The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 59

'3 Wednesday, January 31, 1990 C3 The Beacon Journal REGION AND STATE Report charges Ohio utilities bankroll acid-rain opposition They pass themselves off as a citizens group, and they are not. Ij Zoe Schneider lobbyist By Phillip E. Canuto Beacon Journal Columbus Bureau Columbus A grass roots campaign to weaken proposed acid-rain laws is really a front for major coal and utility companies including two major Ohio utilities a Washington environmental group charged Tuesday. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group said the group of coal producers and utilities, including American Electric Power in Columbus and Ohio Edison in Akron, has spent $6.6 million in the last six years to fund Citizens for Sensible Control of Acid Rain.

"They pass themselves off as a citizens group, and they are not," said Zoe Schneider, a lobbyist for the public interest research group. "We hope that as CSCAR's letters hit Capitol Hill, members of Congress will reject the lobby's misleading designation." Utility officials do not dispute their financial support of the group, which coordinates rnajor mailing campaigns aimed at Congress. But that support is no secret, a utility spokesman said. "The funding is by corporations, the contact with Congress is by citizens citizens acting in a voluntary way," said Joseph coal-fired power plants for causing acid rain, which in turn has affected forests and lakes in the Northeast. AEP is the largest contributor to Citizens for Sensible Control of Acid Rain, giving $2.63 million since 1983.

The fifth-largest contributor is Ohio Edison, which contributed $200,000, according to the public interest research group, which analyzed congressional lobbying reports. The balance comes from utilities, coal companies and manufacturers in other states. Utility spokesmen and a spokesman for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio said lobbying expenses are not included in rates charged to electric customers, but are paid by stockholders. The fight over Citizens for Sensible Control of Acid Rain is only the latest in the escalating legislative battle on cleaning up the nation's air. A coalition of environmental groups is pushing Congress to strengthen the bill, and is even using TV commercials to gain support.

Likewise, coal and utility companies which will be hard hit by the new clean-air laws are pushing to weaken the law. Dowd, a senior vice president of American Electric Power. "People who are responding are not having guns held to their heads." To prove a similar point, Ohio Edison officials produced a copy of the group's stationery that says at the bottom, "Funding has been provided by a group of electric energy, coal and manufacturing companies." American Electric Power, which is the parent company of Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power, is the largest single user of coal in the country. AEP's Gavin Plant in Gallia County is the largest single source of sulfur dioxide pollution in the country. Many scientists blame sulfur dioxide from 15 -year-old is killed in Stark County crash The Massillon post of the Ohio Highway Patrol is still investigating a two-car crash Monday in which a 15-year-old Navarre boy was killed and four others were injured.

No charges have yet been filed. Dead is Ronal L. Metz of Kallerer Road Southwest. Injured were Eric D. Smith, 17, and Greg S.

Smith, both of Fourth Avenue Southwest, Beach City; Shelley A. Ady, 15, of Wells Avenue, Brewster; and Bonita K. Herbruck, 27, of Richmont Street Southwest, Navarre. Ronal was pronounced dead at Doctors Hospital in Perry Township. Eric Smith was reported in serious condition at Massillon Community Hospital, where Ms.

Herbruck was in fair condition and Miss Ady was treated and released. Greg Smith was in fair condition at Doctors Hospital. Troopers said Eric Smith was driving east on Navarre Road near East Genoa Road in Perry Township when he lost control of his car, slid left of center and was struck broadside by a westbound car driven by Ms. Herbruck. Greg Smith, Miss Ady and Metz were passengers in the car driven by Eric Smith, troopers said.

POTENTIAL JURORS AWAIT QUESTIONS: Prosecutors and defense lawyers are expected this afternoon to begin the general questioning of potential jurors in the murder trial of Edward Swiger, 24, of Jefferson County. Jurors were questioned individually Monday and Tuesday about their views on the death penalty and on pretrial publicity. Questioning of jurors as a group will begin when 36 potential panel members have passed the preliminary screening before Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Spicer. Swiger is charged with kidnapping and aggravated murder in the June 1988 death of Roger Pratt, 22, of Munhall, Pa. Swiger and Pratt were roommates and fraternity brothers at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa.

The prosecution alleges that Pratt, who could have implicated Swiger and others in burglaries and an arson in Pennsylvania, was abducted from the Greyhound station in Akron and beaten to death near Hudson. FIRE HAZARDS DISCUSSED AT OLD YMCA: The Medina school board on Tuesday night discussed possible fire hazards involved in converting a former YMCA building on state Route 3 into kindergarten classrooms. The move is being considered to relieve overcrowding in the school system. Board members and some parents have questioned whether the wooden frame sections of the building would be safe without the installation of a sprinkling system. Fire Chief Leland Codding said that sprinklers are not required in schools and that the building had enough exits in case of fire.

