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Show Local officials call EPA questions I "picayunish" I At the Chamber of Commerce meeting last I Tuesday, Dave Bretzke, I Director of the Water I Conservancy District, out- J lined recent developments in the proposed upgrading I of Moab's waste water treatment plant, j Bretzke told Chamber I members that two repre- I sentatives from the En- j vironmental Protection A- ! gency in Denver recently I visited Moab to discuss a federal $21,000 grant, j which, if acquired, is to be I used for the project. I Bretzke stated that the District has been waiting l on a decision on the grant I since last February. The j representatives announc- j ed that an environmental I impact study would not be ' necessary before the grant J was authorized, although it would be necessary to I expand the environmental portion of the previously j submitted 201 study. I In connection with their I visit, the EPA representatives representa-tives mentioned that certain cer-tain problems in the Moab area may interfere with the grant. Mentioned spe- cifically by the officials I were two types of fish on I the endangered species list: the boney chub and squawfish. The officials I also expressed concern I over an article in The I Times-Independent which I dealt with air pollution in I the Valley. It was not revealed why these issues should interfere with the grant for the waste water I treatment plant. Darwin Gilger, Chair- I man of the Spanish Valley I Water and Sewer District, J when asked to comment on the visit by the EPA officials stated that he was disappointed. He went on to say that local officials were aware that upgrading upgrad-ing of the plant was necessary, but felt that an additional environmental study was unnecessary. Gilger accused the representatives repre-sentatives of being "picayunish." "pi-cayunish." He expressed optimism, however, that the project would go forward without extensive delays. When asked to comment com-ment on the EPA visit, Moab City Administrator Recorder Bud Stocks said that he felt that the request for an expanded 201 study "was out of line." He continued, saying say-ing that letters from Moab City and the Spanish Valley Water and Sewer District protesting against the need for a complete environmental impact study stu-dy had an effect on the EPA decision to kill the EIS in favor of an expanded 201 study. |