European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes saturday july 28,1990 Washington apr the nuclear regulatory commission relaxed the control of Low level radioactive wastes despite repeated concerns expressed by staff advisers and the environmental Protection Agency internal documents showed  documents were released by a congressional panel that is questioning the decision announced last month that the arc no longer regulate a wide Range of Low level radioactive materials from Mic Lear Power plants laboratories and hospitals. At a hearing before the House Interior Energy and environment Subco Mittice a number of congressmen expressed concern that states would be forced to accept radioactive wastes from other states As part of Normal garbage destined for landfills. States such As West Virginia and Indiana already targets for out of state garbage shipments fear they a will become the dumping ground Quot for radioactive wastes said rep. Joe Rahall . A a in a concerned where we re heading in terms of nuclear wastes Quot said rep. Philip Sharp d-ind., who said states will be prevented from restricting such shipments under the arc rules. The arc s commissioners were expected in later testimony to defend the Gosc change As no threat to Public rep. George Miller d-calif., the subcommittees chairman said the arc policy a has the potential to endanger the Public  under the new policy such Low level wastes As gloves clothing lab equipment and even buildings and equipment at nuclear Power plants can be disposed of As if they were Normal garbage if radiation doses Are below a certain level. The commission plans to consider exempting various wastes on a Case by Case basis As requests for exemptions Are submitted by Industry under the new policy guidelines. Arc chairman Kenneth m. Carr has argued that the policy change represents a Way to save lives because Federal and state regulators will be Able a to spend our resources on threats that Are More  a. But representatives from the Epa a half dozen members of Congress and a number of state radiation control oni vials were expected to testify against the arc action announced on june 27. According to documents obtained by Millers subcommittee the Epa As we As key arc staff members expressed concern repeatedly during the two years the new policy was being debated that too Many wastes Are being deregulated. The arc decision would exempt from special control wastes that subject individuals to radiation doses of less than 10 Milliren per year a half the level of a Normal Chest a Ray. A we believe that is too High a level of exposure for a Blanket deregulation criteria and is not protective of the Public health Quot the Epars office of radiation programs concluded in a briefing paper submitted to the subcommittee the Epa made similar arguments to the arc before the policy change was made. The Epa maintained that the 10 Milli Rem cutoff for regulatory action could result in As Many As three additional cancer deaths for every 10,000 people exposed a i according to internal arc memos and other documents key commission staff members also expressed Strong reservations about the 10 Milliren cutoff level As the new policy was debated in 1988 and 1989. A staff report in june 1988 urged that Only wastes with radiation doses of i Milliren per year be deregulated. Among those who objected to the 10 Milliren cutoff was Robert m. Bernero acting director of the a Rcd a office of nuclear material safety and safeguards according to the documents. Bernero in one memo to his arc superiors expressed concern about the wealth effects to individuals who May be subject to numerous exposures of such wastes and the Long term effect of such materials. But the objections from Bernero and other staffers were overruled by senior arc officials the documents indicated. Weedo a seven year old Edward Boyd of Bellows Falls Maine came up with this Cool Hairdo after a swim at nearby Popham Beach. No harm done a it s just  used to print $100 Bills reported lost by . Agency Washington apr the Bureau of engraving and printing said thursday that it has mislaid a steel plate bearing Benjamin Franklin s picture that was formerly used to print $100 Bills. The secret service was notified and sent two agents to investigate Bureau spokesman Ira Polikoff said. Polikoff said the Bureau believes the plate is still in its building. Investigators Are working on the theory that it has gone astray because of a clerical error. The plate is one of about 3,200 made last year Polikoff said. It is about 3 feet by 8 feet and weighs 8 pounds. A a it a not something you can easily fold up and put in your pocket Quot the spokesman said. Polikoff said anyone leaving the building with any package larger than a Billfold is routinely searched. He said this applies even to the highest level Bureau officials. The plate turned up missing during a monthly inventory Check july 6. Polikoff