Acid Rain’s Threat to the West

Acid rain is not a regional problem affecting only far-off New England. It now threatens the lakes and woods of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades and the Rockies. The difference, if any, is that the West may have more time to head off the consequences.

Scientists from the Energy Research Group at the University of California at Berkeley, working with the World Resource Institute, have recently surveyed acidic deposition in the Western states. They conclude that there is “clear evidence” of these deposits in sensitive areas--those at high altitudes with thin soils or short growing seasons, for example--and the possibility of chemical and biological damage. They said that their findings “warrant actions in addition to research.”

The damage takes several forms. Lake water that turns acidic can harm fish and other aquatic life. Forests become more vulnerable to fungal infections or insects if they are weakened by acidity. That can be critical in the 11 Western states in which commercially valuable forests make up about 30% of the land. In addition, highly acidic air can reduce visibility in national parks and affect tourism and recreation in some national parks and wilderness areas. The health hazards are less well documented and bear additional research, but it is possible that drinking water drawn from sensitive mountain areas could contain toxic metals because of acidification and leaching from rock formations.

The Reagan Administration wants to keep doing research on the entire acid-rain question but take no action. The World Resource Institute report agrees that additional monitoring is needed, particularly at remote and high elevations in the West. It also suggests further research on dry acidic deposition, a factor more important in the West than on the East Coast because of the arid climate.

The Berkeley scientists counsel action as well. They suggest increased efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency and the states of California, Washington and Colorado to reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions from cars and other vehicles, because nitric acid makes up about half the acidic deposition in the West. They recommend not only reducing emissions from individual vehicles but also expanding mass-transit systems and limiting auto use in areas with excessive nitrogen-oxide emissions.

Another key recommendation involves controlling sulfur-dioxide emissions from copper smelters in Arizona and negotiating controls on Mexican smelters under construction. “Discussions with the Mexican government on this issue will be credible only to the extent that the United States demonstrates a commitment at home,” the report says. It specifically recommends that Congress not extend beyond the current Dec. 31, 1987, expiration date the exemption of smelters from the Clean Air Act’s requirements to reduce emissions.

Clearly the White House will not volunteer to help in these efforts. Combating acid rain represents a new test for the West. But the region has long been one where people seek to avoid the mistakes or problems encountered in the longer-settled areas of the country, so there is room for optimism if timely action is taken.