The State - News from Jan. 6, 1985

The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking permission to use helicopters to study acid rain in 900 lakes in western states, including California. Thirty to 40% of the lakes are in federally protected areas that do not allow access by motorized vehicles. The EPA wants to land the helicopters for about 20 minutes to collect water samples from the lakes then quickly transport the samples to laboratories. The project will probably not have any long-term effects on hunters, hikers and wildlife in the selected areas, said spokesmen for several environmental groups. Acid rain, which has caused the most damage in the northeastern states, damages trees and plants and kills fish. It is created when emissions from cars or coal-burning plants release chemicals that cause rain to turn into acid.