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Tuesday, May 29, 2001 -- Some of this week's stories:
USS Argonne put up fight during Pearl attack
Champs to show off Goldberg machine
Argonne-East water meets EPA health standards
Judy Biggert to speak at colloquium
Emergency drill is planned
Chef to teach cooking with noodles |
One ship that probably won't get much screen time in the new movie "Pearl Harbor" is an auxiliary transport ship called the USS Argonne. In the real battle, however, the ship played a small but important role.
The 448-foot, 8,400-ton transport vessel was commissioned in 1921. One of the passengers on board an early cruise was Chester W. Nimitz, who was on his way to enroll in the Naval War College. Seven years later Nimitz became the ship's commanding officer for a short time. Nimitz went on to became fleet admiral, directing operations in the Pacific theater during World War II.
The ship later assisted in weather surveys and analyses in the Bering Sea. In 1934, she became base force flagship at Pearl Harbor, providing supplies and repair services for minesweepers, tugs and harbor craft.
When the Japanese attacked nearby battleship row on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the USS Argonne's crew manned her antiaircraft battery -- four 3-inch guns and four .50-caliber machine guns. Marine Corporal Alfred Schlag, from the ship's Marine detachment, shot down an enemy plane with one of the .50s. Using the ship's motorboats, the crew also helped evacuate wounded men from damaged ships, recovered bodies from the water and assisted with repair to other vessels. For her service during the battle, USS Argonne was awarded a battle star.
USS Argonne remained at Pearl Harbor into the spring of 1942, when then-Vice Admiral William F. Halsey assumed command. But Halsey quickly shifted his flag ashore, calling the ship "hopelessly inadequate" for the number of people on his staff. The unofficial but more likely reason was the lack of an air-conditioning system. Later promoted to admiral, Halsey coordinated naval operations in the Pacific.
After the war, the USS Argonne helped transport servicemen home from the Pacific. She was decommissioned in 1946, and broken up for scrap in 1951.
For more information, see the Web page by Robert Loys Sminkey, commander, United States Navy (retired).
Plainfield High School, winners of this year's Illinois state championship Rube Goldberg machine contest, will demonstrate their machine during lunch, Thursday, May 31, in Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria. The machine selects, cleans and peels an apple in more than 20 steps. Demonstration runs will start about noon and continue until about 1:30 p.m.
The student team won the state championship May 12 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, prevailing over five other teams. Schools qualified for the state championship contest by placing in the top three spots in two contests held earlier this year, one sponsored by Argonne's Division of Educational Programs and Office of Public Affairs, and the second held at the engineering open house at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
For Argonne-East employees concerned about staying hydrated during the hot summer months: drink up, the water's fine.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that water system users receive an annual Consumer Confidence Report listing detailed data on contaminants. The report shows that Argonne-East's drinking water has very low, or undetectable, levels of contaminants, which pose no known or expected risks to health.
The U. S. EPA recently established a requirement that drinking water users receive an annual Consumer Confidence Report because consumers have the right to know the source and composition of their water. The report contains details on the drinking water source, the level of any detected contaminants, and compliance with drinking water regulations.
Since January 1997, Argonne has received its drinking water from the DuPage Water Commission, which gets Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago, Department of Water.
Detected Contaminants
Chicago Water Department monitoring information for 2000 is summarized in the chart on page 2. The EPA-identified parameters are monitored and analyzed using methods specified by the agency. Results for constituents that had values above their respective detection limits can be compared to the regulatory limits.
The chart below shows the levels of measured contaminants. Other types of contaminants -- microbes, radiation, inorganic and organic chemicals -- were below detection limits.
Measurements included:
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) -- The level of a contaminant
in drinking water below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) -- The highest level of
contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as
close to the MCLGs as is feasible using the best
available treatment technology.
All monitored concentrations, whether detected or not, were less than the applicable regulation-based maximum contaminant levels, which indicates the drinking water contaminant levels show no known or expected risk to health.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
Immuno-compromised persons, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV, AIDs, or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants, can be particularly at risk from infections.
For more information about Argonne's drinking water distribution system, call Jim Heine (PFS-US) at ext. 2-7922. Questions on analytical data should be directed to Norbert Golchert (EQO) at ext. 2-3912.
EPA guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection from microbial contaminants as well as information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
| Contaminant | Units | MCLG | MCL | Level Found |
| Turbidity | NTU | %<0.5 | NA | 100% of the samples met standards |
| Turbidity | NTU | NA | NA | TT=5 0.20 |
| Barium | ppm | 2 | 2 | .019 |
| Copper | ppm | 1.3 | 1.3 | .022 |
| Lead | ppb | 0 | 15 | 7 |
| Nitrate (as Nitrogen) | ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.4 |
| Nitrate and Nitrite | ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.4 |
| Total Trihalomethanes | ppb | NA | 100 | 8.5 |
| Fluoride | ppm | NA | NA | 1.04 |
| Sodium | ppm | NA | NA | 7.4 |
NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Unit
ppm = parts per million
ppb = parts per billion
NA = not applicable
U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, representing the 13th Congressional District that includes Argonne, will speak on "Congressional Support of Science" a Director's Special Colloquium on Wednesday, May 30.
