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<br /> .' ' . <br /> approve or disapprove the request by the State to change the Federal law <br /> for next year. Any action by the Environmental Protection Agency would e <br /> make it impossible for the Governor to issue an executive order. The EPA <br /> indicated informally that they would be disapproving the request for <br /> revision on procedural and substantive grounds. What they did, in an <br /> apparent change of attitude, is to say that they would like to approve a <br /> revision to 180,000 acres, but there were some technical defects that <br /> required another round of State hearings. In this environment, the <br /> Governor has determined to resolve the controversy of how much burning for <br /> this year, and perhaps years to come, by executive order. Mr. Long said <br /> it is arguable that the Governor has the authority under the Clean Air Act <br /> or certain provisions of the State law. It is also arguable that he does <br /> not. We have respectfully disagreed with the legal advice on which he is <br /> acting, Mr. Long said. <br /> When the Mayor met with the Governor to discuss what form any field-burning <br /> resolution might take, he found the Governor to be very cooperative, very <br /> positive in his attitude of protecting the citizens of Eugene from any <br /> deterioration in their environment. <br /> The Mayor asked the Governor not to relax rules for burning any more than <br /> last year. Last year was the best year to date for air quality. The Mayor <br /> asked that enforcement be strengthened as, it is believed, substantial <br /> violations have occurred. The Mayor asked the Governor for more balanced <br /> research, research on the effects of the smoke to peoples' health. The <br /> Mayor asked the Governor that the solution address itself to more than <br /> one year. I <br /> e <br /> Mr. Long said the City can make a policy decision to challenge any inter- <br /> vention by anyone to increase the 50,000-acre limit or the City could <br /> decide to set that question aside and address the issue of how the burning <br /> is to occur and how it is to occur for years to come. Mr. Long asked the <br /> Council to make a policy decision as to whether to go along with its <br /> previous instructions of holding the burning limit to 50,000 acres or to <br /> appear before the Environmental Quality Commission and try to have the <br /> Commission adopt strict rules that would ensure at least as controlled <br /> burning as last year for increased acreage. Staff recommended that the <br /> Council adopt a wait-and-see attitude, meet the Governor's intended <br /> actions cautiously, but optimistically. Mr. Long felt that an executive <br /> order would be general, accompanied with the Governor's philosophy or <br /> intentions. The City should meet the Governor on his own terms, go before <br /> the Commission, and urge the proposals that are outlined in the staff <br /> report. If the proposals are adopted, and the Council is satisfied, it <br /> could end the controversy for awhile. If the City were dissatisfied, or <br /> if they have misunderstood what is to occur, the Council could come back <br /> to the question of authority and the question of EPA's involvement on the <br /> national level. <br /> Terry Smith, the City's Environmental Analyst, explained improvements in <br /> field burning techniques; moisture content, improved ignition techniques, <br /> strip lighting and backfires, and changes in the rules concerning south <br /> priority burning. <br /> e <br /> ~lb 7/30/79--2 <br /> '.~,. <br /> "~'~~A <br />