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Show Editorial . . . Kaiparowits Northern Town Site Vital For Utah Economy The unanimous vote of the Kaiparowits Planning and Development Council recommending that the Kaiparowits power plant be located at Nipple Bench is the first step toward any decisions concerning the location of the plant in the Kane County area. While the council's recommendations will be only a consideration in the final determination of the plant's location, it is anticipated that their vote, will carry tremendous weight in the final decision of where the plant site should be. But still to be considered is the location of a new community, which some planners claim will have up to 40,000 residents. The decision to locate the community is expected to create as much controversy as did the decision to locate the plant. This newspaper does now, and has in the past, favored the Long Flat or Four Mile Bench areas for the townsite, and especially now that the council has made their decision as to the plant location. There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are that the terrain there is much more suited to a community than is East Clark Bench, the site generally favored by the Kane County Commission. Long Flat and Four Mile Bench provide a shorter distance for workers to drive to the mine than does East Clark Bench. In addition, the townsite north of the plant would provide for a more balanced impact and economy on both Kane and Garfield counties, and assure completion of a modern highway between Cannonville and the plant site. In addition, with the townsite at a northern location, Utah will stand to gain much more economically than if the site were at East Clark Bench, which would place workers and access near the Arizona border and no doubt result in the same giveaway to Arizona as did the Glen Canyon Dam situation. We disagree with the Kane County Commission's statement that since that county is going to have problems and impact with the plant being within its borders, it should also reap the benefits by the town being in that county. The location of the plant if the Nipple Bench area is finally decided upon may be in Kane County, but the impact is going to be felt throughout southern Utah, and especially Garfield County which is next door. But if the townsite is south of the plant, all of Utah will feel problems those of having the headaches of the plant, but not reaping any of the benefits because of the open corridor to Page and Flagstaff and practically sealing off the rest of Utah to the north. With the plant site finally agreed to by the planning council, it's time now to turn to the next major issue, that of selecting a townsite. It is imperative that an area north of the plant be selected, both for the best interests of the town's residents and for the state of Utah as a whole. We hope that as this council begins consideration of this very vital and important issue, they will keep in mind that one Arizona' give-away is'-"'' enough. This time, let's make sure Utah gets the. benefits as long as Utah has to live with and solve the problems. T(Twr.T rfrf-w'rf-r-a.wwi's |