Tuesday, April 23, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
State officials say Nevadans could be burdened unfairly by plans to clear the Grand Canyon's air.
Southern California, Arizona and Mexico are responsible for polluting the air at the Grand Canyon and other nearby national parks and wilderness areas, but Nevada may have to contribute to the cleanup, said Pete Morros, director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Morros spoke Monday to members of the state Advisory Board on Natural Resources in Las Vegas. He is the governor's delegate to the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission, which meets again June 10.
The commission released a draft report on its plans earlier this month and is holding hearings throughout the West.
No single industry or pollutant causes the hazy days in the national parks. Sulfates from power plants, organic particles from man and nature, fire smoke, carbon from fires and diesel exhaust and dust from man's activities all contribute.
Michael Doyle, a member of the commission's Public Advisory Committee, said there are two threats to Nevada's growth if the draft federal regulations are any indication.
The commission could continue operating in nine Western states and drivers might be required to undergo stricter smog emission tests, he said.
"Continuing the commission is a recipe for disaster for the state," Doyle said.
He suggested letting the federal Environmental Protection Agency and each state work out a plan to fight haze at the Grand Canyon and other tourist attractions in the Colorado Plateau.
As for stricter smog testing, "that is a prescription for revolution," Doyle said. Citizens are willing to help clear the air, but if procedures become too onerous, they'll balk, he said.
"We weren't the problem," Doyle said. "We shouldn't be the solution."
Nevada's main concern is interrupting growth to clean Grand Canyon's air, Morros said.
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