said it had been found to be defective and so was no longer being used in printing Bills and was scheduled for destruction. A we believe at this Point it was nothing More than a clerical error a Pollicoff said. Polikoff spoke by Telephone from san Francisco. He said that before he left Washington tuesday the secret service had sent two agents to investigate. He said the service is routinely informed in such cases. The spokesman said he did not know anything about the secret service s investigation. Stateside hefty tax still assessed on old Vanderbilt Home Asheville . Apr the Vanderbilt family a 250-room Biltmore House has some plumbing and electrical problems that could drive Down its value but the county tax assessor says its still Worth at least $ 16 million. If the assessment stands the tax Bill will be $109,903., and by the Way the assessment does no to include the Antiques Art works and 8,000 acres of land. Biltmore House finished in 1895, was built by George w. Vanderbilt of the Railroad and steamship  of quarters spill from armoured truck Portland Ore. Apr thousands of quarters spilled through an unlatched door after an armoured truck hit a bump while rumbling across the Ross Island Bridge. A quarters were flying everywhere Quot said Allen Schmuck who with his Friend Tod Larsen was travelling across the Bridge when three bags fell out of the truck. Traffic was stopped for about 20 minutes on the Bridge one of several spanning the Willamette River in Portland. The truck from Oregon armoured service inc. Stopped right away and police arrived within five minutes. Company officials declined to say How Many quarters were involved but police said no Money was  apparently infects patient with aids Atlanta apr in the first Case of its kind american researchers reported thursday that a woman apparently got aids from her dentist during a tooth pulling even though he was wearing gloves and a mask. The Case has prompted the government to review its guidelines for aids prevention during medical procedures even though a the possibility of another source of infection cannot be entirely excluded a said the National centers for disease control in Atlanta. The Goy emment run health Agency said All evidence was a consistent with the patient being infected during her trip to the dentist. The dentist who had been diagnosed three months earlier was wearing protective gloves and a mask As recommended while extracting two molars from the patient who was visiting him for the first time. A we done to know exactly what happened during that procedure Quot said or. Harold Jaffe Deputy director for science in the cd s his aids program. Quot we have to assume there was some kind of an Accident that exposed the patient to the dentists  but there was no indication of that. The patient did no to remember the dentist having any cuts the dentist did no to recall any accidents a such As sticking himself with the aesthetic Needle a and dental records indicated the procedure a should have been uncomplicated a the cd said. Officials of the american denial association said the cd May have jumped to conclusions. Quot we re not Happy about it Quot said or. Enid Neidle director of scientific affairs for the dental organization. A we think it is not a totally conclusive Case of transmission. We Are not Happy at any % report that could raise fears on the part of the Public that the dental office is a place of danger and  cd officials stressed that there is no reason to believe the virus was transmitted just because a dentist with aids came close to a patient. Quot we Are not suggesting some unique previously under cubed kind of transmission a Jaffe said. Quot and we re certainly not suggesting to people they should be afraid to go to their doctors and  the Case has prompted the govem-ti�t0  recommendations for prevention in medical settings we will be looking at the guidelines to see if they need to be modified to decrease the Chance this might happen again Jaffe said. Aids activists worried that the report would spawn new fears about the Dis 1 think that a inevitable a said Paul Sathrum program director for the National association of people with aids a the hysteria is always out there. Any Little thing like this always brings it Back to the Sui tace. A this May be the Type of situation that would provide ammunition for the forces who would love to see More restrictions on people with his. I Hope that does no to  two years after the woman strip to the dentist she was diagnosed with a rare pneumonia that strikes some aids patients. She then tested positive for the aids virus. A lengthy investigation found no risk factors for aids in the woman a past such As intravenous drug abuse or numerous sex partners. She said she had two boyfriends before her diagnosis both tested negative for the virus. The cd As is its custom did not identify the dentist or patient except to describe the patient As a Young woman