This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 1990, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

University of Utah cold-fusion researcher B. Stanley Pons Thursday described the uproar over his recent absence as "sterile furor," but he acknowledged that he will be devoting part of his time to lab work outside the university.

Dr.

Pons met behind closed doors with members of the state Fusion/Energy Advisory Council, which oversees the state's $5 million commitment to the research launched by Dr. Pons and British colleague Martin Fleischmann in March 1989.

The chemist declined to answer most questions from reporters, referring them to a press release distributed by his attorney, Gary Triggs.

"The sterile furor surrounding our recent trip and our absence at the last meeting was truly unfortunate," the release said. " . . .

We did not receive notice of the last meeting in time to attend. It was our understanding that the review would take place during the third week of November and that our attendance at any meeting prior to this would not be required."

Fritz Will, director of the National Cold Fusion Institute, has maintained that he had notified both Dr. Pons and Dr. Fleischmann, who is undergoing medical treatment in England, that their attendance was required at the council's Oct. 25 meeting.

The statement also disputed earlier statements by Dr. Will that Drs. Pons and Fleischmann had spent approximately $1 million in institute funds in their research. "The only project that we have administered at NCFI which commenced in November of 1989 was funded at approximately $325,000."

"I am in the best position to know what the budgets are at the institute," Dr. Will countered.

Council members indicated Dr. Pons was very willing to answer their questions during the session, which was closed for "patent reasons," according to council chairman Raymond L. Hixson.

"He was very cooperative," said Mitchell Melich, a Salt Lake City attorney and council member. "He said he didn't understand why people were saying they could not get a hold of him."

"He expressed the idea that he wants to work in Utah," Mr. Hixson said. "He said that over and over again."

In his statement Dr. Pons acknowledged his request for a sabbatical leave from the university "to enable me to donate my full attention to our research. I intend to pursue our work in several labs with Martin Fleischmann."

Dr. Pons did not say what labs he was referring to, but he acknowledged to a Tribune reporter that it included labs not associated with the University of Utah. He did not believe it would interfere with his commitment to the university. "That's part of academic freedom," he said.

When asked where Dr. Pons had been for the past month, his attorney, C. Gary Triggs, said, "Traveling." That travel reportedly included an extended stay in France, although neither the chemist nor his attorney would confirm that.

Dr. Pons' sabbatical request has been passed on to Jerilyn McIntyre, the U.'s academic vice president. Dr. McIntyre said the request will have to be approved by the university's Institutional Council, but it would likely not be considered before the council's meeting in mid-December.

Dr. Pons continues to have complete faith in his research, which has drawn criticism from off and on the university campus. He also disputed the contention that he had not published papers on work funded by the state.

An addendum to his press release listed seven papers he has written on cold fusion. Two of those papers, published last July in the Journal of Fusion Technology and the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, focused on work done last year before the institute was launched, but it included information from the institute-funded work, according to Dr. Will.