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THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON July 1, 1971 THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN INFORMATION by Environmental Impact on the Economy MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT THROUGH: John D. Ehrlichman FROM: John C. Whitaker Tab A is Secretary Stans' memorandum to you concluding that the volume of work across the country delayed for environmental reasons exceeds $5 billion. To balance this view, Tab B is Russell Train's memorandum to you indicating that delays are unfairly charged to the environ- ment issue when in fact, they are due to poor planning and general economic factors. He cites a McGraw Hill Business Week survey and a Federal Power Commission survey to support this conclusion. The Domestic Council is studying the whole matter of the environ- mental impact on the economy to see if it is significant or simply rechannels construction projects to other areas where the environ- ment is not a factor. We hope to have this in focus in about two months. annual (. of