New Jersey Nightly News; 02/22/1982

New Jersey to lose. With Don Torrance and Cantwell the hand. That evening cannot add has the night off. New Jersey's toxic waste cleanup tax gets the federal government stamp of approval. The Cosmo's name an interim head coach and Bill Perry will have details tonight in sports and we'll take a closer look at a controversial shopping complex in the Meadowlands area. The federal government has agreed that New Jersey has the right to tax the petrochemical industry to pay for the cleanup of hazardous waste dump sites. Reports. The federal government has agreed that New Jersey has the 1.6 billion dollar federal Superfund program as well as the state spill compensation that draws in an additional 14 million dollars taxing petrochemical products coming into the state assemblyman Raymond Lesniak says the state needs about a billion dollars to clean up the 300 sites environmental officials know about. So he was quite pleased about the federal government's position extremely significant.

The federal government agrees with the chemical industry. But if New Jersey is to have to clean up funds have to be taxed as one can probably imagine. And those companies don't think too highly of that. In fact Exxon B.F. Goodrich Union Carbide Monsanto and Tenneco have joined a lawsuit pending against the state. Those companies are demanding to be back for taxes they were charged to help fund state cleanup efforts and believes today support from the federal government will crush that suit. How those are through represents the state's Chemical Industries says he doesn't think the future looks so grim. But I would assume that the courts will decide the issue on the merits of the case and not on the agreement between government agencies Lesniak says at least eight other states are waiting to see the outcome of this case.

Those states are worried about lawsuits challenging their spill funds in Newark wants because of the worsening economic recession the state's labor commissioner today said New Jersey may again have to borrow money from the federal government to cover the cost of extending unemployment compensation benefits. Gemma Queeny has more. Much to the dismay of state officials unemployment offices like this one are attracting longer lines. Last month three hundred thirty five thousand New Jerseyans were out of work compared to 270 2000 the year before and one of those out of work attests to how tough the job market is for some. We try to go out and drop applications and they don't even want applications. They have to look around. You run out of gas before you find something. It's just terrible. State Labor Commissioner Roger Bodman today acknowledged as much before the assembly's Labor Committee. The rise in the number of people seeking state

unemployment checks bottom he said may force the states hand to extend from 26 to 39 weeks. The period a recipient can collect up to one hundred forty five dollars a week in benefits. Only an unlikely drop in those requests for benefits would avert that extension. Bachmann said the problem is the state will have to borrow from the federal government up to 30 million dollars at 10 percent interest to pay for the extended benefits which are triggered by long periods of high unemployment. The problem because the state already owes more than 600 million dollars to the federal government. The money borrowed during the 1975 recession to cover unemployment benefits the state's latest 9.4 percent unemployment rate is below the 175 peak of thirteen point five percent. But traces of a new recession are being felt we do occasionally go to an extended benefits situation. In normal years obviously the recession has made this a bit worse.

State unemployment officials are hoping the economy will pick up later in the year reducing planeloads and increasing unemployment tax receipts to allow for a speedy repayment of the extended benefits. In Trenton. I'm Jim a queen. Like many of his colleagues Governor Tom Cain may ask for changes in the new federalism. Cain is down in Washington with the National Governors Association hearing the president and his aides sell them Reagan's plan to return many federal programs to the states. While a majority of governors seems to accept the principle of the program appears that state's generous with social aid like food stamps or welfare will drop poor people from less generous states. Cain wants to make sure New Jersey and its poor are shortchanged. The state assembly today postponed consideration of a bill to require top officials of the Cain administration to disclose their financial records. Again Cabinet officers are already under an executive order to do just that and as were members of former governor Burns candidate. But Assembly Speaker Allen Carr church sponsor of the disclosure bill says New Jersey needs a law on the books to be sure disclosures

