| Show Whose Wallet Action taken by a water quality enforcement enforcement en en- agency may compel a number of Midwest utilities to invest many mil mil- millions millions lions of dollars dollars' in cooling towers A news account notes that the the r f utilities found themselves in hot water up to their wall wallets ts The writer of this news stated that the power companies' companies customers customers customers cus cus- found themselves in hot water up to their wallets After all a power company's obligation obligation obligation gation is to provide electric energy that thatis is as reasonable in cost as possible Regulatory authorities see to that If pollution control regulations are suddenly changed as they seem to have been in the case of these Midwest companies after aCter the companies have launched construction programs a great deal of costly remodeling becomes necessary In the case of these Ulese companies this c cost st will run as high as 55 per kilowatt of generating capacity All AU of the companies companies com com- said they could have included cooling towers in the original plans for their plants at far less cost if they had been required As is now likely under the new rules one company estimates operating operating op op- crating costs will be increased about 3 million annually Another company estimates additional construction costs at 10 per cent Still another would have chosen a different site A great many people have yet to realize there is no noone noone noone one to pay the bill for environmental improvement except th the public If one unjustified law of pollution control rule is issued the cost eventually finds fins its way into the prices we pay for the necessities necessities of life liCe Electric power is one of those necessities and every effort should be made to avoid adding to the cost costo o ot of environmental preservation We should remember whose wallet the money comes out of when the bill comes due He Ile is a former member of the American Amerlean Amer Atner ican lean Legion Utah Boys Doys State and a senior sen sen- for lor at Uintah High School The award given by Utah State University will pay tuition n costs at during the 72 1971 school year |
