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House approves substitute to limit landfill siting around key watersheds after heated debate
Summary
The House passed a substitute to House Bill 2 48 restricting landfill siting and asserting stronger local input to protect drinking-water watersheds; supporters argued for watershed protection, opponents warned of retroactivity, constitutional risk, and bypassing appeals processes.
The House considered a substitute to House Bill 2 48, a measure intended to limit commercial landfills and strengthen local control when projects could threaten drinking-water sources. Representative Eli Anderson, the sponsor, framed the bill as necessary to protect a watershed in northern Utah and preserve long-term drinking-water resources and local impact control.
Debate was strenuous. Opponents, including Representatives from Davis County and others, argued the substitute was retroactive, could be constitutionally challenged, and interfered with decisions already made through public hearings and appeals. "This is a very self serving piece of legislation," one opponent said, urging that appeals and administrative processes be allowed to run. Supporters argued that the watershed and regional water projects (including a referenced $36 million pipeline and purchased wells) merited legislative intervention to protect public resources and local voices.
Representative Anderson closed by stressing the economic and public-health stakes, saying Box Elder County's local water reserves and related infrastructure investments warrant protection and local input. The House passed the substitute and returned the bill to the Senate for further consideration.
