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Show OPINION DheBaltLakeTribune TUESDAY NovemeBer 18, 2003 << wwe.sitrb.com >> Our VIEW Fool's gold ere’s the deal, Utah: radioactive waste for jobs. It’s a simple bargain. Utah accepts radioactive garbage from elsewhere in the nation and Envirocare of Utah employs peo- growing, at least among Utahns. We would arguethat sinceit is growing among Utahns, therest of nation won't be far behind. In a meeting with The Tribune’s editorial board on Monday, the senatorsaid that public ple to disposeof it. Put another perceptions about Utah’s nuclear way, Utah takes the waste and, in return, gets the jobs andthe tax revenue that go with them. But it is a fool’s bargain, and Utah's government leaders should awakento that fact. Sen. Bob Bennett has worked since 1999 to push for federal regulatory changes that wouldreclassify radioactive uranium mill tailings from Fernald, Ohio, and waste debate shifted whenPrivate Fuel Storage (PFS) unveiled elsewheresothat they could be shipped to Envirocare of Utah for disposal. Although he maintains he did not insert wording to that effect in an appropriationsbill now before Congress and does not know whodid, he has supported the idea in the past. The reason, hesays, is simple. It creates jobs in a remote area of Tooele County homeof Envirocare’s burial site where emnloyment is scarce. _ Sen. Bennett concedes, hypothetically, that if Utah comesto be perceived as a nuclear dumping ground, the harmto the its proposal in 1997 for a huge parking lot to store cannisters of highly radioactive spent reactor fuel rods. That facility also would be located in Tooele County on the Skull Valley reservation of the Goshutetribe. Utah officials, led by former Gov. Mike Leavitt, reacted with a no-holds-barred campaign to stop that project. But Utah places itself in a difficult position whenit encourages the disposal of some classes of low-level radioactive waste at Envirocare but opposes high-level waste in Skull Valley. Which brings us backto the Fernald waste. It blurs the distinction between high-level and low-level wastes, at least for the public, because it is many times more radioactive than wastes that Envirocare has accepted under currentstate regulation. state’s economy from that perception might outweigh the value of Gov. Olene Walker knows whereto draw theline. Sheis opposed to Envirocare receiving the Fernald wastes and any others those jobs in Tooele County. After all, other businesses might that are hotter than Envirocare has received in the past. Bennett not wish to locate in a state that actually invites the disposal of and other Utah leaders should workwith herto see thatthis line , nuclear waste in its back yard. . But Bennett acknowledges that the Utah-as-dump perceptionis is not crossed. Becausebeyondit, the wastefor-jobs deal is a loser. How wegot here he White House is happy to wave the bloody shirt of 9-11 in orderto get the si support it needs for everything from the invasion of Iraq to tax cuts for the rich. But, whenit comes to a real investigation of what led up to The Day That Changed Everything, the Bush administration apparently can’t be bothered. '. At first, President Bushre- sisted the creation of such a commission. When the bodywas finally created, under pressure from Democrats and families of those lost in the 9-11 attacks, he thade another movethat seemed to guarantee that nothing embarrassing would bedivulged. ' He appointed HenryKissingér, Richard Nixon’s secretary of state, as the commission’s chair- man. Given Kissinger’s known penchantfor secrecyandhis continuing business ties to, among dthers who might have something to hide, the government of Saudi Arabia, that was a bad idea indeed. Kissinger soon stepped aside, unwilling to give uphis luérative consulting work. The commission has had to fight tooth and nail to haveac- briefings the president was receiving in the weeks leading up to 9-11, so its members can see for themselves, to coin a phrase, whatthe president knew and whenhe knewit. This agreement is a sham, as commission members Max Cleland and Timothy Romer (both Democrats) have strongly pointed out. Even the details of the deal are being leaked rather than made public. But, apparently, a few members of the commissionwill be provided with excerpts of the reports selected by the White House. This subcommittee will haveto take the administration’s wordfor it that it is receiving evthat the parts left out deal with totally separate matters. The sub- committee’s report to the full commission can also be edited by the White House. This deal provides no guarantee that the reports aren’t being whitewashed of anything embarrassing to Bush, the Pentagon, the CIA or the House of Saud. Andit ignores the wholetrick to analyzing intelligence, whichis to look at the big picture. Even éess to the documents it needs to an honest brokertrying to sepa- rate the relevant