Utah lawmakers are signaling a warm welcome for nuclear power.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Nuke 'Em
Everyone has an opinion about nuclear power, whether it's for energy or national security. To be clear—no one has really figured it out yet. We do know all the downsides, and advocates will tell you not to worry your little brain because disaster is on the horizon. Disaster 1: climate change. Nuclear plants could save us from the coal we're still hanging onto and clear the air—mostly. Disaster 2: China and Russia are expanding their influence and might just want to start a war, so nuclear weapons should be ready to go. Here's the thing. Utah lawmakers are visiting Idaho to learn about mini-nuclear plants. They see nuclear power as a panacea, ignoring the costs, delays and dangers. And alternatives in their infancy get short shrift. A 2021 Al Jazeera article talks about how it can go "horribly wrong" while gaining high-profile champions. As for Disaster 2, The Salt Lake Tribune has been highlighting the human costs of underground nuclear testing. All this while downwinders' compensation through the RECA Act has expired—even though the radiation victims haven't.
Hit: Slow Ride
While Salt Lake City deals with housing affordability, homelessness and traffic congestion, there is at least a glimmer of hope for a physically divided city. The west side of the city has been pretty much an urban hellscape if you consider people trying to walk or bike anywhere—they just don't feel safe. The city is working on improved curb, gutter and lighting along with raised sidewalks and pedestrian bridges. To say this has taken a long time is an understatement. Residents approved a bond in 2018, but work is just bearing fruit now. The city is currently studying Fairpark as part of its Livable Streets program—slowing traffic on neighborhood streets. Instead of speeding through the west side, maybe people will stop or at least slow down to take notice of their city.
Miss: Behind the Curtain
In 2013, the Electronic Frontier Foundation coined a prescient phrase: Transparent is the New Black. "Secrecy in government is fundamentally anti-democratic ... Open debate and discussion of public issues are vital to our national health. On public questions there should be 'uninhibited, robust, and wide-open' debate." That was from the 1971 SCOTUS case New York Times v. the United States. It was about the Pentagon Papers, but citizens shouldn't think secrecy only happens in the highest halls of government. In Utah, the Smith Entertainment Group wants to hide plans for a sprawling sports district. Maybe it just doesn't want pushback from those who think skyscrapers shouldn't necessarily breach the atmosphere. In the past, exceptions have been made at a staff level, but the public is now invited to weigh in—unless the City Council decides you don't need to know.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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