Lawmakers Want Fees to Pay for Environmental Lawsuits

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) State and local officials are beginning to worry that costly environmental lawsuits could stall the Mountain View Corridor like they did the Legacy Parkway. KCPW's Julie Rose reports:

Utah taxpayers are poised to spend billions of dollars over the next decade building the Mountain View Corridor and expanding I-15 in Utah County. They may also spend millions more on delayed construction if those projects get tied up in court by environmental groups. State Senator Sheldon Killpack thinks Utahns need to know exactly what those costs are:

"The amount that costs us is phenomenal," says Killpack. "And for the citizens it's like health care insurance. When you're shielded from the actual costs, you never really care about them."

Delays from the environmental lawsuit over Legacy Parkway cost more than 200-million dollars, according to UDOT. The same environmental groups are now threatening a lawsuit over the proposed Mountain View Corridor along Salt Lake County's West side. Senator Killpack wants Utahns to pay an extra fee to cover those costs. West Valley City Mayor and county Council of Government's chair Dennis Nordfelt agrees:

"I would be in favor of saying, okay every one now pays $20 more on their vehicle registration because of the cost of these delays. Something like that to communicate to the taxpayer the cost of these kinds of delays," says Nordfelt.

UDOT will hold three public hearings on the Mountain View Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Statement this week.

-Wednesday, Nov. 14, 4 - 8 p.m., Hunter High School, West Valley City;
-Thursday, Nov. 15, 4 - 8 p.m., Willow Creek Middle School, Lehi;
-Saturday, Nov. 17, 2 - 6 p.m., Copper Hills High School, West Jordan.

The DEIS will be available for review at the public hearings. It is also available on the project Web site, www.udot.utah.gov/mountainview, or at local libraries. Library locations are listed on the project Website. Comments on the DEIS may also be submitted through Jan. 24, 2008 via:

·The project Web site: www.udot.utah.gov/mountainview.
·E-mail: mountainview@utah.gov
·Mail: Mountain View Corridor, C/O Parsons Brinckerhoff, 488 E. Winchester St., Suite 400, Murray, Utah 84107
·Phone: (800) 596-2556

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom, Legislative Coverage, and 2007 Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW