This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The ruling by State Engineer Kent Jones that allows massive amounts of water to be diverted from the Green River for a proposed nuclear power plant should be tossed out and reconsidered now that it is clear that it is not credible.
Jones somehow missed that the project's main source of funding is under attack from federal agents for being fraudulent and cheating investors ("Feds: Company backing Utah nuclear plant is a fraud," Tribune, Jan. 27). Oops. What else did Jones get wrong?
The risks involved in committing so much precious water to a project that by its very nature is also chock full of significant risks to environmental quality, public health and safety and Utah's economy are serious enough to require a standard of attention and accuracy that the Jones decision does not meet. We can debate the pros and cons of nuclear power, but we should all agree that a project of such consequence must be approached carefully.
These people work for Gov. Gary Herbert. When they fail to get it right, he has the responsibility to call them on it. They work for us citizens, too. We expect better.
Chip Ward
Torrey