Community Briefs

Budget proposal to

offset rising UC costs

California Governor Pete Wilson released his 1997-98 budget
proposal last week, asking for state funds to freeze fee hikes and
expand outreach programs.

The budget proposes additional funds to avoid a UC Regent
proposal to increase fees by 10 percent.

In addition, the Governor also proposed $17.1 million for UC for
capital outlay expenditures. This amount includes funding for UC to
address 31 projects at 9 campuses, placing priority on seismic,
fire and life safety, and vital infrastructure projects.

But UC Administration is proposing to provide UC with $21.6
million in matching funds for earthquake damage to the UCLA Center
for Health Sciences and Medical Center facility at the Los Angeles
campus.

This is in addition to the $14 million previously allocated to
the UC.

All proposals are tentative and could be changed by the
California legislature when the state government reviews the
budget.

Holden decides not to run for L.A. mayor

City Councilman Nate Holden said Monday he will not run for
mayor against incumbent Richard Riordan, who is already being
challenged by state Sen. Tom Hayden.

"It’s a very sad moment for me," Holden said outside City Hall.
"I love nothing more than a lively contest. I would like to shake
this up, and you know that."

Holden unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 1989 and 1993.

Riordan, a Republican, is seeking re-election to a second term
in the April 8 election.

State Sen. Tom Hayden, D-Los Angeles, is expected to be
Riordan’s chief opponent.

"Where I stand is that this is really between myself and the
people of Los Angeles," Riordan said Monday.

"I’ve been in office 3 1/2 years," he added. "They can look at
my record. They can decide whether I’ve done a good job. And I’m
very proud of what we’ve done. We’ve made the city safer, we’ve
made the city friendlier, we’ve helped clean up neighborhoods."

Neighbors protest UCB lab’s release of tritium

City officials want to know if there’s any danger from the
release of minute amounts of tritium from a 30-foot-tall column at
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

They plan a hearing this week to look into the issue, and
promise to take the matter to congress and President Clinton if
they get no satisfaction from the University of California, which
operates the lab.

"What happens when it gets on the ground? What is the dosage
then?" asked Mayor Shirley Dean. "These are questions that
responsible people can’t ignore.

"Personally, I think it’s a problem. I wouldn’t feel comfortable
about a young child playing in an area that has been contaminated
with tritium."

The lab says a rain gauge contained tritium at concentrations
higher than the federal drinking water standard. Nearby, about
300,000 people, including 100,000 children, visit the Lawrence Hall
of Science every year.

Lab experts say small releases of the radioactive material pose
a minor threat compared to the benefits of their research. They say
tritium levels are within standards set by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.

But others say there’s no such thing as a safe dose of tritium.
They say the lab should be closed.

"We believe the model protects the public with an ample margin
of safety," counters Shelly Rosenblum, an environmental specialist
in the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air at the EPA in San
Francisco.

The lab, officially known as the National Tritium Labeling
Facility, is one of four major U.S. labs doing similar work.
Replacing hydrogen in molecules with tritium provides a way to
trace the behavior of the molecules in studies on animals and human
tissue.

Compiled from Daily Bruin staff and wire reports