Utah just got tangled up with Mr. Wonderful
So here's the thing about Utah — we tend to fly a little under the radar, especially when it comes to national media. Then something like this drops, and suddenly you’ve got Kevin O'Leary, aka "Mr. Wonderful" from *Shark Tank*, on national television, accusing Utah organizations of being "proxies for the Chinese government." All because they're pushing back on a data center project up in Box Elder County. Yeah, no, that's not the kind of attention we usually get, and it's definitely got people here scratching their heads, wondering how we got caught in this particular crosswind.
What's Happening
* **The Accusation:** Kevin O'Leary claimed on Fox Business that Utah groups opposing a proposed data center in Box Elder County are "proxies for the Chinese government." He didn’t mince words, suggesting they're working to halt American infrastructure.
* **The Project:** The data center in question is a massive development slated for Box Elder County, which, if you're not from here, is just north of Ogden, a stretch of land that's been eyed for a lot of industrial growth lately.
* **The Pushback:** Local environmental groups and community advocates have raised concerns about the data center's potential impact on air quality, water usage (which is a perennial hot topic here, as you know), and overall environmental strain. They’re worried about more haze over the Wasatch Front and less water in the taps, especially with the Great Salt Lake already struggling.
It’s a pretty wild accusation to level at local groups, especially in a state where community involvement and advocacy are pretty foundational. These aren't shadowy foreign operatives; these are often your neighbors concerned about the air they breathe and the water they drink. It feels like a stretch to connect concerns about local environmental impact to some grand geopolitical scheme. That's the Crossroads, friends — greatest snow on earth and the weirdest liquor laws, and now apparently, a magnet for international intrigue over data centers.
Bryce Christiansen, MiTL Sports Desk, Salt Lake City.
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