January 30, 1975

Dem study group unanimously recommends that HR create bipartisan select com to investigate activities of all Govt intelligence agencies; proposal, made by 7 Dem Reprs apptd to study group 2 days ago by HR Speaker C Albert, virtually assures that HR will follow Sen in consolidating intelligence inquiries under 1 new com; Repr L N Nedzi says his Armed Services Subcom on Intelligence, which has primary HR jurisdiction over CIA, is too narrowly focused to undertake broad rev of entire Fed intelligence apparatus; proposal requires endorsement of HR Dem Steering and Policy Com and caucus of all 290 HR Dems before full HR can vote to establish select com and fund its investigation; Repr J J Rhodes says he favors establishment of select com; study group's recommendation is victory for Repr M J Harrington, who says he is ‘surprised’ by Nedzi's decision to yield jurisdiction; Harrington had been urging select com since Cong convened 2 wks ago and he had threatened to seek caucus vote to create panel if Dem leaders did not; study group members noted; Repr J J McFall and Nedzi say they hope HR inquiry will focus more on constructive remedies than on what Nedzi describes as ‘past history'; reference apparently is to disclosures by NY Times and other publications of allegedly improper surveillance activities by CIA and FBI in recent yrs (M)

Nuclear Regulatory Comm, following discovery of cracks in emergency cooling system of Commonwealth Edison Co's Dresden Unit‐2 reactor in Ill, orders closing down of 23 nuclear power reactors within next 20 days and search for similar possible faults; 23 affected produce just less than half of 35,000 mgwts of electricity from total of 52 licensed reactors, total representing about 7.5% of US elec demands; order marks 2d time in 4 mos most of same utilities have been ordered to inspect for possible cracks; spokesman for GE, which mfrd all but 1 of reactors involved, says co will cooperate fully with Govt and utilities; comm says Dresden leak has not resulted in release of any radioactivity into environment; David Comey, of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, comments on safety implications of order; list of affected plants, their locations and operating cos (M)

Article on Florida becoming 1 of main areas for smuggling drugs into US and Fed Drug Enforcement Adm's campaign to halt it; reasons for popularity of drug smuggling into Fla are its location as nearest US state to S Amer and Caribbean, large number of registered boats and numerous waterways and airstrips; fed officials comment; illus (L)

Agr Sec Butz says that Fed export curbs on wheat and soybeans, imposed Oct ‘74 because of fears of domestic grain shortages and soaring food prices, will be relaxed (S)

Mayor Beame announces that 235 sanitationmen scheduled for dismissal will be retained in exch for Sanitationmen's Assn pres John DeLury's agreement to reopen union's signed contract with city; concessions agreed to be DeLury, which are subject to ratification by union members, include elimination of guaranteed overtime clause (S)