* I * * 75 .. Herald & Untffn 31 October '84 .

Insurance I v Toxic Waste t Answer j % i ( 1 (ED. NOTE: This is the second part of an article on the \ Superfund by Fred L. Smith in the Wall Street Journal. . Smith, a former EPA policy analyst, suggested in the first , part on Oct. 17 that toxic-waste cleanup might better be a responsibility of local government.) ( Superfund is also subject to criticism on the financing side. For efficiency and equity reasons, environmentalists have long argued that the costs of pollution control should be borne by those responsible — the "Polluter Pays Principle." Superfund is financed in large part from specific taxes on petroleum and selected chemicals along with some general appropriations, and to a lesser degree by damages recovered from responsible parties. The tax on current output clearly violates the Polluter Pays Principle. Current production does not create the problems associated with past improper waste-disposal practices; nor can current producers reduce these pro- ' spective risks when they have no role in the management of the hazardous sites. Moreover, under the current system, even if a company did reduce these risks, its tax burden would remain unchanged. Superfund resembles the Price- Anderson Act or the recently proposed acid-rain legislation in that it acts as a no-fault plan. The Superfund taxes raise money, but create no incentives for anyone to reduce the risks associated with dumps — existing or t future. Even the damage-recovery part of the assessment is perverse: A company may be held solely responsible, even if it was but one of many parties contributing to the problem. The EPA is tempted to seek out a wealthy party - a "deep pocket" — rather than to apportion blame over all parties that might have contributed to the problem. It's easier to determine wealth than guilt. ESTIMATES ARE that more than 70 percent of the total taxes collected under Superfund are paid by 12 companies. The petroleum industry has long been the tax source of first resort and its pariah status is as obvious here as elsewhere. The efficiency implications of forcing the full costs of hazardous-waste cleanup on the petrochemical industry - given the extremely competitive world markets for these products - may well be serious. - . . , Many would agree with some of these criticisms and still argue for more of the same. As the past cannot be altered, the only recourse in hazardous-waste management is to raise funds in some politically attractive way to neutralize these older hazardous sites. But this evaluation is incorrect. The risks posed by most ( hazardous-waste sites are not invariant (they can be reduced by appropriate remedial action) nor certain ( some sites will prove far more dangerous than others ) . If we can harness the incentive and discovery forces of the market, we are far more likely to.achieve the needed improvements in risk assessment and control technology. WHAT MUST WE DO, if the market is to play a more active role? First, we should ensure that the properties at risk are owned. To the extent that aquifers, surface waters or environmental resources are treated as commons, no one will protect these values. / Second, when a responsible party can be identified, the Jr-ono* nf remedial measures should be broadened to allow : as well as engineering solutions. For example, might be allowed to compensate individuals and holders for damages rather than cleaning up the ire is no reason to spend scarce resources to >r protect a small aquifer, if less-costly altertre available and if no other dangers are present. ENSATION, however, is most feasible wh«i the has occurred or reasonably can be measured Jin ses, the situation has not reached that stage. The oj and their magnitude are merely possibilities — we are dealing not with present certainty, but rather future risk. " , . Risks are managed in the market by insurance, and insurance might well provide the best approach to the hazardous-waste problem. The EPA might continue to survey and identify sites, but then require the parties neia \ responsible either to dean up the site or purchase uiSurance to safe-guard those individuals and property holders in the exposure region. The insurance companies would have every incentive to assess the relative risk associated with the various sites and to reflect these assessments in differential premiums. Society would be safeguarded, but only sites men ting the expense would be cleaned. roofing By MAJESTIC REPAIRS & REROOFING . 884-6630

From The Principal Rti Clanlov/ knt70n

I By Stanley Kotzen Principal, Lower Cape May Regional High School

School spirit is a lot like tJ taking the second serving d of dessert. You can't t necessarily see the effect, s but you can certainly feel s Last week at Lower c Cape May Regional we felt \ lot of school spirit, which takes a wide variety of t shapes and sizes and c expressions. s That spirit is also i demonstrated by students, i staff, and parents. It can be t contagious, and we want it i to spread. < The obvious exercise of i this feeling of enthusiasm i and excitement in a high I school comes from a Homecoming Pep Rally. There is screaming and cheering in a crescendo of sound that engulfs 1,100 participants and leaves them with at least a small sense of belonging. BUT I THINK school spirit runs far deeper than these outward manifestations of pep rally volume and energy. It is also found in the quiet attention of our student body and staff to two 90-minute motivational assembly programs by Reid Lewis, who led an expedition of 24 tefcchers and students 3,300 miles down the Mississippi River during the most bitter winter in the history of the MidWest. It in a large turn-out by\ parents on Back-To-School-Night. It is in youngsters' planning and building floats for" a homecoming competition, and it's our students coming to school "dressed Hip" for a semi-formal I^riday night dance. School spirit is also our largest number of Sophomores and Juniors taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude and National Merit Scholarship qualifying tests. IT IS THE Junior Class officers and Prom Committee planning the prom that will be held in the gymnasium this year for the first time and it is teachers working at inservice programs that are designed to •upgpW^ our curriculum andrabilities. All of this . happened in ( the short space of five school days. There are other more I subtle expressions of school spirit which show up , in a myriad of daily encounters that contribute to a sense that the people in > this building feel pretty i good about being here. ; SPECIFICALLY, it is bearing students express congratulations to the Student Council for installing a juice machine for the use of » students after the normal I school day. It is the staff j supporting student plans for a Halloween costume y competition, and it's the football team buying 3 flowers for the girl's tennis 5 team on the day of a championship match. e It's a staff member

thanking a custodian for a good job cleaning the classroom, and it's students wanting to learn signing in order to communicate with a classmate who happens to be deaf. If you get the impression that I seek out these little encounters of warmth and sharing, you are absolutely right. I also try to make note of them and encourage them as readily as those acts of cruelty, rudeness and improper behavior with which we are forced too often to become familiar. Probably our biggest job as educators is to focus on the flags that is half-full more than the one that is half-empty. Last week our class was filled to the rim with school spirit.

