Editorial: Time for Sevier County to move to clean and green

Earlier today, The Salt Lake Tribune published an editorial from Jim Kennon, president of Sevier Citizens for Clean Air and Water. His editorial:

“It was over eight years ago that we formed the Sevier Citizens for Clean Air and Water to fight a coal-burning power plant proposed in our county. While our principle reasons for stopping the plant remain — protecting our air, water, health and quality of life — one significant change has emerged in those eight years. It is the growing transformation of energy markets.

“Many states, utilities, municipalities and energy providers across the country are avoiding new coal-fired power plants for many valid reasons. Chief among them is that coal will always be the dirtiest source of energy. If the pollution doesn’t go out the stack, it goes into the fly ash. Either way, it’s a problem that never goes away. And because of growing concern over greenhouse gas emissions, pending climate legislation in Congress, and the realization that fossil fuels are finite, many energy providers are reluctant to add more coal to their portfolios. Moreover, the cost of constructing such plants has skyrocketed.

“This all spells huge financial risks that are difficult for both ratepayers and financial institutions to swallow. Which is why approximately 100 of more than 150 new coal-fired plants proposed during the Bush administration have either been shelved indefinitely or permanently. It is also why the market for new coal-based power is quickly shrinking.

“California law forbids new coal-fired power to be sold there. Las Vegas and Nevada power markets are also off the table, with a 1,500-megawatt plant and a 1,600-megawatt plant put on indefinite hold this year while power providers find ways to capitalize on Nevada’s substantial geothermal and solar resources. And the CEO of Arizona Public Service, which serves the Phoenix and Tucson markets, said recently that new coal-based energy does not fit into its business plan. Instead, the APC is planning to exploit that state’s immense solar power potential.

“New Mexico is also planning commercial-scale solar and wind projects while deciding what to do with the proposed 1,500-megawatt Desert Rock plant, a potentially huge polluter opposed by Gov. Bill Richardson. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and Excel Energy have also made clean renewable energy a growing part of that state’s energy portfolio and economy.

“Utah’s largest electrical power providers, Rocky Mountain Power and the Utah Association of Municipal Power Systems, have shelved plans for any new coal projects, including the proposed Intermountain Power Unit No. 3 near Delta.

“At the same time, wind, solar and geothermal technologies, coupled with energy efficiency, have improved at light speed, making them much more cost-effective. States all around the West are announcing renewable-energy projects nearly every week, along with new manufacturing facilities, bringing the promise of long-term, good-paying jobs.

“These dramatic market changes beg the question: Where does Sevier Power Co. hope to sell 270 megawatts of dirty coal-based power? No one knows. But without some type of power-purchase agreement, the ability to secure financing for a $700 million plant in today’s economy is tantamount to applying for a $200,000 mortgage without a job.

“After eight long years, Sevier County is wasting precious resources over a plant that has little or no market and is no closer to moving one shovel of dirt. SPC’s air permit has been appealed all the way to the Utah Supreme Court. The transfer of precious water needed for cooling the plant has not been approved due to more than 100 separate appeals. The company has no permit to store the coal ash and no permit from the county to build the plant because SPC has never filed the necessary paperwork. If it does, and the county planning commission approves the permit, SPC will still need approval from Sevier County voters, thanks to last fall’s successful citizens’ ballot measure.

“Where does this leave our county in the changing energy markets? Stagnant. As long as we continue to wrangle over this proposed coal plant, alternative energy prospects will remain at bay. In effect, the SPC plant represents 270 megawatts of lost opportunity that could otherwise be utilized to attract clean energy and clean jobs to our region.

“It’s time for SPC to swallow its losses and move on. We don’t want this plant. What we do want is clean energy, clean jobs and a healed community.”

Theater expanding(?)

The number one business people ask about is whether there are new plans to bring more movie theaters to the area.

Plans are underway to expand Richfield’s Huish Reel Theater into a tri-plex. The balcony will become one theater, with the downstairs to be split into two theaters.

