■ SENATE DUST HEARING . . .

            On July 29, The Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety conducted a hearing on "Dangerous Dust: Is OSHA Doing Enough to Protect Workers," at which Graham Graham, the Vice President for Operations at Imperial Sugar, testified on his own behalf.

            Just days earlier, OSHa had announced that it proposed penalties of $8,777,500 against Imperial because of alleged violations at the company's refineries in Savannah and Gramercy, Louisiana.

            John Sheptor, the President of Imperial, responded to the charges by stating that "we believe that the facts do not merit the allegations."  He also said Federal dust standards were woefully inadequate.  

            At the hearing, Mr. Graham said he found conditions at the Savannah refinery "shocking" and "disgraceful" and he warned that a fatal disaster was likely (he said he found similar conditions at the Gramercy refinery).  He said that the company's executives said he was being overzealous and told him to back off.

            Mr. Sheptor declined to testify at the hearing, but issued a statement defending the company.  In an interview he suggested that Mr. Graham was trying to protect himself from being blamed for the disaster at Savannah.

            At the hearing, Senator Saxby Chambliss (R/GA) questioned Mr. Graham's sincerity.  Mr. Graham's lawyer suggested that Mr. Chambliss was more interested in discrediting Mr. Graham than in discovering the facts and suggested that Imperial put him up to grilling his client.

            A Committee staffer said some of the Senators will use their influence to ensure that Imperial does not punish Mr. Graham for his testimony.  Mr. Graham's lawyer pointed out that Federal law bars retaliation against employees who expose illegal corporate activities. 

            Mr. Graham was hired by Imperial last November and the Savannah refinery manager was fired shortly thereafter.