from theirrelevant couldeasily leave out a key planned by al-Qaida, and what, if anything, could have been done to stopit. ’ The most recent disgrace is the way the White House has dealt with the commission’sdemand to see the daily intelligence Protecting White River The Bureau of Land Management has received letters from the state of Utah offering dueling perspectives on the Resource Development Groupnatural gas development project in the Uinta Basin. This confusion provides further evidence of how complex public land issues can be when wilderness is involved, especially when only half the story makes it into print. Comments from the state and general public will be used to complete our environmental impact study for this project. We anticipate a final decision in February. A couple of things should be clarified. Fifteen wells proposed in one of the four alternatives being considered for the project are not located along the White River corridor. If approved, these wells would be located twoto five miles away and would not be visible from the river. More importantly, BLM agrees with former Gov. Mike Leavitt that the White River corridor is a recreational jewel that warrants protec- tion. Stipulations stemming from our 1984 resource management plan prohibit wells within one-half mile, or line-of-sight, from the river. Offhighwayvehicles are also prohibited within the corridor. If the state is serious about protecting the opportunities for recreation along the river, it should curb the type of development occurring near the confluence of Bitter Creek and consider adopting well-placement and construction protocols similar to those in place on neighboring BLM lands. We welcomethe opportunity to work with our state partners for a comprehensive managementplan. Bit STRINGER Acting Manager Vernal Field Office U.S. Bureau ofLand Management erything relevantto 9-11, and determine whether anyonein the governmentknew, or should have known,whatwas being THE PUBLIC FORUM piece of the puzzle. . President Bushis using 9-11 to justify everything, fromthe war ¢ in [rag to his own re-election. Before we knowif heis justified mapping ournation’s future that way, we need to know what he knowsaboutthepast. Uran’s INDEPENDENTVoiceSINCE1871 he Salt LakeTribune Mychild, my choice On Nov. 5, President Bush signed into law a ban on a late-term abortion procedure that radical right-wing extremists have called “partial-birth abortion.” Bush and his anti-choice supporters talk about saving “children who are inches from birth” (Tribune, Nov. 6), even though this is a ban ona procedure performed during the second trimester when the fetus is not yet many people rallying and carrying signs saying “my child, my choice,” I must believe that many Utahns agree with the majority of Americans that this is purely political strategy that uses tragic circumstances for political gain, refusing to look-at what may be in the best interests of a woman and her family. It is often in the second trimester thatfetal tests reveal pregnancies gone terribly wrong. This ban would prevent women and doctors from choosing the best and safést treatment. That’s why the American Nurses Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists oppose the ban. Publisher Editor W1itAM Dean SINGLETON Nancy Conway Editorial P I oppose it because I am in my second trimester and want assurance that Edi The “Our View” section ofthe Nov. 8 Phone Number: (801) 257-8888 Tribune included a piece called “Deni- Tribume Fax: (801) 257-8525 ability.” While it is true that former E-mail: letters@sltrib.com (Please send text only, attachments will not be opened) going to be true forever. It was the Bush administration that installed Mr. Mail: Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, Leavitt as the new EPA administrator. P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110 - Letter Guidelines: The Tribune welcomes letters of up to 250 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address and day and evening phone numbers. Only the name and city of residence are published. Letters may be every procedure is available to me should I need it. I want to be assured Gov. Mike Leavitt is new at the Environmental Protection Agency,it’s not The article goes on to talk about how the administration wants to weaken the rules requiring older coal-fired power plants to bring their air pollution controls up to modern standards any time they expand. Leavitt is on the razor’s edge here. On one hand he’s got manyin-house enforcers and members edited for length, grammar and accuracy. of Congress who are so angry over the Due to volume,not all submissions are published. administration’s position on the issue that 12 states have sued EPA over it. On . the other hand, President Bush is Mr. Leavitt's boss. If he doesn’t toe the administration line, there might be re- The wrongstate My boys and I watched “Outdoors With Doug