One of the main reasons I got into local politics was to try to bring attention to the contamination surrounding Stockton, Tooele County, from prior mining operations. The new infrastructure law that Sen. Mitt Romney helped negotiate and pass is already helping improve the quality of life for Utahns, including right here in Stockton. Not only will these infrastructure investments help rebuild and strengthen our nation’s roads, bridges and highways while advancing critical priorities like broadband deployment and clean energy technology, they will also help clean up and restore our natural resources.
In fact, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes $3.5 billion for environmental remediation to help clean up 50 Superfund sites across the country. Stockton was lucky enough to be one of the earliest recipients of these funds, which are being used to remove 70,000 tons of lead and arsenic soils from the Jacobs Smelter Superfund Site.
These efforts will go a long way in improving the quality of our air, water and lands while protecting our environment for future generations of Utahns. As mayor of Stockton, I was especially grateful to Romney for his hard work to pass commonsense, bipartisan infrastructure legislation that benefits all Americans.
Thomas Karjola
Stockton Town mayor