A conspiracy theory about “chemtrails” — a debunked claim that airplanes are secretly spraying toxic chemicals into the sky — has found its way into the Utah State Legislature through a new bill that criminalizes certain forms of atmospheric modification.
Sen. Ronald Winterton, R-Roosevelt, introduced SB126, which blocks “the release of chemicals or substances from an aircraft” used in “weather geoengineering.”
Winterton’s bill does not directly reference “chemtrails,” which is a conspiracy theory that water vapor coming from jet planes is actually toxic chemicals or biological agents being sprayed into the atmosphere for nefarious purposes such as behavior control.
"Vapor trails are different from chemtrails. And that is what we are targeting," Winterton said in a text message.
He says several of his constituents approached him about running the bill, which he believes addresses an urgent problem.
"(On) days that you have blue skies, especially away from the cities, it's very evident what is going on," Winterton said.
Geoengineering is an experimental idea to modify the atmosphere to mitigate climate change impacts. For instance, scientists theorize that spraying sulfur particles into the air could help cool the planet by reflecting sunlight.
The proposed legislation makes it a third-degree felony to disperse chemicals for “solar radiation management” or weather modification over Utah, but carves out an exception for cloud seeding.
The legislation empowers the public to report suspected geoengineering cases to the Utah Department of Transportation. If any are found credible, the department is required to notify the Utah Attorney General’s office.
Last year, Tennessee lawmakers approved a ban on the “intentional injection, release, or dispersion” of chemicals into the atmosphere. This year, Republicans in Arizona, Mississippi, and Wyoming have introduced similar legislation.
(This story has been updated to include comments from Sen. Winterton.)
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