American Notes ACID RAIN

Every year tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides generated by U.S. coal- fired power plants drift northward to fall on Canadian forests and lakes as acid rain. Ronald Reagan has mostly resisted Canada's repeated requests that the U.S. clean up the skies. Last week, 14 months after a joint U.S.-Canadian commission recommended that the U.S. spend $5 billion to find cleaner methods for burning coal, the President promised to commit half that amount, $2.5 billion over five years. The belated gesture should smooth the way for Reagan's visit next month to Ottawa, where environmentalists plan to greet him with demonstrations.