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Show titiitititiftititiiiitifiiiiifHif iiifiiirfff iiiiitiiiHiftirnfiiirffiifiitcHnifftiiffifffiiruifrivfiiiiiittiiiiffiiiifrfiiftff iifiti Western Resources WRAP-UP iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiii mi iiiiiiiiii i iiiniiii iiiiiiiiiinn , , CUP M&I repayment By Helene C. Monberg Vernal Express Washington D.C. Correspondent Washington Use of power revenues to pay for municipal and industrial (M&I) water in the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project (CUP) is about to get a public airing in the West. Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., of the Water and Power Subcommittee of the House Interior Committee plans to hold hearings in Salt Lake City in . June on a proposed supplemental repayment contract between the Interior In-terior Deaprtment and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD). It provides for power to pick up M&I costs beyond those already contracted for by the District. Miller wrote to Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel on April 29 calling the proposal "novel." He said it was "apparently "ap-parently without precedent in reclamation law." Miller noted the proposed contract includes a plan "to fund the construction construc-tion of project features with 'nonfederal 'non-federal contributions' and to subsidize M&I water costs with power revenues. Miller stated, As best I can determine, these are new ideas which were not contemplated by Congress Con-gress when CUP as authorized," in 1956 (P.L. 84-485). "The proposal to have power customers pay $300 million of the M&I water costs does not appear to be authorized by the Water Supply Act of 1958 or any other act of Congress," Miller stated. He thinks the plan should have the approval of Congress through new legislation. The prevailing view among key officials of-ficials in the Interior Department and its Bureau of Reclamation, and in the Western Area Power Administration ( WAPA) in the Department of Energy (DOE) is otherwise. They told Western Resources Wrap-up (WRW) on May 7 they did not think new legislation is needed to permit nonfederal non-federal interests to put additional generation into the CUP Bonneville Unit, with the power revenues to be used us-ed to help pay for the M&I costs of the Bonneville Unit. "Everyone thinks we can do it without new legislation," Assistant Interior In-terior Secretary Robert N. Broadbent told WRW. Ronald K. Greenhalgh, WAPA's Washington liaison officer, said he . agreed with Broadbent. He added, however, that DOE attorneys "have not focused on the proposal yet." Greenhalgh told WRW he was sure that if such a plan materialized WAPA would submit it to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for their approval. Interior claims legal precedent for the Bonneville Unit plan to tie power revenues to M&I costs and to do so without affecting the authorized ceiling ceil-ing or requiring new authorizing legislation. For example, Acting Commissioner Robert A. Olson noted in a memo to Broadbent on April 29 regarding the Central Arizona lYojcct (CAP), "The Bureau of Reclamation's authority for expenditure on non federal funds for investigation, surveys and construction construc-tion or other development work Is contained con-tained in the Contributed Funds Act of 1922 which allows expenditure of funds for the purpose for which they were contributed without further appropriation appropria-tion action by the Congress." Olson said Roc tarnation's policy is to "treat contributed funds as an addition to the cost ceiling established by Congress Con-gress unless contrary provisions are included" In the authorizing law. Olson cited several instances In which this had been done In the pflt, Including In the Southern Nevada Water I'roject, In the Bureau's opera linn and maintenance program and in past power marketing operation before power marketing was transferred transfer-red to DoE in i?77, In these instance, nonfederal fund have been prov id-cd id-cd lor work not covered by eppmr'9 lion ceilings" without being charged against the ceiling, he Mid. In some rase thi eliminated a need for the Bureau lo ek for en increase In the ceiling, he indicated. cnv.nrvi H not tmjr.ai in itit icY AmrtMi n "In all instance. e have informed the Cor-trrss d.tfirg Ihe app'P linns pmcrae, and the Cnrgresj Ms Vnired no ot jr tini to lb? practice V e jr nn-.mrnd a continuation of Ibis pfacfice end vmif en urferw in a I?um