Crasso Threatens Court Action
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iianrijeato Swntng Heralh MANCHESTER, CONN., MONDAY. OCTOBER 7, 1974- VOL. XCIV, No 6 Manchester—A City of Village Charm t w e n t y -f o u r p a g e s - t w o sec tio n s PRICEi FIFTEEN CENTS / / Rate Request Is Granted w: Crasso Threatens Court Action \ HARTFORD (UPI) — Democratic "We must, once and for all, reinstate United Illuminating Saturday denied it The statement said oil in 1969 cost $1.81 gubernatorial contender Ella T. Grasso the public as the true regulator of the overcharged its customers and said its a barrel, compared to the 1974 price per today said she would take the state Public state’s utilities” she said. fuel charge computations have been in ac barrel of $13, a price set “by oil suppliers Utilities Commission to court if the On the income tax question, Mrs. Grasso cordance with the formula prescribed by assigned to us by federal oil allocation matter of overcharges is not resolved said that it appears that middle income the state PUC. regulations.” before new rate hikes are granted. families earning between $7,000 and $15,- Northeast said even with the lower than It said that when the PUC established Mrs. Grasso also told newsmen that any 000 would be asked to bear the added actual efficiency figure, it continues to the fuel adjustment formula in 1970, income tax surcharge proposed by Presi burden of an income tax surcharge on top lose money and warned that without suf Northeast submitted a proposal that would dent Ford should have a cut-off at a higher of double digit inflation. ficient revenues, reliable service to homes automatically adjust monthly to reflect level than has been suggested so far. Last week, Mrs. Grasso called for the offices, factories and farms “will be a plus or minus efficiency. "It is incredible to ask the people who abolition of the PUC, which would be thing of the past.” But the PUC decided to use a "fixed” ef I— have been making all the sacrifices to replaced by a utility regulatory authority. Losses Cited ficiency rating which was updated in 1972 make still more sacrifices” Mrs. Grasso Connecticut Light and Power is seeking In the advertisement published in a to reflect actual experience during 1971 said. a $36.2 million rate hike, and Hartford number of state newspapers. Northeast according to Northeast. Strangely Defensive Electric Light is seeking ^ million. The said it "actually failed to recover from The company said it proposed to the Mrs. Grasso said all rate increases two supply power to 75 per cent of the June 1,1973, through last June 30, about $16 PUC last May, as part of the rate increase should be denied until the matter of $19 state. million” because of the two month time cases sought by Connecticut Light & million in overcharges is resolved. CL&P- HELCo and United Illuminating lag which must pass before utilities can Power Co. and Hartford Electric Light Mrs. Grasso said, who displayed before Co. have denied they overcharged charge the customers. Co., two subsidiaries, that the entire fuel newsmen a full-page Connecticut Light customers $19 million over three years The Northeast statement did not iden adjustment formula be revised to more and Power Co. newspaper ad denying it through the controversial fuel cost tify Mrs. Grasso by name, but said, “We nearly reflect the actual cost of producing has overcharged its customers said the adjustments. know it’s sometimes tempting to run for and delivering a kilowatt hour. firm is taking a “strangely defensive Formula Not Challenged political office against the utilities and True Costs Not Covered posture.” ’They have not challenged, however, always tempting to run against higher Northeast said the true cost of operating “I think they do protest too much,” she claims that they computed the prices. But, to best serve Connecticut, utility companies is “not being recovered said. "The utilities apparently have adjustments using a formula which did not let’s keep our eye on the real problems.” in present electric bills” forcing the com chosen to be the protector of the PUC.” reflect increased efficiency and lower Northeast, the largest utility operation panies to seek rate increases. Mrs. Grasso, who commissioned a study costs in producing and delivering electrici in New England, said “when all ^ e facts of the overcharges based on figures sub Northeast said it has had to cut con ty- are put on the table, it becomes clear” struction expenditures for this year by $53 mitted to the PUC by the utilities, says the Northeast Utilities has admitted it used that its companies complied fully with the million and operating costs by $10 million. total overcharged by the state’s three outdated efficiency figures but said the law and actually lost revenues in the The deteriorating financial situation has major power companies is $19 million. PUC allowed it to do so. process. Blames PUC caused it to suspend plans to build two nuclear units in Montague, Mass., and She said she is blaming the PUC and not may cause a delay in a third nuclear unit the utilities for the overcharges since the at Millstone Point in Waterford, Conn., commission has failed to act on the infor Newington Woman Northeast said. mation submitted by the firms. The commission has until Thursday to Treatment Plant Reflections announce its findings in the rate hikes sought by CL&P and Hartford Electric Dies of Injuries Reflected in the water of a filtering Explaining the various pools and the Light Co. The two, subsidiaries of NEWS pool at the renovated Cooper Hill myriad of pipes and meters is Nor Northeast Utilities have applied for $59.2 Mrs. Tabitha J. Duchesneau, 18, of 'Thadeus Jazwinski, 45, and Bronis'law CAPSULES Water Treatment plant is the Wilfried man McKee, an engineering aide for million in rate hikes. Newington was killed Sunday at 2:50 a.m. Laskarzewski, 56, both of New Britain late Riesterer family of Hublard Dr., Ver the water department. To assist in the construction of $5.8 as the result of a collision of a motorcycle Saturday near their homes., in a headon non, formerly of Manchester. billion in new generating capacity Mrs. Gifts Confirmed and car at the intersection of W. Center crash. Grasso proposed a bonding program which NEW YORK (UPI) — A spokesman for and McKee Sts. William S. Dillon, 24, of Norwalk Satur she said would save an estimated $900 Mrs. Duchesneau was a passenger on day in Norwalk; he was on a motorcycle vice-presidential nominee Nelson million in finance costs over the next 11 the motorcycle operated by her husband, which crashed with a car. Rockefeller has confirmed Rockefeller years. Renovated Cooper Hill Thomas C. Duchesneau, 22, of Newington. Steven A. Gagnon, 2, of East Canaan gave gifts of $50,000 to Henry Kissinger, Mrs. Grasso said if the rate hikes are She was taken by Manchester Am Saturday in front of his home when hit by a $86,000 to former state official L. Judson granted before the overcharge question is bulance to Manchester Memorial Hospital car. Morehouse and an undisclosed amount to resolved, she would take the matter to Dr. William Ronan, a New York transpor Plant Fornially Opened where she was pronounced dead on Die<i> of Injuries court. arrival. tation official. Must Restore Integrity Richard Hoffman, 64, of Darien died Several families in the west side of town The Cooper Hill plant was not in opera "Competence and integrity must be No Other Injuries Saturday due to injuries he suffered on the Supreme Court in Session No other injuries were reported in the Merritt Parkway in a Sept. 8 accident in who had protested against the water quali tion Saturday due to the noise of the restored to public utility regulation,” she WASHINGTON (UPI) - The Supreme accident. The driver of the car was Lorea which his wife was killed. ty there in recent years were present pumps, according to Jay Giles, director of said. Court’s 1974-75 term began today with G. Tacey, 18, of Windsor. Her three Philip D. Rose, 32, of Storrs and Sharon ^turday to officially open the renovated public works. But the plant has been in use capital punishment and wiretapping on passengers were Susan Ford, 18, and K. McMahon, 19 of Willimantic Friday in Cooper Hill Water Treatment Plant. through the summer and west end com the top of a huge backlog of appeals. Chief Joyce Erickson, 18, both of Windsor, and Rocky Hill; their car struck a truck which Mrs. Vivian Ferguson of Forest St., a plaints appear to be a thing of the past, he- John Wollenberg, 19, of 154 Hilliard St. was headed the wrong was on 1-91. Justice Warren E. Burger — who has been town director, took the first glass of water added. Anti-Inflation recuperating since Sept. 20 from minor in The Tacey vehicle was towed from the Luke Manning, 5, of Ashford Friday in from a tap in the plant and said, “It’s The work was designed by the Henry juries suffered in a fall from a bicyle — Plan to Stress scene although it had only slight damage front of his home when struck by a car. fine.” Souther Engineering Co. of Hartford and to the front end. will preside at the opening session. Everyone else who toured the facility done by the C.H. Nickerson Co. of Self-Discipline Police are still investigating the acci In other mishaps: guided by water department employes Torrington. Work began in March, 1973 dent.