The Chemical World This Week
PLENARY SESSION POPULAR AT ACS MEETING The nearly 7000 chemists and chemical engineers who gathered in Miami Beach last week for the American Chemical Society's 176th National Meeting were faced with the usual wide array of technical and social activities. These ranged from the unusually large number (2400) of technical presentations to the unique assembly of registrants at a plenary session. The presidential plenary session, organized and chaired by ACS president Anna J. Harrison, was the first such session in recent years at an ACS meeting, and it played to an overflow crowd. Speaking at the session on the protection of human health and the environment were Dr. Eula Bingham, head of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, and Douglas M. Costle, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA's Costle (left) and OSHA's Bingham answer questions at plenary session Their talks were followed by remarks from a panel of eight distinguished national meetings to be held only in Bylaws, with the stipulation that it be chemists representing various fields those states that have ratified ERA. brought before the council again at of chemistry. On another controversial issue the the fall 1979 meeting in Washington, With its successful inauguration, council debated the validity of the D.C., would provide that voluntary the plenary session may be heading petition nominating Dr. Alan C. local section dues as well as division for a permanent niche in ACS na- Nixon as a candidate for director of dues, at the request of these bodies, tional meetings—at least at fall Region VI in this fall's ACS national be billed with annual ACS dues. The council eliminated the need to meetings. The ACS Council last week elections. The problem arose because voted to include such sessions at the the California Section's national act on a ninth petition in Miami next two fall meetings—in Washing- elections committee sought petition Beach simply by not granting it urton, D.C., next year, and in San signatures on stationery with the local gent action status—the only way it section letterhead, a possible viola- could have been acted on at this Francisco in 1980. Among a number of other things, tion of recently instituted ACS by- meeting. The petition would have the council also authorized formation laws on fair election procedures. In allowed a reduction in ACS dues for of two probationary ACS divi- fact, this problem seems to point up one or the other of a husband-wife sions—one on geochemistry and one confusion in the wording of those pair, if both are ACS members. The on small chemical businesses. And the bylaws. Ultimately, however, the proposed reduction would have been council gave its approval for estab- council voted to accept Nixon as a the amount of the dues allocation to petition candidate for Region VI di- C&EN, and would have eliminated lishing an Alaska local section. Relating to the controversial issue rector, despite the alleged irregulari- one of the subscriptions to C&EN.D of the Equal Rights Amendment to ties in the nominating petition, thus the U.S. Constitution, the ACS overriding the action of the ComCouncil went on record as supporting mittee on Nominations & Elections, Soviets to let Levich "the achievement and protection of which had voted unanimously to equal rights and opportunities for all disallow the nomination. go after six-year fight persons and believes ACS should enThe council also acted on nine courage its members to personally petitions to amend the ACS consti- After a six-and-a-half year struggle support all efforts which will accom- tution and/or bylaws, adopting seven supported by protests and pressure plish these goals as rapidly as possi- of them, recommitting one, and re- from U.S. and European scientists ble." And it agreed that it is not "ap- fusing to take urgent action on an- and political leaders, Dr. Veniamin G. propriate for ACS to determine the other. The seven that were adopted Levich finally will be allowed to leave location of national meetings on the aimed at such housekeeping proce- the Soviet Union. Permission for the basis of the status of ratification of dures as how to withdraw a petition eminent physical chemist and his [ERA] by the states." Considering the from the council's agenda and how wife, and 17 other Soviet families, to council's action on this matter, the society committees should relate to emigrate will be issued shortly, acACS Women Chemists Committee the Council Policy Committee. cording to assurances received from decided not to seek council action on The petition that was recommitted Soviet president Brezhnev and other its resolution calling for future ACS to the Committee on Constitution & officials by Sen. Edward Kennedy
EBinaham
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C&EN Sept. 18, 1978
