Turnaround, by Mitt Romney: on Environment

Lit mountain with Olympic rings while placating enviro’s

They charged the installation would damage ground cover. I described our precautions: the whole program had been environmentally engineered to protect the land. We agreed to re-grade the dirt road. We also agreed to plant seed when we were through. We agreed to pay $25,000 to the Nature Conservancy endowment. The environmental groups still said no. If it were not for the courage of the Mayor standing up to some constituents, we might not have prevailed. That and the generosity of Utah Power. They bought 1000s of bulbs and their own workers installed it.

The rings were a signature of the overall look of the Games. We even had requests from the community that we illuminate the rings in the morning so commuters could enjoy the Olympic spirit.