continue. The bill was delayed today so it would be coordinated with a similar bill being developed in the Senate. Governor Kaine has said he would support a disclosure bill but not necessarily the one suggested by Democrat Karcher. Forty thousand New Jersey college students would lose federal tuition loans if President Reagan's budget proposals become law. That was the testimony today before a committee of the state assembly meeting here in Trenton. The guaranteed student loan program which currently AIDS about one hundred forty thousand students of the jersey might be cut back to only a hundred thousand as early as next fall. The rule changes this spring. That would eliminate graduate students and make it tougher for others to get loans. That's the biggest reduction that maybe a hundred million dollars in student aid for next year. Thirty forty thousand students. Yes 20000 of whom would be graduate students. In addition to the loan reductions grants to college students will be cut in half under the Reagan proposal according to Dr. read. He told committee members that student grants would go from 90 million dollars annually to

45 million by the fall of one thousand eighty three unless Congress makes changes in the president's budget. Laid off policemen and firemen and Patterson could get their jobs back but only if they agreed to an 11 percent cut in pay. Mayor Pat Cramer repeated his offer today to rehire those laid off but only if all the police and firemen return to work and accept the reduced pay 63 police and firemen laid off Saturday after losing a court fight in which they tried unsuccessfully to keep their jobs at full salary. The battle for minority hiring in the construction trades in New Jersey has been going on since the 1960s. But the gains for blacks and Puerto Ricans have been limited and it records law school conference today there were warnings that even those gains could be lost. Sandra King has more. The all out fight for minority construction jobs in the state began with the building of the New York airport after demonstration strikes and a long delayed hiring quotas there were established New Jersey's next major battleground was the state medical school again in New York. And again a construction site was forced open for those

traditionally camped out in the years since this state has seen hundreds of affirmative action plans for the building trades. But few of them have been fully implemented. There also have been Court decision striking down strict quotas. But there was a victory on the public side just last week. On Friday the state Supreme Court upheld affirmative action goals for all construction projects that receive public money and the court refused to overturn a Camden law setting even higher goals for municipal construction there for the construction industry. They will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. And even if the new ruling is affirmed there's fear that enforcement will diminish a product of government budget cutting and the new anti regulatory mood. They still say well we don't want you in the street yet we have a high unemployment rate yet we have a high crime rate. Yet there's jobs available for blacks and Hispanics and

those jobs pay well if you can get them a simple labor can make up to thirty five thousand dollars. But the barriers from developers from contractors from unions are still there. Among the black and Puerto Rican people. And if the term black and Puerto Rican people or women come to any great question. The law. Has not been complied with. At this point how come it's admitted that there is only 5 percent black and Hispanic participation in the construction industry in this New York metropolitan area. When black and Hispanic percentage of the population is 40 percent. In Newark the minority population is nearly twice that high. I figure it's still not reflected on newer construction sites and whether private or public. You know where

I'm Sandra King. Revenge for the theft of a shotgun may have led to the bombing death of a 19 year old pregnant woman from Fair Lawn Thursday. Bergen County investigators have charged 22 year old Robert Rainier of Patterson with planting a pipe bomb in a briefcase a pipe bomb that exploded when Paula Bergen opened the case in front of her apartment last week. Police think Ranier intended the bomb for Bergen's boyfriend 27 year old Robert Grieco. Their theory is that Rainier blame Grieco for breaking into his apartment and stealing a shotgun last fall. They quote an informant is saying Rainier vowed to kill whoever stole that gun right here is being held on $200000 bad. A judge in Sussex County has ordered the man accused of killing two second grade girls held without bail in the county jail in part to protect him from irate local residents. Twenty nine year old Eugene Dingman was arraigned this morning on double murder charges. He will be examined by a court psychiatrist. Damon has been accused of strangling 7 year old Heather Tranter an 8 year old Jennifer Hannah. Saturday then dumping their bodies in woods near

