Utah finally has an environmental quality leader

Amanda Smith was confirmed Wednesday as Utah Department of Environmental Quality director. (FILE PHOTO / The Salt Lake Tribune)

The Utah Senate on Wednesday confirmed Amanda Smith to be executive director of the Department of Environmental Quality, nearly four months after she was nominated by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and nearly 10 months after her predecessor stepped down.

The confirmation lands Smith in the crossfire of some of the state's most contentious debates, including helping to shape state policy regarding climate change, overseeing the disposal of radioactive waste and managing the state's air and water pollution programs.

Smith had served as director of government affairs for The Nature Conservancy, an organization created to protect sensitive lands, and later as director of legislative affairs for Huntsman. She replaces Rick Sprott as director of DEQ.

"This has been a long process," acknowledged Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse. "We wanted to do the due diligence ourselves and she has handled herself with class and dignity."

-- Robert Gehrke