The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

THE PANTAGRAPH, TUESDAY, DEC. 28. 198? A3 Nl-Gas plan to aid needy in bill-paying Illinois says EPA used old data in list regarding the pollutant ozone. The report asked that the counties not be cited for failure to meet quality control standards for that pollutant. Ni-Gas follows Illinois Power Co.

and Central Illinois Light Co. in announcing assistance programs for the needy. I ho rvnrnnt.i0p nf pnrh hill that wilL complying areas also could be hit with bans against new factories or additions that would emit any of the pollutants the county has not brought under federal standards. Tazewell County would stand to lose funding for a major road project if the federal government stands by that position and the EPA does not change its position on the county's compliance. The county has been allotted 1130.000 under the Federal Highway Administration's program of giving financial aid for secondary road projects, said Terry Gardner, Tazewell County superintendent of highways.

The County Board, In setting next year's budget, voted to use the money to resurface a five-mile stretch of the Tower Line Road due south of Pekin, Gardner said. The plan is "not the same type of priority project as roads damaged by (this month's) floods," Gardner said, but the work still needs to be done and the county counted on the federal money to complete it. Kevin Green, a staff researcher for the Chicago-based Citizens for a Better Environment and a former board member of the Illinois Environmental Council, yesterday said sanctions against some Illinois counties are warranted, but only in those areas "that have not made a good faith effort to develop adequate pollution control programs." But, he said, most areas in Illinois have responded to the call to lower emissions and most are making concerted efforts to comply. The "most serious pollution problem" areas and those where sanctions should be considered, Green said, are in northeast and southeast Chicago where there are problems with the pollutant, ozone, and in East St. Louis and Cranite City, where particulates are above acceptable levels.

Green agreed that Tazewell County may have a problem with the pollutants, ozone and particulates, but not to the extent that penalties such as those being discussed by the EPA are justified. The same is true for Peoria County, he said. "The problem is with the (Reagan) administration's hard line approach and its unwillingness to compromise" on changes in the Clean Air Act, Green said. "There is a log jam and the blame rests with the administration for taking such a strong position," he said. Green said environmental groups, including the Coalition for Clean Air, of which the CBE is a member, favor "streamlining" the act, but not at the expense of diluting its safety provisions.

He said CBE agrees with other environmental groups that the administration's tough approach is being used to force Congress to water down the Clean Air Act. Those groups contend that the possibility of losing federal highway dollars will force many congressmen to vote for weaker amendments to the current law. Movement on the act, up for review for two years, is deadlocked because of the administration's attempts to loosen restrictions on polluters. Green predicted that there is a "good chance that some sanctions will be imposed, and I think there will be some In Illinois, but it will take several months and they will not be as widespread as the EPA has discussed." By MARK PICKERING Pantograph tlaff Figures used to charge that Tazewell and Peoria counties have not complied with two major federal air pollution standards were three and four years old, and the slate has asked that the two counties be removed from a list of counties in violation of those standards. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's latest information, based on tests done last year, shows significant improvement in the quality of air in both counties, IEPA spokesman Jim Tamplin said yesterday.

The federal EPA's contention that Tazewell, Peoria and 18 other Illinois counties are in violation of pollution standards was made while the agency is reviewing this new information, Tamplin said. The agency has cited 472 non-complying counties nationwide. According to the EPA, Tazewell County has not reduced pollution enough to comply with national health standards in particulates, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Unsafe levels of the same three pollutants, plus carbon monoxide, exist in parts of Peoria County, according to the EPA. But the latest state report, By EMILIE KREBS Pantograph itoff Northern Illinois Gas Co.

yesterday announced it will spend up to tl million in an energy assistance program in cooperation with the Salvation Army to help pay winter utility bills of low-income customers. The program hinges on anticipated donations from M-Gas customers with the utility matching contributions, said Robert Edwards, director of public relations. Starting in January, all local Salvation Army offices in the NI-Gas service area will take applications for assistance and will determine income eligibility based on 125 percent of the federal standard for poverty. In Bloomington-N'ormal. the Salvation Army office is at 212 N.

Roosevelt Ave. For a family of four, 125 percent of the federal guideline would amount to an annual income of $11,600, Edwards said. The utility has approximately 1 45 million customers including 1.32 million residential customers from which it will solicit voluntary donations to the program. Edwards said January bills will have a space designated for a contribution amount. Customers may add the contribution to their utility payment, he said.