pbc y that w-nuld lr?al ft-ip.jrrat ft-ip.jrrat contributed funds es en edition edi-tion fa the appreciations ceiling in all tats wbrr sprific treatment of ni-ledml ni-ledml con'ribvtjnn is M ptrTi froxjfkd jt risU!in." O'5 edvis-4 edvis-4 UmarJVrd. In (Vht wnrtK the P-nfra-i la the ptsof thai un!? Cer-f!s rtir;c"T d-;appTtf irfi ffc-lirr-s. thfjr hae rn lar-h frrn"r- H hf ft t r rwl t '' ' ' I y V' le.S i& he Afprr-TTia' 1'e.Tnm'l- os. pra Pr-i h eptied lh f ,ra Bureau, WRW found. One key official told WRW on May 7, "As a bureaucrat, I would want to cover my ass with a statute." He said he felt new legislation would be need-. ed to tie power revenues from nonfederal non-federal sources to the additional costs of M&I water for the CUP Bonneville Unit if such a plan comes to fruition. He also told WRW new legislation will be needed soon to increase Bonneville's Bon-neville's authorized ceiling. NON-FEDERAL POWER PLAN Greenhalgh told WRW the nonfederal non-federal power plan for the Bonneville Unit of CUP would tie new power generation to the renewal of 20-year Upper Colorado power contracts, the last of which expire in 1989. WAPA and Interior through the Bureau of Reclamation are looking at a plan to build 166,200 kilowatts (KW) of power into the Diamond Fork area of the Bonneville Unit and build 10,400 KW of generation into Jordanelle dam, another feature of the project. This would provide 22,000 KW needed need-ed for pumping purposes in the Bonneville Bon-neville Unit, a big Upper Colorado diversion project that is designed to divert 266,500 acre-feet of water annually an-nually out of the Uintah Basin in the Colorado River Basin into the Bonneville Bon-neville Basin to provide additional water for the Salt Lake City area. It would provide 154,600 KW of additional ad-ditional hydro power which could be used to help pay for the rapidly escalating costs of Bonneville M&I water. And it would provide additional hydro power to meet the needs of power users whose contracts for Upper Up-per Colorado River power will expire in the late 80's. Most preference users (municipal water systems, rural electric cooperatives and public power districts) in the Lower Colorado River Basin who hold Upper Colorado power contracts want to continue to receive power generated In the Upper Basin. To meet the requirements of all preference users under contract would require the addition of from 165,000-180,000 KW of power generation in the Upper Basin, according to various estimates. Having an additional 154,600 KW of hydro in the Bonneville Unit of CUP , for commercial sale would avoid a hassle over Upper Colorado allocations alloca-tions in 1989. At least that's the hope at WAPA and at the Bureau. "The additional ad-ditional Bonneville power wouldn't meet all of their needs," Radecki told WRW on March 7, "but it would meet 90 percent of them." WAPA published a notice In the Federal Register on March 29 stating it was holding a public meeting in Salt Lake City In April "to explore the potential for the combination of federal and non federal financing to fund the construction of the Diamond Fork and Jordanelle power resources" In the CUP Bonneville Unit "and to develop a marketing plan for the utilization of these resources." The plan would Include a Diamond Fork Tower System made up of five small hydropower plants, w ith an installed capacity of about 1G6.200 KW to be located at the base of the proposed Jordanelle Jor-danelle dam hear Hcbrr, Utah. As above noted, 22.0O0 KW would be used for pumping irrigation and M&I water al Ikmneveille Unit pumping plants, but the remaining 1M.SO0 KW "would be available for marketing as commercial power by Western," WAPA stated. The WAPA notice continued: "Reclamation believe t u impor Unl lo the feasibility and financial sneers of the Bonneville I'nil lhat there le repayment assistance to the M&l water supply function from oVvrljirr Of the power facilities, Reclamation is propping that the total ammmt of MA J SwuMance should I t-WQ million. The financing descried in this pro pcm assume thai this ftMisUnce ill be included financial obligation of the power financiers ftnd.'of purchasers. pur-chasers. Tb M I estistance could I repaid by lbe providing rn fedef al funds" WAPA pmpvd, through the Issuance of bnnds 10 be retired in 3 year The ctl of M41 assistance to two federal financiers would be 111 million a year for 25 year. Interest would be suhjcl lo negotiation, Greenhalgh Md WB.W. The total t( c4 Ihe plan pfrpewd bv WAPA en Mafth 79 to build K W of pmTf Inta the Bonnerine fml is estimated in sum al IT2 t2.r. t4 bkh in..o'Q would b ron-fdrf ron-fdrf ai finar-irg f-f the cmmtTial prrrf end .w -yJ4 b fftWal financing tor lh prejnrt pmppg pmiff. W AFA H pfvpoir8 10 e''rt nr jaf c nMr erf I'1 tpr l'd- lf ainp"'" cf ,i!h Tf iofl n tx'.eni fof en adl Uonal 13 af. fjr?el Hj H the r fTeV-fg f pjyr;'j r'n the JWir.r',ll l"nif . U ATA l buvJd lh feref y tf sr-5.rr.is.cnJi t U fftr' i1h Jhef prrf-s ti N (r!"