Debate is today on watchdog bill

A bill that would establish an oversight committee to track the federal government's doings throughout the state will have a public discussion today in the Capitol.

The Senate Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development committee is scheduled to hear SB181, which would set up the "Federal Research Committee" to check on federal installations and programs.

A goal of the group would be to check "the impact of federal programs and installations in or pertaining to Utah on Utah citizens' health and public safety," in the language of the measure, sponsored by Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City.

Davis said his bill is prompted by pressures from above-ground testing of nuclear weapons, storage of nuclear waste, testing of pathogens at Dugway, and the discussion around preserving Hill Air Force Base.

State agencies would help the committee, which could report to or make recommendations to federal agencies on its findings.

Steve Erickson, director of the watchdog group Citizens Education Project, said he supports the proposal because it would help the state keep current on activities at places like Dugway Proving Ground.

Dugway is the 800,000-acre Army base in the western Utah desert where defenses against biological and chemical warfare agents are tested. This necessitates the use of small portions of the agents, which are investigated inside sealed chambers in a test facility.

According to Erickson, when three new biological test labs were proposed for Dugway, he was the only person who commented on the plans.

"No one seems to be aware of what's going on at Dugway these days, including apparently . . . the state government," he said.

"People are unaware of projects and programs that could have potential impacts on the state and upon its citizens," he said.

Asked what sort of impacts those could be, he replied that if all went well, there would be no impacts. But if a problem happened at a biological testing facility, "it could have enormous impacts," Erickson said. "People could wind up with exposure to some of the world's deadliest pathogens."

That is not likely, he emphasized, but it's always a possibility, "and we should at least be paying attention to those potentials."

Erickson did not think the committee would be able to take action to block any federal project because the federal government has supremacy, but said it would be useful to keep people informed.

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com