October Woods These trees now pregnant with October's fire, Burn brilliantly against October's skies. Consuming summer's faded, dusty green, Unmindful of the chill wind's warning cries! They set the pulses singing at the sight At beauty so compelling and so brief, They blur the unaccustomed eye with tears And fill the simple heart with sudden grief ; Like gypsies bold they swirl their scarlet skirts And flaunt their golden magic everywhere. As though they had no rendezvous with death When winter's voice is shrill upon the air.

Divorces Granted ... j, /,-. ». • _.i /-• Inhn U' k'nunrnu'vli nf John W. Koworowski

The following divorces were recently recorded in the County Court House: Sandra G. Marsh of North Wildwood from William S. Marsh of Mays Landing. Anthony Giapietro of Sea Isle City from Gloria Giapietro of Sea Isle City. Roberta Gallo of Wildwood Crest from Luke v Gallo of North Wildwood. Christine A. Higgs of Seaville from Kerry R. Higgs, address unknown. John Russell Goetz of Ocean City from Norma D. Goetz of Flushing, N.Y. James A. Maxwell of Dias Creek from Jean S. Maxwell of Erma. Donna L. Trautz of Ocean City from Caleb W. Trautz, address unknown. Patricia A. Carroll of Villas from Frank X. Carroll of Lisle, III. Patricia A. Nickerson of Ocean City from William H. Nickerson Jr. of Ocean City. Barbara Leslie of Ocean City from John Leslie of Absecon. A Kathleen Fisher of Wildwood from James W. Fisher of North Wildwood. Helen K. McMullen of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from Oliver A. McMullen Jr. of Del Haven. Erica S. Coloe of Ocean

City from Anthony Coloe of Bala Cynwyd, Pa. Patricia A. Field of Ocean View from William M. Field of Ocean ViewDonna Vecere of Erma • from Thomas Vecere of Stone Harbor. Arlene Sliwinski of Cape May Court House from Francis Sliwinski of Philadelphia. Pa. Maria I. Seddon of Court House from Robert W. Seddon of Court House. Frances E. (Jigliotti of Villas from Joseph M. Gigliotti of Villas. Rose J. Porreca of Wildwood Crest from Frank G. Porreca of Kensington, Md. Linda F. Girard of North Cape May from Roger J. Girard of North Cape May. Georgi Ann Pullman of* Stone Harbor from Glenn Pullman of North Wildwood. Michael Lombard ozzi of Ocean City from Marguerite Lombardozzi of Mays Landing. William W. Lay ton of Tuckahoe from Nancy Layton of Bridgeton. Donna M. Mason of Petersburg from George F. Mason of Marmora

Ocean City from Carol A. Koworowski of Elizabeth. NJ Joseph Krause of Somers Point from Teresa Krause of Minersville, Pa. Cynthia D Harrison of Stone Harbor from Thomas E. DeRose of Stone Harbor Bonnie L. Robb of Wildwood from Harry L. Robb of Wildwood. Barbara Gundaker ot\ Ocean City from Setphen Gundaker Sr. of Cape May Glenn F. Murray of U.S.C.G. from Debra L. Murray of Daytona Beach. Fla Carolyn A. Lancaster of Beesley's- Point from Robert V. Lancaster of Somers Point. Kevin A. Adams of Wildwood from Sherry A. [• Adams of, Millville i Jill Huber-Simpson of i Wilmington, De from David S. Simpson of Ocean f City. i Michelle DuBruille of i Ocean City from Michael DuBruille of Palmero f Nancy Ro6ica of Ocean / City from Charles T. * Rosica Jr. of Slip Bottom f Lee B. Rogers Jr . of Dennis Township from Betty L Rogers of Avalon I

N.J. Gets MUA Case COURT HOUSE — All evidence in an alleged kickback scheme, involving some $225,000 said to have been paid to John Vinci when he was chairman of the county "Municipal Utilities Authority, has been turned over to the state attorney general •n* evidence is for use in state grand jury proceedings now underway. A county grand jury handed down its own indictments in February and trials are still pending here in Superior Court. Only the prosecutor will be different. No trial date has been set.

Record Voting — (From Page 24 » didates funning for Bradley's seat in the U.S. Senate either. Voters can also pick from the following third-party candidates : Pro-life/Fiscal Conservative James T Hagen of Linwood ; Libertarian Harold F. Leiendecker; Socialist Worker Priscilla Schenk; Julius Levin of the Socialist Labor Party; or Jasper C. Gould, running alone on the Contempt of Court ticket. Democrat William J Hughes of Ocean City is only defending his Second District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives against ooe challenger. Raymond G Massie, of BrigantiA, an assistant Stockton State College professor

jKyT diotiorpAOMi ff'hoftfie NITE SHIRTS... $10.00 W: 05' ONE SIZE FITS ALL -ft FREE MONOGRAM S SX GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS! Nh Moo.-Wtd. b> Appl Thor«. 1M -

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