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Show V nt supplement to the National Enterprise Wednesday, February 2, 1977 Committee Frets Over Air Quality Plan Job related injuries and illnesses appear to be on the decline according to the most recent statistics available from the Utah Occupational Safety and Health division (UOSH).. Creating an air quality plan to allow continued industrial growth in Utah while preserving its pristine beauty is a task before the State Air Conservation Committee. According to Committee chairwoman, Lois Fredrick, the classification of Utah into three catagories is the committees method of resolving inherent state problems. On one hand we hear Keep our air pristine and beautiful, and on the other we hear Develop our energy and natural resources, Fredrick explained. She said as Utah is now classified, continued industrial growth cannot be allowed without violating existing regulations. In December, 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated the entire country as Gass II, but gave each state the right to redesignate areas within the state. The state committee is proposing to classify all national parks and scenic areas Class I, (the most restrictive and allows for no degradation); all mineral and energy resources Class III, (allowing maximum deterioration); and the rest of the state would remain Gass II which applies to areas in which deterioration normally accompanying moderate, growth would be considered insignificant. According to Fredrick, Utahs mineral deposits are located at the base of mountains and present special development problems without violating EPA requirements. All other resources are located in flat terrain where temperature inversions do not complicate natures ability to dissipate air pollutants. By reclassifying areas at the foot of the mountains, which contain natural resources, the committee has allowed for continued monitored industrial growth which otherwise could not have been allowed. well-controll- According J. Christiansen, UOSH administrator, 1975 saw' a 22 percent drop in reported job related fatalities and a 10.1 percent decline in injury rates. Christiansen also! reported an 8 percent decrease in the number of Construction Underway at Industrial Center Construction of the first group of office buildings in the Salt Lake International Center is 16-ac- re scheduled to begin this week, according to Kem C. Gardner, vice president of The Boyer Company. The two-stor- redwood and glass building house the corporate headquarters of A-- Properties Inc., developer of the center, along with other ofTo be owmed and fices. developed by The Boyer Co., the $750,000 building was will designed by Environmental Associates and will be built by J. Ron Stacy, contractor. Valley Mortgage Corp. has provided construction financing and Capitol Life of Denver, Colo, has provided permanent financing. masonry, y K A-- K 5,000 expects to lease square feet from Boyer, and will furnish another 5,000 square feet as office space to rent to out-of-to- manufacturing repreThe 10,000 sentatives. square-foo- t main floor is available Boyer. for lease Boyer, president, Financial Condition Strong from Environ- mental Associates designed the building to optimize the efficiency of the air conditioning system." He said the architects planned for sun light exposure on the cast and north sides of the building, rather than the west and south, so solar heat would not force tenants to waste energy on cooling the building. excellent despite the fact that state expenditures were slightly in excess of revenues last year. This evaluation was presented by Utah Foundation in an analysis of state revenue and expenditures for the 1976 fiscal year. According to the Foundation report, Utah state revenue last year totaled $895,958,012, compared with general expenditures of $908,857,460. Excluded from these totals are revenues and expenditures from restricted grants for research and other purposes at Utahs colleges and universities and operating funds of the University of Utah Hospital. The excess of state spending over state revenue in fiscal 1976 is accounted for mainly by the unusually large outlay for unemployment compensation payments. Unemployment benefit payments last year exceeded unemployment benefit revenue (employer taxes, Federal contributions, and reserve fund earnings) by $16.4 million. This deficiency was met by drawing on 1 - Dec. 31. 1976, UOSH conducted 1,157 inspections, which represents a 2 percent decline in the last six months of 1976, Christiansen said. According to the administrator, 672 citations alleging 4,340 violations of job safety and health standards w'ere issued. Proposed penalties totaled $34,863, but 15 cases have been appealed. The decline in job related injuries and illnesses is According to Roger Utahs financial condition is considered Utahs During the period July I 16-ac- re in a workdays lost. the Salt Lake International Center. The Boyer Company is developing the first of a group of office buildings at ed (See COMMITTEE, page 3b) to Don a positive indication of; tragedies, Christiansen; reductions, Christiansen! Utahs efforts to reduce such said. ; ; believe the efforts of management and labor, plus; the activities of UOSH have combined to produce these; I concluded. balances in the unemployment reserve fund which was established to guarantee benefit payments during periods of high unemployment. Unemployment tax rate schedules have now been adjusted upward to preserve the adequacy of the unemployment reserve fund. Total state revenue rose by $162 last year. The Foundation million, or 22 study points out that increased Federal aid and higher tax yields resulting from continued inflation and economic growth were the major elements in this strong revenue growth. In addition, 1976 receipts were pushed up by the individual income tax hike authorized by the 1975 Utah Legislature and by the recording of receipts charged during the previous year but not actually collected until after the start of the 1975-7- 6 fiscal year. Taxes accounted for $505 million, or 56 of total revenue receipts last year. Federal aid ( including Federal revenue sharing funds) amounted to $304 million, or (See UTAHS CONDITION, page 5b) |