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by Sara Schwieder
Every hour of every day, the air vents atop
Hamilton Hall expel chemical wastes from the
chemistry laboratories. Every day chemicals
that have been used in experiments go down
the drain into the Lincoln sewer system.
Neither chemistry department nor
environmental health officials seem to know
the quantity or kinds of chemicals expelled
from the building, but they term the pollution
effect "minimal."
"There is a wide variety of chemicals
released into the air, but we don't know the
amounts," according to George Sturgeon,
chemistry labs director. "We've never taken any
measure of the chemicals that go down the
drain, either, but I would think it is a very small
quantity."
Sturgeon said he thinks most chemicals are
sufficiently neutralized and diluted before they
are dumped, but said the chemistry department
has no official policy or guidelines to ensure
aginst chemical pollution of the city sewer
system.
A small blue booklet titled "Laboratory
Waste Disposal Malal" offers guidelines for
neutralizing and dkMing chemicals before they
are disposed ofiit Sturgeon said the
chemistry departmentonly has three copies and
their use is not encouraged or required by the
department.
"No one is making sure that they (proper.
, procedures) are followed," he' said. "It's in the
hands of individual researchers, who are
expected to be professional, and it's up to them
to be careful." ,v,a ',
Edward Simpsorr-37.; chief of Environmental
Health and Safety the University, said he
didn't know how much chemical wastes were
poured down the drain, but he was sure it was a
small amount.
"Large quantities, like barrels, of chemicals
aren't put down the drain, and the small
amounts that do go down are diluted
terrifically. They have an infinitesimal effect on
the sewage system."
He said that the UNL city campus has a
sewer usage of 24 million gallons a month
which dilutes the chemicals from Hamilton Hall
to a safe level.
Also, experimenters are required to keep a
complete log of all chemicals used.
Although environmental health officials
haven't measured the kinds of or quantities of
chemicals that are expelled into the air by the
hoods atop Hamilton Hall, the dilution factor
again renders laboratory chemicals harmless,
Simpson said.
"We require a certain velocity of air in each
hood to help dilute the chemicals," lie said.
'The hoods also are for laboratory users
because it prevents them from breathing
concentrated chemicals in the laboratory."
The chemistry department has a license for
low level radioactive materials. One or two
dozen graduate students use radioactive
materials in their experiments, Sturgeon said.
The air hoods are equipped with filters that
provide "absolute protection" from possible
radioactive danger to the city, Simpson said.
"We remove the old filters, monitor the
radioactive energy to make sure it doesn't
exceed safe levels, and then bury it at the Mead
Experiment Station," Simpson said.
He said he didn't know what quantity of
"regular chemicals" is expelled from the
building. Sturgeon said "regular
chemicals"-those other than radioactive
chemicals-might include strong acids, caustics,
poisons like cynanide or strychnine.
"Some things (released into the air) are
hazardous," Sturgeon said. "There are acid
fumes which contribute to decaying buildings,
certainly a minimal amount, but the day by day
effect is nonetheless real."
He said the chemistry department is trying
, to set up stations in the stockrooms to handle
heavy metals like mercury or zinc. He said some
of the chemistry department budget was being
devoted to solving heavy metal waste problems.
Both Sturgeon and Simpson mentioned
wholesale dumping into the city sewer system
when the chemistry department moved from
Avery Hall to Hamilton Hall two years ago.
"I know that terrific amounts were dumped
when the ' chemistry department moved,"
Sturgeon said. "I wouldsay what goes down
the drains now isn't anything like when we left
Avery. It involved copious amounts."
Simpson said a lot of unlabeled chemicals
were dumped during the move from Avery.
Both men said chemicals are expensive and
that the chemistry dept. is careful with disposal
for economic as well as ecological reasons.
Some chemicals, like mercury, are recycled.
"Dirty mercury," that which has been used,
sells for $7 to $16 a pound.
When mercury is accidentally spilled on
campus, a special vacuum is used by
environmental health officals to collect it.
UNL students 'naive,' thank you
by John Russnogle
"Students at the University are naive, but
cooperative and have good manners."
Thit's the way English professor Robert
Knoll described UNL students Monday
night.
The New Faculty Orientation program he
spoke at focused on the type of student and
student response new faculty members
should expect in their classes.
Knoll said the cooperation and the
pleasantness of students does have
disadvantages. Students allow faculty to "get
away with too much," he said.
The result is faculty members are not
challenged and can become mediocre
teachers, according to Knoll.
Student identity and student rights also
were discussed in a commentary between
Ken Bader, vice chancellor for student
affairs and Ned Hedges, assistant to the vice
chancellor for academic affairs.
UNL students come from in agriculture
setting but are not all from farms, Hedges
said.
"They're not plough jockeys and
'farmer's daughters " he said.
Hedges said students reflect a spirit of
independence which thrives in Nebraska.
Some persons would call Nebraskan's
independence "conservatism," but Hedges
said he thought it can be considered liberal
or conservative.
Students are self-reliant and more trusting
because of their Nebraskan background, he
said.
Students were accused of being "great
conformists" by Hedges. He said several
years ago no female students would have
considered attending class in blue jeans and a
sweat shirt. Student dress today is just as
much a uniform as It was before, according
to Hedges.
Hedges told hew faculty members that
Students do possess certain rights.
He stressed the student's right to freedom
of expression in the classroom, to a course
description and knowing the grading
procedure early In the semester and the right
tb expect his teacher to be available for
conferences.
"Students are not puppets who become
people after they graduate," Hedges said.
Campus registration'
favors Democrats
Last week's UNL voter registration drive added 845 new
voters to the county's books. An additional 195 already
registered took advantage of the on-campus service to
reregister at a new address.
Democrat registrations narrowly edged out Republican's
372-326 in the drive. Another 147 new registrants declared
themselves independents.
Bill Davidson, Lancaster County election commissioner, at
first had declined to permit a voter registration drive outside
of the City-County Building so close to election day.
However, after a meeting with Innocents Society members
Chris Harper and Bill Lock, Davidson agreed to a three-day
registration drive in the Nebraska Union.
Students have until Oct. 27. to register for the Nov. 7
general election. They may do so at the City-County Building
at 10th and J Streets. iu
Students planfbrmation
of state lobbyist group
Representatives from at least half of the state's colleges
plan to meet in Lincoln Saturday to discuss possible formation
of a state-wide student lobby. '
J. James Plant, organizer and former lobbyist, noted several
years ago the Nebraska Student Government Association
attempted to serve in a lobbying function but said it failed.
According to Plant, ASUN has been the only student
organization regularly represented in the Nebraska Legislature
in recent years.
The proposed lobby, Plant estimates, would need $4,500 to
function in its first year. Hopefully it would concern itself
with "constructive" issues rather than ones of philosophy, he
said.
Lt. Gov. Frank Marsh, who presides over the Legislature,
will address the group Saturday. Michelle Gagne, representing
sASUN, will attend. .
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Wednesday, October 18, 1972
daily nebraskan
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