Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1988. július-december (42. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)
1988-09-08 / 33. szám
Thursday, Sep. 8. 1988. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZO 11. Panel Told Cleanup of Weapon Plants- May Cost $100 Billion' WASHINGTON, March 10. - Cleaning up the Energy Department's nuclear weapons production plants may cost as much as $100 billion and will pose a major challenge for the Federal Government, a House panel was told today. J. Dexter Peach, an assistant comptroller general of the General Accounting Office, said Government compliance with hazardous-waste laws at the plants has been slow and that agencies still have been unable to estimate the extent of the problem. In testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on hazardous materials, Mr. Peach said the magnitude of the cleanup costs are "quite staggering" and will likely run into the tens of billions of dollars. Joseph Salgado, an undersecretary at the Energy Department, told the panel that $100 billion in cleanup costs for all of the Federal facilities "is probably in the ballpark." He said he had been told it would likely cost $1 billion alone to begin cleaning up radioactive uranium dust and leaks from silos containing thorium, a uranium byproduct, as the Feed Materials Production Center in Fernald, Ohio. The foundry on the Great Miami River 18 miles northwest of Cincinnati processes uranium for nuclear weapons and is the site for storing thorium from plants nationwide. The subcommittee is considering several bills designed to strengthen enforcement of environmental laws at Federal weapons production plants which are operated for the department by private contractors. Winston Porter, assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, acknowledged that his agency has lost some of its leverage in forcing facilities to comply with environmental laws because the Justice Department had prevented the E.P.A. from using its authority to go to court or issue unilateral orders. Speaking cf the Administration's cleanup efforts, Mr. Porter said, "I wouldn't call it outstanding." But Mr. Salgado told the subcommittee that the Energy Department had recently made significant progress toward addressing environmental contamination and had increased financing for cleanup by 62 percent in the fiscal year 1989. Joseph Legrone, the Energy Department's operations manager at Oak Ridge, Tenn., said $105 million was budgeted for environmental work at Fernald in the fiscal year 1988, more than the $102 million for production. And he said $145 million has been earmarked for the fiscal year 1989. HUNGARIAN HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS SOUGHT The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has asked for the assistance of the World Jewish Congress in locating witnesses for the prosecution of individuals implicated in Nazi crimes in regions of Hungary. Under amendments made to the Criminal Code of Canada in 1987, Canadian Courts now have the jurisdiction to try in Canada individuals implicated in such crimes where their activities would have been an offense if committed in Canada. Among the cases currently under investigation are the confinement of Jews in the area of Szeged, Hungary and their deportation from Hungary to other countries in Europe in June, 1944. In pursuit of these investigations, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is looking for witnesses to those events and requesting the cooperation of persons who may have direct knowledge, or can assist in locating anyone who could provide such information. Individuals who can be of assistance in this matter are asked to contact: Ms. Bessy Pupko, World Jewish Congress, 501 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022 (212)755-5770. The statistics on the growth of art objects collected in the Hungarian museums have been published. Their number rose by 320,000 last year, now standing at almost 10,370,000. As in previous years, the growth was the largest for archeological objects, which account for more than half of the entire stock of art objects. The Hungarian National Museum was the venue of a sensational exhibition, presenting the Clay Army of the first Chinese Emperor. The exceptional archeological find was discovered in China in the spring of 1974 when the burial site of the first Chinese Emperor was unearthed. According to the ancient tradition, the Emperor, who died in 210 B.C., was buried with a retinue of 7,000 life-size soldiers, fully armed, more than 500 horses and 130 battle chariots. The chamber exhibition selected from the huge find has been traveling around the world for several years. The collection consisting of 33 pieces has so far been shown in more than 10 countries. GIVE THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND Articles frequently appear in the press abroad about Hungary's medicinal waters. On this ocassion we quote Mary Kenn who wrote in the Sunday Telegraph, published in London. CLEAN LIVING IN HUNGARY Budapest is assisted by God and Nature, in having natural hot thermal springs with the richest mineral content in Europe - there are at least 123 thermal springs in the capital. What is also rather jolly about Budapest spas, is the shape and form of the clientele. Along the more mortifying aspects of your average London health clubs is that they tend to be patronised by narcissistic Yuppies who have spent inordinate time and money making their bodies beautiful and healthy. So those of us who are less than beautiful, young and healthy feel cast down by the competition and go home with the impression that the normal human body is perfectly chiselled and aged about 23. In Hungarian spas the human body is presented in every shape and form, and in every conceivable mis-shape too. There is considerable choise, and diversity too, among the different spas that I visited in Budapest. One of the oldest- the Racz Furdo - was built by the Turks in the 16th century, and has every appearance of the harem: circular baths with Ottoman windows and a pointed dome; you pass from marble bath into dunking chambers of cold water, and then back to hot springs, and it is like something from the ancient world. The Gellert Hotel is perhaps the most famous Budapest spa - amidst marbled Edwardian splendour, - where a sullen baboushka smoking a cigarette checks your ticket. Everything is on offer here for about 70p - thermal pools, steam baths, plunge pools, swimming pools, and a robust massage by bossy ladies of the kind who could milk 20cows before down. Delicate they are not, but they sure get tension out of your shoulders. Spa - visiting in Hungary is an adventure; no concessions are made to foreigners and you have to muddle along with the Hungarian phrase bock. But it's a true health trip- marvelous for aches and pains; and not a single Yuppy in sight. I did discover the human responses of the Hungarians. They are not, as some we might mention, faceless bureaucrats with robot-like reactions, but in my experience- individuals who react to other human beeings with common humanity. Hungarian Trade Union News Recipe Fish Soup from Carp, with Noodles Ingredients: 1 kg cleaned carp, 250 g onions, 2 tbs paprika, 1 green pepper, 1 tomato, 1 dried paprika, salt, 50-60 g noodles. Prepare the basic soup from the cleaned, gutted head and tail of the fish, cook at high temperature with the.ioaghly chopped onion, in 3 litres of water for about one and « half to two hours. Drain soup and pass through a sieve-.'1*# Slice remaining parts of fish, and salt. Put half of the paprika into the finished stock, together with the green pepper, tomato, dry paprika then add fish slices. Salt. Bring to boil and when foam forms at the top, add the remaining paprika, the fish head and the roe of the fish. Cook for about 20 minutes. The soup is cooked when foam no longer forms. Serve with home-made noodles.