All money collected will go directly to the program because the Salvation Army is donating administration costs. Edwards said details such as the number of households to be helped, The report also stated that certain communities In both counties cited by the federal goverment for failure to meet minimum standards for particulates also be removed from the list. Tamplin said IEPA has recommended that four townships In Tazewell County Fondulac, Groveland, and the cities of East Poria and Creve Coeur not be cited for non-compliance. Eight communities were listed by the state in the 1978 report, he said. In Peoria County, the IEPA has recommended that one township be removed from the list and three others Limestone, Peoria and the city of Peoria remain.

Tamplin said the report states that pollution levels in the remaining non-complying areas are insufficient to warrant placement on the federal list. Tamplin said the IEPA will submit another report next month based on 1982 data that he said probably will ask that more townships In both counties be found in compliance with the federal standards. Under the federal Clean Air Act, counties must lower emission standards of five pollutants by that date or face a possible loss of their federal highway money in 1983. The non- f-- be paid and the number of months the program will operate should be decided by Jan. 10.

Only residential customers will receive assistance, he said. Ni-Gas follows Illinois Power Co. and Central Illinois Light Co. In announcing assistance programs for the needy. Illinois Power announced it is donating $250,000 to an Energy Assistance Foundation and will match contributions from other groups up to another $250,000 to help poor people with delinquent utility bills.

CILCO announced last week it was donating $110,000 to a fund to help pay heating costs from December through March for people who are 60 or older, handicapped or disabled. Under CILCO's program, those people will be eligible for a one-time $100 grant. Ken Killebrew, a CILCO spokesman, said the utility's board Tamplin said, sent in January to the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago, "certified that air quality standards have improved" in both counties ot directors wanted to neip people who do not qualify for aid under Township building gets green light federal energy assistance programs. 2nd candidate files for seat in Bloomington A Beich Candy Co. employee filed an application early yesterday for the vacant council seat in Blooming-ton's 2nd Ward, becoming the second person to submit his name for consideration.

Last week, former councilman Jesse Parker handed in an applica-. fion to City Hall. Robert A. Westerfield, 32, 1310 Forrest a 5th Precinct commit- 1 tertian, said several ward residents -asked him to apply for the council. Westerfield said he has lived on the westside for 12 years and is familiar with the neighborhood's problems.

He favors allowing resi- dents to speak out on issues and says the council should listen and. respond to their wishes. The candidate said he believes both the east and west sides of Bloomington should be treated equally, a situation that does not exist today, he said. The deadline for filing applications is Jan. 10.

The vacancy oc- curred when C.E. "Chuck" While resigned his council seat in early December. He would have been in -violation of the state's conflict of interest law had he remained on the council. The council and Mayor Richard Buchanan will interview qualified candidates during the week of Jan. 10 and select a new alderman Jan.

24. While's unexpired term runs un-: til April 30, 1985. Pearl said the board has discussed the project for several years. In 1980, board members approved purchase of a former machine shop building and an acre of land south of the township's fire department building. They planned to renovate the building for use as the township hall.

However, Pearl said, the land cost too much and the building needed too much renovation, so the board decided to look for other property. The area now being considered is about four acres McLean County owns on Cabintown Road, Pearl said. Architect Paul Young of Bloomington is designing the building. Board members want to spend about $100,000 for the land and building, Winn said. Revenue sharing money will pay for it with no additional cost to township taxpayers, Pearl said.

The board will review bids for the project Jan. 11. Winn said he hopes construction will be completed by June. By MARY ANN FLICK Pantograph staff If all goes as planned, the Bloom-ington Township Board will finally have a building it can call its own by this summer. After about 10 years of planning, the board is accepting bids for a 60-by-80-foot steel building to be used as a township hall, board meeting place and highway department storage garage.

Bids must be received before the board's Jan. 11 meeting. Specifications may be obtained by contacting board member Terry Winn. When completed, the new building will end a dilemma the board has faced through most of its existence where to meet. Because the township hasn't had a meeting hall, board members have met at each other's homes or amidst the highway department's equipment at the maintenance building on South Morris Avenue, according to Township Clerk Gary Pearl.

