W. Jordan alters soil cleanup rules

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jun 7, 2007 | by Devin Felix Deseret Morning News

The West Jordan City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday placing responsibility for identifying and cleaning up contaminated soils on developers and environmental agencies rather than the city.

The resolution came after arsenic was recently found by developers in a buried ditch that was used by Utah Copper Co. in the 1930s. The ditch was used to take wastewater from operations at Copperton to an impoundment at Magna. The 17-mile ditch began near Copperton, went east to around 7000 West, and then north into what is now West Jordan, West Valley, Kearns and Magna.

West Jordan city code previously required the city to oversee the process of identifying and cleaning up contaminated soil, but city staff members lack the technical expertise to properly oversee the process, said Wendell Rigby, West Jordan director of engineering.

Developers in areas with contaminated soil will now be required to participate in a voluntary cleanup program through the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, because those agencies have the required expertise and the authority to enforce regulations, Rigby said.

"This will require measures that the state doesn't require, but that it really should," Rigby said.

All developers will be required to pay for an investigation that will consist of reviewing background information to determine whether contaminated soil might exist in a proposed development. If that investigation reveals the possibility of contaminated soils, the developer will then be required to enter a second investigation involving the state DEQ, which will confirm whether contaminated soil exists.

When contaminated soil is found, the developer will not be granted development approval from the city until the soil is processed through the DEQ's cleanup program.

Requiring developers to participate in the cleanup program will ensure that the soil meets state and national standards to protect the health of those who work and live nearby, Rigby said.

After the ditch with the arsenic was buried around 1937, Utah Copper and the impoundment were acquired by Kennecott Utah Copper Corp. Kennecott has promised to assist with cleanup.

The arsenic is contained in orange-colored dirt buried under about two feet of soil. It is a naturally occurring element in the Earth's crust and is a byproduct of copper and lead smelting operations. Ingesting contaminated soil could cause gastrointestinal irritation, and prolonged exposure to arsenic can increase cancer risk, according to the DEQ.

The DEQ and EPA are conducting an investigation in the area and working with Kennecott to evaluate the risk presented by the contaminated soils. DEQ and EPA personnel will be sampling and testing soil in yards at all homes along the 17-mile ditch at no cost to property owners.

The DEQ and EPA also plan to hold public meetings to provide information about the investigation and potential health risks. Agency representatives and technical experts will be available to answer questions.

Meetings will be held Today at 6:30 p.m. at the West Jordan City Hall and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the West Valley Family Fitness Center.

E-mail: dfelix@desnews.com