? Pint prmvf T ( rf-"f-.. ", vm f (.r - p.jncasj -cd in !' M'frh P Jrrp.-1 ts f;-t , f"n t1! d lh m A"! fv f-TSl r-;M"f the bulk 1991-92. of the money needed in MEETING IN SALT LAKE CITY ON APRIL 25 WAPA's meeting with preference power users and their financiers was held in Salt Lake City on April 25. Among those who attended, WRW was told by participants, were a number of preference users that have sizable power needs, most of whom already hold Upper Colorado power contracts. They included: from Utah, the Utah ' Municipal Power Association of Salt Lake City, the Intermountain Consumers Con-sumers Power Association of Bountiful, Boun-tiful, and a number of small Utah communities; com-munities; from Colorado, Tri-State G&T of Thornton, the Platte River Power Authority of Fort Collins, and the Colorado River Water Conservancy Conservan-cy District of Glenwood Springs; from Arizona, Salt River Project of Phoenix, and the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative of Benson; from Nevada, the Colorado River Commission Commis-sion of Las Vegas; from New Mexico, Plains Electric G&T of Albuquerque. Utah Power & Light Co. of Salt Lake City, an investor owned utility which is not a preference customer for Upper Up-per Colorado power, also attended the meeting. WAPA made it plain that "under any known potential financing scheme, title to the power generation facilities will remain in the United States." It also stressed that "project management" by non-federal financiers finan-ciers is "not being proposed." The major concern of the preference users who attended the April meeting in Salt Lake City didn't focus on ownership or who would run the show but on the cost of the proposed Bonneville Bon-neville Unit power. It was estimated to cost about 80 mills per kilowatt hour (KWH), WRW was told. The consensus consen-sus was that it would have to be brought down to 55 mills KWH to become attractive to most preference users, Greenhalgh said. M&I POWER TIED TO POWER REVENUES An official scheme to tie costs of M&I water to power revenues surfaced surfac-ed last year in the revised Garrison project in North Dakota. It was proposed pro-posed by the Garrison Commission which was established to review the troubled Garrison irrigation project. The Commission substituted a new M&I water plan for the authorized irrigation ir-rigation project and cut the planned irrigated ir-rigated acreage in half. Most felt the plan would require new legislation. As noted in the March 7 WRW, "The most controversial recommendation by the Garrison Commission was a plan to provide a municipal, rural and industrial (MR&I) pipeline and water system to up to 130 towns and rural areas in the state at a cost of (401 million. It proposed pro-posed that much of the cost of the system be paid for out of power revenues from the sale of federal power from the Missouri River Basin project to preference customers. "Both the officials of North Dakota and the preference customers vigorously oppose the recommendation, recommenda-tion, and Rep. Silvio O. Conte, R-Mass., R-Mass., a long time opponent of funding for the Garrison project, also questioned question-ed it at the Feb. 28 hearing" of the House Water and Power Resources Subcommittee. The Commission proposed transferring transfer-ring the power revenues from the Irrigated Ir-rigated acreage that would not be built to help pay for the MR&I water system. Several Commission sources told WRW the Commission saw no other way to pay for Ihe new MH4I system it proposed. KSCAUTING COST OF BONNKMM.K I'MT M4I WATF.H The cost of Ihe Bonneville Unit of CUP ha ballooned up from an estimated cost of t219.SU,OuO for Ihe originally authorized in 1358 to tt.Ul.ft.r0 of Jan, 31, 1'.iS. according accor-ding to the Bureau of Heclamation, A Bureau estimate of all cost f the Bonneville Unit In July 1W4 put the total cost of the projec t al 12 4 billion plus. The Bureau ban allocated ltW.Rfi2.txfl to M4I water, trf which it t spec-is t4:M,5H.oQ lo be repaid by Mil water User, But of the amounl 10 be repaid only il.!W7.6o0 U coveted by Ihe csisting contract fsiift Ihe CVWID. trf hieh about 11 W million Is fof 5M alef and 119 4 million is for irrigation wafer. The Bureau end Ihe water district have brn undrf pressure fr many year to rTflrgnUate supplemental Contract lo covet the cnMs cd the Mil atef June t;.H Brown, the laspr. tot Genera! al the Jntrtv tvpartmenl in t?q, informed then-tnlrrinr trtaf j Cetil D Andm cm Vpl ?3, 11.1. thai H mw!d rexd e( Irast tiafl million mr lo cpmpMe the rinv tmrera! 