Hit: Mineral Water
There's good news for the Great Salt Lake—at least in the short-term. Compass Minerals will pause its lithium mining project amid concerns about effects on the lake, the Standard-Examiner reports. Lithium—used in batteries, including EVs—is probably the most valuable commodity on the planet, with "green energy" at the forefront. The problem is how to extract this product without leaving behind ecological disasters. And while there's a lot of it in the world, extracting it from either saltwater brine or igneous rock isn't easy. Mining lithium takes a lot of water—thousands of gallons a minute. While the Legislature is trying to make rules around extraction, it's far from a solution. But at least for now, the lake has been given a reprieve.
Miss: Don't Hold Your Breath
While lithium mining is on hold, bad air in the Salt Lake Valley is not. The Deseret News quoted Celeste Maloy, the presumptive winner of Rep. Chris Stewart's congressional seat, saying this: "Either we need to be mining our minerals, or we have decided that national security is not important to us, and we're willing to take a nosedive on our economy because we can't produce the things that are necessary for the lifestyle to grow accustomed to." So, public health be damned. The DNews just ran a story about air pollution-related heart attacks in summer and winter seasons, with more residents seeking care when fine particulate levels are high. The Salt Lake Tribune took up bad air in a front-page story about Salt Lake's west-siders long being doomed to bad air and bad health. It's obvious that everyone knows the problem, but the willingness to solve it is dampened significantly by the economic engines that run the state.
Miss: Campaign Bills
Every day we see another politician leaving office out of frustration. The public's work isn't getting done. So the question is why anyone would want to hold political office. The answer could be seen in recent disclosures from people like Attorney General Sean Reyes and Congressman Burgess Owens: It's the money, stupid. The Salt Lake Tribune is trying to get more information on Reyes' heavy spending on resorts, domestic and international trips and—like Trump's boys—hunting excursions, much of which Reyes says are from his campaign funds. Campaigns are apparently expensive propositions, as Owens has paid his daughter some $150,000 since 2019 for "consulting," including social media. His daughter does not appear to have any particular credentials, but Owens says she's "a brilliant woman who has been rightfully compensated for her service to my campaign." It costs next to nothing to write those tweets. But KUER notes that Owens additionally has spent some $2.6 million on consulting. If you can get it, it's a pretty good gig.
