In Waxahachie, pupils from 10 Ellis'
County schools lined up to see the
governor to present him with students
signatures supporting Ellis County as
the eventual winner of the supercollider
competition.
Once you've passed the basic
technical requirements, the
local support is the determining factor.
The Department of Energy says seven
states have passed the technical hurdles
and shown no insurmountable environmental
problems with being the site selected
for the four point four billion dollar
supercollider.
Governor Clements says his sources tell
him Texas and Illinois are
the two key finalists.
Should this site be selected,
you will have a strong, united
congressional delegation from this state
capable of obtaining the funding
that is required to build this
very important project for the future of
our country.
In this afternoon's public hearings,
Texas politicians, both Democratic
and Republican, assured the site
selection committee they would fight for
supercollider funding in Congress
for support of the 53 mile tunnel
to collide subatomic particles
underground with the hope of learning
more about matter.
But the Ellis County site also has its
opponents will be the highest number of
homes and businesses lost
compared to the other six sites.
A very high figure at two hundred
and twenty four.
Opponents argue in Ellis County
supercollider would destroy prime
farmland, create a dust bowl during
construction and deplete underground
water sources.
All comments heard today and tomorrow
will be reviewed in Washington, and in
two months, Ellis County will know
if its site tops the list for
what Governor Clements calls the biggest
scientific project since the space
center. Shelley Kofler, Channel 5
News, Allis County.