PERRY PAYS THE BILLS: Perry Township trustees met briefly Tuesday night to authorize Clerk-Treasurer Gary Frank to pay $80,769 in bills and payroll. The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Township Hall, 634 Genoa Ave. S.W. OVERHEATED MOTOR BLAMED IN FIRE: An overheated motor was blamed for a fire Monday night In a front-end loader being operated in a trash storage area at Akron's Recycle Energy System plant at 225 Opportunity Parkway.

The fire caused $50,000 damage to the loader, but caused no injuries. Numerous minor fires have occurred at the plant since Dec. 20, 1984, when an explosion killed three people and injured seven others. That explosion was blamed on chemical-soaked sawdust from New Jersey. Smoking ordinance brings suit Union wants to negotiate By Marilyn Miller Roane Beacon Journal staff writer A union representing Akron workers is suing the city over the way it is implementing the iy2- year-old ordinance that limits smoking in public places.

Local 1360 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Em mmmmmm liill IN OHIO 1 i 'iff illllttllliiiii 11 -if OHIO EDUCATION CANDIDATE: C.J. Prentiss, a member of the Ohio Board of Education from Cleveland, says she'll again seek the Democratic nomination for the District 14 Ohio House seat held by Ike Thompson. Thompson, who also is a Democrat, defeated Prentiss in 1986 and 1988. Thompson is hospitalized for a blood clot in his left leg. He had no comment on Prentiss' announcement, but raised the possibility that he might not run again.

"I'm 74 and can't campaign as well as I used to," Thompson said. LEGISLATURE AMENDS TRAFFIC-LAW BILL: The Ohio House on Tuesday agreed with Senate amendments to a bill giving police in townships with more than 60,000 people the power to enforce traffic laws on interstate highways. The 82-7 vote sent the bill to Gov. Richard Celeste for his signature. The population limit means only one Ohio township Colerain in Hamilton County will get expanded police powers.

The bill originally would have applied to all 1,300 townships, but lawmakers said other local governments in their districts opposed giving townships jurisdiction on the interstates. RECORD CRIME-VICTIM CLAIMS: Crime victims or their families filed a record 4,239 claims last year with the Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation Program an 18 percent increase from 1988. The program awarded $9.07 million to victims last year a 4 percent increase from 1988, when awards totaled $8.75 million. The program is administered by the Court of Claims of Ohio and has awarded more than $71 million to nearly 16,000 innocent victims of crime since its inception in 1976. awinr' rn lima 'i Beacon Journal photoRobin WrMk I dare you to say no ployees sued Sombati the city in Summit County Common Pleas Court for implementing smoking and non-smoking policies without negotiating with the union first.

Jack Sombati, regional director for the union, said the issue is not whether designated smoking and non-smoking areas should exist. "We have no problem with council's ordinance," Sombati said. "The issue is that the city adopted the policy without negotiating with the union. The contract states that whenever there are changes in the conditions of the workers, it is a union matter." The union wants to negotiate how the smoking policy is implemented. The dispute started with employees at the Akron water plant, which is in Kent.

Employees there are allowed to smoke only in the parking lot. "How can an Akron ordinance have any effect in Portage County?" Sombati asked. "Does that mean the city of Kent can adopt legislation that would have a binding effect in Akron?" He said a grievance filed in October was ignored, so the union asked for binding arbitration. The city refused binding arbitration. Matt Contessa, deputy mayor for labor relations, said the matter was not subject to the grievance procedure "because it's a city ordinance.

We don't think it's an issue that should be negotiated." Contessa said that according to the ordinance, the smoking policy in each city department is decided by the department head. Sombati said the city violated the bargaining agreement by refusing to meet with the union to negotiate those areas where smoking would be allowed or banned. The union represents 675 workers in the sanitation, highway, sewer, maintenance, street, water, parks and motor vehicles Matt Straub offers Amy Kaufman drugs in one ance for 161 Munroe Elementary School pupils of nine skits presented Tuesday as part of gradu- In Tallmadge. Pupils wrote the skits for presen-ation from the DARE program on drug resist- tation to parents and school officials. WORTH NOTING Steels Corners project will slow down traffic Steels Corners Rd.

pRoad 0(f? project Hj 9 7 1 Detour Although the state will foot about 75 percent of the bill, the balance will be paid by Summit County, Stow and Cuyahoga Falls, which will use license plate tax revenue to pay their share. The first phase will involve widening and resurfacing the road to 24 feet from Akron-Cleveland Road to Route 8. The second phase will involve widening the road to 52 feet between Route 8 and Hudson Drive. The project also will involve raising the roadway 10 feet Construction crews will begin the $3.4 million widening of Steels Corners Road on Thursday. Work on the mile-and-a-half stretch between Akron-Cleveland Road and Hudson Drive will close one exit on state Route 8 and will complicate driving for summer visitors to Blossom Music Center.

