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Show r V. V' REA may lead studies on Basin power plant 4' A- - The Rural Electrification Administration will probably be the lead agency in overseeing atudies and applying for permits from federal and state governments for the Moon Lake Power plant The tentative decision came during a three-da"scoping meeting" held at Bottle Hollow last week. Don Zimmerman of the REA said it appears his agency will be the lead approval agency for the procedure but Lillian Stone of the Deportment of the Interiors Office of Environmental Project Review asked for 30 days to consult with other federal agencies before the final designation is made. Following a tour of the preferred site for the coal-fire- d power generation plant near Bonanza and- the coal supply site near Rangely, Colo., Tuesday, representatives of a number of federal, state and local agencies met to discuss the various aspects of the er Neal Domgaard told the group, "Vernal is an area that needs continued growth and this type of project. Sterling Merrill, project manager Deseret Generation and Trans mis-which would build the plant, said alternative sources of power had been studied, including solar, wind, nuclear and geothermal. Merrill said 6,000 acres of mirrors would be required to produce 6,000 kilowatts of power and the cost for a large generation facility would be prohibitive. d The generators would ultimately supply 800 megawatts of power. growth benefits everyone." And David Myler, town attorney for Rangely, said, "The project is an important addition to our economy; and when the oil and gas in the area are depleted we need to have something to replace the economic base and we see the power plant as that something. The study for the environmental impact statement is under way, with both the Uintah County preferred site and the alternate site near Rangely to be studied. The properties are 99 percent on federal land. y th AS THEY FOUND Smoke was coming from the bedroom window of this Roosevelt trailer home when firemen arriv IT ed Sunday morning but quick action saved the structure. - p, coal-fire- Merrill said coal is the best possible source erf power in the Uintah Basin area. Dr. Paul Holden, a consultant who has studied endangered species of fish in the area, said he did not see any harmful impact on fish from the proposed plant. And Dr. Stan Welsh, a consultant on endangered plant species, said the power plant could "work around" the four endangered plants in the region and there didn't appear to be a problem on that subject The environmental aspects of the project were discussed at length. Dave Porter of the ICPA said, "All in all, the plant does not appear to threaten the environment The need for the project and REA financing for its construction were also discussed. Uintah County Commission- U the schedule can be met, the final EIS should be ready by October, 1980, according to Merrill Preliminary design work is expected to be completed next month and the final designs are scheduled to be ready by January, 1980. Merrill Millett, general manager of Moon Lake Electric Association, a member of Deseret G&T, has stated that it is hoped construction can begin soon after the final EIS is released and that the first unit of power can come $n line in January, 1985. 'The huge project will cost between $600.nillion and $1 billion, up sharply from easier estimates of $400 million. Public meetings on the project are to be held "within the next month or two," Parker said Tuesday. Parker said last week's meetings were well attended, with representatives from REA, Department of Interior, BLM, Forest Service, Western Area Power Administration, the Air Quality office of the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, Interstate Commerce Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Lands, Utah Bureau of Air Quality, state Division of Community Affairs, Division of Wildlife Resources, National Park Service, Uintah Water Conservancy District, representatives of Congressman Jim Johnson, Colorado, snd Gunn McKay, Utah, Deseret G&T, Moon Lake Electric and consulting and engineering firms. VOLUME 67 NUMBER 23-J- urw 7, 1979 UINTAHlBASIN SERVING ALL OF DUCHESNE COUNTY. PLUS WEST UINTAH COUNTY A THEY LEFT IT The bedroom of this mobile home was burned but and some smoke and water damage was sustained to Fire damages mobile home in Roosevelt One room of a Roosevelt trailer home was gutted by fire Sunday morning but firemen were able to save the structure. Cliff Casto said it appeared that children had been playing with matches in a bedroom of the home, reportedly owned by Marge Weigkmd, and caught the room on fire. the rest ot the home after the Sunday fire. Firemen peeled off a section of the. metal roqg to put out the flames between the ceiling and roof. Burke Eldredge said when the fire engines arrived the bedroom was completely engulfed in flames but they put that fire out and had to peel back a section of the metal roof to quench the fire still smoldering between the ceiling and the root Eldredge said the damage was mostly contained to the one room, though there was some smoke and water damage in other areas of the mobile home. The trailer is located below Co-op hUL west The plan Mows the RARE II recommendations for a 512JX)0-acr- e High Uintahs Wilderness on the Ashley and Wasatch National Forests. In addition to the wilderness issue, another key concern of the planning effort was coordination of forest management with development of the Throughout the planning process, dose coordination has been maintained with the Bureau of Reclamation, Craig said. As a result the plan spells out how other resources will be managed in conjunction with the CUP. One of the main features is the development of recreation sites for the use of Most visitors utilizing CUP developments. The creation of a high Uintahs Wilderness and the development of the CUP reservoirs is expected to greatly increase recreation use. Other uses of the planning unit, such as timber harvest and grazing, should remain at about current levels, as called for in the plan. