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Show THE VOICE OF BUSINESS Will EPA require tfoiietf-flrained seafood? By Richard L. Lesher, E'residenl Chamber of Commerce of the United States Listen to the sad tale of one George Lockwood, and of his agonies as an abalone farmer. At first, he really thought he had come up with a perfect idea. Using his knowledge of marine sciences, he would create a thriving business while helping humanity learn how to increase the world's food supply. His field would be aqaculture the growing of seafood in farm-like conditions condi-tions and his product would be the rare abalone, a large and highly nutritious Pacific Ocean snail. All things considered, it seemed a highly desirable venture. Lockwood devised a master plan and followed it to the letter. He wanted to "raise his abalones like chicken," growing them in about 40 feet of water by pumping water from the ocean and discharging it back into the sea. After considerable difficulty, he raised enough capital to form a company, the Monterey Abalone Farms of California. Then he and his staff worked for seven years, perfecting a small scale commercial com-mercial technique for spawning abalone, hatching their eggs growing their larvae, producing their food and raising the young into marketable adults at a competitive price. There seemed no problem the superior planning and skilled work of Lockwood's team could not master. But there was. The company soon found itself virtually overwhelmed by government govern-ment bureaucrats people who ingeniously in-geniously discovered one reason after another to block whatever the firm was trying to do. First, there was a problem with the snails themselves. Like most everything that lives on earth, the little creatures sometimes gave vent to nature's bodily functions. This created a messy situation in the eyes of the Environmental En-vironmental Protection Agency; for according ac-cording to EPA, it is a no-no, in fact, strictly illegal for abalones to go potty in the water. Apparently the agency was unphased that the world's marine life has been harmlessly doing its thing unregulated by government for billions of years. Lockwood's farm was relegated to the status of a sewage treatment plant and required to comply with the same regulations. EPA also threatened to restrict ' abalone-raising operations, as a business, to waters zoned for industrial use. But that would have placed the farm in waters too dirty to support abalone growth, or to meet the standards stan-dards of purity required by another agency, the Food and Drug Administration. Administra-tion. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration applied standards to the farm that were developed for divers working at offshore drilling rigs and diving to depths of 1,000 feet. Lockwood's divers never go deeper than 40 feet. Despite its accident-free record, the company had to waste thousands of dollars in precious capital defending itself against OSHA's har-rassment. har-rassment. These battles convinced Lockwood that OSHA is the one agency in Washington that genuinely hates business. The upshot of having to interpret and i contest regulations that have littfe, relevance ot his own firm u i ;. LockwfwH raiciy lunctions wbenj ' needed most as a busing scientist and engineer. He exhai '.. to 70 percent of his time dealinj,. the some 42 federal, state, regj,':' county and municipal govern' agencies that directly influenct firm. ' Twenty years ago, peopled. Lockwood were bursting with tfc ' citement of new ideas, new pr . and new foreign ventures. No mot ' day, more and more businesil feel only depressed at the pro new attacks from government 4 -futility of trying to get things dan '-; As a result, Lockwood befc : today's typical bright student, have some entrepreneurial get-up go are receiving a very Beg message. They are being told: "j ' bother. It's no fun. There's no re No satisfaction. In some placaj : will treat you like a criminal for '-. creative. You will be much mort ; fortable staying in the university."- ' Lockwood has not given up. He J a major American renaissance novation is still possible. He urgag ; real reductions in regulation,' changes in the tax laws so small! ing companies can secure a capital to get off the ground. : those changes, he will consider ' ding his business in some other cm -: Just how many more fine mini'" brilliant contributions must -waste or risk losing altogeifl : before we recognize our fahp rescue a future that is rapidly sq ' away? ( '-' I |