monday. The 52 companies were among 288 described As regular customers for . Exports. . Officials in Bogota Colombia said Many of the businesses arc fronts for colombian drug cartels. Regular customer status allows latin american companies to receive . Shipments with less documentation. Removing the status effectively bars them from receiving exported solvents Dea officials told congressional investigators. The Dea refused to identify the companies. The Date of the customer status reclassification was not reported. None of the . Exporters affected have challenged the ban. The times reported earlier that 90 percent of the 13 million Gallons of Methyl Ethyl ketone exported to Colombia last year was believed to have been used in cocaine laboratories. Sen. Harry Reid d-ncv., last week introduced legis lation to outlaw Export of the chemical. Sen. Richard h. Bryan d-ncv., responsible for the subcommittee hearing probing the exports said he will urge president Bush to bring up the chemical Export Issue during his drug Summit in Colombia. This is a serious problem and there is More that the United states can do Bryan said. Stateside or Folio Glass tableware recalled on Fra orders Washington a the importer of italian made or Folio Glass talc War has re called the line because of dangerous concentrations of Lead the food and drug administration announced monday. Long term use of the Glass arc could result in damage to i he Central nervous system of children by Lead that leached into food the Agency said. The importer Mariposa a Gloucester mass. Firm distributed More than 3.000 pieces to 166 stores in the United Stales and c Anada since last August the Agency said. The Fra said Mariposa has advised the stores to Post notices asking customers to re turn any items they have. The or Folio line carries a Gold band in the Clear Glass. The recalled pieces and item num Bers arc wine Glass. 701 individual bowl 710 salad plate. 711 dinner plate 712 Small round Platter 720 Large round Platter. 721 serving bowl. 722 Small Oval Platter 723 and Large Oval Platter. 724. The pieces were manufactured by is an i Ioni & Busoni of Florence. Winter takes a Bough gliding along serenely past boughs of Trees heavily Laden with Simm Jim Mosher enjoys he aftermath tuesday of a storm that dumped 8 inches on the Boston area. Ilic bostonian is skiing in the City s Arnold arboretum. Violations colled rampant of nuke plants Washington a the Energy department says virtually All its nuclear weapons plants appear to be violating safely health and environmental rules and the department blames itself for not correcting the problems. A report it released monday said some of the health and safety violations posed relatively High risks of injury or death to Small numbers of workers at the plants. Among the problems cited were improper use of toxic substances and electrical dangers. The report compiled previously Dis closed problems at six weapons plants the Rocky Flats plutonium process ing Plant in Colorado. The Fernald uranium processing Plant and the Mound weapons Laboratory in Ohio. The y-12 uranium Plant in Tennes see. The pan tax weapons Assembly Plant in Texas. The West Valley radioactive waste site in new York. Faa against going Public on bomb threats Washington a airline Pas sengers should be told if their flight is the target of a terrorist bomb threat Only if the notice and ask about increased Security precautions the Leader of the Federal aviation administration says. But Faa administrator James Busey also maintains that because most bomb threats Are hoaxes up to 600 a year proving false no Public warning should be made in the vast majority of cases. Buse noted that the Faa continues to insist that airlines not disclose the con tents of the Agency s Security notices and bulletins containing intelligence information on terrorist threats. I think passengers should operate on the Assumption that if the plane is going there is no threat Busty told reporters monday. If we cannot guarantee these purity and the safety of that flight the Bird docs not  but Busty said a distinction can be i think passengers should operate on the Assumption that if the plane is going there is no  Faa chief James Busey made when a passenger arrives at an air port departure lounge and observes bomb sniffing dogs. The searching of carry on Luggage and other signs of heightened Security. The experienced traveler will know that something is going  he said. And they have every right to know what it is. An air traveler who asks should be told the reason for the precautions to have the flexibility to make his own per Sonal decision independently Busty. But. Overall he said our policy re Mains that we not go  the Issue of whether passengers should be told of terrorist threats arose after reports that some . Diplomats were told of a 1988 bomb threat against pan am flight 103. The aircraft exploded Over Lockerbie. Scotland on dec. 21, 1988. Killing 259 people on Board and 11 on the ground. In separate incidents last year. North West and Delta airlines broke from Stan Dard Industry practice when they issued Public announcements that some of their flights had been threatened. Ulusey called in representatives of All major . Airlines for a listening ses Sion Over the Issue apparently concluding that there arc rare occasions when it is prudent to Tell passengers their flight has been threatened. On monday. Busty spelled out for the first time an example of such a rare Occa Sion. Spokesmen for aviation watchdog groups and representatives of the family associations formed alter the destruction of pan am 103 have harshly criticized the Faa and the airline Industry saying that they have failed to give passengers adequate warning of threats. A presidential commission formed to make Security recommendations in the aftermath of the pan am flight is addressing the Issue of whether passengers should be informed of threats. The com Mission s report is due in mid May