Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Radiation levels skyrocket after leak I BY Kozo Mizoguchi Associated Press Tokyo —A major leak at a uranium-processing plant in northeastern Japan on Thursday sent radi ation levels skyrocketing. At least three workers were hospitalized — two in critical condition —r and at least 34 others might have been contaminat ed. The nuclear reaction was continuing early Fri day and workers began removing water from the cooling equipment around the tank to stop it, Sci ence and Technology Agency official Eiichiro Whtan abe said. “There is no mistake in thinking the nuclear fis sion is going on,” said Masahiro Mizuno, Ibaraki state official. Five residents were also exposed to radiation, a local official said on customary condition of anonymi ty. More than 310,000 people were ordered not to leave their homes, and officials shut down schools and train service in the region. Nuclear fission happens when neutrons hit uranium, causing atoms to split, thus releasing huge amounts of energy. It is the principle behind the atomic bomb. Whter stimulates the neutrons’ activ ity, spurring along the reaction. Hiromu Nonaka, the top government spokesman. called the accident “unprecedented,” and officials said no previous Japanese accident had left workers so seriously injured. About 150 people were evac uated from the area around the plant in the town of Tokaimura, 70 miles northeast of Tokyo. “A major accident resulting in a radioactive leak has happened. Wfe apologize front the bottom of our hearts,” JCO President Koji Kitani said, bowing deeply at a news conference in Tokyo. In Washington, President Bill Clinton expressed deep concern and said the United States “will do whatever we possibly can that will be helpful to them.” “This is going to be a very hard day for the people of Japan,” he added. The three workers said they saw a blue light, then became ill, said Makoto Ujihara, head of the Tokyo office of JCO Co., the private company that operates the plant. JCO is owned by Sumitomo Met al Mining Co., one of Japan’s laigest business groups. Apparently, the nuclear reactionbegan while the workers were putting uranium in a tank with nitric acid as part of the process for making fuel for nu clear power plants, a highly delicate task, compa ny officials said. The workers might have put too much uranium in the tank, triggering an uncontrolled reaction, the officials said. "State officials said they believe a gas containing alpha, beta and gamma radiation leaked from the plant. Radiation levels around the plant were 10,000 times higher than normal at one point and about 10 times more than normal 1 1/4 miles from the ac cident, said Tatsuo Shimada, Ibaraki state official. The levels dropped off later, but they remained higher than normal late Thursday, said Science and Technology Agency official Ken Muraoka. It would be the first such accidental reaction in Japan, Japan ese media reported. The government set up a task force of top min isters to investigate the accident. It sent specialists to the area to monitor the radioactivity. The nuclear reaction was set off when the work ers accidentally mixed too much uranium in the tank, company officials said. They said they thought that while radioactivity was released into the at mosphere, the radioactive material itself remained contained. The exposed workers were initially taken to a local hospital. They were later flown to a medical center specializing in radiation sickness. Two of the workers, Hisashi Ouchi, 35, and Masato Shinohara, 39, were in critical condition, hospital official Yukio Kamakura said. They were in “This is going to be a very hard day for the people of Japan.” President Bill Clinton on the Tokyo nuclear plant accident a state of shock and had fever and diarrhea. All three had an unusually high white blood cell count, al though Yutaka Yokokawa 54, was alert and able to walk, Kamakura said. Thirty-four other workers were being examined for possible contamination, JCO official Junichi Takahashi said. Hair samples from 11 workers, who had been evacuated to the community center, showed traces of radioactivity, local official Tatsuhito Mat suzaki said early Friday. The level of their exposure wasn’t immediately known. Accidents have plagued the Japanese nuclear power industry, undermining public faith in the se curity of the nation’s atomic plants. Japan, poor in natural resources, relies on nuclear power for about one-third of its electricity. | Controversial artwork in NYC Special to The Gamecock Dr. Janet Cano of Queens, N.Y. stares at Angel, a silicon and acrylic sculpture by artist Ron Mueck, during a preview of the Sensation at the Brooklyn Museum of Art on Thursday. New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has threatened to cut city funding to the museum because of its decision to display a black Madonna decorated with elephant dung. Pizza Hut buys ad space on rocket Associated Press Dallas — In an effort to send sales in to a new orbit, Pizza Hut Inc. plans to put its new logo on a Russian rocket car rying a piece of the International Space Station. The 30-foot ad will be slapped on a 200-foot Proton rocket scheduled for a mid-November launch from Russia’s space city— Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The rock et will be carrying the space station’s liv ing quarters. Pizza Hut chief executive officer Mike Rawlings said Thursday the pizza chain is paying about half the price of a 30-second television ad during the Super Bowl — about $2.5 million — for rights to put the ad on the rocket. He wouldn’t be more precise. Company officials plan to use the Proton launch as the centerpiece