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Show Wednesday L ocal Also in this section: Obituaries B2 Opinions B4 Nov. 28, 1990 B Provo council changes zoning of riverbottoms property By CHRISTI C. EVANS Herald Staff Writer After hearing concerns about potential damage to wetlands and endangered species, the Provo Municipal Council voted Tuesday to change the zoning of a riverbot-tom- s area property to allow a subdivision development. Doug Nielson, agent for The Woods at Riverside Associates Inc., requested the city rezone property at approximately 3300 North Provo River from low density residential to a low density performance development zone. Nielson had received unanimous approval for his application from the Provo Planning Commission. However, the Item was appealed and placed on the council agenda for a public hearing. The developer plans to create a subdivision development with lots up to 63,000 square feet, said JA-l- Concerns aired about potential damage possibilities but change approved Leland Gamette, Provo Community Development director. Averaging 1.91 lots per acre, the development would be much lower density than the 4 lots per acre allowed by ordinance, Gamette said. A performance development is more restrictive than other zones in the city, Gamette said. It is set up to provide a better development than a regular subdivision, he said. The commission approved Kiel-son- 's preliminary plan for the development based on 23 cotiJitions, Gamette said. Conditions included that a permit be obtained from the Army Corps of Engineers before excavation of wetlands and existing trees can be incorporated into the final plan. Each phase of the development Is required to come back for commission evaluation to determine whether an access road to 3700 North is needed from the subdivision. Such a road is identified in the area's street plan and should eventually be built, Gamette said. Currently, the only traffic access into the development is on 3300 North. Nielson now has two years to submit his final development plan to the commission. Jeff Appel, an attorney identifying himself as a representative of a neighbor of the development, called approval of the zone premature. He claimed the Army Corps of Engineers had deemed Nielsen's plan unacceptable as it now stands and said the final plan would be much different. "Possibly anything you do now may end up being moot," Appel said. The area identified is one of the last pristine lands next to the Provo River and caution should be exercised before changing it, he said. "I suggest you send it back and make sure it's done completely," Appel said. Problems also exist with access to the development and he said. Appell said wetlands affect 21 lots in the proposed subdivision. Nielson said he had been working with the corps and a few changes had been made to his plan. "We agreed to shift three lots and bridge over the wetlands," he said. Councilman Mark Hathaway said he couldn't believe the commission would approve the zone change without carefully considering wetlands issues. Gamette said the issue had been discussed thoroughly during the Nov. 14 commission meeting. "This body has traditionally been reluctant to overturn planning commission decisions," said Councilman Stephen Clark. "We hold our planning commission in high esteem. I think the council would be remiss if they did not follow the recommendation of our planning commission tonight." Citizens at the meeting said they had seen two pairs of eagles nesting in the area, as well as a herd of deer. "I'm just wondering about the city of Provo," said Deborah Chris-.- .. 1 tiansen, riverbottoms resident. "Don't you have an interest in our'r3 environment?" ..-Gamette said while no conditions- - for the project specifically ad-- f. dressed endangered species, that, issue was covered by federal law. Geneva property in connection with the installation of basic oxyfurnaces gen process next year. According to E.G. Hotard, president of Iinde Division of UCIG, the new facility will no replace (Q-BO- the current oxygen producing plant of liquid Air Corp. located on the north end of Geneva's steel yard, but will nearly double the supply Geneva is receiving. The new plant will provide oxygen, nitrogen and aragon which is in the production of steel. Geneva Steel will be the principal consumer of the gas generated in the plant. "This is the first new supply system io be installed in many years," Hotard said. "The new oxygen supply helps to support the effort being made by Geneva Steel to improve the envi- double the amount of oxygen being produced for Geneva," Jehle said. "Well be producing about 500 tons a day, where they (liquid Air Corp.) are now using about 250 tons." He said there will be very little noise and risk from the new gas separation plant "The plant generates things that we breath nothing toxic," Jehle said. Geneva Steel President Joseph A. Cannon said the addition of the new plant was necessary since the steel mill will be switching to newer equipment in 1991. Negotiations with Union Carbide were started last year, 'There will be no loss of jobs from the current plant," Cannon said. 'There is a greater need for the gajes due to the changeover to the Production at Geneva Steel, was acquired by Cannon and investors in 1387, is currently done with open-hearfurnaces, which take longer to make steel The new takes less time to melt down the materials, and produces less caustic emissions. Iinde also operates plants in Salt Lake and Garfield. Iinde 's Geneva plant will employ seven new workers. which th P r Cannon voices cleanup strides done at Geneva : i) : J Herald PhotoJasoo Ofcou E.G. Hotard, left, and Joe Cannon discuss a new gas separation plant being built at Geneva. VL'A-- on-si- te ronment." Two large storage tanks for Lqukl oxygen, a cooling system and collectors will be part of the new plant. It is being constructed south of the liquid Air Corps, current production facility, Senior Project Manager Bill Jehle said. Work on the new plant has already begun, as foundations for described as the storage tanks giant thermos bottles by Jehle and the cold boxes are being put into place. "This new plant will almost Company president emphasizes importance of producing steel in environmentally safe fashion By ROBB HICKEN Herald Staff Writer VINEYARD Along with the announcement of a new oxygen - separation plant, Geneva Steel President Joseph A. Cannon explained strides made in environmental cleanup at the plant during the last year. "We've made a commitment to the community to produce steel while using environmentally safe methods," Cannon said. While Cannon stressed that im- provements are being made, advocates argue nothing yet has been done to clean Utah Valley's air. Geneva Steel outlined a three-pa- rt multi-millidollar plan to decrease the amount of pollution clean-ai- r on produced by trie plant a year ago, Cannon said. "We don't know anybody in the United States who has addressed the environmental issues more head on than we have," he said. Installation work has begun for the new (a basic oxygen process) furnaces. Replacement of the open-hearstyle furnaces will reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions being reQ-B- th leased during the smelting process. Nitrogen oxide reacts with waa highly ter to form nitric acid caustic and corrosive substance. furnace is touted as The more efficient, producing a better yield of higher quality steel with 92 percent less emission than the P h furnace, Cannon said. The Iinde separation plant will provide oxygen for the new furnaces. Cannon explained that while the produce smaller batches, it does it faster. The dismantling of the open-hearfurnaces began in Januopen-heart- P th ary. "This reduction in emissions is a commitment to the community where we live," Cannon said. Clean Air Coalition spokesman Sam Rushforth said, "Actually there's been no clean up at all. There's been no improvement in the air quality and we don't expect any for quite some time." While Geneva is planning to clean up the valley's air quality, Herald Senior Reporter While eewrni.'&s say the United States is in a recension, chief NBC economic correspondent said such a recession is likely to be lens recession. sienous than the a corresponIrving K. dent (or 35 years, spoke Tuesday morning to a group at Utah Valley Community College, gathered for a Project TSffi cwfererice on Rural Utah's Economic Future. Ievine said the present economic situation does not qualify for the strict definition of a recession which is that growth is negative or there is no growth for two quarters in a row. The la.t two quarters have been slow, he said, and a recession may be approaching. "There are ample sign the economy u m significant trouble." Some areas of the country' are still doing well, he said, and some areas are doing poorly. "Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital." Even though the economy seems to be slowing, Levin said goods Aiii continue to sell, businessmen will continue to order and factories will continue io produce. The country will survive the recession well, he' said, because American businessmen have become "lean and mean" and are in a better pot.i.ion to survive slow economic times than they were in VJZI-ZIrvme .said there are things that can be done to deal with a rt' 1 here is elbow T'mi fur M. lerieral rev.T,e u lower intere .t rates to f.pur the economy. " In tim: area of real estate, ' tner i ample roni (or bariks V ea se up on letihfig " He said feJeral rei'u !;.i.,rs Uve r:en rrriifnng ler.'i there will be as significant a change as they think it's going to be." neva coke ovens. After passing through the new treatment plant, the treated water is used to cool slag. Since it contains only traces of ammonia, it produces fewer fumes. Cannon said plans are under way to install a capability to the plant's coke oven in an effprt to reduce sulfur oxide, which can also be a a caustic and corrosive substance. Cannon said Geneva was putting into place techniques and systems which go beyond what the current regulations call for in an attempt to meet or go beyond Environmental Protection Agency standards to be set next year. "We could have waited until the control requirements were in place, but we've decided to get ahead of it," he said. Geneva has invested heavily in the construction and implementa By PATRICK CHRISTIAN Herald Staff Writer An educaAMERICAN FORK tional television satellite system initiated this year in the Alpine School District is operating successfully, said Brian Page, assistant district superintendent for instructional services. Page briefed members of the Alpine School District Board of Education Tuesday about the Channel One satellite system. The Channel One update came at a public board meeting at Central Elementary School in Pleasant Grove. Page said Channel One serves junior and senior high schools in the district. It provides a l(kninute morning news program that all students ers arid bank officials so closely that lenders are afraid to loan money to people who have been good risks in the past. Inflation has generally tion of a biological wastewater treatment