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Show Topogrtgipfay Hu- - Inuor president of Utah if Light Co Thursday altered to a US Senate siibcommittes an alternative (o proposed air quality that would legislation "facilitate good plant sitting while protecting air quality. the before Testifying senate Subcommittee on Ln ironmental Pollution, E. Hunter pointed out that his the lirm supports classification of national parks, national monuments areas of environmental and wilderness particular fate concern and agreed that they should be protected by Class I areas (nondegregation) However, Hunter said because of Utahs unique topography of narrow valleys with mountains along both of sides, prevention significant deterioration has a discriminatory impact that may exceed that of any other state. The proposed legislation Utah before you will dictate the siting of such facilities at locations where they should not be built, while preventing construction at the most acceptable sites to immmize adverse, impacts, environmental Hunter said. Under Hunters proposal, predicted concentrations would never be allowed to exceed the next higher grade of classification, and then for no more than five percent of m calr (paliy'y' SGondlo the time. He proposed permitting authorized to vestigations agencies that be conduct inof proposed developments and authorize specific limited development without redesignation to a higher In effect, classification. this alternative would restraint ambient concentrations in certain areas to Class II limits while allowing short-ter- variances for higher concentrations which occur a few days per year on isolated, uninhabited and usually unoccupied hillsides Considering Utahs unique topography, Hunter said, the state would have only three other choice, each with negative impact: Increase the distance between plant sites and the nearest terrain. high Unfortunately, Hunter said, this clustering is not always possible in Utah beacause of close proximity of high other fuel and natural resources from the reserves now undeveloped in the interface with western states including plume elevated terrain. Utah s Locate plants on Hunter told the subcommittee that without Class Hunter said power plant III areas, or some relief from sites are limited and it cannot short-terplume impact on be assumed that every higher terrain in other more potential site must be stringent classifictions, we reserved for a power plant. cannot build sufficient The national interest, he said, capaity to supply the elecmust make some provision our of needs trical for oil shale, alumina, and customers in the next 20 terrain Build smaller plants close together, situated to avoid moun-taintop- years This is true even though we plan to add equipment to remove 90 percent of the S02 The Salt Lake utility City-base- d serves more than 350,000 customers in the states of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming About 90 percent of the companys generating capacity is coal fired and all of the planned additional capacity to be installed in the next 10 years will also utilize western coal |