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Show 16-2-F E7 WEL.. Single Copy 50$ weir lbairdl odd 7DDa1!:DirD by Kathleen Irving Staff Writer The State Division of Water Quality has served formal notice to the Ashley Valley Sewer Management Board (AVSMB) that the sewer lagoons managed by the Board are in violation of discharge limits, and that seeps from the lagoon system, particularly selenium seleni-um seeps, are causing water quality standard violations in Ashley Creek. The high selenium levels, which no one disputes, have been blamed for deforming or killing endangered Colorado squawfish, razorback suckers and a number of migratory bird species. The high chemical concentration in the public waterway water-way is also potentially harmful to humans. In their letter, dated Sept. 27, 1996, the State details the violations and orders AVSMB to comply with all requirements of the Utah Water Quality Act, Water Quality Standards and its Utah pollutant discharge dis-charge elimination permit. Failure to comply with the order could result in fines of up to $25,000 per day. Utah Water Quality Board executive execu-tive secretary Don A. Ostler, author of the letter, assured the AVSMB that the State fujly realizes the Ashley Valley Board is making a significant effort to address the problems associated with the wastewater waste-water lagoons, which are located in Naples. , . "We realize that this situation is difficult for the sewer District, and that the solution will not be inexpensive," inex-pensive," wrote Ostler. "However, we are hopeful that these efforts will ultimately culminate in a project pro-ject that will permanently resolve these water quality issues. Hopefully, you understand this action is mandated in accordance with our statutory responsibility and is of importance due to the water quality impacts on Ashley Creek, particularly the potential impacts on USU Uintah Basin bra inch Enrollment at the Uintah Basin Branch Campus of Utah State University has increased to unexpected unex-pected heights. With fall enrollment ending Tuesday, enrollment at the branch campus is at 1,185 students. The increase is 150 students more than last year, said Laird Hartman, branch campus director. Total PTEs (full time equivalent) for the fall quarter is 638 which is a 220 FTE increase over last year. Also this quarter the branch is offering offer-ing over 200 classes. The increase is phenomenal when compared to the 419 students when Hartman first came to the campus in 1984. Hartman attributes the increased enrollment to financial savings. "Students who stay home for their v j Wv! v l: Del. Sieve Hattidakis fchowt Chief Rick Ha wV ins. Uintah County Sheriffs Department, a marijuana plant taken by tervice of a tearcn warrant. CR UT PRESORT -181 C 123199 UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION 307 W 200 S U5005 SLC, UT 84101 WEDNESDAY, endangered species." In an effort to decrease the amount of selenium reaching Ashley Creek from the sewer lagoon system, AVSMB directors agreed in July of this year to remove the current storage reservoir and two of the five existing lagoon cells from service. They also voted to pursue the funding necessary to install an impermeable liner system in the remaining cells. According to AVSMB chairman Dennis Mott, the Board received very little support from either the State Water Board or the US Fish and Wildlife Service, enforcers of the Endangered Species Act, concerning con-cerning the liner proposal. Both organizations fear such a liner may fail. "We're leaning toward a mechanical mechani-cal plant now," said Mott. "It would solve the odor problem at the lagoons and be a permanent fix for the seepage problem." Before any proposal can be officially offi-cially pursued, however, a public hearing to discuss engineering alternatives alter-natives must be held. The current proposals range from the $12 million mil-lion liner system to a facultative lagoon with creek discharge that could cost up to $25.4 million. The July estimate for a mechanical mechani-cal plant is approximately $13 million. mil-lion. No matter what the cost, it's money the AVSMB doesn't have, but must raise. ' Ostler says the State Division of Water Quality, together with other state and federal agencies, has a positive working relationship with the sewer district, one which allows them all to work toward the common com-mon goal of permanently resolving the selenium seepage problem. "We desire this cooperative partnership part-nership to continue providing technical and financial assistance to the extent possible," he wrote. And that is where the sewer dis phenomenal growth higher education, save $5,000 a year," said Hartman. "Based on that saving, there is a $750,000 overall savings." Another reason for the increase in enrollment is the increase in scholarships. schol-arships. Connie Christensen, scholarship schol-arship director, said that this year the branch campus gave 141 scholarships schol-arships valued at $1 14.000 of which $50,000 came for local contributions. contribu-tions. Last year there were 63 scholarships schol-arships valued at $56,000 of which $27,000 was from local contributions. contribu-tions. Local contributions target students in need who are not covered by other scholarships. "Most of these students could not attend college without some assistance," Christensen said. Assistant director Dennis Gamer said this is the first year for October 23, 1996 trict will begin looking for project funding. The AVSMB has produced a detailed response to the State orders which provide possible financing sources and a timeline for project completion. High on the list of potential funding fund-ing sources is the Water Quality Board itself. Also included are the Bureau of Reclamation and the State Permanent Community Impact Board. The proposed timeline suggests the project will not be completed until mid-1999. Over a year is tentatively tenta-tively scheduled for facility selection, selec-tion, design and finance package completion. Bids are not slated to be let for the project until February, 1998. In the interim, the AVSMB expects the State to issue them a modified discharge permit which will allow the removal of the storage stor-age reservoir and two lagoon cells from service. Board members believe this action will result in a new discharge point which should reduce the flows from the seeps, thus reducing the selenium discharges. dis-charges. The permit modification has already been drafted and is being published for a 30-day public notice period. Barring any unforeseen adverse comments, the State is expected to issue the modified permit per-mit in mid-November. A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Vernal City Council chambers to present permanent perma-nent facility alternatives and estimated esti-mated project costs to the public and to hear comments. A final proposal, including funding fund-ing and implementation plans, is not expected before the spring of 1997. General Education Associaies Degree which a student can achieve in two years and not have to declare a major. With concurrent enrollment, enroll-ment, a student could obtain the degree with one year of college. Gamer said. One of the things students have said they want, is more activities. Hartman said. This year there will be intramural sports and other activities. activ-ities. The campus is sponsoring its first Intercollegiate Rodeo Team. The team competes in the Rocky Mountain region which consists of other colleges in Utah, Idaho and Nevada. There are 12 students on the team with six from the Uintah Basin, said Dave Woolstenhulme, rodeo team coach. Currently the team is third in its region. The team will host an Intercollegiate Rodeo in Drug operation shut down The result of a search warrant at a Vernal residence, Thursday last week at 3 p.m., members of tlx Uintah County Sheriffs Off, the Vernal City Police and the Uintah Basin Nareotkl Strike Pone made one arrest and seised various quan tities of controlled substances. A suspect. Randall Randall Randall, 25. of Vernal w arrested and incarcerated in the Uintah County Jail on fout charges: posev sion of marijuana, a second degree felony, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, a second Chefk Inside Vernal, Utah 84078 !K fr t: A happy elk hunter, Cary Osiek, Hunter takes elk from wheelchair This year's elk hunt carries an added challenge for Cary Osiek of Vernal this year he shot his elk as a disabled hunter. He has been in a wheelchair since a Nov. 5, 1993 vehicle accident. But that didn't stop him for hunting this year. "I do a lot more than many people peo-ple in a wheelchair," said Osiek. There are no special hunts for the disabled in Utah. They hunt with everyone else, the only allowance is they can shoot their game from a vehicle. Osiek, hunted all but two days of the hunt, traveling down trails ona four-wheeler he equiped so that it can be operated with hand controls. The last day of the hunt at 9 a.m. Osiek's dead eye shot down the elk from 50 yards. "I am thrilled." he said. "I feel good about this hunt." His uncle helped him load the three by five elk into his pickup. Osiek's son, Nickolus also felt good about the elk. "It's good, there's no guts," he said. This is Osiek's third elk, all were taken on the 9th day of the hunt at 9 a.m. Feb. 7 and 8 in conjunction with a Students will be forming intramural intra-mural teams to compete in city leagues both in Vernal and Roosevelt. The teams will compete in basketball, volleyball, golf and bowling. "We are expecting 200 contestants contes-tants in the rodeo," said Woolstenhulme said. Future advancement for the campus cam-pus include a satellite link for ComNel, the University's remote classroom system. Currently the branch campus offered four two-year associate degrees, 1 1 bachelor's degrees and seven master's degree. Proposed degrees for 1997 including English as a second language and Psychology School Counxling. degree felony, and ooesson of rnethamphstamines