Friday, 16 March 1990 Washington, DC

1. BOB HUNTER IS GONE, BUT THE FUSION ENERGY CONTROVERSY LIVES ON.
Last fall, before the controversial Director of the DOE Office of Energy Research abruptly resigned under a cloud, he was pushing a proposal to defer the Compact Ignition Tokamak and transfer the savings to inertial confinement research. The CIT has been put on hold, but the issue of balance between the magnetic and inertial fusion programs still has not been settled. Secretary Watkins last week named a Fusion Policy Advisory Committee, headed by Guyford Stever, the all-purpose chairman who just finished reviewing the Moon/Mars mission (WN 9 Mar 90). The new committee has been asked to review a draft policy for competition between the two fusion approaches; its interim report is expected in July and the final report by September. Meanwhile, several prominent scientists reportedly have turned down the Energy Research Director's job.

2. THE SUPER PROVIDER IS UP TO $8B, BUT FOREIGN HELP IS SCORNED!
Accepting more than $1B from foreign countries would mean "We'd have to give up too much of the contracts for magnets" to other countries, according to Deputy Secretary of Energy Henson Moore. What he did not say is that the support of Louisiana's powerful Senator Bennett Johnston, who chairs the Energy Committee, is essential to the project--and Louisiana is a hopeful bidder on the magnet contract. Moore's comment was made Monday, at a press conference at which he announced that, in spite of the second billion dollar markup in the sticker price in just two months, the White House still backs the megaproject. Even the new price tag is not much more than a "back-of-the-envelope figure," Moore said, implying it may go yet higher. Moore's rhetoric seems to have escalated along with the cost estimates; opponents were characterized as "modern-day Luddites."

3. A HEARING ON THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF ELECTRIC POWER LINES
attracted an overflow audience last week, but few members of the House Interior subcommittee showed up. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) testified on behalf of legislation mandating maximum field strength standards for 60 hertz magnetic and electric fields. It is not clear on what basis such standards would be set, since no one has been able to measure any deleterious effects. Attempting to explain the public's comparative apathy toward radon, a proven hazard, with its concern over the supposed danger of power line fields, the head of the Office of Radiation Programs at EPA explained that people can see power lines. That's not all they see; a dental hygienist, who heads a local group of power line opponents in Pennsylvania, testified that some people can both see and feel magnetic fields.

4. THE SEARCH FOR ERICH BLOCH'S REPLACEMENT AS DIRECTOR OF NSF,
when his six-year term expires at the end of August, 1990, has already been intiated. Some organizations have been submitting lists of suggested names for the postion to Allan Bromley, who is expected to have a strong voice in the selection of a new director.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.