O₂ Utah Calls on Gov. Cox to Return Campaign Donation From Parent Company of US Magnesium

O₂ Utah is calling on Governor Spencer Cox to return a $50,000 campaign contribution(1) from one of the state's biggest polluters. The Renco Group, the parent company of US Magnesium, made this significant donation to Governor Cox's re-election campaign just days before the Utah Air Quality Board approved a newly lowered penalty for years of polluting our state.(2) Members of the Air Quality Board and the DEQ director are all appointed by the governor.

These violations involved surpassing emission limits for harmful pollutants, failing to submit reports, and intentionally neglecting to conduct tests on machinery. One study found that US Magnesium could be responsible for increasing our winter-time inversion up of 25%.

"Clean air and holding polluters accountable is a non-partisan issue. The timing of the settlement aligning with a significant contribution to Governor Cox's campaign is a terrible look," said Eliza Cowie, O₂ Utah policy director. "We can't have companies getting off the hook for polluting our air, harming Utahns' health, and making massive campaign donations at the same time. To show Utahns that he is on their side, we are calling on Governor Cox to return the campaign donation."

A spokesperson for the governor said, "The governor has no control over who chooses to contribute to his campaign." While that may be true, the governor absolutely can decide who he accepts donations from.

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(1)https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2024/02/16/us-magnesium-avoided-paying/
(2)https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/09/13/utah-settles-with-us-magnesium/

O₂ Utah is an environmental nonprofit whose mission is to clean our state's air and eliminate our contributions to climate change through elections and policy. Donate today to support our work and clean Utah's air.