Folks across the area are crossing their fingers, while the project awaits final financing arrangements.

The economy: How will national and statewide issues effect Central Utah?

Many wonder about the future of our local economy. Locally, things seem to have stabilized, with reductions in sales having already taken place and now appearing to have leveled off. Some local businesses have expanded their offerings, some are expanding their Internet offerings to draw in a wider audience, while others have cut back in some areas.

However, there are concerns that the state and national economy could effect our local area in months ahead. Ideal Living has pulled together economic statistics from a variety of sources to explore these concerns.

Utah’s economy lost 52,600 jobs — 4.2 percent of the state’s employment base — over the past year. Approximately 82,400 Utahns were unemployed in July, increasing the state’s jobless rate to 6 percent. That’s up from 47,300 in the same month in 2008, when the state’s unemployment rate was only 3.4 percent, according to the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

Further, the number of Utah families relying on food stamps has increased to over 86,000 households, providing low-income families with limited amounts of money for food each month. To qualify, families must earn lower than 125% of the poverty level for their family to qualify. Wages in Central Utah — and larger families — have historically led to a higher proportion of food stamps issued to households in our area.

Yet housing issues remain a major concern for the economy.

Utah was fifth worst in the nation this summer for the number of households on the verge of losing their homes, with foreclosure filings rising 6.42 percent over the preceding month. The escalating foreclosure crisis continued to outpace government efforts to limit the damage.

As banks unload their many foreclosed properties, home prices continue to fall, even after three years of price drops throughout the U.S. housing market. These price drops are having impacts on the actual wealth of Americans, and may continue to have further impacts in the future.

Utah’s home-price appreciation, among the highest in the country three years ago, is now sixth-worst among all states. Home values dropped 11.6 percent from the second quarter 2008 to the second quarter 2009, according to a report issued by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a government entity that tracks state values based on appraisals made during home purchases. Nationwide, 46 states are experiencing declines in home-prices. St. George is one of the worst spots in country, with a second wave of foreclosures now sweeping through the area.

The situation has gotten so bad the Germany’s national bank has formally warned investors to beware the United States’ deteriorating economic situation. Deutsche Bank predicts that the percentage of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their house is worth will nearly double to 48 percent in 2011 — from 26 percent at the end of March — which they believe will lead to another downturn.

Home price declines will have their biggest impact on loans that meet guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. “Prime conforming loans” make up two-thirds of mortgages, and are typically less risky because of their stringent requirements. Yet, of prime conforming loans, 41 percent will be “underwater” by the first quarter of 2011, up from 16 percent at the end of the first quarter 2009.

Forty-six percent of prime jumbo loans will be larger than their properties’ value, up from 29 percent, which make up 13 percent of the total market.

The drop in home prices is fueling a downward spiral of foreclosures as homeowner equity disappears, giving borrowers an incentive to walk away from their mortgages, as homeowners fear their homes will never regain the value of their original mortgages.

Homeowners with the riskiest mortgages during the housing boom have seen the largest drops in equity. They include subprime loans, of which a shocking 69 percent will be underwater in 2011, up from 50 percent in March.

Of option adjustable-rate mortgages — which cut payments by allowing principal balances to rise — 89 percent will be underwater in 2011, up from 77 percent.

In the past, the U.S. economy has seen “jobless” recoveries, where the economy picked up even though unemployment did not decrease. Can there be a “homeless” recovery in the future?

Many are asking, is there help on the way? Yes, at least for the short term. Statewide, Utah is expecting about $1.7 billion in grants and economic stabilization funds from the federal government, and another $2 billion dollars anticipated to remain in the state as a result of a federal tax cuts.

Permit revoked for IPP3, while concerns for coal plant pollution grow

As reported previously, the air quality permit for planned coal-fired power plant IPP3 has been formally revoked. The permit, along with Sevier Power’s permit, had been challenged in the Utah Supreme Court for several reasons, including an unexplained extension granted by the Division of Air Quality. Normally, permits are only valid for 3 years and only extended if construction on the plant has actually begun.