their home on hills homes. The killings allegedly followed sexual contact with the girls according to the Sussex County prosecutor. He wouldn't elaborate on that charge. Judge Frederick Webber said Dingman had admitted to the killings but the woman's attorney says he pleaded innocent men live just down the block from the two victims then men's attorney said the suspect was discharged from the Army for psychiatric reasons and was collecting a 100 percent disability pension. Hunger striker Thomas clause 0 is undergoing tests at University Hospital in Newark today. Authorities are trying to determine what shape clause it was in after living on mostly tea and garlic for 72 days. And what they have to do to keep him alive. A state court ruled on Friday the Trenton State Prison officials could force feed the inmate who was protesting his conviction and sentencing for aggravated assault. But there hasn't been any attempt to force feed him yet. Doctors say there isn't any need to at this point to resist any force feeding. For 35 years Atlantic City's renowned diving bell delighted Steel Pier crowds with a quick trip to the ocean floor. All that was before Resorts International closed the pier down in one

thousand seventy nine. Today owners of the diving bell were in court claiming resorts failed to honor an agreement which would have allowed the diving bell to continue in business. Then Hudson reports. The famous diving bell was at one time almost synonymous with Atlantic City along with the boardwalk and the rolling cars and its owners say it was making a good profit. Right up until the end of three years ago we were in the best of times if you went down in the bill you couldn't really see very much just a dark murky green outside the small windows. It only went down 10 or 15 feet but it was one of the more popular Atlantic City attractions. For everyone who actually went down in the bell. Many more came just to watch see it pop up out of the water. Listen to people's excited screams from inside their broadcast over loud speakers. Soon after resorts bought the pier in 1988 they shut it down saying it wasn't making enough money and it wasn't safe anymore. But William and Bart Beck who had owned and operated the diving bell since 1945 say they had a verbal agreement with a former owner that they would be reimbursed for the $200000 belive the pier was ever closed. That

former owner was George Hammond and he agrees. He saw the peer to a group who eventually sold it to resorts. He said the first buyers knew about the verbal agreement being professional they knew that the diving bell was there and if they had arbitrarily let's say terminated the lease they would have had to come to an accommodation with the owners because you just can't pick it up and leave like you can no T-shirts or or whatever things of that sort. This is a fixed structure weighs tons and tons and tons it's attached to the ocean floor. There is no record of the original agreement back say they made their deal with him by shaking hands. And since the bell was custom built for the steel pier there's no way they can remove it resources and since the leases that were written down don't include any special provision for buying the diving bell. They don't think they should have to. Resorts also says it has no plans to ever reopen the diving bell. So until the court makes a decision the only thing certain is that the steel Pier's diving bell has dived its last dive

on a steel pier in Atlantic City. I am Dan Hudson. Governor Tom Kane is named Morris County Assemblyman James Barry is the new state director for consumer affairs. Barry a 35 year old four term legislator says his experience as a small businessman will help him carry out his new job. He expects to emphasize the special problems a merchant faces and review some department regulations which he believes are cumbersome to the consumer. Barry replaces former consumer affairs director Adam Levin. It was expected to announce his congressional candidates soon and Barry is the second Republican legislator named to the Cain cabinet. And here's a look at our weather forecast tonight will be clear windy and cold. The temperature in the mid to upper 20s partly sunny skies and mild tomorrow the daytime high in the low 40s. Man the outlook for Wednesday partly cloudy and miles. For more than three years now a battle is raged over plans to build a retail shopping mall in the Hackensack

Meadowlands. In the past the controversy was the possible effect a new mall might have on older urban shopping districts. Now a new argument has developed over how much traffic such a mall would generate can't matter had prepared this closer look. The 1981 football season was certainly special for New Jersey Sports fans as the Giants for the first time in years made it to the NFL playoffs. It was a dream come true much like the Meadowlands sports complex itself. The Meadowlands region is one of the bright spots in a generally gloomy state economy attracting new development creating new jobs and even sparing a modest housing boom. The next step is Barry's Creek center a project which will include a shopping mall a convention center office buildings residential housing and a hotel. But can the existing roads handle the additional traffic generated by the Barrys Creek center. The Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission oversees all new construction in the area. Anthony Scardino is executive director of the agency.

