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i'> ~~ 1 II" .......m.my U~l't"lUpll'""lI\ ,....~ -- . ............ ......"":.... op.E'I'ation, because of Its rom. menial statem~nt In CO~ timl prehen9ive environmental SIll- after time. It Just doesn t culm dies was able last week ICJ the intent of the National Envl point up nine weakne~ses in the ronmental Policy Act. Intetilll' Department report and RF.P~TITIOX CITED prornbed to do more before the Basically, the evaluatlon 11 time for comments on the draft 1,150 pages of repetitioWl state statement expires. Oct 23. men t s. some contradictory OFnCI.-\I. rREmcno~ about oil shale Impacts. The Interior Department es- It is imperative that aD ~g timates that a one-million-bar- niflCanl and forseable environ rel.per~ay oil shale industry mental impacts that COllIe will exist-mainly in Colorada- occur be studifld in depU by 1985. b(ofore a decision Is made to gc Along with that will be water ahead with an oil-sha1e Jeaslni use at the rate of l64.000 acre. program. feet annually-enoogh water for Allowing Industry to learn or a citv of 500,000 person5l. the job Isn't a responsible land. Po~'er generation demands use policy for a publlc agenc, will be for 2,000 mega\lialts, as charged with administering ane much power as is produced by protecting a public treasure the Four Corners Power Plant. The land and the billions 01 Development of oil shale barrels of shale oil bent'ath II could mushTO()m the grO\\1h Gl certainly qualify as a public Western Slope towns, causing treasure. added problems. But. it appears that thls I! Here's where the environ- what the Interior Department i.! mental statement faits: planning to do. -It as~mes that industry L.-\!\D-GRAB D..\SGER will be able to meet state and Generally, I n the Rock}i fed t' r a I environmental stan. Mountain West we are witnE'S!l- dards without speUing out the ing ",.hat may be part of a last. standards . or the conditions moving, public land grab on the under which tht'y must be met. part of energy companies. -Existing air Quality and at. :\Iost of the Fort Union coal mospheric conditloos at the dt'posit3 in ~fontana and W)'oO}.. lease siles haven't been monl. Ing are on public land and the tored. and neither Industry nor Interior Department Is success- citl1eJlS will know whether air fully holding at bay energy pollution regulations can he firms and speculators who want met. . 10 leas!' 5 million acres 01 -There lJI a debate about public land. wheth('r there will be a salinity The newly announced Xorth Increase or decrease In the CoI- Central Resl7UJ"ct's Program to orado Rh'er that isn't ad- e\'aluate the impacts of future dressed. Supporting data for a coot development Ls a welcome statement that there will be a step on the part of the federal 14 per cent increase Isn't government. But shouldn't we shown in sufficient detail. insist upon environmental 1m- -Mine ~afety Is Rlossed over, pact statements for the large The Interior Departm('nt, using blocks of already leased, but coal mine data, sgys 1.JOO per- Jundeveloped, land!