Show i j w Western ResourceS f WRAP UP fl 11 L X W 1 11 If r FE RC on rates for Upper Colorado River power By Helene C Vernal Express Washington Correspondent Washington The ton The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commission on Oct 12 issued an order demanding more in- in information information formation about the use of the ultimate development concept for Upper Colorado River projects in setting rates for power from federal dams and projects in the Upper Colorado project The order went to the Western Area Power Administration which markets the power from dams built by bythe bythe the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corps of Engineers will have days to prove to that the ultimate development concept should be factored into the rates for power from the Upper Colorado project doesn't feel it has taken a set set- setback setback back from the decision by to disallow a rate increase that it sought in January 1981 1981 The rhe jury is still out Ronald Greenhalgh Washington liaison for told Western Resources Wrap Wrap-up on Oct 13 But he con con- conceded conceded ceded that officials have their work cut out for them in the next four months to try to prove t to that W APA has statutory authority to use the ultimate d development concept in setting its rates reviews all rates before they become final under a delegation of authority by the Secretary of Energy Both and are agencies within the Department of Energy DOE DOE Moreover gave a group of Col- Col Colorado Colorado orado River power users the right to in- in intervene intervene in the Colorado River power rate dispute and it disallowed the rate boost oost that sought just as set in motion plans to seek still another rate boost for Colorado River Storage Project power W AP As A's rates will go up substantially under the rationale that it is using in- in including including the ultimate development con con- concept concept if it can get agreement from The January 1981 rate increase which temporarily disallowed on Oct 12 was for a percent boost has planned rate another another rate increase in- in increase crease of 30 percent which it plans to Im- Im Impose impose pose on Colorado River power users in December 1982 That's starting from six mill power I which is what the power users were paying prior to the imposition im- im imposition position of the rate increase which W AP A put into effect on an interim basis on Jan 23 1981 note that while the increase in- in increase crease in in rates may be significant significant cant in terms of percentages the rate is still about third one to one half the cost of wholesale power from alternate sources Administrator Robert RobertL L McPhail is telling the power users of power At the same time a W AP A official recently told When you are bare bare- barely barely ly making it a 10 percent increase in your power rate might make the dif dif- difference difference ference between staying afloat and go- go going go ing belly up MAJOR IMPACT questioning the ultimate development concept in the development of Upper Colorado River projects has widespread impact Greenhalgh noted that disallowed the January 1981 rate on a permanent basis on other technical grounds Still the impact remains For if can and has questioned the ultimate development concept of pro pro- projects projects authorized under the Upper Col- Col Colorado Colorado orado River Storage Act of 1956 where here the statutory language is fairly clear itis it itis is likely to question the same concept for projects authorized under the Missouri Basin project authorized in Section 9 of the Flood Control Act and subsequent subsequent quent aCts where the statutory language and legislative history are murky Some of the same public power users who questioned the ultimate develop develop- development development ment concept in the Upper Colorado pro pro- project project are also questioning it in the Missouri Basin project in a petition to in- in intervene intervene in a Missouri Basin rate boost of 10 percent sought by in August They are State Tr-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc a big rural electric GT which distributes power to three states Colorado Nebraska and Wyoming the Platte River Power Power Authority of Col- Col Colorado Colorado orado and the Wyoming Municipal Power Agency These and other users of the Colorado River power m kno known as the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association CREDA rued filed their petition to in- in intervene intervene in the Colorado River rate case on Feb 9 1981 and granted it on Oct 12 in the Colorado River rate case They filed a petition to intervene In the Missouri River rate Case on Aug 23 and has not yet et acted on this petition told Oct 12 in its order the rate boost It did not believe that for every future participating project is proper While certain in In the Upper Colorado Storage Project appear to be lilt built other projects may In fact never be built To permit the of costs associated with these latter projects would not comport with the applicable statutory standards and would result in power rates in excess of those permit permit- permitted permitted ted under the basic 1956 Upper Colorado authorization and later laws it said As a result tension between the supporters sup sup- supporters porters of water projects not yet built and power users is bound to grow Generally speaking the high altitude areas in the Upper Colorado project are still waiting wailing for project construction so are the states of North Dakota and South Dakota in the Missouri Basin project Most of the power users are downstream Its It's not by chance hance that the state of South Dakota and the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District in North Dakota recently filed motions to intervene to support ultimate development concept in the Missouri Basin project project- popularly known as the Sloan Pick plan plan-on the Missouri Basin rate case now before Water backers have a commitment for project construction construction tion they feel Public power users are trying to keep their power rates from escalating is in the middle Generally speaking those backing the ultimate development concept say that Congress authorized the big multiple multiple- purpose water projects and irrigation units within such projects and only Con Con- Congress Congress gress can ize them Not not not the Us Army Corps of Engineers not the Bureau of Reclamation tion ion Federal agencies which try to assume such authority are sure to be fac- fac faced faced ed with many law suits they warn Congress has moved at glacial speed in projects even tho it Is commonly known that many authorized projects in both the Upper Colorado pro pro- project project and Missouri Basin will never never seethe see seethe the light of day The WEB pipeline project in South Dakota is a recent example It is an alternative to the controversial Oahe project in that state which has been been in effect permanently shelved The House Agriculture Committee stated in its report II H Rep 97 on the bill HR authorizing the WEB pipeline in lieu of Oahe that it did NOT authorize Oahe Instead the legislation asked the Secretary of Interior to make further studies of Oahe and to report them to Congress along with recommendations recommendations for the disposition of the Oahe unit In the report filed in May Congress clearly reserved the final deci- deci decision decision sion on Oahe to Itself Precautions given in using the over Despite the current scares about the possibility of adulterated the over counter drugs a Brigham Young University University sity says there are ways for people to help protect themselves against danger Dr Bruce H Woolley pharmacology professor in the College of Nursing and director of BYUs BYU's McDonald Health Center said that people are now hesitant the over because of to buy drugs what's happened in Chicago with the Tylenol poisonings and elsewhere with Murine and The Food and Drug Administration FDA has warned Americans not to buy anything in a capsule Woolley said The recent cases prove that point He suggests five ways that people can help protect themselves and their families 1 1 Purchase the over drugs directly from a pharmacist Dont Don't pick them up from the shelf 2 Dont Don't buy unsealed drugs Check the sealed bottle or container by pressing down on the plastic paper seal At altitudes in Utah the when seal press press- pressed pressed ed down in the middle with the thumb thumb- will spring back up because most drugs are sealed at lower attitudes Someone could use a razor blade to cut the paper then glue it back after adulterating the medication but that breaks the pressure seal and it wont won't spring back when pushed 3 Smell the product If cyanide has been put in the bottle it will have a characteristic smell of almond If in doubt have a pharmacist examine the drug However it is extremely difficult for the pharmacist to determine whether the bottle has been tampered with if the drug has been purchased at another store 4 Usually capsules manufactured by reputable companies will have no leakage of p powder around the capsule or orin orin in the bottom of the bottle Check for this before using 5 If the bottle has cotton in the top of it It the cotton should not be discolored in any way These are not absolute safeguards Woolley said but they may be helpful In protecting the family from possible problems |