There is a creek center is going to be built in stages one two and three. Stage 1 it's clearly indicated by always studies by independent transportation consultant studies present capacity transportation capacity overall can sustain can carry the weight in terms of what happens in the first stage of development. It's as crystal clear as anything could be in the first stage calls for a shopping center and some of the housing and some of the office building and a hotel that's being contemplated for the 300 acre tract. Not everyone is convinced that highways in the Meadowlands region can accommodate even more traffic. State Route 3 will be the main access road to Barry's Creek Center the same road which already serves the popular Meadowlands sports complex. The main route to and from the Lincoln tunnel traffic along Route 3 is already heavy during morning and evening rush hours as well as on evenings when there are events at the Sports Complex. The construction of a retail shopping mall in Barry's Creek Center has Robert Mulcahy chief

executive officer of the State Sports and Exposition Authority worried were concerned that route 3 because of the bridges that are there for force is a constriction of traffic that's going to have to be dealt with. A year ago we talked to the Department of Transportation and the Hackensack medal as commission about our concerns that both the access from the west on Route 3 and the access for dispersal of traffic from the turnpike coming from the South should be better. Any transportation improvements in the Meadowlands region will be expensive. Existing highway bridges cannot be expanded without an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. The HMV see the Meadowlands Commission has proposed a limited series of modifications including use of an old freight line to carry commuter trains and an extension of State Route 17 South to Newark. Total cost would be about two hundred million dollars but will the state which is already having money problems be able to finance any of the proposed projects.

The privately sponsored Regional Plan Association believes the whole question of funding transportation improvements must be settled before construction begins in the Barrys Creek development. Robert Van Farson is head of the New Jersey Committee of the Regional Plan Association. He's also chairman of the mutual benefit life insurance company. If in fact there are enough dollars to build adequate highways adequate turnpike adequate turnoffs mass transit capability bus and ride facilities then go ahead and do all of what we're saying don't do the building before you're assured that you're going to have the transportation and work on the various grades and I was supposed to start months ago. The legal fight among the developers has stalled the project. No one knows when the construction will finally be settled. Still this marshland will eventually become the downtown for the entire region. Getting people out of private cars and onto mass transit would help alleviate highway congestion.

But the experiences of the Sports Authority in this area have not been very positive. We've made great efforts to promote mass transit into the Sports Authority both with the Giants Stadium opened and again at selected events I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to. Attempt to find out whether or not it was going to work. I think that what's been demonstrated to date is that the efforts that have been talked about are not successful. One of the great drawing features of the Meadowlands is the security that people feel that they can get in their car drive to the Meadowlands and even if they sit in a little bit of a traffic jam they will end up parking in a fenced in area. If you walk into the facility the key to deciding what should and should not be built in the Meadowlands is money. How much can the state afford to invest in the area given the limited resources available spending money in the Meadowlands will probably mean that projects in other areas of New Jersey will suffer due the potential economic benefits justify this decision.

To apply 200 million dollars to these improvements and generate over 3 billion dollars. In capital improvements in the district in the next 10 years three billion dollars equates to 50000 jobs 50000 times a certain income factor that people apply in and year in the billions of dollars in terms of income. You was one might say is it worth two hundred million to get back billions and I say it is. I'm convinced we cannot possibly come up with enough money in this state the next 10 years to pay all of the transportation needs of the state. So something is going to have to give and that's what somebody has to decide. You complete 24 in Morris County because Morris County is also seeing a significant amount of development. Do you complete 287. Do you what do you do with the any portion completed portion of line 95 the whole issue around the state has to be considered not just one single development budget but a Regional Plan Association

criticize the Barrys Creek plan again today this time before a legislative committee RPI official James once told the assembly authorities committee that the plans should be scaled down because the proposal to route traffic through the area is inadequate. The current administration had a task force to study the entire Meadowlands development issue and it too recommended scaling down the berries Creek project. So far the Cain administration busy putting together a new budget hasn't announced its policy on the issue. Iam back from vacation Bill Pere is ready with sports bill.