Biggert's talk will begin at 2 p.m. in the Advanced Photon Source Conference Center, Building 402.
Biggert was elected in 1998, replacing longtime 13th district congressman Harris Fawell, who retired after seven terms.
She is a member of the House Science Committee, as well as committees on education, financial services, and standards of official conduct.
Argonne, the U.S. Department of Energy and the New Brunswick Laboratory will hold a joint emergency exercise at Argonne-East Tuesday, June 5.
Exercise activities will take place at several places, including Building 350 and the Visitor Reception Center.
Noodle dishes will be in the spotlight for the next series of cooking classes at the Argonne Guest House Restaurant.
Executive Chef Chris Kaminsky will prepare pasta provencal, pasta tart, stir-fried Thai noodles, spicy Cajun pasta and apple raspberry strudel.
The class, "Oodles of Noodles," will be held Monday, June 11, and repeated Thursday, June 14. Classes start at 5:30 p.m.
Class size is limited. The cost is $23 per person, cash, check or charge, with payment due at registration. Mail payment to Kathy, Argonne Guest House, Building 460, or drop off in person.
The Argonne Guest House Restaurant will be closed Saturday, May 26, Sunday, May 27 and Monday, May 28. The 5 to 9 Grill will be open Monday, May 28, from noon to 9 p.m.
A Cardiovascular and Diabetes screening will be offered at Argonne-East Tuesday, June 5, in Building 212, Room A157. The assessment, which costs $20, includes:
Complete blood and lipid profile
Resting blood pressure
Body Fat Analysis
Muscular strength and endurance
Results will be reviewed by a cardiologist.
The assessment is sponsored by Argonne's Preventive Health and Wellness Program and is offered to all Argonne and DOE employees.
For more information or to make an appointment, call Lynn Valentini (HR) at ext. 2-2813.
Weight Watchers will hold an open information meeting for all Argonne and U.S. Department of Energy employees Tuesday, June 5.
The group will meet in Argonne-East's Building 200, Conference Room J183, at noon.
Weight Watchers will offer a 20-week program for $219.
The Weight Watchers program is sponsored by Argonne's Preventive Health and Wellness Program.
You never know what will turn a student into a future scientist: it might be a classroom experiment, an eye-opening textbook or a short chat with a scientist in the Argonne-East cafeteria.
More than 3,000 middle and high school students visit Argonne-East each year, many for the Division of Educational Programs' "Learning Labs" through the Argonne Information Center. After a morning of analysis, experiments and demonstrations, the kids end up in the cafeteria for lunch -- and that's where employees can help make scientists out of students.
"Two minutes of someone's time could make all the difference," said Patricia Zriny (DEP), a former 8th grade teacher who coordinates the Learning Labs program. "They are in awe of the people all around them, some of the most accomplished people in the world. We'd like to invite employees to stop at the tables, to say hello to the students and welcome them to the laboratory."
Short visits like this help demystify the world of science and put faces on the concepts they learn about, Zriny said. It helps students realize that a career in science is not an impossible dream.
"Argonne is one of the few national laboratories that actually brings kids on site," said DEP Director Harold Myron. "These activities have a lot of educational value and show Argonne is a good neighbor."
The Learning Labs are available for school and community groups on request. The free, one- to two-hour program comprises special demonstrations, hands-on lessons and other activities. Topics range from botany "scavenger hunts" in Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve to X-ray fluorescence labs.
Learning Labs students usually can be found at tables on the north end of the cafeteria (nearest the main entrance). The next big group, due May 30, is from Lindbloom High School in Chicago.
The MetLife insurance company will send a representative to Argonne-East Tuesday, June 5, and Tuesday, June 26, to meet with individual employees and provide insurance comparisons and quotes for the "METPAY" group automobile and homeowner's insurance program.
To schedule an appointment, call Craig Riddick at (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Employees should fax their auto policy renewal statements to (630) 810-1628 before their appointments.
Social Security
A Social Security representative will be available to assist Argonne-East employees Wednesday, June 20, from 8 a.m. to noon in Human Resources in Building 201.
George Cutwright from Social Security's Joliet office can enroll employees, take applications for new Social Security cards, help with earnings posting problems and answer general questions about Social Security.
To schedule a meeting, call Fran Perri (HR) at ext.2-2989.
