This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
"Not in my back yard."
Who has the right to demand that anymore? In these days of rampant oil and gas exploration, very few.
The CEO of ExxonMobil and a few noteworthy neighbors are trying to say that in a complicated lawsuit regarding their upscale Texas ranch neighborhoods and the installation of a water tower plus increased truck traffic fundamental to fracking in the area ("Exxon CEO Profits Huge As America's Largest Natural Gas Producer, But Frack In His Own Backyard And He Sues!" Forbes, Feb. 22).
I wish I had several million dollars to fund a lawsuit against the oil companies and the wells, pipelines and truck traffic that will cause irreparable damage to land, air and water in my neighborhood.
Better still, perhaps the nearly 1 million annual visitors to Moab, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Dead Horse Point State Park could each donate $10 to a legal defense fund to preserve the amazing wild lands and rivers where they have come to indulge in a wealth of experiences.
For American visitors and concerned locals who live here, we have a big stake in protecting this area. We taxpayers own it. To stop the abuse, we must act. Conservation voices, rise above those of the rapacious profiteers. We must protect Greater Canyonlands.
Shout..."Not in our back yard!"
Carol Mayer
Moab