ssjth intent to distribute. first degree felony, and pmsession of drug paraphernalia, a tlass "A" misdemeanor. After the search warrant was obtained from the fch Dtstrkt Court, officers from the agencies attempted to serve the warrant. The resident of the apartment did not answtt the doot because be tvxrf-nised tvxrf-nised the officer. Afet entry made by the officers, font subjects were found hiding in the bathroom of the apartment. The four subjects Set your clocks back...page 4 Communications law page 8 Domestic violence ........page 10 Pheasant forecast .........page 16 Cabin's history page 17 Wasps sting Utes ..........page 18 shows three by five elk he took the County joins in Dawsuitt over wiDtileirness by Steven Wallis Express Editor The Uintah County County commissioners officially pledged their support, along with 28 other counties, of a lawsuit to stop the re-inventory of BLM lands . in Utah. The suit against the Department of Interior is an attempt to stop action announced by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt last summer. sum-mer. - Uintah County will be contributing contribut-ing $5,000 to assist in the expense of filing the legal injunction, which commissioners say is an illegal attempt by President Clinton and Babbitt to change the baseline of defacto wilderness to over five million acres. With no wilderness resolution in sight, those who wish to lock up much of Utah, know they have 3.2 million mil-lion acres of defacto wilderness because the lands have to be treated treat-ed as wilderness until a final decision deci-sion is made. "The Utah Association of Counties hired an attorney a week ago and has filed an injunction to stop the re-inventory," said Commissioner Glen McKee. "This will force the Interior Department to determine if the re-inventory re-inventory is legal according to the 1964 Wilderness Act." The main objection from the commissioners is the re-inventory leaves out public input. "Last year we undertook a very extensive procedure, including public input, to determine which lands in Uintah County met the criteria of wilderness." said Commissioner Lewis Vincent. "This action '(re-inventory) tramples tram-ples over everything we have done." Over $10 million and nine yean have been devoted to the study. "It has been studied long enough." said Vincent. "It is very offensive for them to rcinventory every font of the county Without consulting with local leader." said Commissioner Lorin Mcrrcll, were detained while the search was csmdwtted. found during the search a marijuana plant that s abnut three fret tall, grow light, fertiliser, IS individually wrapped one-eighth ounce baggies of marijuana. 14 individually wrapped one-fourth gram baggies of methampheta-mines, methampheta-mines, l roeihartipbetamine rock weighing about tw grams and vari ows items of drug parapfomaba ued lo smnke and package marijuana. marijua-na. Randall's c harps are nnonalty 5 104th Year No. 43 20 Pages last day of the hunt. The injunction is seeking relief because the process that is being followed in being done without public input. "Because they don't like the first proposal, they are doing their own in secret," said Greg Richens, director of the Uintah Basin Association of Governments. The core team that is doing the re-inventory is 80 percent non-agency non-agency people, said Commissioner McKee. McKee said he suspects the team will take another look at Winter Ridge and Nutters' Hole in the BookCliffs and the White River and Green River as areas for wilderness designation. des-ignation. Last year the counties came up with 1 million acres they were willing to submit for wilderness designation. Gov. Michael Leavitt and the congressional delegation have settled on a bill that would designate about 2 million acres. The entire re-inventory idea was conceived and directed without public input which has Uintah County commissioners concerned. Environmental groups have identified iden-tified 5.7 million acres worthy of protection as outlined in HR 1500. The original inventory was done under former Interior Secretary James Watt and identified 3.2 million mil-lion acres of land as potential wilderness. Babbitt intends to have a staff of experts look at the 2.S million acres left out of the original BLM inventory to determine deter-mine if these lands are worthy of wilderness designation. "Uintah County has something at slake and that is why we are involved." said Commissioner Lewis Vincent. The Utah Association of Counties hat hired attorney Connie Brook, of the Mountain State Legal Foundation in Denver to represent them in the injunction. injunc-tion. one degree less, however, all of the charges were enhanced because the apartment vsas within 1.000 feet of school. Officers involved in the service of the search arrant wrre: Chief tfcputy Robert Vanderbusse, I'CSO; Det. Keith Campbell. UCSOVBSSP; Det. Cart Park, VCfDl BSSP; Det. Shan Lewj. VCfDVSNSF; Deputy Vance Norton, I'CSO and Det Sgt. Stev MattidaV is I'CSO VttNSF. |