NSF cut of undergraduate program draws fire The National Science Foundation's plan to end its Undergraduate Research Participation program (URP) is running into strong opposition from undergraduate college science teachers and could be restored before the lobbying is over. The URP program, established in 1958, funds undergraduate colleges for the purpose of giving especially gifted students the opportunity to perform highquality research. It was running at $2 million annually before termination was proposed. But after some debate within NSF, the argument by NSF's education directorate chief, James Rutherford, won out and the money is slated to be shifted to projects aimed at helping minority and handicapped students. URP recipients obviously do not like the decision and have organized a committee headed by Dr. Mary Smith of the University of Buffalo to force a change in policy at NSF. They have been successful so far in convincing the House Science & Technology Committee. In its report on NSF's authorization, it orders the foundation to restore the program. The Smith committee is working to do the same in House appropriations and Senate authorization and appropriations processes. "This program has been the one
place where the gifted kid has not been ignored," says Smith. "In the ordinary undergraduate college this is the child who never gets help because it is assumed he or she doesn't need it. Too often it doesn't occur to teachers that there are other things these kids could be doing besides collecting A's." Smith says NSF is diverting from its main aim of supporting excellence in the sciences by shifting much of its focus of science education to minorities and students in the mass. "This was never the purpose of the foundation," she says. "The programs it wants to start should be supported by the Department of Health, Education & Welfare." Dr. Albert Young, special assistant to Rutherford at NSF, says the URP philosophy is retained in NSF's year-old, $14.9 million CAUSE program—Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education. He says URP institutions simply can retain the thrust of their programs through proposals under CAUSE. "The URP philosophy is not dead at the foundation," Young says. A source in the House Science & Technology Committee said he would be "very surprised if Congress didn't restore the URP program to its full funding." D
Corco gets a break in itsbankruptcy hearing Commonwealth Oil Refining (Corco) chased by Corco and sold to a tire has received at least one break in its maker. Corco supplies the plant with bankruptcy proceeding. Early last most of its feedstock needs in the week, the bankruptcy judge hearing form of naphtha, raffinate, and gas the case in San Antonio, Tex., ruled oil. Again, speaking last fall, Davis that Corco can end certain of its joint said that in first-half 1977, Corco's venture and raw materials supply loss in PRO amounted to $1.9 million. contracts with W. R. Grace and P P G Corco's total losses since PRO was Industries. These contracts have long formed in 1967 have totaled more been a thorn in the side of Corco. than $50 million through first-half Corco's joint venture with Grace, 1977. called Oxochem Enterprise, manuSpecifically, in its ruling last week, factures oxo alcohols—principally the court authorized Corco to reject 2-ethylhexanol, plus rc-butanol and the contracts with Grace to supply isobutanol. Corco supplies the plant propylene to Oxochem, and to reject with propylene and synthesis gas the joint venture contract and an infeedstocks. Gary W. Davis, president tegration agreement with PPG. Grace and chief executive officer of Corco, said that the consequences of the told the company's annual meeting termination of the contract will delast fall that Corco had lost $6.1 mil- pend on the success of Oxochem's lion on Oxochem in the first half of future efforts to obtain propylene at 1977 alone. favorable prices. PPG and Corco are involved in In light of the ruling, PPG said last another joint venture, Puerto Rico week that it will mail a letter to Olefins (PRO), which produces eth- shareholders along with its annual ylene, propylene, and butadiene. The reports advising them of developethylene is used by P P G in its oper- ments in Puerto Rico since the report ations. The propylene is repurchased went to press. Part of the letter will by Corco and sent to Oxochem En- read, "Although it is too early to asterprise. The butadiene also is pur- sess the impact of the court's ruling 6
C&EN March 20, 1978
on PPG's operations in Puerto Rico, the effect on future earnings is likely to be adverse. Both PRO and the chemical complex at Guayanilla (which is wholly owned by PPG) are continuing to operate while various alternatives are being explored. The course of action that P P G will ultimately follow will be determined in the light of future developments." D
Task force outlines nuclear waste issues A federal task force recommended last week that the government take over operation of nuclear waste storage facilities, some of which are now in private hands. At the same time a task force report again ruled out reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The report stops short, however, of establishing an Administration policy on nuclear waste management. According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemist John M. Deutch, the Department of Energy's director of energy research who headed the task force, the report is intended to be the starting point for discussions by an interagency committee set up by President Carter. The interagency task force is expected to come up with the Administration's final policy by Oct. 1. Among the report's major recommendations and conclusions: • Disposal of high-level nuclear wastes in geological formations such as salt deposits and granite formations is safe. • Reprocessing of spent nuclear reactor fuel is not needed for its safe disposal. • The 1985 target date for startup of a national waste repository for permanent disposal of commercial high-level waste and spent fuel cannot be met and probably will be delayed for at least three years until new sites can be looked at. • The government by 1985 should go ahead with a demonstration project for the disposal of a limited number of spent reactor fuel assemblies at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant proposed for New Mexico. • There should be a one-time charge to utilities for the interim storage and subsequent disposal of spent reactor fuel. • Away-from-reactor storage is needed by 1983 to contain nuclear wastes in water pools until permanent storage sites can be set up. One big question remains that the task force report does not answer: What happens if nobody wants a storage facility near his or her community? Answers Deutch, "I worry about that." D
