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Supporters Want Lake Powell Pipeline Application Extended Again

Judy Fahys / KUER
The Lake Powell Pipeline would serve fast-growing southwestern Utah, including St. George (shown here). Critics say the billion-dollar-plus project would cost too much, and it could be avoided with water conservation.

The state agency behind the Lake Powell Pipeline proposal is asking for more time to provide key information to federal regulators.

The Utah Division of Water Resources says its water-use data won’t be ready until early next year. It’s also told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it needs two more weeks to show how it plans to cover the pipeline's billion-dollar-plus cost.

Critics say the pipeline’s cost has been understated and southeastern Utah’s need for the water is overstated.

The state’s been planning the pipeline for over a decade.

Judy Fahys has reported in Utah for two decades, covering politics, government and business before taking on environmental issues. She loves covering Utah, where petroleum-pipeline spills, the nation’s radioactive legacy and other types of pollution provide endless fodder for stories. Previously, she worked for the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah, and reported on the nation’s capital for States News Service and the Scripps League newspaper chain. She is a longtime member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors. She also spent an academic year as a research fellow in the Knight Science Journalism program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In her spare time, she enjoys being out in the environment, especially hiking, gardening and watercolor painting.
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