Pub. 3 2020-21 Issue 2

33 • require toxic material and chemical reduction or substitution in consumer products and industrial processes as soon as suitable alternatives can be identified • maintain or expand funding for innovative brownfields redevelopment programs which prioritize serving low-income or otherwise historically disadvantaged communities • continue to engage private partners in voluntary cleanup andmonitoring of potentially contaminated property before resale, redevelopment, or transfer • set policies that help to develop strong local recycling markets in Utah. Levees: D- Levees are instrumental to Utah’s flood control system. There are between 102 and 112 miles of levees statewide with approximately 252 individual segments averaging nearly 60 years old. It’s estimated that over 125,000 residents are protected by the state’s levee infrastructure and the total risk to property should failure occur exceeds $10 billion. In much of the state, limited to no planning exists for emergencies such as levee breaches. Changes to federal flood mapping, which will increase insurance costs, may mean that many owners cannot afford coverage and would therefore not be eligible for federal recovery funding if flooding occurs. Absent available state and federal funding, local municipalities have taken action to address changes in flood mapping and levee deficiencies. Raising the grade for levees is important, and the state has begun to recognize and address that need. Utah needs to: • define, inventory and identify levees across the State of Utah into a single database. Given the forthcoming change in flood mapping, this legislative action should be completed within five years • fully fund the National Levee Safety Program, which would provide more reliable levee systems and funding to provide an integrated approach to protect people and property from floods • assign or further clarify jurisdictional authority or watershed committee at a state level to coordinate levee condition assessments, resources, funding, costs for mitigation, repair, development, and emergency action plans. Require that operation and maintenance plans cover all aspects of a complex regional and statewide levee system • assess levees using updated hydrology and hydraulic analyses that incorporate the impact of urbanization and climate change • increase funding at all levels of government and leverage private funds to address structural and nonstructural solutions that reduce risk to people and property from flooding hazards. • consider alternative funding sources, and other risk reduction measures such as better outreach/education and warning and evacuation systems Roads: B+ Utah has a comprehensive roadway network of approximately 49,290 miles (73% local, 2% Interstate, 25% State), 40% of which are in mediocre or poor condition. For Utah to remain a modern- day crossroads serving extensive freight traffic from regional ports, funding increased from $1.2 billion in 2017 to $1.7 billion in 2020 and major capacity investments continue. Utah also embraces innovation and asserts fiscal leadership through the 2020 institution of a Road Usage Charge (RUC) for electric and hybrid vehicle owners and the 2021 gas tax increase from $0.311 to $0.314 per gallon. Finally, in recent years the state has also streamlined Transportation Asset Management Plans (TAMP) and project risk analysis to preserve roadway infrastructure, increase its adaptability amid extreme events, and maintain its functionality after extreme events occur. With the state’s population projected to increase more than 56 percent by 2050 according to the U.S. Census continued on page 34