San Francisco Foghorn

              San Francisco
FOGHQ
UNIVERSITY     OF      SAN      FRANCISCO
VOLUME 88   NUMBER 2
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11,W91
USF RANKED IN CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT
Kimberly Kauer
News Editor
The Universily of San Francisco was
listed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to be among the top 30
Bay Area businesses in which the potential
risk of cancer has been assessed to be
greater than 10 in 1 million due to the
estimated amount of emissions produced
from the cogeneration plant located below
Gleeson Library.
The San Francisco Examiner reported
on the plan to reduce toxic emissions in
the air by the BAAQMD, the district
which regulated businesses to a degree,
has now decided to add increased monitoring of toxic emissions produced.
USF was listed as number 30, which
means the university produces the least
amount of emissions out of the entire
listing.
"But, being number 30, if we were to
produce 10 percent less emissions, then
we would be taken off the list," Glenn
Loomis, Director of Plant Services, said.
Steve Hill, manager of the Toxic Air
division told the Examiner that "the list
was complied first by assessing the
amount of emissions facilities produce
and how the contaminants are dispersed
in the air, then by using that information
in a computer model to obtain toxicity
concentration levels in particular areas."
BAAQMD's results were based on test
done on a different and lower quality
model cogeneration plant than the one
USF uses.
Outside of the cogeneration plant, where all USF's power is created.
The emissions produced, benzene and
formaldehyde, are produced when converting natural gas to electricity and heat.
Still, itisnot known if USF's cogenera-
tionplant, located belowGleeson Library,
produces an excess of levels of the pol lut-
ants benzene and formaldehyde. However,
according to Loomis, a test has been
scheduled with a BAAQMD representative to take place within the next few
weeks.
The USF plant provides energy to all of
lower campus, including the Koret Health
and Recreation Center. Lone Mountain's
energy is separate from the rest of the
university, but it is expected to get a
similar power plant within the next few
years.
According to Loomis, the USF plant
was approved for operation by B AAQMD
four years ago and continues to operate
within legal standards, receiving a license from the agency every year.
Loomis said that the move away from
PG&E in 1987 and to USF's own power
plant was done not only to save money,
but to cut down on pollution.
In addition, having a separate power
plant from thatof the rest of San Francisco
provided USF with power after the October 1989 earthquake when the rest of
the City was suffering from a power
outage.
Hill told the Examiner that "the list
describes a cancer risk for a person who
is exposed to emissions for 24 hours a day
for 70 years."
Hill also said that "while companies on
the list were not currently emitting toxics
at cancer-causing levels, they should be
named as part of 'the public's right to
know'."
Loomis expects that when the research
is actually done at USF, the results will
show lhat a safe amount of emissions are
being produced and the university will be
taken off of the listing.
"I was a little surprised [to see USF's
name on the list]," Loomis said. "They
[the BAAQMD] had sent us a few letters
over the summer, but that was it."
According to the Examiner, the 30
listed companies will be required to send
letters to thc members of its community
and hold public hearings keeping community members updated and informed
about what pollutants are being produced
and how harmful they are to the people in
thc area.
The BAAQWD's regulatory standards
are some of the highest in thc nation.
"We did this without the urging of any
state or federal body," hill said.
The BAAQWD expects the new standards to be reached by all Bay Area
companies by the year 1995. By allowing
companies four years to comply with the
regulations, the BAAQWD is letting
changes occur slowly, easing the financial burden.
The board expects that by 1995 "the
acceptable toxicity levels will be cut to
half of the 1989 level."
USF was the only school listed in the
top 30, but it was among such businesses
as Shell Oil and Dow Chemical, both in
Contra Costa county, and was only one of
two listings located in San Francisco.
SCHLEGEL OUTLINES HIS NEW
RESIDENCE HALLS COMPLETELY
MULTICULTURAL PLANS FOR USF      FILLED WITH STUDENTS
Kimberly Kauer
News Editor
In a memo to all University Executive
Officers and Directors, President Rev.
John P. Schlegel, S.J., outlined plans for
a renewed commitment to
multiculturalism at USF through the
Multicultured Action Plan (MAP).
The plan suggests numerous proposals
and projects for students, faculty and
administrators to be implemented beginning this academic year.
"Multiculturalism is the future,"
Schlegel stated. "What follows are some
initial actions I propose to move this
question beyond discussion to action."
The general proposals include, "the
appointment of a Director of the MAP
project who reports directly to the President." The director will be responsible
for the allocation of a $200,000 fund
which will be accumulated over the next
four years and augmented to the present
multicultural budget. The fund will support lectures, and workshops on race-
related issues and provide grants for
students and faculty pursuing
multicultural awareness. In addition,
"each executive officer and administrator will be responsible for implementing
a strong multi-cultural program in his/her
area of responsibility."
"A minority recruitment committee,"
the memo continues, "reporting to the
Academic Affairs Vice-President, will
assist in thc search for minority
faculty...[and] develop hiring procedures
for the attraction and appointment of minority faculty."
MAP will create student-faculty forums to discuss the needs of minority and
international students and will continuously review the curriculum to regulate
its responsiveness to student needs.
continued on back page
Lisa Veatch
News Staff
For the first time in years, the four
residence halls, Hayes-Healy, Gillson,
Phelan, and Lone Mountain arc completely filled with students.
According to Gary Maslowski, Director of Residence Life, all four dormitories
combined can accommodate 1289 students. Those rooms are completely filled,
including the 15 single rooms which have
been converted into doubles.
Several students are also currently living in guest rooms in Hayes-Healy and
Gillson.
According to Maslowski, the students
did not want to move out of those guest
rooms when offered the opportunity.
Each year there is approximately 40
"no shows" which will provide immedi
ate slots for some misplaced students.
The Office of Residence Life is currently
in the process of contacting the students
who have not shown up to receive a final
answer regarding their residential status.
By the end ofthis week, the exact number
of empty rooms and or vacant spots will
be known.
Responses regarding the vacant spots
is needed immediately because as of Sept.
13, 20 new students will be arriving at
USF to take part in the Intensive English
Program. If there are no open rooms,
alternative housing for the students will
have to be sought.
Due to the overload of students, room
changes will be tougher than normal this
semester.
Maslowski is enjoying the "problem."
He thinks that it is great that attendance is
up at USF.