OCR Text |
Show Smoke problem at landfill Fires at the city landfill have been , causing noxious smoke for residents in the valley living near the area. "We feel that someone is going out to the dump and torching it on purpose. pur-pose. Its too late in the year for the fires to be started by burning cinders from fireplaces and woodstoves dumped there. This happens when the landfill is left unattended. Its a serious problem and the landfill really should be attended at all times," stated Cedar City Fire Chief David Bentley. Bentley said that the three fires at .the site during the past two weeks have been controlled by covering them with dirt but that the fires often, continue to smoulder under the ground. "We atempted to put one out with 3,000 gallons of water and another with 5,000 gallons of water. We could ha ve put these fires out with water but it would have cost from $500 to $1,000 to put each one out. If we put those . fires out each time with water it would be prohibitive for the taxpayer. The fire department's budget just can't sustain the costs of putting out these fires," continued the chief. Bentley said that the, problems occur when the landfill is unattended but the gate remains open. "However, if they lock the gates people just dump their garbage right over the gate." "Going to a county landfill is the only solution," said the chief. |