I recently watched the PBS documentary about the downwinders. It appears the federal government was aware of the health cost associated with the nuclear tests in the 1950s and beyond (although later testing was done underground). The explosions were timed when the wind blew to the less populated areas of the state. At that time, Cedar City reportedly only had about 5,000 people. Those interviewed in this documentary perceived they and/or their relatives, as well as the Native Americans in the region were deemed “expendable” by the federal government.
Now we have an approaching event in which others are being considered “expendable”. The inland port will lead to considerable health consequences for those who live nearby. Those closest to the facility will suffer most, and many of these tend to be among our most vulnerable citizens. This time the perpetrator is not the federal government, but rather our state government. By carving out a Utah Inland Port Authority, many of our legislators are giving the green light to the creation of a major source of pollution for the residents along the Wasatch Front. This will not be a sudden cataclysmic event, but a much slower process. Accommodation for negative health and environmental consequences is not being made. People will die.
It is easy to Google other inland ports in the country. The health consequences are not good; i.e., one study found elementary students attending a school near the railyard in San Bernardino, Calif., showed a 59 % increase in reduced peak expiratory flow, an index of poor lung function. The jobs are not good; i.e., 63% of jobs at the inland port in Elmwood, Ill., are part time and/or temporary through temporary staffing agencies. The Utah Inland Port Authority is not disclosing potential problems to the people of Utah. Transparency has been lacking throughout the planning process. Utah politicians often complain about “federal overreach,” but have little hesitation to overreach themselves. It is time to stop this downward spiral for the health of Utahns living along the Wasatch Front.
Jan Ellen Burton, Salt Lake City