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Show 4 The Magna TimesWest K Valley News, Thursday, July 16, 1998 -0 E-N-N-E-C- Leading industry into the by SHARON LINSCHOTEN like a sponge and pulls out water each year. STAFF WRITER O, again, Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation is leading the industry into the future with the expansion and modernization of their tailings impoundment. With new knowledge, technology, and understanding of earthquake risk in the Salt Lake Valley, KUC has strengthened and enlarged the tailings pond to withstand a 7. magnitude earthquake without fail. The company has also given up to 60 years more life to the impound-- ; ment area. ' ! ; In the process, KUC has recycled sjag for road base and developed a process to separate fine sand from the slurry which they will use for building of the dike and set backs. W ater drained off with the aid of j aL special fabric called a wick that acts ; ; is ... I feet of 5-- 6 Sampling of drainage water now predates 1947 levels. Water is pumped through a clarification process and reused to keep dust from blowing off the top of the tailings towards Magna and West Valley. Water is also used to water acres of rye crops as well as 2,000 grape vine plants and other various vegetation and trees planted on setbacks. 1 Kuc also purchased 3800 acres for wet lands, replacing green space which was displaced by the expansion of the tailings pond. In working close with several agencies, the Inland Sea shorebird reserve is successful and experts have witnessed 4 times as many bird species that are joining the regular migratory birds. The improvements didn't come cheap - 536 million dollars were spent for seismic measures alone which include rubber pipes going -1 into their 25 million dollar cyclone station, and a road way notification system where KUC is proposing to install -- 16-in- ch jx. Tom Albanese, vice president, engineer, : Technical Services, stands by a specially- XXdesigned rubber pipe which will allow for set-:- :: tling of cyclone housing without breaking. -- warning signs along roadways at a number of locations that would not transmit warnings unless there was a significant earthquake. The signs would advise motorists not to enter or to get out of potentially hazardous areas. KUC will also construct two berms shaped like a boomerang which will ensure the safety of residences east of the tailings impoundment and the northwest section of Meadow Green Estates, as a BELOW: A specially-designe- d fabric called wick is drilled into the soil of the dike and helps drain off water into 42 wells to pump out. Dropping water levels of the tailings pond decreases chances of liquefaction during a earthquake. precaution against the unlikely scenarios of geotechnical engineers worst case assumptions which led to projection that runout from a 7 magnitude earthquake, along with heavy rains, might reach the areas. In a copper mine, rock con- taining copper is removed from the ground and transported to a concentrator. Next, rock is ground up mixed with water to . KUC dike looking south over Magna, it was clear to see why the pioneers called our town Pleasant Green - even today it looked beautiful and KUC is doing its best to be a good neighbor. . produce a slurry. Copper, molybdenum, and . other minerals are recovered from the slurry for further processing and eventual sale. The remaining ground rock is called tailings and is transported at Kennecott by pipeline to the tailings impoundment north of Magna. In the tailings impoundment, rock settles down the ground-u- p 4 V.. . and the water is decanted off A.TTy xx y V. -- R. - the top for reuse or discharged in accordance with environmeny-'- t s - 1ft" , S .i. $i';'Acres of rye are planted on a series of setbacks to help control dust and add to the soil, aiding in growing future vegetation on the tailings pond-dike. C 4 t 3 ": nutri-iS&n- -- J ts tal regulations. Kuc has done a remarks able job in re vegetating and pro- . tecting the environment and wildlife that is not visible to the population. When on top of the . i Members of the eommunity tour KUC faciUties on southeast corner of tailings. Inside Cyclone House, siUrry is separated and pumped to a special impoundment for sandy material or water back to Copperton. |