Letters, Jan. 31, 1977

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A Great Tragedy

To the Editors:

If the black-lung disease and the continuing mine disasters do not impress anyone, the ever increasing oil tanker spills [Jan. 10] have established themselves as a great environmental tragedy. Sooner or later we have to realize that under well-controlled conditions, atomic fuel is environmentally the most acceptable source of energy today. Any further reliance on the present "supertanker mentality" is not only dangerous to the environment but, from the national security standpoint, foolhardy. James Scott, M.D. Streator, III.

I don't understand how you can state that "major accidents involving freighters have been infrequent." There have been at least seven such blunders since 1967, and millions of gallons of liquid death unleashed into our oceans. What is frequent, one disaster a week? Bradley David Young Terre Haute, Ind.

I am willing to bet that if the companies whose ships were responsible for the oil spill were forced to assume the high cost of the cleanup, there would be fewer oil spills. DM. Boulay Marshfield, Mass.

All tankers operating within 200 miles of the U.S. coastline should proceed only in convoys supervised by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. Robert W. Reynolds Centerville, Mass.

Your article left the impression that all shipowners are flocking to Liberia and Panama to avoid the expenses associated with U.S. registration. In fact, many American owners, including the major oil companies, are equipping their ships with the most advanced navigation equipment available, regardless of where the ships are registered.

Although Government regulation is one solution for dealing with irresponsible shipowners, a more effective form could be provided by the marine insurance underwriters by developing a premium structure that reflected their actual risk. Peter M. Talbot Huntington, N. Y.

Those tankers breaking up off our coasts, spoiling our seashores, are there because: 1) we want to spare our prairies from coal mines, 2) we want to spare our descendants from radioactivity, 3) we want to spare ourselves extra costs per gallon.