OK thank you down in the cosmos. Well they're getting ready for the outdoor series and training in the Bahamas begins next week but today the moz made a few announcements one Carlos Alberto has been signed for the 82 season 2 on April 4th the team will play a preseason game at Giants Stadium against the national team from Peru and a familiar face has surfaced as interim head coach the professor is back. Julio misery of course last week had its rice while our departed WW was head coach in 1980 and 81 before that in 1079 Maziar was the coach although we had the title of technical director by any other name. MS A was the coach. Put in a lot of the professional development one of the callers was organisation. I just hope that they are going to give me the opportunity at least. To a championship game. And if they allow the ball to do have the Yankees.

Brought the cosmos maintained they're searching for a new head coach and it will not be Jean-Michel. All right basketball the nets are on the seesaw since reaching 500 10 days ago it's been win one lose one yesterday the Nets lost Indiana won 18 1 0 7 that came after a Saturday night when it will be Utah Friday night. They lost to Euston So the nets are again a game under 500 at 27 and 28. In yesterday's loss Otis Birdsong again injured his right leg his status is now day to day but he is doubtful for Wednesday night's home game against the Bucs and Milwaukee has won 12 straight and college ball Rutgers was most impressive Saturday beating Duquesne 75 56 the Knights have won four straight they are now 17 and seven and with the win they clinched the home court for next Tuesday's opening round of the Eastern eight postseason tournament. Tell me what's the story against Duquesne that was Clarence making the nice touch pass. You saw him at the off chance of boards for two. But this is what he does best. Hitting from the outside Clarence had on eight of 10 from the field in the first half. He finished with 22 points overall Rutgers had a 32 to 16 lead at the half who came close to within

nine in the second half that Rutgers was never really threatened. Roy Henson at eight of his 12 points in the second half Roy specialty the slam. And just as he had done the previous Saturday against George Washington freshman Bryan Ellerby had all 12 of his points in the second half it was Kevin Black leading the breaks elsewhere St. Peters beat Army 63 55 peacocks have now won 10 in a row they are 17 and seven overall they have clinched a bye for the first round of the metro-Atlanta conference tournament next week Seton Hall's many two game winning streak was snapped by Syracuse 87 81. Princeton won twice 71 59 over brown and 50 to 49 over Yeah a biggie for the Tigers tomorrow night against Penn We'll have more on that on tomorrow night's news. You also want tomorrow night's news. We'll have some word about an announcement to make an announcement. And that's sports. Only kidding I think I better explain that right right at the Meadowlands tomorrow there's a meeting scheduled where the Rangers are expected to tell the Meadowlands when they will let them know if they are planning to move to New Jersey so tomorrow maybe we'll know when we'll know.

Are you confused. So you tomorrow night. That's it. You're going to cover that. Yes certainly. OK. Thanks a lot. And once again our top story tonight the U.S. Justice Department has agreed that the federal toxic waste superfund law does not conflict with New Jersey's own chemical spill fund tax. The state's spill compensation fund has enabled New Jersey to collect fourteen million dollars annually through a tax on petrol chemical products. The money is then applied to cleanup costs for toxic waste spills. And that's the news for Bill Perry I'm Don Torrance. Good night from all of us at New Jersey nightly news. This is a joint presentation of the New Jersey network WAPT 13.

The program is broadcast on weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 13 and at 7:30 p.m. on the New Jersey network. There is a repeat broadcast at 10:00 p.m. on the New Jersey network and the following morning on Channel 13. Pushing its record.