Divine Strake - despite the fact that it is not a nuclear weapon -
has raised fears in many Southern Utah residents. The test, proposed
for the Nevada Test Site, would use a 700-ton fuel-oil bomb, reportedly
as part of a program to research the possibility of bunker-buster bombs
for use in the war on terror.
Opponents
make two arguments. One centers on the ground that will be disturbed by
such a large blast. They worry that radioactive soil left over from the
above-ground tests of the 1950s and 1960s will be cast aloft in the
atmosphere and will fall on the area. That is of particular concern for
people who call themselves "Downwinders" because they believe they were
harmed by radiation from those earlier bomb tests.
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The second argument
centers on the fear that this bomb - one heavy enough that it couldn't
actually be carried out by any known weapon - is really a precursor to
renewed nuclear testing in the Nevada desert.
Of course, there are some in the science community who point out
that the amount of radiation that Southern Utah would be exposed to
would be minimal - in fact, less than we receive from other everyday
activities. Their arguments are rational and have some scientific
studies to back up their claims.But this isn't a rational debate,
primarily because the government has been caught lying on issues
related to the test site in the past. Frankly, the government hasn't
done much to earn back that trust.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has led
the state's fight against Divine Strake. He went to the extreme of
ordering the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to conduct
hearings in St. George and Salt Lake City after federal agencies
reversed course and turned public hearings into open houses.
It's
time for the Legislature to get involved. To date, there has been no
resolution against Divine Strake. That could - and should - change. And
the simple reason is economics.
Regardless of whether the bomb is
safe, the perception is that the government is renewing testing in the
Nevada desert. Companies seeking to move to Utah likely will view the
state differently if there is even a hint of testing going on upwind in
Nevada.
That's bad for the state's economy, particularly Southern Utah.
The
Legislature can do something about it by raising its collective voice
in opposition to Divine Strake. Lawmakers are currently in session, and
the language shouldn't be too difficult to resolve on a resolution that
says Utah is tired of being the guinea pig for the federal government.
The Legislature can speak for all of us by passing such a resolution.
thespectrum.com
