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Show SWAMP BUGGY PUT IN SERVICE BY KENNECOH A wheellcss swamp buggy has been purchased by the Utah Copper Cop-per Division for use in dust abatement abate-ment work on the Utah Arthur and Magna Mills tailings pond. The unique vehicle is expected to be in operation early next month said P. H. Ensign, mills superintendent. superin-tendent. Modified to meet the peculiar pe-culiar requirements of dust abatement abate-ment work, the swamp buggy holds promise of more effective dust control con-trol work. The modifications include in-clude a three-point suspension hitch, standard hitch, and front and rear power winches. The body and cab of the vehicle are similar to a conventional truck. But it travels on six large, sausage-shaped sausage-shaped pneumatic bags. The bags float the vehicle, even with heavy loads, over normally impassable land. Tests conducted on the tailings pond last summer proved the worth of such equipment in traveling a-bout a-bout on the soft and swampy areas of the tailings pond. It will be used in various types of dust abatement work, particularly in plowing lateral lat-eral irrigation furrows from the tailings discharge areas to dry spots. In addition, various known crusting crust-ing agents are being tested to see if they can be sprayed Over dry areas and keep them stable. When a satisfactory agent is found, the swamp buggy will be equipped with tanks and used to reach the dry areas and spray them. Purchase of the vehicle is part of the Utah Copper Division' continuing con-tinuing effort to solve the dust problem at the tailings pond. Although Al-though the Division has spent several sev-eral hundred thousand dollars on dust abatement work since 1953, Mr. Ensign said officials are more optimistic about present plans than ' any previous ones. I Methods presently being used include in-clude a system of inter-connected rotating sprays which drench many 'dry areas continuously. An extensive exten-sive system of irrigation with wet tailings, already successful, is expected ex-pected to be more effective through the use of the swamp buggy. O |