Oct. 7--FARMINGTON -- City councilors debated whether the city should back Arizona Public Service Company in its opposition to federal regulations company officials say would lead to job loss.

Councilors weighed at Tuesday's Council meeting whether to support a resolution, proposed by Councilman George Sharpe, that would urge the Environmental Protection Agency to balance the need for clean air with the need to preserve businesses that contribute to the economic health of the area.

"Such regulations, although necessary and desirable, should require the installation of only those technologies which show cost-effective emission reductions and which are not so costly as to make the continued operation of the (Four Corners Power Plant) no longer economically feasible," the proposed resolution states.

EPA contends Four Corners Power Plant hinders air visibility at 16 protected locations within a 300 kilometer radius, including the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park and Mesa Verde.

Four Corners Power Plant already plans to install at least $275 million in technology to reduce nitrogen oxide, which causes haze, company officials said.

However, EPA regulations could require it to spend up to more than $1 billion to install the technology, company officials said.

That would lead to job cuts for Four Corners Power Plant and mining company BHP Billiton and likely would cause parts of the power plant to shut down, plant officials said.

Councilwoman Mary Fischer

said she did not believe that the regulations would cause extensive job loss.

"I personally don't see this plant closing," Fischer said.

Nitrogen oxide isn't believed to be hazardous to human health.

Greater job loss as the Farmington area faces an 8.4 percent unemployment rate would be "devastating," Mayor Bill Standley said.

"Is this going to be a visually effective rule that they pass that we're going to lose jobs over?" Standley asked.

Standley called for people to comment to EPA on the proposed regulations. The public comment period runs through Oct. 28.

"They will close it down and I'm not crying wolf," Standley said. "But the sky's falling, folks."

Councilors are scheduled to revisit the issue at a meeting

7 p.m. Tuesday.

Steve Lynn: slynn@daily-times.com

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