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<br />, <br /> <br />C5S0 <br /> <br />the Environmental Protection Agency proposes to set salinity standards <br /> <br />on the lower river as they existed as of April, 1972. This level is <br /> <br />about 865 parts per million of total dissolved solids. <br /> <br />There is considerable controversy about the establishment <br /> <br />of salinity standards on the river. In Colorado, we cannot agree to <br /> <br />the proposed standards unless measures are taken at federal expense <br /> <br />to abate some of the existing salinity, Otherwise, all further water <br /> <br />development and use in Colorado would come to a halt since it is not <br /> <br />possible to use water without the introduction of dissolved solids. <br /> <br />There is now pending in the United States congress legislation which <br /> <br />would authorize the construction of various salinity control projects <br /> <br />on the Colorado River. This legislation authorizes the appropriation <br /> <br />of about $275,000,000 to construct specified salinity control works, <br /> <br />The legislation also authorizes feasibility investigations for addi- <br /> <br />tional salinity control measures. The ultimate cost of maintaining <br /> <br />the salinity of the Colorado River at the level which existed as of <br /> <br />April, 1972, may well exceed a billion dollars. This then is the <br /> <br />concern about the possible further contamination of the Colorado River <br /> <br />through the development of the oil shale industry. <br /> <br />None of this information is new to the many companies which <br /> <br />are contemplating the mining and processing of oil shale. However, <br /> <br />it still remains to be demonstrated as to whether or not large-scale <br /> <br />oil shale processing can be carried on without adding significant <br /> <br />-15- <br /> <br />} <br />