To the editor:
I have been fighting to slow down the flow of toxic waste since 1987 when I sponsored the ban in siting any new hazardous waste facilities in Utah. In 1990, I was the House sponsor of the bill placing all waste under state jurisdiction.This year, I am sponsoring Substitute House Bill 165, which will raise the fees on toxic waste to a more fair level. The State House of Representatives recently passed this bill. I applaud their courageous action.
In preparing this bill, I did not receive any help from U.S. Rep. Wayne Owens, as he claimed in his recent letter to the Deseret News. In fact, I have had no contact with his office. Nevertheless, I was pleased to learn in the editorial pages of Rep. Owens' support for my bill.
Similarly, I was shocked and disappointed to see House Democratic leadership oppose higher fees for toxic waste. This was particularly surprising since these same politicians are the ones who demanded an audit of waste facilities a few months ago.
I agree with Rep. Owens that federal legislation is also needed to control the flood of waste into Utah, and I sincerely hope he can pass his bill to allow states the power to regulate out-of-state waste.
H. Craig Moody
Speaker
Utah House of Representatives