1p e pf ihe prejrtt than, the l ctTiifacl prrmded b. "Alhmigh tfe tBHraa forecasts lhat frrdtnr ti'in e th tVir.npvine Unit i'd ftrpH terntracl frpa)mfnl ct5;a!ms in Fiscal yraf j ae j . pc p t t y s tr t -tu U ' t f t nr. ' r a r I aclirw prm v'irg V$ rptnetl of th rT! ltetj." IN (riffvit rpc.f Uif (rcncral atnH. ''54?xe cwtrwt"n trie 'j .Tf,li ftf'i t'l-ait-crt rli Ea'.kir.s th iTj-jreovt hfld trA d'ay &r.ir 1st errfrpfia'e'y ft? ft f '' rr t-. ftrn. pl---- is l"r.'l ;W a'Pd ffT'; a'v--. Safari club honors local WR officer Wildlife Resources officer, Scott Davis, is the 1984 recipient of the Shikar-Safari Club International Wildlife Officer of the Year Award. Every year the club honors one wildlife officer from each state for unselfish devotion to the protection and preservation preser-vation of native wildlife. Davis has been employed as a law enforcement specialist for the past seven years in the northeastern region. He worked as a Salt Lake City officer five years prior to coming com-ing to Vernal. In his position he pursues the flagrant violator of hunting and fishing laws. He has federal authorization to function both in Utah and Colorado and on the Ute Tribe Reservation. Recipients of the award are chosen by a committee formed of Wildlife Resource officers, the Shikar-Safari Club and the public. The Shikar-Safari Club International Interna-tional has made a contribution of $25,000 to the Shikar-Safari Club International In-ternational Foundation on behalf of Tar sands EIS issued The P.R. Spring Combined Hydrocarbon Lease Conversion Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be available to the public May 20, according to the Vernal District Bureau of Land Management office. The DEIS assesses the environmental en-vironmental consequences of federal approval of converting existing oil and gas leases within the P.R. Spring and Hill Creek Special Tar Sand Areas (STSA's) to combined hydrocarbon leases. The leases are located in East-Central East-Central Utah's Grand and Uintah counties. The DEIS addresses the site-specific and cumulative impacts of ten proposed propos-ed actions and no-action alternatives. Cumulative impacts are those impacts which would occur as a result of the proposed actions, plus other interrelated inter-related projects planned for development develop-ment in the project area during the analysis period. The DEIS focuses on impacts to Animal control... Continued from page 1 The proposed revisions in the ordinance or-dinance will give more leverage to trespass laws," Lent said. Though the proposed ordinance will be rewritten to give the county more leverage In dealing with estrays, "we don't want to babysit everyone's cattle," said Commissioner Commis-sioner Neal Domgaard. The commission authorized attorney at-torney Nash to rewrite the ordinance with the provisions giving fines for Infringement. The revisions will be presented to the council at the end of May. rig.itors pegged at only $16.4 million because power revenue subsidise lr-rigalion lr-rigalion by law, Mil water users within the District would like lo spread the power tutaidy to Mil water, several miurcc clnsc to CUP have tld WUW. "Sheer greed." one Utah native pul it. The District, however, has genuine problems In renegotiating an amend-rd amend-rd contract Though Utah is the second driest state In the Union, according lo the Prove. Utah. Herald, It has rained rain-ed so mmh in recent yrari CUWCD officials of-ficials aren't sure the voter in the 12 Central and Fa'teffl Utah tountie ifl the iHslrict would &ppw hew corv tract with sharply hieher rcpaytncnl features Uuhns aren'l BccuMmned to paying much fat Mil water, and tkn-no tkn-no use Mi 1 w atrr w n'l be cheap. Sj lb? Bureau and the t.Mfict fame lip w ith the plan lo a:gn I vn million In pnwrr tfveniws toward repaying the rocj rd Mil water The National Wildlife FfxWattrm. which has been mnrtitnrirg the contract, tlaims il ;hft bargee the gomnment. This plan was wtit'en ints the April i draft of the tetrad The Ihstrfcl ti par ' wp to M ftceed rg en a t !i.r.al p,'. p'm ta rr-tT. rr-tT. ii Srn;;;.rmi frtf c "l increases f-c tt wa'f " Th TH-iraft 810 in-t in-t !i, (r-s g fi-irti hj he Ui;!rk! in fv.ofadi Riser 5?rre Ptejtt prrcf fcx r;ir ffl JC5( " if) pajjrg f.