Show Some thought provoking statements were made last week concerning environmental environmental environmental en en- restraints and the competition that is going on between developers of industry and nature preservers In a statement before the Interstate Oil Compact Commission Commission Com Commission Com Com- mission in San Antonio Texas Max D D. D Eliason President of the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association and Senior VP V.P. of Skyline Oil Co said If we lose the energy battle because of undue concern for forthe forthe forthe the environment it will be a def defeat at from which this co country may not recover recover t Eliason explained that the oil industry was in fn full agreement that the the environment must be fully protected but the real question is whether or not America can survive the explosion explosion explosion ex ex- ex- ex of environmental l laws ws and regulations He said there is no defense for energy policies s which are are forcing the American consumer consumer to send 35 billion overseas for oil this year and which at the same time are stifling the development of dOmestic reserves Senator Jake Garn last week congratulated the Utah Air Conservation Committee for its newly proposed clean air policy He said The reason I I filibustered to kill the Clean Air J. rl m f ll ut session in Congress was my firm belief that the states were c competent to control their own own environment They are better able to balance the competing int interests rests of development and preservation tion th than n bure bureaucrats ts who do not live in that area re Utah's plan for clean air control divides the state into three air quality areas Class I allows no no or very little degradation of air quality This is designated as the area occupied occupied occupied oc oc- by our National Parks Monuments R Recreation creation Areas Primitive and Wilderness areas Class II is designated as areas not contained in Class I or II which will allow moderate degradation of air quality Class III is portions or all of 16 counties including Uintah and Duchesne proposed for reclassification which would allow degradation of ambient air quality up to the Secondary Ambient Air Standard These controls are far Car superior to the proposed federal amendment of no significant degradation which gives the Environmental Protection Agency full Cull regulatory powers Utah is the first state to reach this stage with proposing its own clean dean air p policy licy Hearings concerning the new air quality classification will be beheld beheld beheld held in January in Salt Lake City Vernal Cedar City and Moab Both Eliason and Garn oppose oppose op op- pose unrealistic federal controls controls controls con con- aimed at protecting our environment but both agree that some policy Jor for our environment environment environment en en- is required We think local controls when practical are far superior to state and federal controls If the town or county can regulate itself it should be permitted to todo todo todo do so The next best are state controls and last on the list are federal controls When everything else fails falls then there is justification for state and local governments to ask the federal government to step inand Inand in inand and help We hope the federal agencies will recognize the Utah air quality plan and also that thai other states will see the advantage of formulating their own air quality plans to best fit their Individual needs We need to preserve our environment but why add to our already unbearable in economy by penalizing Industry in its search to provide the essential ingredients to help keep this th the most mOISt prosperous nation in the world |