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<br />. 4 <br /> <br />AS <br /> <br />CWC$ <br />SEP 2 0 1991 <br /> <br />Tuesday, September 17, 1991 <br /> <br />Founded in 1890 <br /> <br />THE ARIZONA REpUBUC <br /> <br />Publi$hed since 1946 by: <br /> <br />Phoenix Newsp8IMtrs.lnc.. 120 E. Van 8...ntn. Phoenix. Arlz. 85004 <br />EUGENE C. PULLIAM <br />1889.1975 <br />Publisher. 1946-1975 <br /> <br />EUGENE S. PULLIAM <br />President <br /> <br />WILLIAM P. CHESHIRE <br />Editor of the Editoriill Pa&e$ <br /> <br />BILL SHOVER <br />Director of Public Affairs <br /> <br />LOUIS A. WElL III <br />pubhsher & CEO <br /> <br />CONRAD KlOH <br />OirectQr of Sales and Mafketing <br /> <br />JOHN F.OPPEDAHL <br />Managing Editor <br /> <br />Where The Spirit Of The Lord Is, There Is Uberty - II Corinthians 3: 1 7 <br /> <br />EDiTORIALS <br /> <br />PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT <br />Canyon under assault <br /> <br />IT is probably too much to expecl that <br />President Bush's grasp of the problems <br />thai have pUI the Grand Canyon at risk would <br />be significantly improved short of spending a <br />few days on the river viewing the destruction <br />for himself. <br /> <br />But such a trip would be an education. With <br />a little bit of luck, fisherman Bush might eVen <br />land one of the river's renowned rainbow trout. <br />Since Ihat sort of presidential expedition is <br />unrealistic, the president's brief visit 10 the <br />South Rim tomorrow, when he is to praise the <br />recent agreement to ciean up air pollution in <br />the canyon, will have to suffice. <br /> <br />Even so, the complex issues surrounding the <br />canyon deserve more than a cursOI)' look, <br />especially considering that Mr. Bush wisbes to <br />be remembered as the environmental president. <br /> <br />. Last month's tentative agreemenl, which will <br />speed the installation of scrubbers on the <br />smokestacks of the coal.fired Navajo Generat. <br />ing Plant at Page, was historic. The pact, <br />brokered by lhe Environmental Protection <br />Agency, deserves Mr. Bush's allention. It was <br />encouraging that the Sail River Projec( and <br />conservation groups were able to agree to <br />reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 90 percent <br />without a prolracted court bailIe. <br /> <br />As welcome as the cleanup is, Mr. Bush <br /> <br />should nol miss the chance to address the other <br />oUlStanding ecological peril affecting the <br />canyon - wildly fluctualing water releases <br />from Glen Canyon Dam. The fluctuating dam <br />releases change the river's level by as much as <br />13 feet daily. These fluctuations have destroyed :':. <br />beaches, harmed archeological sites and dam- ... <br />aged riparian habitat and aquatic wildlife. An <br />interim plan to limil flows until permanent <br />regulations are adopted in 1993 is due by Nov. <br />I. <br /> <br />Lately Energy Secretary James Watkins has <br />"-.a1ed into th.. conlroversy. Adm. Watkins <br />doubts that Ihe situation constitutes an <br />emergency. He accuses conservalionislS of <br />fabric:l!ing a crisis in order to impose <br />Draconian limilS on dam operations negalively <br />affecting power generation. This is, of course, <br />preCisely the kind of humbuggery that big <br />power interests invariably spout anytime <br />changes are proposed in the management of <br />Weslern reclamation projects. <br /> <br />Conservationists are understandably frus. \ <br />trated by the tortoise-like pace of the federal <br />bureaucracy. The Grand Canyon should be <br />considered a test of Mr. Bush's environmental <br />policies. and he should take the lead on the <br />Grand Canyon issue, gelling behind the Grand <br />Canyon Protection ACI and pressing Congress <br />to pass the measure. <br />