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Show :xmr A tower at Kovenweep National Monument framed by trees on the canyon floor, ..another of San Juan's scenic and - historic attractions. Neiner photo ' . HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY. UTAH Vol. 65 20 No. 22 cents June 24 1982 Governor aroatGO neacleair repository opecial coordinailing office has appointed Alvin E. Rickers to head up an expanded Nuclear Waste Repository effort similar to the one used to coordinate the MX. The governor created, a separate Governor Matheson office to handle these activities. The nuclear waste issue is moving so rapidly that the state of Utah must develop the capacity to centralize and coordinate all aspects of nuclear waste, ' A1 said Governor Matheson. Rickers has been a great strength ' behind the Task Force. He knows the issues and has the leadership capability to draw on all resources available to the state, said Matheson. The governor emphasized that the new office will not replace the Nuclear Waste Repository Th.sk Nuclear info office opening ooon Governor Scott Mathesons ofinfice has opened a half-tiformation office for the Nuclear Waste Repository in Room 12 in the San Juan County Courthouse in Monticello. me According to Carl Eisemann, information specialist, the purpose of the office is to provide information on the progress of the effort to establish a repository in this area and to inform the public OF the governors position and action ate up-to-d- the repository. The office will have on . up-to-d- ate information from the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Waste Task Force, the governors office and contractors available for public examination and use. " Eisemann stated that his function is not to take sides on the repository issue, but to help the public locate information which will enable them to make informed decisions cm this important issue. He went on to say that if we do not have the data, we will know where to get it. - Other important services of the office will be to provide media information and with to speak to county organizations, schools and civic groups wishing to familarize themselves with the problems and progress of the reup-to-d- ate pository. Any group wishing to arranges program should write to: Carl Eisemann, Box 914, Monticello, Utah, 84535, or call the office at 1, extension 28 during the evenings. day or The office will be located in Room 12 of the county courthouse. 587-223- 587-26- 02 Tentative office hours are: Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m, 1 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 11 to 2 p.m. Other times, includingSaturday and evenings, by appointment. Since this service was established by the governors office to keep the people of San Juan County aware of the progress of the proposed repository, it will only be effective as long as area residents avail themselves of the service. Because of the rapid Force. pace at which the Department of Energy (DOE) is moving on this issue, it has become necessary to develop a centralized office with additional staff that is devoted entirely to the responsibility of overseeing and coordinating technical aspects of the repository with state and federal agencies, universities and the Task Force, said Matheson. The new office will have a broader capacity to not only monitor DOEs work, but to be ahead of the game so that concerns can be more completely addressed. I am confident that Rickers will pursue the responsibility of this new office with as much vigor as we have seen in past months under the leadership of said Juline Christofferson, Utah-speci- fic The new office will Matheson. to work closely with continue both the governors office and Christofferson, physical resources coordinator for the governors office. Rickers rector is presently the has been the the di- of Environmental Health vice-chairm- an of Waste Repository Task Force since its inception two years ago. The governor hopes to have the office fully staffed by July 1. Marvin H, Maxell, Ph.D., who is the director of the presently Bureau of Environmental Monitoring at the State Health Laboratory, was named as acting director of Environmental Health, temporarily replacing Rickers. Nuclear County ton levy lotyer than loot year by Carl Eisemann Next years tax levy was set at 16.09 mills, a reduction of about 1 mill from last year, in a meeting of county commissioners on Monday. .Of the 16.09 levy, 11.06 mills are for general county operating costs; 422 mills for capital .31 mills for library and .24 mills for tort liability. nts; Other county levies will be 1.39 mills for the Blanding cemetery; 2 mills for the Monticello cemetery, and 2 mills for the water conservancy district. The city of Monticello will levy 16.03 mills and the city of Blanding will levy 25 mills. In other financial action, the Commission authorized transfer of the balance of this years budgeted funds to the San Juan Health Care Services Board and the trust fund. The Commission alsoauthor-ize- d San Juan County Sheriff Rigby Wright to apply for $13,000 to transfer juveniles to detention centers, signed a contract for electricity at the Monticello ball park and approved a $1,200 grant for elderly home health services presented by Bruce Shumway of the Social Services office. Shumway also presented a contract for transferring San Juans share of the dissolved Four Corners Mental Health Association property to the county. The Commission agreed to enter into a joint legal defense fund with the Southeastern Utah Association of Governments to provide .resources for law suits by industry against 29 counties for alleged tax law violations. San Juan County is directly involved with suits filed by Union Oil, Energy Fuels, Utah Power and Light, Rio Algom and the These companies railroads. San that Juan and other charge counties violated their authority by not applying roll backs to state assessed properties and not correctly assessing properties. Commissioner Black advised the county to be prepared to voice objections to the Forest Service plan to close large portions of county D roads in the Wooden Shoe and Dark Canyon area. Black contends that these roads have been used by county resi- dents for a long time and that the Forest Service will only arouse local antagonism with this The unenforceable proposal. Commission will discuss the proposals with the Forest Service on June 24. (Please turn to Page 20) Look inside for a special San Juan supplement Inviting..Unforgetta-bl- e County published by the San Juan County Development Board-Trav- el Council, who will distribute the tourist paper at key points both within and outside the county. |