-4- re!a!irg Wd'ef C an ;r'tt f 'e -4 T prf f -t-.( ' pr. (fc ' t fif (r-(Tal iV'-.rf jfftr.S. th rital f r:vf srJ lie hp (et-.;f-.act r-f V? M."eT brirg. Wsdnesdoy, Moy T- f ' sr i I . i I .r -' ""i I -J ; , ! W x - - 'i P" "'-r! J -m-' .',1 WILDLIFE RESOURCES officer, Scott Davis, receives Shihar-Safari award from club members. the 1984 Wildlife Officer recipients. The money is used on project for the protection and preservation of native wildlife the the United States and Canada. Region Supervisor Don Smith said that Davis was picked to received the water resources, socio-economics, air quality, soils and vegetations and wilderness, items identified as issues and concerns during the scoping process. Comments on the DEIS may be submitted sub-mitted in writing or presented verbally at a public meeting scheduled for June 19 at 7 p.m. in the Vernal District BLM conference room. Obituaries Louise Nemitz dies in Colorado Louise Nemitz, 73, died after a short illness, May 13, 1985. Born Nov. 12, 1912 at Juniper Springs, Spr-ings, Colo. She was the second child of Ralph and Mae Flanders. Survivors are a brother, Leonard Flanders of Hayden, Colo., two sisters, Dorothy Simon of Craig, Colo, and Emily Hall of Texarkanna, Texas; two sons Ralph Lichtenhahn of Vernal and Lawrence Nemitz of Nash, Texas; and two daughters, Emily Snodgrass and Lorraine Henricks both of Vernal. Burial will be at Meeker, Colo. The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations to the African Relief of your choice or the American Cancer Society in her name. Graveside service for Bud Reed Graveside services for Charles "Bud" LcRoy Reed, 45, will be In the Lapoint Cemetery Thursday at 11 a.m. Friends may call at the Thomson's Vernal Mortuary Wednesday from 7 p m. to 9 p.m. Burial will be with military honor by the American Legion. On!y $ 14 in Area and $20 out of Area for 104 news filled issues in your mail twice a week local nows TV guido special features lots of advertising S u b s c ribe Nowl I Vrrnal lpms P.O. Vox 1010 Vernal, VlaH ?io;s I Name - I j Actdrrss I Thone Cf a"d 13? for tt E3s r: tasH C theci Z cf MC I 15, 1985 Veftial Expf6Si 3 the award because of his consistency and aggressiveness. "He is well trained and uses his training in a professional way. He would be an asset to any organization," organiza-tion," Smith said. Currently Speaking, By Moon Lake Electric Assoc., Inc. ENERGY GUIDE LABELS ON APPLIANCES Many people today wonder which makes of appliance to purchase when that old one wears out. Several things need to be taken into consideration when making a purchase. These are purchase price, reliability and cost to operate. It takes a smart shopper to find the best buy. Here's a tip that might make things easier. Look for the yellow-and-black Energy Guide Label when shopping for major household appliances. These federal energy labels tell you the estimated cost of operating the appliances, ap-pliances, and help you decide which one to buy. The labels are on new models of refrigerator-freezers, freezers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, furnaces and water heaters. They are required by the Federal Trade Commission on appliances manufactured since May 19, 1980. The seven applicances for which labels are required account for more than 70 percent of most homeowner's energy bills. The room air conditioner labels have Energy Efficiency Ratings (EER) based on the amount of cooling the appliance ap-pliance gives for the electricity it uses. The EER is shown as a number, usually usual-ly between 7 and 12; the higher the EER number, the more efficient the unit. Furnace labels provide some energy conservation information, and they direct customers to fact sheets at sales rooms and from building contractors. The last line of the Energy Guide label's yearly cost table, gives a rough estimate of the annual operating cost of the appliance, Consumers who use the Information on the Energy Guide labels can tell whether an appliance with a higher purchase price will prove to be a better bet-ter buy In ihe long run because oi lower operating c.ts, Read All About your hometown in the Vernal Express I g tp office's 1" |