Geneva Works in Utah County plays an important role in supplying the western tin market. That role stands to be substantially reduced if legislation introduced in the Utah House of Representatives is passed.
The measure (H.B. 102) appears well-meaning from the standpoint of a clean environment, but it is ill conceived in the light of vital economic factors and ought to be defeated or permanently shelved.
Sponsored by five Salt Lake representatives, it would require dealers and distributors to accept reusable beverage containers and pay a minimum refund value, prohibit use of metal containers with detachable openings, and require certification of containers of uniform design so they can be reused.
Obviously, the program would curtail use of beverage cans.
The bill is patterned after one being tried in Oregon. The Oregon measure, designed to curb littering, went into effect last October and according to on article in Wall Street Journal it is encountering considerable criticism.
Certainly we need to be environment-minded and every practicable approach should be made to solving the litterbug problem. But approaches that adversely affect industries and payrolls vital to our economy should be rejected.
Top Geneva Steel management and union officials comprising the company’s productivity committee have urged Utah legislators to reject H.B. 102. The Provo Chamber of Commerce and Provo City have taken a stand against it.
Figures obtained from U.S. Steel sources illustrate how vital beverage can use is to the Geneva plant’s production. The total tinplate market in the western area amounted to 1,230,000 tons in 1971. A million tons of this were from domestic production and U.S. Steel participation totaled 435,000 tons (mainly from Geneva) amounting to 43.5 per cent.
Other figures: 34 per cent of U.S.S. tinplate went into beverage cans, with the Geneva output for beverage cans totaling 148,000 tons amounting to the equivalent of 185,00 tons of coils and 223,000 tons of ingots.
To produce that steel, 5,161 man months of employment were required at Geneva plus 458 man months at the coal and iron mines in Utah, representing about $6,750,000 in wages, according to the Geneva figures. Incidentally, the plant has a recycling program for used cans gathered and submitted by Boy Scouts, school groups, and others.
Let’s seek always to find legitimate ways to push the “clean environment” program. But let’s also protect and support the industries that provide employment vital to our economy. House Bill 102 does not meet this test.