fear TF

chlorine

chemist John Walkiey,

Seymour residents
Thorsday demanded
guaranteed saf

ainst the threat of a
spill from
Hooker Chemicals.
And to most of those
who spoke at a public
information meeting
called:to discuss such a
threat that meant just
one thing - move the
chemical plant.

About 300 people packed
the Maplewood School gym-
nasium for the meeting call-
ed by the Chemical Hazard
Alert Committee - a group of
residents formed specifically
to deal with the Hooker
question.

And speaker after speaker

- DEMANDING EVACUATION PLANS, Don Rose
public meeting. He is shown with other panelists (from left to right)

BS ss Ae

Hooker vice-president Bud

nbloom addresses the

Schnurstein,

if

moderator Allan Chala, emergency coordinator Jeff Jefferd, District fire
chief Bob McDonald and District Mayor Don Bell. (Terry Peters photo)

Locals insist safety comes first

rose to condemn the Hooker
Operation as well as North
Vancouver City Council for
sitting on the Beak Report
for 18 months before releas-
ing its contents which warn
of potential disasters from
chlorine manufactured at
the plant.

Bill Paterson, an ex-
employee of the plant and
former union president
there, described the com-
pany’s attitude to public
safety as “disgusting.”

He maintained the plant
has the worst safety record
of any of Hooker's opera-
tions, saying a letter to that
effect was sent from Hooker
headquarters a year ago.

He answered claims of
high safety standards made
to the meeting by Hooker
vice president and general
manager Bud Schurstein by
fecalling instances’ of
workers sick for days after
exposure to the deadly gas.

By CHRIS LLOYD

And he maintained: “I
think the fact that there have
been no fatalities is as much
good luck as the fact that
miracles still happen.”

Schnurstein was one of a
group of six panelists who
gave a cross-section of views
on the Hooker operation.
Hecklers demanding that

the plant be moved shouted
to him “Try Ocean Falls,”
and “Why don’t you go back
to the States?”

Schnurstein was visibly
shaken as one resident press-
ed the point of Hooker mov-
ing and asked for a commit-
ment on his position from
Schnurstein, who had dif-
ficulty forming his reply and
knocked over his water
glass.

Schnurstein answered that
he and his staff have talked
about the question of
relocating the plant. But
asked whether he would be
prepared to discuss it with
government officials, he
stammered: “l am not a

MORNING DRAMAS
ON LIONS GATE |

bridge
suicide

Eight

police of-
ficers and _ five
_ firemen spent an hour

talking a man out of
jumping off Lions
Gate Bridge and
hauling him to safety
in a dramatic rescue
early Thursday.

The’ man stood
- precariously on a steel beam
near the centre span of the
bridge, beneath the level of
the road surface, more than
200 feet above the water.

The 45-year-old Van-
couver: man, described as
being very large, was coaxed
out of jumping by West Van-
couver Palice Corporal Ted
Johnston and pulled back up
to the road level, on the end
of a line, by firemen.

During the operation, the
West Van Fire Department
dinghy was mannéd in the
area beneath where the man
was standing and firemen at-
tended with two rescue
trucks, a pumper and an
aericl ladder.

Police later said the man
had been depressed over los-
ing his job and because of
problems with his girlfriend.

senior enough officer to
answer that,” adding: “I will
tell my seniors you have ask-
ed the question.”

In answer to another
speaker's question as to who
could make such a decision,
Schnurstein said: “I don't
know how senior it takes.”

District Mayor Don Bell
was also repeatedly criticiz-
ed for his council permitting
Hooker, as well as the cur-
rent examples of Dow and
Mohawk chemical plants, to
locate on North Van's water-
front.

He too was = specifically
asked about the question of
relocating Hooker and
whether council could force
such a move.

Cloudy with showers,
slightly cooler.

MONDAY:
Continuing unsettled.

CONTINUED ON PAGE Al10