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the plan may contact the Forest Supervisor's office at Main Street, VernaL 437 East arrest Ratchet man rf them days. Over the weekend d called poliee n concerned about sane property and 68 strange plants healthy marijuana plants wars found growing in neat rows on his lot Police Chief Cedi Gurr said the on Ms te - 521-810- out-of-sta-te 8,915-foo- River Bend. In Emery County, Columbia Gas Development Corp. has scheduled the No. Paradox to about 4,750 feet in a remote area of the county about 20 miles northeast of Hanksville. About 1-- eight miles northeast of Hanksville, Columbia Gas will drill the No. 9 test Paradox, a scheduled 2,750-fowell in Wayne County. Stowe said that Marathon Oil will drill a 9,500-foNugget formation test some six miles southeast of Randolph, in the Crawford Mountains 1-- ot ot area. 21-1- Roosevelt police on two marijuana cases, Five area residents, two ot drill a projected 9,230-fowell in the southern area of the Uintah Basin just north of the Roan Plateau region; and t Mapco Production plans a test of the Mesa Verde formation at ot Central Utah Project juveniles, were arrested on charges of possession of marijuana in the wee hours Monday morning, the second incident involving marijuana in two Several new oil and gas test well sites have been selected for drilling in the Uintah Basin, according to Carlton The Utah Travel Council in Stowe, spokesman for the Utah cooperation with the Utah Association Department of Natural Resources, of Travel Regions, the Energy Office, of Oil Gas and Mining. Division Automobile of Club Utah (AAA) the Utex Oil Co., Salt Lake City, will and Utah fuel distributors, has drill a projected 9,500-fotest of the developed an Energy Hotline for the Wasatch formation in the Altamont state. north of Duchesne. 2 An - and field area just number Oil And has filed a Notice Gulf toll-freCarp, e an number - offer travelers updated of Intent to drill four new wells to about 5,800 feet to test the Wasatch reports on Utah's fuel supply, retail formation in Skitzy Canyon southwest hours, gasoline prices and specific of Reservoir. Starvation problem areas along major highways In Uintah County, south of Vernal and recreational areas. The toll-fre-e four new wells are being drilled. number also offers fuel information for Pacific Transmission Supply Co. has 10 other Western states. 4 scheduled the No. Federal a Alton Frazier, Director of the test in the projected 5,050-foTravel Council sees the threat of fuel Bonanza area; Carmack Drilling will to about shortages as a primary concern to the drill the No. 1 Dunlap-Federa- l travel industry in Utah and stresses 1,000 foet some six miles southeast of the need for the hotline. Jensen; Coseka Resources, Ltd., will -453-5794 Final EIS on South Slope unit released Ashley National Forest Supervisor James Craig has announced that the final Environmental Impact Statement and Selected Plan for the High Uintahs South Slope Planning Unit has been released and will become the guiding document for management of 586,000 acres of forest land. The area covered by this' plan is on the south slopes of the Uintah Mountains and extends from White- -' rocks River on the east to the North Fork of the Duchesne River on the Energy hotline Several new Basin drill sites selected plants were three to four inches high. They were seized by police as evidence. Gurr said he thinks he knows who planted the "weed but may find the allegations hard to prove. About 2:20 a.m. Monday Patrolman Jeff Stagg spotted a suspicious vehicle near the Hanson Motel and further investigation resulted in the arrests of five people on charges of possession of Continued on page 3 Double accident takes life of Roosevelt man A Roosevelt man was killed early last Wednesday near Fruitland when he was thrown from his rolling vehicle and then was run over by a semi truck. William E. (Bill) Putter, 22, was declared dead at the scene about s of a mile west of the Fruitland store. Trooper Stan Bench of the Utah Highway Patrol said Putter apparently foil asleep about 1:85 a.m. three-fourth- Wednesday while eastbound on Highway 40 and the car ran off the south side of the road. As he attempted to drive back onto the pavement the car apparently turned sideways, made contact with the edge of the road and started flipping, Bench said. Bench estimated that the vehicle rolled four times and that Putter was thrown out on the first or second roll A passenger, Sherlyn Hicks, 18, Roosevelt, received superficial wounds cuts and abrasions in the accident. Two young travelers from the Seattle, Wash., area were first on the scene. They told Bench they saw the dark vehicle with Miss Hicks waving from the window and stopped to render aid. They helped her get out of the car, then (me man stayed with her while the other went to Fruitland to call for assistance. The one man said Miss - - Hicks kept saying she "couldn't find him but in the dark he could not see Putters body, which was lying on the road. Shortly after, two big trucks passed, going in opposite directions, and their lights blinded the drivers so neither of them saw the body oilthe road, Bench x explained. The Duchesne ambulance, transported Mi Hicks to the Duchesne County hospital in Roosevelt, where she was treated and released. An autopsy was performed on Putters body but the medical examiner wap unable to determine which accident proved fatal The young couple had given a dance class at LDS Youth Conference in Provo Tuesday, then went dancing and visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Putter, in Salt Lake before beginning the drive home. Funeral services were held Saturday in Roosevelt Prec. Loren and Kelly Potter were caught enjoying the water at Roosevelt City swimming pool of youngsters is a sure sign that earlier this week. A pool-fsummer has at last arrived! 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