Tag Archives: envirocare

As expected, Utah Gov. Huntsman vetoed SB 70, the “Envirocare” bill that would permit lawmakers to override a veto on passed bills aimed at blocking hazardous waste disposal facilities, including those that handle radioactive materials. This was the governor’s first veto of the year.

Gov. Huntsman stated that the bill would incrementally weaken the governor’s ability to protect Utah’s image and environment, as well as the health and safety of its 2.5 million residents. He added that he had pledged to resist efforts to turn the state into “a radioactive dumping ground.”
“Consistent with that pledge,” he concluded, “I cannot consent to a provision that, in my opinion, would potentially lead to the proliferation of radioactive waste-disposal facilities within our state.”

Today will be the day that lawmakers will decide whether or not they have the 2/3 votes necessary to carry out the override. If the veto is overridden, lawmakers will then have the power to allow sites to be established or expand regardless of the governor’s position on the issue.

Last night a crowd of about 50 citizens braved the elements for a glow-stick rally held on the capitol plaza. (The weather was horrible. I had planned to attend but didn’t due to the weather. I will be attending tonight’s rally.) The rally was held to voice opposition to SB 70 and support the governor’s veto.

They called SB70 a special interest legislation aimed at helping EnergySolutions (formerly Envirocare of Utah) get a license to double in size over Huntsman’s objections. And they noted that six commercial garbage sites have been approved without any quarrel about the approval process. The question only came
up when politically powerful Envirocare had an expansion request in the works and Huntsman said he would reject it.
Mary Ellen Navas, of Sandy, told the group 84 percent of Utahns oppose more and more radioactive waste from coming to the state but lawmakers were “disconnected” from their constituents on the issue.
She said any decisions to add waste ought to require “the utmost scrutiny,” as current law allows.
“We hold our children’s future dear, and we would never sacrifice their future to special interests,” she said. “We want extreme caution when it comes to any new waste coming to Utah.”

Yesterday the Utah House passed SB70, a subject that I have posted here before. While SB70 is designed to, in the words of the bill’s sponsors, “balance the power” between legislators and the governor, it would de facto allow the legislature to vote on allowing more toxic waste to be accepted by corporations such as Envirocare.

That’s the bad news. The somewhatgood news is that the vote did not reach the required threshold to override a veto by Utah Governor Huntsman. And Huntsman plans to veto. But the Utah Senate passed SB70 with enough votes to be veto-proof. If the House can convince three more reps to support the measure, the veto could then be overridden. It’s very close and not over yet.

This has passed despite public outcry and oppostion by the governor of Utah. This is concrete proof that our representatives simply do not listen to constituents and, I dare say, are only interested in the desires of corporations and not the people.

Off Capitol Hill, opposition has steadily grown against the bill. The Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL) has rallied citizen opposition. The League of Women Voters has urged members to express their objections to lawmakers.
They were joined this week by the Alliance for Unity, a high-profile coalition of religious, civic and business leaders. The Alliance stopped short of opposing SB70, but made it clear that the rigorous approval process now in place should stay in place.
“They don’t want Utah to serve as a dumping ground for the rest of the nation,” said Alexander Morrison, a retired leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Alliance’s executive director. “Not only are we on the side of the angels, but on the side of the majority of Utahns.”

HEAL Utah has sent this out:

By a vote of 21-5, the state Senate this afternoon voted to pass Senate Bill 70. The bill will now move towards a final vote in the senate and, if passed again, go over to the House. As bad as it is when over two-thirds of our state senators vote to make it easier for nuclear and toxic waste dumps to expand or develop in Utah at the expense of our health, this fight is still far from over.
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