European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes monday september 24,1990 landmark Oil spill Law adopted in California Sacramento Calif. A gov. George Deuk Majian on saturday signed a landmark Oil spill Bill that levies a tax of 25 cents a barrel of Oil to create funding for a cleanup Quot Czar Quot and regulate tankers in California Waters. Dukmejian said the new Law a will give California an unprecedented ability to prevent spills before they happen and to fight the effects of spills if they do  the Republican governor who earlier had expressed reservations about some aspects of the Bill announced the signing during his weekly radio address. The Bill was the object of intense negotiations among legislators the Oil Industry environmentalist groups and trial lawyers All year. It was passed on aug. 31, the last Day of the Legislatures 1990 session. The new Law which takes effect immediately will tax crude Oil 25 cents a barrel. That Money will go into a s i 00 million cleanup fund. Backers say it will take about six months to bring the fund to $50 million. Then some of the Money will be used to secure a line of credit for the other half. The governor will appoint a state Oil spill response administrator or a Czar who will develop rules and regulations for Safe transportation of Oil. The administrator will head a new office of spill preparedness which will Combine the existing Powers of 14 state agencies. The Law allows the state to conduct Surprise inspections of tankers and terminals requires up to Date safety plans for refineries and requires tugboat escorts and radar tracking of tankers. One of the stumbling Points in the negotiations on the Bill was the amount of liability that private cleanup contractors especially those hired or created by Oil companies Are responsible for during the cleanups themselves. The Oil Industry wanted permanent immunity from lawsuits and fines for the cleanup contractors but trial lawyers opposed immunity except for Volunteer groups. The Compromise Law gives cleanup contractors limited immunity from lawsuits for 60 Days with a possible 30-Day Extension to be granted by the Czar. Volunteer groups have unlimited liability. Deukmejian referred to the 9,500-barrel Tanker spill last february off the Huntington Beach coast saying the Bill would at least improve the response time Ana perhaps prevent such disasters. A a a a a a a a Ltd a a a a a. Crash survivors await Rescue five unidentified survivors of a Small plane crash saturday. The Pilot not shown was Able to swim to stand on top of the submerged twin engine aircraft in Shore to summon help. It was not immediately known the Middle of Byram Lake in North Castle n.y., on where the flight originated or where it was headed. Hawaii s governor to Square off with former surfer in election Honolulu apr gov. John Waihee seeking his second four year term swept aside Little known opponents in a four Way democratic gubernatorial primary saturday. Hell face Republican state rep. Fred Hemmings a businessman and former world Champion surfer who beat five others in the gop primary. Late counting showed Waihee with 88 percent of the vote and Hemmings with 91 percent in their respective races. Democratic sen. Daniel Akaka and Republican rep. Patricia Saiki each won easily in their bid to fill the unexpired term of the late sen. Spark Matsunaga who died of cancer in april. With about two thirds of the ballots counted Akaka named to the Senate in May had 91 percent of the vote against one democratic opponent. Saiki after two terms representing the 1st District had 87 percent of the vote in the four Way Republican primary. A nov. 6 special election will determine who will fill the remainder of Matsunaga a term which expires in 1994. K in the race for Akaka a 2nd District congressional seat former rep. Patsy Mink edged business executive Muff Hannemann. With two thirds of the ballots counted Mink had 42,416 votes to Hanemann a 38,764, giving her a 40 percent to 37 percent Edge. Republican Andrew Poepoe a former state lawmaker and Honolulu councilman was leading with 12,249 votes a 73 percent a in a three Way 2nd District gop primary. Honolulu attorney Matthew Matsunaga son of the late senator was beaten by City councilman Neil Abercrombie who won a special election in 1986 and served three months in Congress. Matsunaga finished third behind state sen. Norman Mizuguchi in the democratic race for Saikin a 1st District seat. With most of the ballots counted Abercrombie had 43,206 votes or 45 percent Mizuguchi 30,850, 32 percent and Matsunaga 21,045,22 percent. State rep. Michael Liu held a narrow Lead Over former Marine officer Frank Hutchinson in a three Way 1st District gop race. Stateside investigators Tell of ease in laundering Money Washington apr undercover agents say that a nine City probe shows it is ridiculously easy to launder Money by buying cars jewelry and other luxuries for Cash from stores that laugh off reporting Laws. A i think this is the most shocking testimony in be heard in my 12 years in the . Congress a rep. Beryl Anthony d-ark., told a House hearing after congressional investigators delivered their report. Real estate salesmen Rug Sellers and other dealers in High Cost items proved willing to help them get around a Law requiring a report to the internal Revenue service of any Cash transaction Over $10,000, investigators said. They told a House ways and Means panel they posed As purchasers with plenty of Cash and a passion for anonymity arranging to buy items Worth $4.2 million from 79 businesses m nine states Over five weeks. Agents Barney Gomez and Leigh Jackson said they always insisted they did not want their names sent to the internal Revenue  convicted in theft of millions from husband Tampa Fla. Apr a woman accused of stealing $2 million from her husband and fleeing to Costa Rica with their two children has been convicted of 20 charges including grand theft and forgery. Melvine Matthews Aprile 40, faces up to five years in prison at sentencing oct. 26. The state had filed 27 charges against the sex wife of Jimmy Aprile. A six member jury acquitted her of seven counts after deliberating More than three hours. She has been in jail since March after she was returned to Tampa from Costa Rica. Prosecutors said mrs. Aprile sold her husbands real estate altered deeds and mortgages and forged checks for three years after her husband suffered two heart attacks that kept him from overseeing business  researchers report hot new theory on Earth Mountain View Calif. A if you think current events on the planet Earth Are hot think again. The Brainy types at nasal Sames research Center believe Early Earth billions of years ago May have soared to 190 degrees. Through volcanic eruptions and assorted collisions with comets and meteorites the Earth in its first few Hundred million years May have undergone the grand daddy of greenhouse effects a report says. A buildup of Carbon dioxide that trapped heat trying to radiate from the surface May have resulted in soaring temperatures said or. James Kasting Leader of a Nasa investigation group. The result could have been the creation of primitive bacteria Able to withstand hot temperatures metabolize Fulfur and live in an acidic environment he said. Attention is focused on probable places beneath the Earth a surface where such tremendous heat could not penetrate thus allowing conditions for life to get started Kasting  election slate ordered off nov. Ballot Chicago apr an All Black slate of candidates for Cook county offices has been ordered off the november ballot prompting charges of a Plantation poli circuit judge Eugene Wachowski said the candidates from the Harold Washington party failed to collect enough nominating signatures of suburban voters As required by election rules. The party also failed to nominate and qualify Candi inti ruling is  Law Wachowski said the ,rty�?T named for the late mayor Harold Washington said Wachowski bowed to democratic pressure. Plift5 of Iraneous and i am incensed a said r. Eugene a party s candidate for Cook county Board tics a Democrat la party 15 practising Plantation poli the party plans to Appeal