The building also will house all the township records, thereby solving another problem. 0 -33 Close call A seaplane that crashed into a residential area in New Orleans yesterday missed a parked car and a house, and the pilot walked away unharmed. Carbon monoxide fumes caused B-N man's death SAVE 150 ON THIS COLOR COMPUTER DISK SYSTEM Cheese distribution this week in Eureka EUREKA (PNS) Distribution of government cheese for qualifying Woodford County residents will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday until the supply is depleted at Eureka United Methodist Church. One five-pound block of cheese will be given to each family meeting eligibility requirements.

Requirements are determined by the maximum allowance income according to the number of persons in a family. Residents must sign for cheese giving name, address, number of family members and income. The Eureka United Methodist Church will be the only distribution point in Woodford County. Distribution of the cheese is sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Aid and churches in Woodford County. said.

Authorities believe Hanna started the car and allowed it to run for awhile. He then turned the car ignition off, but apparently was overcome by carbon monoxide before he could get outside, Books said. Hanna, who his wife said was a heavy cigarette smoker, had trouble smelling odors and may not have realized carbon monoxide was accumulating inside the garage until it was too late, Books said. Books said there was no evidence that Hanna was despondent. "He was a happy man," his wife said.

In 1981, a LeRoy man died ac-cidently of carbon monoxide poisoning when he drove his car into his garage and used an automatic garage door opener to close the door behind him. Authorities said he apparently was overcome by carbon monoxide before he could turn off the ignition. "It (carbon monoxide) doesn't take long not very long at all," Deputy Coroner Daniel P. Brady said yesterday. Brady conducted yesterday's inquest in the absence of Coroner William Anderson, who was out of town.

By SCOTT RICHARDSON Pantograph staff The danger of starting a car inside an enclosed garage was emphasized yesterday during an inquest into the death of a Bloomington man who died Dec. 10. A McLean County coroner's jury ruled that Elmor F. Hanna, 71, of 411 Maizefield died accidentally in the garage at his home after he had gone there to start his car to warm it. A spokeswoman for the toxicology division of the Illinois Department of Public Health in Chicago said yesterday that about six people in Illinois die each winter because of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning: According to Hanna's wife, Sara, who testified yesterday, she and her husband were planning to go to a Twin City hospital on Dec.

10 to pick up a friend who was being discharged. Hanna went to the small, single-car- garage to warm the car. She found him orr the garage floor a short time later, she said. The car keys were in his hand when he was found, Deputy Coroner Ed Books Complete System 84895 5sO ROD DOO Don a Reg. 998.95 Includes 16K Extended BASIC Color Computer (Cat.

No. 26-3002) And Storage Disk Drive (26-3022) i Add Our Disk Software for Word Processing, Financial Planning Electronic Filing and More Attaches to Any TV (not Included) The Daily Pantagraph Published by Evergreen Communications 301 VV. Washington Bloomington, IL 61701. Second-class postage paid at Bloomington, IL (USPS 144760) TELEPHONE (309) I2M411 Gunman robs drive-up bank For 449OO Already Own a TRS-80 Color Computer With Extended BASIC? Add a Disk Drive Enjoy 156K Storage siuy Reg. 599.00 NEWSROOM Metro Sunday Sports Farm Focus Preview Calendar ADVERTISING Nat'lCo-Op Classified Retail CIRCULATION John Hooper, ed.

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Evelyn Feltner Woody Shadid. adv. dir. Tom Jefferson, mgr. Howard mgr.

Gerald Raber, mgr. Bill Hertter, mgr. money from the tellers. It is believed he was wearing a false beard and mustache, police said. He also wore a stocking cap.

According to the tellers, the man emptied money from drawers into a cloth bag. "We believe at this time he acted alone," Police Chief Tom Libotte said. "We believe he left in an older-model, gold-color Olds Cutlass." WASHINGTON (PNS) A lone bandit armed with a shotgun entered the First National Bank's motor facility, the First Place, at 100 Cum-mings Lane yesterday and left with an undetermined amount of money. The robbery occurred at 4:58 p.m. as employees were closing the facility Ifor the day.

Employees told police the man brandished a sawed-off, single-barreled shotgun and demanded the SEE IT AT YOUR NEAREST RADIO SHACK STORE. COMPUTER CENTER OR PARTICIPATING DEALER Sale Ends 22883 198? Tandy Co'O CARRIER2 WKS Dally 4 Sunday SI 75 Sunday only 11.00 Call Circulation for mailmotor route rates A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION PRICES MAY VARY AT INDIVIDUAL STORES AND DEALERS -1.