European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes tuesday november 26, 1991radioactive spill probed at . Plant Duke Power  vice president James w. Hampton Points out the place where a leak occurred at the Oconee Plant. Columbia . Apr workers at a nuclear Plant released slightly radioactive Gas into the air monday so they could safely enter the containment building and investigate a spill of radioactive water officials said. The Gas posed no threat to the Public or workers said Ken Clark a spokesman for the nuclear regulatory commission. He said the process begun around 1 a.m., would continue for about a Day. The gases had accumulated when 50,000 Gallons of radioactive water leaked inside the containment building at the Oconee nuclear Plant Early saturday. A they filter the Gas measure it and Monitor it to make sure they done to exceed the Federal limits a Clark said. He said the arc has a specialist at the Plant to Monitor the process. The radiation is at a very Low level and is no greater than what is released during the plants Normal operation he said. Plant spokeswoman Susie Adams said Duke Power co. Hoped to Send technicians in monday morning to investigate the leak. On saturday the Utility reported that radioactive steam gushed into the containment building of the 17-year-old unit 3 reactor and cooled to water. The Plant remained on Alert for More than 15 hours until the reactor was cooled to below 200 degrees. Alert status is the second highest of four arc classifications for accidents. Sandra Threatt emergency planning coordinator for the state department of health and environmental control said an inspection team that arrived soon after the spill found no unusual radiation Levels. A the suspicion is that the problem is with a line that a used to measure pressure in the system a said Duke Power spokesman Joe Maher. Clark said the tainted water on the floor of the containment building would be purged of radioactivity and reused or disposed of. The Accident at the Plant near Seneca about 120 Miles Northwest of Columbia did not interrupt electrical  heart ailment strikes California family san Jose Calif. Apr doctors Are searching for answers to a puzzling heart ailment that killed six members of a family when they were Young and appeared to be in the Best of health. A a its very frustrating a a said l. Bing Liem associate director of the cardiac arrhythmia unit at Stanford University Hospital. A a there a no test or findings we can use to suspect which family members would be at  the first death was in i960, when Francisco Martinez Santos a 34-year-old father of seven died of a heart attack in his Milpitas Home four Days after having a physical exam that found him to be in excellent health. In 1981, his 27-year-old daughter Doris died in her sleep. Three years later a son Ronnie 24, collapsed and died while playing softball. Less than a year after that another son Franklin collapsed and died while watching television. He was 33. A third son 30-year-old Ralph died while lying on a sofa. The latest death was nov. 15, when grandson Franklin Santos or. Collapsed and died at a High school Homecoming dance in Santa Clara. Autopsy results were pending but the family says the death appears All too familiar. A i fear for my children and my grandchildren now a said Donatila Santos Leonardo Francisco Martinez Santos widow who has three living children and 10 grandchildren. A every Day i done to know what to expect. It s like in a living in a Nightmare a she told the san Jose Mercury news in a Story published sunday. The six victims All of whom seemed healthy died almost instantly after their heartbeats went awry. Doctors suspect the deaths Are linked by an abnormality in the genetic code. But they need to find out More before they can do something to prevent another death. A a it a really a grim situation a said Victor Mckusick a professor of medical genetics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He said he knew of Only three or four families with similar syndromes. Numerous tests have been run on surviving family members but so far nothing has turned up. Liem said tests can be risky and probably should not be performed unless a family member exhibits symptoms such As fainting or heart palpitations. A i would suggest they live normally Quot Liem said. Family members who gathered for their fifth funeral in 10 years Over the weekend said it is difficult not to focus on the deaths. Kathy Santos the former wife of surviving brother Steve Santos said the deaths contributed to the breakup of her marriage. A we never got to Stop mourning a she said. Now she said it is hard not to be Over protective of their 5-year-old son buddy. A you just want to take them and put them in ajar a she added. Now Leonardo said the family can Only Hope. A at night when the phone rings 1 done to know what to expect a she said. A we keep asking a what a going on Why is this thing happening to us a a undertakers vote to oust official who loses temper Newark . A undertakers Are demanding the removal of a medical examiner they say berates them and brusquely questions mourning relatives. A group representing 125 funeral directors in six counties has voted twice to urge the removal of Gloucester county medical examiner or. Claus p. Speth. Speth hired in 1987, is Short tempered and unpredictable and questions mourning relatives too harshly in even routine deaths said h. Louise Houseman president of the West Jersey funeral directors association. A the has chased funeral directors Down the Halls of hospitals screaming at the top of his lungs a Houseman said. Speth responded angrily sunday saying he planned to resign. But several hours later changed his mind. �?o1 have never denied 1 get angry. My anger comes because 1 insist on excellence. My anger comes when i see slovenly work a Speth said referring to undertakers alleged attempts to Rush him to release bodies. Funeral directors said their nov. 6 letter to the county Board of freeholders created a rift unprecedented in the association s 88-year history. Funeral directors and medical examiners have to work together in cases of a witnessed or questionable deaths and they like to maintain a cordial relationship so bodies can be released to undertakers As soon As  under 25 walloped by Job losses Washington apr Many of the 1.2 million recession induced Job losses have hit workers under age 25, threatening to push the nations child poverty rate higher according to a study by a children a advocacy group. Americans Between the Ages of 16 and 24 accounted for More than 1 million of the Overall jobs lost since the recession began in july 1990, said a study released sunday by the children a defense fund. The findings a confirm a new Era. In which disproportionate economic pain Falls on the youngest and most vulnerable americans a said the study which reviewed Bureau of labor statistics data with the help of the northeastern University Center for labor Market studies. Hundreds of thousands of workers older than 25 lost jobs As Well the study noted but it said those losses were offset by Job gains among other older workers so net declines were not As great. There were no such offsetting employment gains for Young workers the study said. Even though the recession started in mid-1990, an extra 841,000 american children were pushed into poverty last year compared with 1989, the group said. There Are 13 million american youngsters living in poverty the group said. Although recessions of the 1970s and 80s pushed Between a half million and 884,000 children into poverty each year a economic recoveries have lost much of their effectiveness in rescuing children from poverty a the group said