Longview Daily News from Longview, Washington • 18

B6 The Daily News, Longview, Friday, December 4, 1987 Northwest Nuke plant condemnation practical Dress up your holiday tree. Put something special on your holiday tree this season. These Bisque Angels by Lenox are sure to become heirlooms, and make a memorable gift for anyone. 3 styles, $19.95 each. Two unions quiz Lowry and Bonker SEATTLE Democratic contenders for the U.S.

Senate will vie this week for the endorsements of two major Washington state labor organizations. A House subcommittee has scheduled a hearing Monday in Portland on the possible conversion of the WPPSS No. 1 plant. The report was produced by the Seattle law office of former Washington Republican Sen. Slade Gorton and is the subject of an investigation by the DOE's Inspector General's office.

The WPPSS plant was 63 percent complete when mothballed five years ago as the supply system ran into financial problems and questions were raised about the need for additional electricity in the Northwest. One WPPSS plant, No. 2 at Hanford, is finished and operating. Two other plants were terminated after $2.25 billion had been invested. That termination eventually resulted in default on that $2.25 billion bond debt in the largest default in the history of the municipal bond market.

In addition to the two terminated plants, WPPSS mothballed two plants, No. 1 at Hanford and No. 3 at Sat-sop, west of Olympia. The conclusions in the full report differ little from the executive summary, but provide exhaustive details on how the condemnation could proceed and include a proposed bill that Congress would have to approve to clear the way. The complete report also reviews the complex legal entanglements involved and discusses the possibility of a default.

Neither subject was addressed at length in the executive summary. "That complexity casts doubt in the minds of many as to whether it (the plant) could be acquired in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost," the report said. But the report goes on to say that through condemnation, DOE could acquire the plant within two years for a maximum of $450 million. "In fact, the acquisition is likely to cost $150 million or less and require about one year to complete," the report said. WASHINGTON (AP) A report prepared for the Department of Energy finds that in spite of a morass of legal complexities, including the possibility of a $2.1 billion bond default, the federal government could condemn a Washington Public Power Supply System plant for use as a defense production reactor.

The proposal outlines a plan in which Northwest electric ratepayers would continue to pay off the $2.1 billion in bonds sold to finance construction of the partially finished plant. In exchange, the federal government would pay no more than $450 million, and perhaps considerably less, and complete the plant to produce tritium for nuclear weapons and electricity for the Northwest power grid. The report said that while it was unlikely, actions by the supply system after the condemnation could trigger a default on the bonds. The report said that the Energy Department would not be responsible for WPPSS actions and that a "potential" default should not be a key factor in determining whether DOE should acquire the plant. "The study strikes me as an exercise in self-reassurance," said Rep.

Ron Wyden, D-Ore. "It just assumes this project is worthwhile." Wyden said he fears the proposed conversion would violate the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. But Sid Morrison, said conversion would help the state's economy. Rep. Don Bonker, said Congress should determine how much plutonium and tritium the nation will need before it decides whether to build or convert a reactor.

A copy of the $1 million, 200-page DOE report was released Thursday by Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio. Earlier, only copies of the the 11-page executive summary had been obtained and the Energy Department had refused to release the full report. The supply system had filed a Freedom of Information request in an effort to obtain the complete report from DOE. Officers of the United Food and Commercial Workers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees will interview U.S.

Reps. Mike Lowry and Northwest Digest Don Bonker, both D-Wash. Lowry and Bonker have said they will seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Dan Evans, R-Wash. AFSCME officials say they would like to make an endorsement in the race this week.

UFCW leaders say an endorsement immediately after their interviews is unlikely. The individual union endorsements are the first steps toward approval bytheAFL-CIO. weisfield evhirs 'THEDOOK. Three Rivers Mall 423-4010 j- -v jiai "Mm i iw ill iiiimi ii) ill i 1 SMMiMmMmMaMMBiM hib rrrwirnfwwrM-TM nwt 'imrnmmmtmmmmmmtamnui fiT MHrr A FiVe Years Dicks nixes Senate race WASHINGTON In the end, Rep. Norm Dicks decided, it wasn't worth it to sacrifice a powerful House posi-Z tion for an uncertain future in the U.S.

Senate. Dicks announced Thursday he won't be a candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Dan Evans. He said has worked too long and hard for his current respon-t sibilities to start over again in the Senate. Dicks, a Democrat, is the only House member from Washington state on the Appropriations Committee, and holds seats on defense, military construction and interior subcommittees. Abortions offered SEATTLE The King County chapter of Planned Parenthood says it will start offering abortions, after a clients survey indicated they wanted the service.

Planned Parenthood of Snohomish County has already said it will pro- vide abortions, beginning in February. The King County chapter plans to begin the service in late 1988 or early 1989. Opponents pledged to continue pro-Z tests against, abortions and Planned Parenthood's participation. It is the first time Planned Paren- -2 thood has taken on the role of abor- Uonist in Washington state. "Our patients asked for a continui- ty of care, and we feel we should be able to protect our low- and I marginal-income patients," said Lee Minto, head of the Seattle-King Coun- ty chapter.

Child agency hires clerks OLYMPIA Some money the Legislature intended for reducing Child Protective Services caseloads has been shifted to other child and family services, the state's top child I welfare official says. "In some offices, where caseloads were relatively low, they chose extra clerical help," Katharine Briar, state Department of Social and Health Services assistant secretary for children and family services, told a House Ways and Means subcom- mittee. Statewide, Child Protective Ser-Z vices caseloads have been reduced from about 37 per caseworker to about 34 and the goal is to get that caseload closer to the national stan- dard of 25 early next year, she said. Caseloads have ranged from 25 in some offices to 60 in others, she said. I In some offices, caseworkers have publicly complained even recently about their caseloads.

Slayings may be linked VICTORIA, British Columbia Two other couples murdered in cir-1 cumstances similar to the slayings of Victoria residents Tanya Van 3 Cuylenborg and Jay Cook have police in Washington state looking for connections in the unsolved cases. All three couples were found dead FJ.C.W. Member ggjU Sign up now durfrq 1 No. Upllti 1 i fall promotion and pay 1 no fee for nve years. Klfl nYPI SOUP ir i I while on rural excursions in the state within the past three years.

Van Cuylenborg, 18, was found fatally shot and Cook, 20, was found strangled last week. Their bodies were discovered about 30 miles apart. Police said a Kent, couple sightseeing in the eastern part of the state were murdered in March 1985 and their bodies found a few miles apart. Ed Smith, 25, was located in a Columbia River Gorge gravel pit, his hands bound and throat cut, while his fiancee, Kim LaVine, 26, was found five months later, 10 miles to the south. The following August, Stephen Harkins, 28, was shot in the head in his sleeping bag south of Tacoma, while his companion, Ruth Cooper, 43, was found in woods miles away.

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