Miller” recently. Dean Mitchell, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ upland game coordinator, was spotlighted. Unfortunately, the spotlight was on the wrong state. Here were our own outdoor TV guru and our Utah public servant, hunting pheasants in South Dakota! How pathetic is that? These two apparently don’t have any more sense than to openly admit there are no public pheasants to huntin 84,904 square miles in the state of Utah. Making the mismanagementof upland criminations. After all, we saw what happened when the cover of a CIA agent was blown because her husband said something that the Bush administration didn’t like. Mr. Leavitt may have no choice but to dance to the tune of whomever is really pulling the strings in the Bush administration, or he may find himself leaving the EPAin disgrace. Let’s hope that if or when that happens he has retained a lot of “deniability.” Hitron Harris Sandy game a matter of public record should be unforgivable. They even admitted to paying a $100 nonresident hunting fee Robyn Blumner’s Nov. 14 oped to South Dakota. When the leader of the DWR’s up- (“Bush’s arrogance starting to show land game programs has to go out of beneath presidential suit”) hit the nail the head, save for two state to hunt birds and is dumb enough on ‘ to record it, there is a problem, not to characterizations: Disallowing photos of caskets or the mention that I can’t take my sons out on the Utah pheasant opener and locate a number of daily wounded soldiers to _ reach the American press is not “tight single bird. The only birds werealize in Utah are control over news.” It’s censorship. So from Grandpa’s membership in a pri- much for freedom of the press. And vate club. How disappointing and dis- sending identical letters to the editor in gusting to witness Doug Miller and the names ofunsuspecting U.S. soldiers Dean Mitchell hunting birds out of is not “manipulation.” It’s lying, by the governmentto the American people. state. President Bush and his advisers Things have certainly changed — and been mismanaged — from the days have taken to portraying this war — when I could hunt in my family’s back and our involvement therein — in any Censorship and lying yard and have my limit by noon on opening morning. viable. The ban makes no exception to protect the mother’s health. After seeing countless news stories in Utah aboutfamilies having the right to choose whatto do with their children in medical situations, and seeing so Pulling Leavitt's strings How toreach us LANGFORD LLoyD * Riverton Voices should be balanced Mydisappointmentover your “Utah Voices” quarter-page column by Mr. Anwar Arafat in the Nov. 9 Tribune is not with its author. Members of the Palestinian community are certainly free to choose and express their selfinterests. However, it must be in the pursuit ofequity that any hope of peace is possible in this strife-torn region of the Middle East. Mr. Arafat does not want peace; he wants victory for his light they deem most pleasing and most likely to help them in the polls, whether the portrayal is remotely connected to reality or not. And any failure on our part to call a spade a spade when observing this duplicity simply fosters the administration’s deception of the American public. Grace A. McDonouGH Salt Lake City I remember Henry I am 23 years old and still remember our school crossing guard, Henry.I attended Jim Bridger Elementary School years ago, and Henry was there every day, in rain, snow and shine. He always made sure we safely crossed the road to make our way back home. Often The Salt Lake Tribune created a fo- times, children would yell mean things rum for this bias and dedicated equal at him, parents would honk at him and space to his mother the following week. many never even noticed him. Myconcern is with The Tribune's apWell, Henry, I don't know where you parent disregard for any alternative * are now,or if you're even on this earth point of view on this controversial sub- anymore, but here is a sincere “thank ject. Why is a Palestinian perspective you” from me. I know that you saved not balanced by any other? manylives While putting your own in The Israeli-Palestinian conflict can danger, and | have not forgotten you. only be resolved in an environment of Parents, kids, everyone, let’s support mutual respect. The decisions by our school crossing guards and let them Past Publishers VERN ANDERSON Joun F. Frrzparrick (1924-1960) Executive Editor that I can go to my doctor and talk about myoptions, without being told that my Joun W. Gauirvan (1960-1983) Tom BapEn elected officials have taken those op- your editorial staff sadly make the pro- know that we are truly thankful for tions away. cess more difficult. whatthey do each day. M Jenny O'BRIEN (1983-1994) Dominic Weicu(1994-2002) , 1 ine Edi Tim FrrzPaTrick Terry Oume Despie ApRAMS-COHEN Salt Lake City + WILLIAM TUMPOWSKY Park Eity EmiLre MARTINSON Salt Lake City / |