of a ma jor space-oriented ad campaign, includ ing commercials featuring the blastoff and in-store promotions. Rawlings said Pizza Hut marketers first considered trying to put the updat ed logo — the company’s name beneath a red roof — on the moon with lasers. After consulting for two months with astronomers and physicists, they found that the image would have to be as big as Texas to be seen by earthlings more than 238,000 miles away. The project also would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars. “So we found this opportunity that has so much credibility and so much excitement for people, and we’re real excited about making it happen,” Rawl ings said. It’s not the first time an American company has paid the cash-starved Russ ian space program for an ad. PepsiCo Inc. paid $5 million three years ago to have cosmonauts float a replica of a soda can outside the Mir space station. The Russians have been pitchmen for other products, as well, and once gave a Japanese television reporter a seat aboard a rocket for cash. U.S. law prevents advertisers from putting ads on American spacesuits, but the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is interested in working with private businesses to commercial ize space. Earthquake rocks southern Mexico by Niko Price Associated Press MEXICO Ctty — A strong earthquake rocked southern Mexico on Thursday, toppling church towers and knocking over old homes in Oaxaca and shaking buildings in the capital. At least five peo ple were killed and an unknown num ber injured. The quake had a preliminary mag nitude of 15 and was centered 275 miles southeast of Mexico City, the U.S. Ge ological Survey in Golden, Colo., said. It hit at about 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. EDT). Moderate damage was reported in Oaxaca City, the state capital, where church steeples and many homes col lapsed. “The world is coming to an end!” a secretary screamed as she and dozens of others ran out of the state Legislature building after the quake. The temblor lasted for several minutes. Only minor damage was reported in Huatulco, a popular tourist resort near the epicenter. Gov. Jose Murat Casab said two men and three women died. Two of the deaths occurred when a door collapsed in a store. Another man died when he was struck by debris while fleeing from his office. Two more women died in a small village when their house collapsed, he said Federal environmental officials said water and sewage treatment plants were damaged in 95 percent of Oaxaca state, Notimex reported In Mexico City, thousands of peo ple rushed out of offices and gathered along Reforma Avenue and other major thoroughfares in the capital, staring at skyscrapers that were visibly moving. Shattered glass was seen falling from someWildings. “Everybody was frightened. It last ed a long time,” Thalia Martinez said. “Usually they feel like gelatin,” said Abel Cueller, an engineer who was on the 10th floor of an office building during the quake. “This one was more of a shaker.” The quake was felt as far south as Chiapas state, 500 miles southeast of Mexico City. It bounced some cars on to sidewalks along Mexico City roads. Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities, with nearly 20 million res idents in the metro area. New Mexico governor calls for drug legalization by Barry Massey Associated Press SANTA Fe, N.M. — Gov. Gary Johnson has taken his contro versial stance on drugs a step further by announcing he sup ports the legalization of substances such as marijuana and hero in. “I am advocating that I think legalization is a viable alter native to what we are now doing,” the Republican said Wednes day. Johnson said he had no plans to propose legislation to make drugs legal in New Mexico, but said he personally supported legalization as a national policy. The governor, who has acknowledged using marijuana and cocaine in the 1970s, is an avid athlete who doesn’t drink al cohol or use drugs. He contends the national war against drugs has failed to stop the flow or use of drugs and it consumes too much money that could be better used to stop violent crime. He is the highest ranking elected official to promote drug legalization. In the upcoming issue of Playboy magazine, Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura recommends the less drastic approach of decriminalization. “The prohibition of drugs causes crime. You don’t have to legalize it, just decriminalize it. Regulate it. Create places where the addict can go get it,” Ventura told the magazine. In the past, Johnson stopped short of advocating legaliza tion and instead focused on decriminalization. That would treat drug possession much like a traffic violation and make it pun ishable by a small fine. But Johnson now says'decriminalization would not elimi nate the black market economy of drug trafficking. Legaliza tion would allow governments to regulate, tax and control drugs, much like alcohol and tobacco. Johnson expressed support for legalizing marijuana and heroin. He said he didn’t know enough about the potential long term effects of other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, to advocate their legalization. He said many health problems involving heroin abuse stem from dirty needles rather than the drug it self. Johnson’s latest position stirred new criticism from some Republicans, who say he is going against the party’s national platform that backs strong criminal penalties for drug-related crimes. Still no answer from Beatty on presidential bid by Ron Fournier Associated Press Beverly Hills, Caljr — Actor-direc tor Warren Beatty says he won’t let “monied, honeyed voices of ridicule and reaction” stop