Central Utah Water Conservancy District repayment contract, Bonneville Unit, Central Utah Project

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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY CENTER 317 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E., Washington, D. C. 20003 202/547-6500 February 10, 1980 Keith Hiqginson Commissioner Water and Power Resource Service Department of Interior Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Mr. Higginson: We understand that the Central Utah Conservancy District was to have met with you and your staff last week to discuss and review various "problems'5 associated with the project. Knowing that many of the "problems" were directly related to contract provisions, the Center pursuant to the Department's published Federal Register guidelines on public participation recently wrote you and requested to be informed/invited to any meetinas at which the contract was to be discussed. Our letter was followed up with a call to your office late last week. In response, Mr. Al Nielsen of your staff returned my call. We discussed the then pendina meetinas. Mr. Mi el son informed me that my request to attend the meetinns scheduled for late last week would be denied because the meeting v/as to discuss "problems" with the project, not to neootiate a contract, and that the meeting was called at the reauest of the District. He further invited me to request a similar meetina with you and your staff to discuss the project if we were so inclined. In keepina with the Center's*continued interest in the Central Utah Project and reclamation projects generally, we would like a summary of the discussions that took nlace last week. Mr. Nielsen, as noted, indicated that the meetings were being held to discuss various project ''problems'1. Would you please detail each of those problems and inform us of the status of each? And, if there has been a resolution of any of the matters raised by the district please provide details. Would you also explain to me when the public oarticipation guidelines will apply to discussions on this project? Cordially, Peter Carlson Washinaton Representative