By CHRIS LLOYD In the event of a dangerous’ chlorine spill from North Vancouver’s Hooker Chemicals works manager Brian Thorpe has the _ following ‘advise: “Try to get upwind.” But as for how to deter- mine the wind direction, how far away from the spill would be a safe area and how long children at the nearby Maplewood Elementary School would have in which to be evacuated, he cannot say. This disturbing lack of information was typical of answers given at a press conference called by Hooker Chemicals Monday. ‘ The conference followed a media tour of the plant “intended to allay public fears arising from recent “over dramatized” publicity but which left reporters clearly frustrated and _ dissatisfied with the replies given to their questions. Photographers were not allowed into key areas of the plant which has some 1,500 tons of deadly liquid chlorine on hand, where reporters were told of elaborate and expensive proposals to replace heavily corroded and _ outdated equipment, some of which bore tags reading “obsolete” and “do not touch.” SABOTAGE Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) President Kim Toth pointed to chlorine storage tanks with a capacity of 660 tons and told the News of his fears of them being sabotaged and of his union's unsuccessful efforts to persuade Hooker to have the area heavily guarded. Hooker's vice-president and general manager L.H. (Bud) Schnurstein told reporters it was not up to the company to advise people’ how to react in the event of a spill or for Hooker to prepare an evacuation plan and that the company had no responsibility for the chlorine once it was in transit by rail - the stage which many experts consider poses the most threat to a spill. In each of these instances, he said, Hooker was on hand to offer technical expertise and the company would be prepared to install a capping devise on -any. leaking railcar. He said the major problem was to calculate what path the gas might take in the event of a leak but that his company had not been able to determine this. Schnurstein pointed out that in the 23 years Hooker has been located in North Van there has not been a single death from a chlorine leak, although the con- troversial Beak Report warns that a major accident can be expected within the next 25 years. In a written statement handed to reporters, the Schnurstein criticized report for its conclusions. However, he refused to Work spill from the Hooker Chemical plant at Maplewood, according to rescue experts. discuss the report, saying it had been commissioned by North Vancouver District Council and Hooker had been allowed a copy of it on the condition they did not release any of its contents. But he added - just a few hours before the council was to discuss whether it should be released - that he thought the District should make the report public. Even so, when further questioned, he said that Hooker had at no time made such a recommendation to the councjl since the report covered other matters in addition to Hooker. UPGRADING The plant was built in 1957, to 1953 building codes, and officials emphasized the upgrading in progress and planned to bring it in line with 1977 codes which have provision for earthquakes. Thorpe said Hooker spent $400,000 last year on electrical upgrading, $160,000 in instrumentation upgrading, $100,000 on civil Wearhouse LAST 4 DAYS ON OUR *10.00 TRADE-IN BOOT SALE Bring In you $10. new pair r old boots and we will give wards the purchase of a “Does not include rubber or sale priced boots SALE ENDS SUNDAY MARCH 2nd 5 PM 820 WEST 15TH ST. NORTH VAN. 984-9591 engineering and $2.8 million on maintenance costs. He promised a_ further $11-12 million will be spent on replacing equipment which has become heavily THE NATURAL CUT natural fall pattern with special attention paid to the bone structure and taciai features to produce NO SETTING NECESSARY torever is the scorching wait under the hairdryer—rolling—teasing and backcombing curling that tast and last is an elevated preciston cut that produces total soft ness and uplift for either long or short har. 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Reminded that all authorities responsible for evacuation in the event of a spill are agreed that large- scale evacuation of the North Shore is impossible because of its geographical boundaries, Schnurstein said: “I only know what I have read in the paper of evacuation. It is so hypothetical it is difficult to deal with.” Asked how he felt about the location in the light of the Mississaugua (Ont.) chlorine spill disaster in which the entire city had to be evacuated, Schnurstein commented: “I haye no concerns. I’m confident with the people we have here and the process. We're proud of it and have nothing to hide. We are only equipped to send an emergency team to assist the authorities to cope with that emergency.” As for assurances that such a disaster would not CONTINUEDON PAGEAI6 you ... ... to the many people in North Vancouver - Burnaby who assisted and supported my campaign and to all of you who voted for me on election day. 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