This is your rundown of the daily news for Wednesday, July 31. In this edition:
- The Sheep Rock Fire caused a temporary cut off of electricity near Minersville.
- A truck transporting uranium ore across Navajo tribal land was ordered to stop mid-route.
- Utah State University will be holding a test of their Aggie Alert emergency system.
Sheep Rock Fire causes temporary cut off of electricity
As many as 400 customers near the town of Minersville were without power Tuesday night, as a new wildfire broke out in central Utah. The power company temporarily cut off electricity to some nearby areas as a safety precaution.
As of 10 p.m., Utah Wildfire Info said the "Sheep Rock Fire" was estimated at 77 acres, burning in Beaver County and visible from I-15. The cause is under investigation, but officials say it started on private land.
Because of the fire, Rocky Mountain Power "de-energized" facilities based on their proximity to the blaze and the risk of being damaged.
By 9 p.m., all power was restored.
By 10 p.m., Utah Wildfire Info said crews had stopped the fire's forward progress.
Truck transporting uranium ore across Navajo tribal lands ordered to stop
A truck carrying uranium ore across the Navajo Nation Tuesday was being ordered to stop, according to President Buu Nygren, who says the lack of notification about its trip was a blatant disregard for their tribal sovereignty.
The ore is mined on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and is trucked to Utah’s White Mesa Mill for processing. Nygren objected saying the route exposes the Diné people to toxic uranium.
In May, President Biden signed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act. The act phases out Russian uranium imports and then bans them by 2028.
The United States has been importing 35% of its nuclear fuel from Russia, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Utah has been having a uranium resurgence as a result.
Days before President Biden signed the Russian import ban, Nygren signed a resolution asking that uranium no longer be shipped across Navajo tribal lands.
The following story has an update posted August 1, 2024.
USU to test Aggie Alert emergency system
Utah State University will conduct a test of the university’s alert systems, this morning (Wednesday) beginning at 10 a.m.
Campus personnel will receive an Aggie alert by text or email. Also included will be alert messages at the USU website. Because of recent changes in software the Aggie Alert text will come from the new number 89361.
The test is planned to last 10 minutes.
During that 10-minutes campus buildings with keycard access will be temporarily locked. This will not include residence halls. Employees and students are encouraged to plan ahead to minimize inconvenience from the test.
USU’s interim director of Emergency Management Scott Davis said Aggie Alerts are the first line of emergency communication with the campus community. Wednesday’s exercise will identify USU’s current level of emergency communications.
