Corporate Responsibility

Peter McMahon | president, Kennecott Land

Point of View: Kennecott Land is moving in the right direction to take responsibility for its actions that will
significantly affect this entire valley for a long time to come; it is our duty to support it.

By DUSTIN TYLER JOYCE | URBPL 2010 | THURSDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2004
OMETIMES I WISH I could go around the city with my back turned toward its west side. Or at least that I
could see this valley the way it was before. Before Kennecott Utah Copper used the east slopes of the
Oquirrh Mountains as the dumping ground for the slag and other refuse from its Bingham Canyon
Mine. I find the slag piles to be a hideous eyesore. In fact, I find the entire mine itselfhowever impressive in
its size and superhuman scaleto be a scar on the face of nature.
Granted, sometimes, albeit rarely, such scars are necessary, though usually not near and in sight of a
major city. And, if they are on that rare occasion necessary, they offer some sort of value that outweighs the
toll they take. However, Kennecotts scar is not in that category. The companys economic and other
contributions to this community have been important, but not overwhelming, and have been constantly called
into question as of late with persistent rumors about an imminent closure of the mine.
To be fair, however, I must also lament that most of our cities are such a scar. They are, also,
impressive in size, yet they are superhuman in scale, dwarfing the individual in endless sprawl and built
primarily to accommodate a nonhuman (and, with the exception of its horsepower, non-animal) machine, the
car. Yet, ironically, in building more on our city, Kennecott Utah Copper through its Kennecott Land
subsidiary has the opportunity to make beautiful and humane and sustainable and ultimately acceptable a piece
of land in South Jordan near the companys eternal mark of existenceits scaron the side of the Oquirrhs.
Kennecott Lands goals in association with this project and others it will build on the developable
portion of the 93,000 acres it ownshalf the remaining developable land in the Salt Lake Valleyare lofty:
In 100 years, our communities on Salt Lake Valleys West Bench will be a model of sustainable
development. The introduction of the company on its Web site, www.kennecottland.com, continues:

With this new challenge comes a huge sense of responsibility created by our history of working and
living in this community. Kennecott Land is responsible for the largest remaining contiguous land
holding in the Salt Lake Valley. And with significant growth expected here over the next 30 years,
Kennecott Land will play an essential role in meeting the future needs of this community.

And lofty these goals should be! After all, anyone who controls that much land should have a higher
sense of responsibility and stewardship toward it and the larger community that it will undoubtedly and
significantly impact. Further, to achieve results of the highest quality and to establish a long, respectable legacy
that is a model for others, goals must be set high; otherwise, a company disables itself and its projects before
they even get off the ground.
But once a company has established responsible and sustainable goals, the responsibility devolves
upon us, the consumers, to support it. The public often laments how much developers and other private
interests drive the market and have created so much of the sprawl we live in today. Yet these same
complainers seem to be forgetting that America is a capitalist nationconsumers drive the economy and, in
turn, what is built and how it is built. In short, as I often say, for every $250,000 house we buy in a sprawling
suburban subdivision, we are saying we support such unsustainable development to at least the amount of a
quarter of a million dollars. Examples of such abound, and examples of consumers supporting the private
sector when it does take responsibility for ensuring a sustainable future are few and far between, especially
when such responsibility leads to higher costs in the short term.
Ultimately, corporate responsibility is about a sort of teamwork. And on a team individuals must
sacrifice some of their personal ambitions for the greater good and desires of the team. All who will shape the
future of our valley and our nation are a part of a team. It is our responsibility as corporations and as citizens
to sacrifice some of our personal wants for the greater good of a viable, sustainable future.
S