Dr. Brian Moench, a physician at LDS Hospital and former instructor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, and president of the respected group, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, emailed to pass on a recent medical study which highlights little understood health impacts of coal-fired power plants. Beyond the risks of coal plant microparticulates — which cause 26,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone — a study in India has found a link between nearby coal-fired power plants and numerous birth defects.

The study found that living near coal-fired power plants caused poisoning in children from mercury, which has been well established in the past as coal plants release huge quantities of mercury from deep within the earth into the air and surrounding environment where people and animals live. A recent U.S. study checked a fish from a hundred sources across the country and found that virtually all of them — every one — had mercury poisoning. Mercury accumulates in animals (and people) and is cumulatively toxic, causing a variety of mental problems and handicaps, as well as miscarriages.

Yet the India study also found enormous amounts of uranium poisoning in children. The toxic radioactive mineral is found naturally in coal, but is also released in concentrated form into the air and in ash storage facilities, gradually accumulating in the surrounding area, including ground water supplies. The article states, “The situation became worse … if ash was used as a construction material or as a filling material for roads.”

The study found a link between living near coal-fired power plants, subsequent uranium poisoning, and increases in a wide array of handicaps, including retardation, hydrocephaly, microcephaly, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and many other serious health complications and birth defects.

Dr. Moench said, “Copies of this article should be distributed throughout Sevier County.” Here is the link to the article, in leading British newspaper, the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/30/india-punjab-children-uranium-pollution

Los 5 Amigos opens

After a delay of some years, owners of a popular Mexican restaurant in Ephraim have now opened a new restaurant in Richfield. The family patriarch reportedly had some health problems which led to the delays.

Regardless, Los 5 Amigos is now open on 300 North, inside a former quickie mart. The restaurant serves authentic, New Mexico-style cuisine, and features a daily lunch special.

When asked what their secret for success was, a family member said, “We’ve found that people like lots of melted cheddar cheese.”

If you haven’t already, be sure to try them out soon!

Citizens urged to take health precautions as fires darken skies

Fire fighters continue to gain on the several fires clouding local skies, though they are expected to burn for at least several more days. For the latest updates, visit www.utahfireinfo.gov.

During the previous Milford Flat fire, Ideal Living issued a health warning to everyone to be keenly aware of any heart attack or stroke symptoms over the coming month.

Smoke is actually particles of soot. Although the particles are small, they can be very sharp. Such “microparticulates” can be inhaled into the lungs where they pass directly into the blood stream. Larger, hardened pieces of fat can be cut loose by the micro-particles. The pieces of fat can then travel through the bloodstream for several weeks; if they block an artery leading to the heart, it causes a heart attack, or if they block an artery leading to the brain, they cause a stroke.

During a stroke or heart attack, seconds count. Immediately take an aspirin (real aspirin, not tylenol; aspirin is a blood thinner) and seek emergency medical attention. Over the coming weeks, be especially aware of any of the following signs in yourself or others:

- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
- Discomfort in the chest or upper body
- Shortness of breath without chest discomfort
- Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders)
- No normal breathing (for at least five seconds)
- Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness

Our dear friend died unexpectedly from a stroke 3 weeks after the previous Milford Flat Fire. Could an aspirin have saved their life? Please do not let yourself or others you love become a statistic.

Albertsons prepares for change in ownership; Employees kept in dark

Albertsons has sold most of its Utah stores — including the Richfield store — to Associated Food Stores, which is also the owner of the Richfield Lin’s supermarket. The conversion is slated for the end of September.

Employees at Albertsons say they have little or no information about what will happen with the transfer — and will face job interviews to see if they will retain their current positions. Rand Mickelson, spokesman for Associated Food, says that interviews will be handled locally, and that the expectation is that the marjority — if not all — employees will retain their jobs.

Even the future name of the Utah stores has not been announced. Some say there was a plan originally to call each store a different name based on its location, which has been replaced with a plan to brand all stores with the same name, but no one seems to know for sure.

