Along that route, municipalities fell like dominoes before the freight train of the $4.1 billion RMP project. Some acquiesced quietly. Others put up as much resistance as they could. The Willard City Council actually had the chutzpa to deny RMP a conditional use permit last year. The power company immediately sued the tiny town. In the end, RMP got what it wanted.
Given that context, we applaud the stand taken by the Tooele County Planning Commission last week in turning down RMP’s request for a conditional use permit to build its Mona-to-Oquirrh transmission line project through the county.
Planning commissioners could have seen their vote as inconsequential in stopping the RMP juggernaut. To their credit, however, they instead pushed the company to provide specific plans on how it would mitigate negative impacts. When RMP failed to provide those plans, the planning commission denied the permit request — an important step in building a documented trail of public and private opposition to the project.
There are many good reasons to oppose RMP’s route: It will destroy one of the most beautiful hillsides in the Tooele Valley. It will likely pose health, safety and environmental risks. It will lower property values. And it asks all this from our valley for a project primarily designed to supply the power needs of the Salt Lake Valley.
If you want a glimpse into the “inevitable” future RMP has planned for the Tooele Valley, head on up to Brigham City, where the company is currently stringing lines between monstrous rust-colored poles along a once-pristine hillside. The Tooele County Planning Commission rejected that vision for our valley last week. Now RMP will appeal that decision to the Tooele County Commission, which we hope will take a similar stand.
The odds against us may be long, but that doesn’t mean we should ever give up this fight.
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