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Show Page A8 THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, Sunday, January 21, 1990 Regulators grumble over church's 'underground city' Critics claim Montana fallout shelter is church chicanery, environmental disregard 6-ac- re CORWIN two SPRINGS, Mont. (AP) - It's been called an underground steel cylinciiy: Thirty ders outfitted with beds, food, kitch-cr- s and water systems for 750 rople, buried in a mountain mead-to:i the edge of Yellowstone National Park. The cylinders are the guts of a giant fallout shelter under construction by the Church Universal and Triumphant, a New Age religious group that moved its international headquarters to this southwest Montana ranch in 1986. Church members say the w six-ac- re fallout-shelte- r on complex the fringe of the wilderness is neither provocative nor extraordinary, but merely a precaution taken in case of nuclear war or accident. "We believe if you live in a nuclear world, you have to come to grips with the reality of our time," says Murray Steinman, a longtime church staff member. "We feel it's the responsible thing to do. We feel that more people should do it." But others see the shelter as a symbol of church chicanery and disregard for the Yellowstone area's rural environment. "Their assertions that they have been honest is simple b.s.," says Richard Parks, owner of an shop at Gardiner and a frequent critic of church developments. "They've never been willing to discuss plans prior to construction on anything. Any responsible developer is going to do the planning first and then go the community for approval." Church officials did not divulge construction of the shelter until last five months after the summer state completed an extensive environmental review of church developments at the Corwin Springs ranch. The shelter is on ranch property. "I think I was had, basically," says Steve Pilcher, chief of the state Water Quality Bureau, which oversaw the environmental review. Church spokeswoman Erin Prophet says construction on the shelter began last May, and a decision on the site wasn't made until after the state's environmental review was finished in February. "I personally think that's a little bit of a crock," Pilcher says. "You don't decide overnight on a project of this magnitude." The church has been scrutinized by the media and its neighbors almost from the moment it bought the 12,500-acr- e Royal Teton Ranch bordering Yellowstone park in 1981 from publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes. It has since expanded its holdings in Park County to 30,000 acres, built outdoor- -equipment plants, opened a printing plant in Livingston and sponsored two housing developments for church members near Emigrant, 25 miles to the north. It plans another housing development here. Local officials estimate that 2,000 church members live in the area, or 15 percent of the county population. Last year, two church members pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining a dozen military assault-styl- e weapons, and federal agents said they seized a shopping list for many more firearms. The federal charges were fodder for persistent rumors that the church was stockpiling weapons to guard its fallout shelters when Armageddon arrives. Church officials have steadfastly denied such rumors, and say the members who bought the weapons including church Vice President Edward Francis were acting on their own without the knowledge or approval of the church. The large fallout shelter west of Corwin Springs is not the only church-relate- d struction in underground conPark County. At the Emigrant housing projects, church adherents are busily building private shelters. County officials have counted at least 16 shelters under construction one with at the housing projects a capacity of 170 people. A magazine published by church members carries advertisements the area, which is considered cred. The shelter consists of six sa- wAmM configurations, each of which has five steel cylinders about 13 feet in diameter. The shelters have steel doors with cement collars, storage areas for food, beds, bathrooms and kitchens. A large central structure lies be- y1. tween the third and fourth shelter complex. Church engineers designed the structure, with advice from private firms and the federal Oak Ridge National Laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Church staffers have performed most of the labor. Prophet says the shelter complex is for use by church staffers, who run the Corwin Springs ranch and other church operations. Church officials say the shelter's water and sew?"" systems are exeview because it empt from sta. would not be occupied by more than 25 people for more than 60 the legal description days a year of a "public water system." "The (U.S.) government says you would only need to be in the fallout shelter for a few weeks" in the event of a nuclear catastrophe, says Steinman. "We don't want to live down there any longer than ? V shelter at the Church Universal and Triumphant's subdivision in Montana. Boy plays in bomb America's Tcchnabgy Store Critics of the development, which include Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Robert Barbee, scoff at such reasoning and have selling asked the state to reopen its envispace in the shelters, with prices ronmental review that was completranging from $1,250 to $6,270 per ed in February 1989. "What does it take to have (state person. Church leader Elizabeth Clare officials) say, 'You can't build an Prophet has preached civil defense underground city for 750 people since the 1970s and warns of possi- without the proper permits?'" ble economic and nuclear calamity fumes Parks. in the 1990s. Pilcher of the Water Quality BuIn 1987, Mrs. Prophet said she reau says his office is looking for received a divine message that the evidence that the church deceived nation should develop civil defense state officials about the shelter and missile-defens- e systems in an- complex, but unless such evidence is found, the state can do nothing. ticipation of a nuclear confrontation. "I can't go out and just do an The confrontation did not occur EIS (environmental impact stateby the predicted date of Oct. 2, ment) because I want to," Pilcher 1989, but followers say Mrs. Prophsays. "The only thing I could do is et's messages are warnings rather say to the church, 'I think you're a than flat-opredictions. liar,' but I don't have anything to "She has said that it may happen prove that." ... because there's always free Parks and others say construction will," says Erin Prophet, who is of the fallout shelters is indicative Mrs. Prophet's daughter. "The of the church's style of Americans have free will, the Sovifor development in areas ets have free will. ... purpose. Park County Commis"But as long the Soviets have the nuclear weapoiis aiith ICBMs, that-w- e sioner Carlo Cieri says not one permit has been isthink we need to have shelters." sewage-systesued for fallout shelter. any The large shelter complex is in a mountain valley where the church Prophet replies that the church holds an annual conclave attended has followed the law and doesn't h need to disclose its plans unless by thousands of followers. members are not allowed in legally required to do so. 3 Sale! 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