him from considering a presidential bid. In a speech to Hollywood’s liberal elite Wednesday night, Beatty drew sev eral rounds of applause, but didn’t deliv er what the crowd came to hear: A “yes” or “no” about his presidential intentions. That will come later in the campaign season. He did promise to champion the caus es of American liberalism, no matter what he decides. He criticized the Democra tic Party for looking Republican and ques tioned whether Democratic presidential candidates A1 Gore and Bill Bradley are true to the party’s tradition. “Is there no protest anymore?” Beat ty asked a celebrity-studded audience of several hundred people during a speech to the Southern California Americans for Democratic Action, “Are we coming to the point where the Democratic Party has to have a Republican president to find its voice again?” Ever the actor, Beatty framed his pres idential intentions by giving advice to an imaginary character — a drum majorette. “If an unexpected person showed that he or she had that spirit and the ability to lead and said to me, ‘Look, there’s no lib eral running for president’... and if seri ous people of good judgment are actu ally talking to that person about running... it would make no difference to me whether that person became well known as a basketball player or a busi nessman or wrestler or a grocery store clerk or a drum majorette. “I’d say, ‘Look, drum majorette. There’s no harm in thinking about this — however unlikely it might be. But whatever you do, go ahead and speak up. Speak up for the people nobody speaks up for,” he said. “If you speak up well, maybe you’ll influence some people. Maybe you’ll influence the candidates that are running,” Beatty said. “One more thing, drum majorette,” he said. “When you start hearing those monied, honied voices of ridicule and re action, let them call you coy. Let them call you flirtatious. But keep talking.” Special to The Gamecock Warren Beatty spoke to Hollywood’s elite liberals Wednesday night, but did not tell them what they wanted to hear-a “yes” or “no” on a presidential bid. WORLD BRIEFS ■ Four killed at Indian political rally GAUHAn, India (AP)—Suspected sep aratists in India’s insuigency-wracked northeast opened fire at an election ral ly Thursday, killing three political ac tivists and a policeman. The attack occurred just as local politician Zoinath Sharma was wrap ping up a speech at the rally in Dholpur, a town in remote Assam state, police said. He was not hurt. Sharma, a senior leader of Assam’s ruling Asom Gana Parishad, ad dressed about 2,000 people at the ral ly. The assailants started firing as the crowd was dispersing and the minis ter’s motorcade started to move, po lice said. Hundreds of people shrieked and ran in panic, and several people might have been injured in a stampede, offi cials said. Few other details were known. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but police said they sus pected the attackers belonged to the United Liberation Front of Asom, a sep aratist outfit that is opposed to elec tions for the federal parliament and has threatened a “bloodbath” in the state. Balloting in the state is schuled for Sun day. ■ Iranian police kill 20 drug traffickers Dubai, Untied Arab Emirates (AP) — Police killed 20 drug traffickers in armed clashes and seized over 1,700 pounds of drugs in northeastern Iran, the Islamic Republic News Agency re ported Thursday. The drugs, which were seized over the past three days in Khorasan province, included heroin, opium and morphine, said the agency, which was monitored in Dubai. ■ Company removes ad after complaint from Muslim group Pasadena, Calif. (AP) — An Inter net company agreed to pull a magazine advertisement that showed Muslims praying after an Islamic group com plained that the ad was offensive. The ad for Internet search engine GoTo.com, which appeared in com puter and trade magazines, included the image of kneeling Muslim men and the words: “With our search on your site, you can build a more loyal following. ... OK, so they won’t worship you, but they’ll come back to your site more of ten.” The company agreed Wednesday to pull the ad after receiving a com plaint from the Southern California of fice of the Council on American-Is lamic Relations. “Wfehadno intention to offend any one, and we’re very sony if in fact that’s what’s taken away from that adver tisement,” said Jeffrey Brewer, chief executive officer of the Pasadena-based company. The ad “slipped through” the company’s review process, he said. Hussam Ayloush, executive direc tor of the council’s Southern Califor nia branch, said he applauded the com pany’s quick response. “We hope that this unfortunate in cident will help sensitize other com panies to Muslim concerns and prevent a similar occurrence in the future,” Ay loush said. ■ Lawyers file claim against L. A. Los ANGELES (AP) — Lawyers for a 2-year-old girl whose father was shot by police and framed for assault have filed a $20 million claim against the city, alleging negligence and conspir acy. Javier Ovando spent more than two years in prison on false charges, de priving his daughter, Destiny Ovando, of even meeting him, attorney Gre gory Smith said Wednesday. “Everybody who has a child knows that the first three years of a child’s life are the most important time for bonding,” Smith said. “I think she’s go ing to suffer greatly from that.” Spokesmen for the city and the Los Angeles Police Department declined to comment. The city has 45 days to review the claim, which was filed Tues day. If it rejects it, the girl’s lawyers can sue. “We want to set an example that law enforcement officers are going to pay attention to,” Smith said.