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Letter: The inland port is an example of destructive growth

(Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo) Deeda Seed with the Center for Biological Diversity discusses various locations of the proposed inland port, Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

I agree with Robert Gehrke’s column about the inland port. The protestors hurt their cause with their aggressive actions. However, the hubbub around the violence obscures a larger point.

The inland port is a classic example of state elites forging ahead on an unpopular and environmentally destructive project, and it’s just a symptom of a troubling mindset: unrestrained growth. Urban sprawl covers most of the Wasatch Front and it forces Utahns to accumulate back problems and asthma as we sit in traffic and breathe dirty air.

The way I see it, we have two options. One consists of continued sprawl, with the inland port, endless parking lots and air pollution included. The other option features walkable, compact neighborhoods and inclusive public spaces, all based on a clean-energy economy that benefits our health and our environment.

Seems like an easy choice to me.

Anders Hart, Millcreek

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