Local shoppers are concerned that their food choices will be limited by the changes, and that local food prices may rise. Albertsons’ private label foods will be replaced by Associated Foods’ private label, Western Family. Associated Foods distributes foods in markets that range from the high-end to the down-home. Mickelson said, “If anything, prices are likely to go down rather than up.”

No big sales are said to be expected during the transition, as Albertsons products will reportedly be sent to be sold at other Albertsons stores.

Regardless, most Albertsons and Lins employees seem optimistic about the change. One thing is sure: you better get your Albertsons hot chocolate chip cookies and crusty french bread now, while they are still available in Richfield.

Texting while driving + accident = 15 years in prison; Texting + no accident = 3 months in prison

A new study has found that drivers sending/recieving text messages are 23 times more likely to crash while driving.

That’s right: texting while driving raises your crash risk by 2,300 percent. For more on the study, which videotaped 100+ truck drivers for 18 months, click here: http://tinyurl.com/kjkq88 .

And Utah officials are not going to permit texting any more.

Utah now has the strictest limits and harshest laws on texting-while-driving in the nation. As the New York Times put it:

“The new law, which took effect in May, penalizes a texting driver who causes a fatality as harshly as a drunken driver who kills someone. In effect, a crash caused by such a multitasking motorist is no longer considered an ‘accident’ like one caused by a driver who, say, runs into another car because he nodded off at the wheel. Instead, such a crash would now be considered inherently reckless…

“Under Utah’s law, someone caught texting and driving now faces up to three months in jail and up to a $750 fine, a misdemeanor. If they cause injury or death, the punishment can grow to a felony and up to a $10,000 fine and 15 years in prison.” (More info here: http://tinyurl.com/lubhhr ).

Is this a problem locally? We at Ideal Living were nearly run off Main Street by a teen texting while driving a brand new car — who remained completely oblivious to anything but their text messaging until they stopped at a red light at 300 North — in the middle of the intersection. If the other drivers had not been alert, someone could have easily died.

Further, given the sloping shoulders on our country roads, there are numerous accidents and fatalities on Central Utah roads. Nearly all accident reports read the same: “Driver 1 was distracted, driving off onto the shoulder. Driver 1 over-corrected, the car rolled and…” The fatalities, impacts with other cars, and injuries are described next.

This text message is clear: Don’t text while driving. And, don’t send text messages to someone driving.

Planning Commission wants to exclude citizens from decisions

At their August meeting, the appointed members of the Sevier County Planning Commission considered whether they should prevent local citizens from being able to appeal any of their decisions.

Larry Hanson, Planning and Zoning Administrator, read the rule allowing the appeals process to the Planning Commission and requested a change to nullify the possibility of any future appeals.

Currently, within a limited time, citizens can make an appeal to the County Commission about Planning Commission decisions.

Several members agreed that the current rule does allow for local citizens to mount protests, since property values can be effected by Planning Commission’s decisions near and far. But, warming to Hanson’s proposal, they said they would like to do away with the appeals process and thus save themselves from hassle and embarrassment, except perhaps for adjacent property owners and the applicants themselves.

A member of the commission suggested that such a move could violate the United States Constitution. Larry Hanson replied that he had also noticed that, so they would need to be careful in how they wrote the new rule to block citizens from appealing Planning Commission decisions.

The members then stated that rather than face possible future embarrassment by passing the change immediately, they would have a work session to discuss the matter further September 9, 2009, beginning at 6 pm.

The move to do away with the public appeals process is believed to have been sparked by an altercation in a previous meeting. Reportedly, an applicant appeared at a recent meeting unannounced and requested a large project, which some observers fear may be a cover for hazardous or nuclear waste handling or disposal in the county. Regardless, Planning Commission members quickly agreed to sign a long-term contract on behalf of the County with the man — who is now said to be a felon.

The Commission was reportedly preparing to sign the contract, when a local citizen at the meeting complained that the Commission members did not have the authority to make such a move. In response, the citizen was threatened with arrest for interfering. In the end, the Planning Commission did not sign the contract.