Detours and traffic controls are expected to be in place through Oct. 31 the target date for completion by J.D. Williamson Construction Co. of Tallmadge. Beacon Journal FUND-RAISER FOR MISSING CHILDREN: A dinner to raise reward money for the Amy Mihaljevic abduction case will be held at 6 p.m.

Feb. 15 at the Westlake Holiday Inn, 1100 Crocker Road, Westlake. The event is sponsored by the Community Fund for Assisting Missing Youth Inc. (AMY), a non-profit group formed after the 10-year-old Bay Village girl was reported missing Oct. 27 from a Bay Village shopping center.

The group also hopes to raise reward money for future youth kidnappings in Northeast Ohio, to pay for safety education projects in schools and to maintain an active group of community volunteers to assist the next time a child is abducted. Featured speakers include sportscasters Nev Chandler of WEWS (Channel 5), Casey Coleman of WJW (Channel 8), Jim Donovan of WKYC (Channel 3) and Gib Shanley of WUAB (Channel 43). Tickets, at $50 each, are available by mail only. Make checks payable to Community Fund for AMY co McManamon, Gilbert Doeringer CPAs, P.O. Box 16326, Rocky River, Ohio 44116.

MEDINA ICE FISHING DERBY CANCELED: Warm weather and unsafe ice conditions led the Medina County Park District to cancel an ice fishing clinic and derby that was to have been held Saturday. Call 722-9364 for more information. near Mud Brook in Stow to eliminate flooding problems. A new 106-foot bridge will replace a 38-foot bridge over Mud Brook. Detours will be posted.

EPA checking Macedonia dumping CRIME WATCH Wayne County Here are some ol the incidents reported recently to Wayne County law enforcement agencies: VANDALISM Someone spray-painted obscenities on the side of a house In the 2000 block of Normandy Drive, Wooster. A Ford pickup truck valued at $9,000 was set afire on Porr Road, an oil well access road in Chippewa Township. The truck was reported stolen from Rolling Acres Mall in Akron on Jan. 22. The interior of a car was set afire in the parking lot of Newman Foods on Third Street In Sterling.

The owner is a store employee. Damage was estimated at $1,000. Four billboards valued at $2,000 were slashed near state Route 585 and state Route 3, Wooster Township. THEFT A four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle valued at $1,200 was taken from a pickup truck in the first block of Front Street, Canaan Township. Tools valued at $1,500 were taken from a garage In the 4000 block of Wells Road, Clinton Township.

A88AULT A student at the College of Wooster told police that a man grabbed her as she was returning to her dormitory In the 1200 block of North Bever Street, Wooster. A 25-year-old Creston man was treated at Wooster Community Hospital for a half-inch deep stab wound in his chest. The man would not identify his attacker. years. Councilman James Lawton, service director from 1980 to May 1989, said he was unaware of any dumping of toxic wastes on city grounds.

Lawton said an old diesel fuel tank was buried near the service station, but he said the tank had sat empty for years before being buried. Rizzo said Macedonia residents who are worried about their drinking wells can contact him at the service department at 468-1300. He said the city will have the wells tested. Twinsburg office. Rizzo said he inadvertently discovered that the hazardous materials were being dumped when a garage employee called him to ask what to do about a grease pit that had filled up.

Rizzo, who has been in the job less than a year, asked what past practice was and, he said, the employee replied, "We used to just pump it out on the ground and cover it with dirt." Rizzo said service employees indicate the practice may have been going on for at least 10 property, said City Attorney Dale Economus. And, he said, Indian Creek behind the service center has some batteries in it. "It's a mess right now," Rizzo said. "It may not be as bad as we thought, but they (EPA officials) have indicated it looks kind of serious." Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials visited the snow-covered site Monday, and a special investigative team will take ground samples in the next few days to try to determine the extent of the pollution, said Kath-erine Springer of the EPA's By Sheryl Harris Beacon Journal staff writer Macedonia employees have been dumping toxic wastes on city property for years, a practice that could mean a costly cleanup, city officials said Tuesday. Petroleum products, paint and solvents are believed to be among the hazardous materials buried near the city service garage on Valley View Road, Service Director Earl Rizzo said.

City employees also have indicated that a tank with some type of gas or oil may be buijied on the 1.