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Show 6B . Tbe Salt Lake Tribune, Sunday, April 2, 197 Fpie Y' 't$ it M W- Overloaded Sewage Treatment Plants Pose Problems for Growth in County Continued From Page B-working on a new plant, they'll roll with 3 us.t 6 He expressed hope that the federal agency would give the plant a varianee, allowing it to pour water not meeting minimum federal pollution standards into the Jordan River until the new regional plant can be completed. However, enforcement otficials of the EPA disagreed. Definitely Not Available A variance is definitely not available, according to Lance Vinson, acting director, enforcement division of the EPA. 'Under amendments to the Federal Mr. Water Pollution Control Act, Vinson said, variances are not availn ble for conventional pollutants, including organic material, suspended solids or bacteria from human waste This definitely disqualifies municipal sewage systems from variances " Mr. Vinson explained that Congress had made provisions allowing substandard treatment facilities to receive exlensions, while better plants were built. But in this case," he said, an extension is not applicable either. Federal dollars were available and used to build the present plant and that plant comes into compliance with federal standards at todays population levels. Explains Consequences Marshall Fischer, also with the EPA's enforcement division, explained the consequences of an overflow: "Civil penalties range up to $10,000 a day, but we use some discretion based economic considerations. If the pollution is willful and done with full knowlege, it violates criminal statutes, Mr, Fischer said. The penalty then runs as high as $25,000 a day and one year in prison. Mr. Fischer explained that since the city of Midvale originally obtained the permit for the plant, the city administration would be held responsible for violations. In addition to fines and imprisonment, under section 402(H) of the pollution control act, the federal district court could impose a ban on any new sewer hookups, effectively stopping all growth in the area, Mr. Fischer added. Should Take Measures EPA officials said original plans called for the regional plant to be under construction by now. Because that on plant has been delayed, the cities should take measures upon themselves to control the population. Mr. Twiggs agreed with that view. If we dont ration those building permits ourselves, he said, " somebody else is going to do it for us. Currently, the facility is receiving additional effluent at the rate of 750,000 to 1 million gallons of new daily flow each year, Mr. Twiggs said. But that may increase with growth. Has Legal Power He said the governing board overseeing the facility had the legal power to ration building permits, in an attempt to prevent overloading the system. involved Mayor Kenneth M. Hisatake, Draper, said he would support the sewer district curtailing permits, even if it means stifling Drapers growth. Well make sure the sewer district is not endangered by growth, the mayor said, and make sure that all municipal services are available before we let the developers go in." Mayor Hisatake added that current developer proposals would add 1,000 new homes to his town within two years ifrj- of Draper. doubling the size Just f an t Disagree I disagree with many of the things the EPA does," the mayor said, but dumping raw sewage into I an open waterway is not something disagree with. fiaiitatnocp ifrF FIREPLACE FRANKLIN 26" Opening All Beautiful heal (rue Bur Price swing able ant p DflifiiMlLb COMFORT HEATER ORIGINALLY $219 beef mciuflei nll IHIIN LAS ant free $249 8$ 9$ M5995 beae $7Q95 I J ORNAMENTAL BOX HEATER OmaiNALlV $240 09 169" Silverplate honey pot An exact antique reproduction reminiscent of the days of Deseret. Now, exclusively at Americas Most Beautiful Store. $25.00. QcnanrKR w 20 East South Temple Across from Hotel Utah 532-322- 2 Validated Parking Nearly Everywhere CREST AIRTIGHT STOVE - |