plant. The new plant, through the use of microorgan- isms, removes ammonia from wastewater produced by the Ge- Geneva Steel acquired its present steel mill and related facilities from USX Corporation in 1987. Television satellite system is operating successfully Economist says recession should be less serious than one faced in 1981-8- 2 By KAYLEVE NELSES the new furnaces will not be put into use until 1991. "It remains to be seen what happens in the future," said Rush-fort- h. "We don't believe that been down, much lower than the 10 percent seen in the late 1970s and early '80s, he said, but "we are threatened by the events in the Persian Gulf." Through the last iieven years inflation has been around 4 percent but is now over 5 percent. The biggest blow of the Iraq invasion has been that the federal reserve cannot lower interest rates. Rising oil prices push up inflation and fighting inflation means raising interest rates. Lowering the rates could make inflation worse, he said. The United States has also seen two key borrowing sources dry up, Germany and JaIjevine said is busy using its pan. Germany own money to unify the two countries plus compensate the Soviet1?. The Japanese people, who used to save most of their money, are starting to spend, leaving banks with less to lend out. Also, Japa-neinterest rates are higher so there is more incentive to keep the money at home. But the U.S. treasury still needs money and paying higher interest rates will draw out the money from somewhere, Levine said. Handling the federal budget deficit is necessary to help the economic situation, 1 said. Recent tax increases were not the answer. He said spending cuts without hitting vital areas of heallh, welfare and education are possible. He pointed to the military build up ui Europe as one area. Since tf threats of war there are no longer so serious those men are not view. In addition, documentaries and otiier educational programing is broadcast over the system and taped for use as educational material for teachers to use at their discretion. Page said a third aspect to Channel One begins this Friday, with the start of professional training programing for teachers. He said it didn't cost the district anything, because it is supported commercial aimed by a at students. The satellite, receiver and a set for every 30 students was supplied to the school district by Channel One. Page said all secondary schools in the district are on line except for American Fork Junior High two-minu- te School. He said that Channel One subcontracted work on connecting schools, and the subcontractor has yet to complete the job. He said that, so far, all response from teachers involved has been positive. Channel One is operated by Wit-ti- e Communications of Knoxville, Term. conference Rogers pre-tristricken from court calendar entered a al Herald Pbot se Jara Obon Economist Irving R. Levine speaks to Utah Valley Community College students Tuesday. A scheduled FORK conference for John M. "Mike" Rogers, Rayson City councilman who is facing drunk driving charges, was stricken from the calendar of the 4th Circuit Court Tuesday. John Allen, deputy Utah County attorney, said no plea bargain is in the offing, and the case will be set for trial. Rogers is represented by Attorney Robert Van Sciver, Salt Lake City. Rogers was arrested Oct. 4 and rharpd with driving under the SPANISH needed. Indeed, many are being deployed to the Persian Gulf. He also said unnecessary and foolish projects such as studying the sand on a Hawaiian teach should be cut. Raising taxes eventually affects the chain from the consumer to the factory with layoffs along the way that mean more drains on the welfare system. "A tax increase was not the way to go." The country has felt no "desperate consequences" such as high inflation and skyrocketing interest rates, so "perhaps the federal deficit is not the problem it has been made out to be?" He said he posed that question to Allen Greenspan, head of the federal reserve, who said the problem was like a car still running although the gas guage reads empty it's OK now but eventually, down the road, it won't be. Irvine said the country will find itself in serious trouble unless the deficit is handled through spending cuts. pre-tri- al j Several citizens said a bulldozer,"; had knocked down trees in the area earlier this week before the deveH' oper had permission to continue, i",' with his project. Nielson said his construction con- - ., tractor had bulldozed brush and ! dead trees without his permission ."; . to mark the center of a proposed road in preparation of preparing a! J bid on cutting the road and putting '. in utility lines. While wetlands areas were af-.- .; , fected by the action and the corps called the event a violation, no , citation was issued, Nielson said. Gas separation plant another element of Geneva cleanup By ROBB HICKEN Herald Staff Writer The inclusion of - a new $25 million gas separation plant helps prepare Geneva Steel to convert to newer and cleaner methods of steel production. Union Carbide Industrial Gas Inc., one of the nation's largest gas producers, announced Tuesday that it will build and maintain a gas separation plant on . influence of alcohol. He "not guilty" plea on Oct. 23 by way of a letter to the court from his attorney. The arrest was Rogers' third arrest for DUI since 1985. He was convicted of the offense in February, 1985 and again in February 1989. DUI is a class B misdemeanor. Since Rogers has a drunken driving conviction within the past five years, he faces a minimum jail term if convicted. 10-d- ay |