Show OtSehW m r 9 fif 9 idlemit qyift Wafer threatens to burst central Utah structure GENOLA Utah (AP) — Wokers Tuesday night were trying to drain a reservoir swollen with mountain runoff and threatening to burst an earthen dam above this central Utah town evacuation of Genola’s 630 residents was requested by officials after the dam on Santaquin Pond began A voluntary eroding about 3:20 pm However Genola Marshal Hale Robison said only residents of 25 to 30 homes in the flood channel below the dam left Workers hoped to drain the reservoir gradually and channel the water to a catch basin near the town “The dam has essentially failed” said Utah County Engineer Clyde Naylor “We’ve got to get it drained so we don’t have any water up here at all” County crews and volunteers worked much of the afternoon with backhoes and bulldozers in an unsuccessful attempt to shore up the dam The equipment lat- - er was put to use tearing down portions of the structure to facilitate draining Robison said the water still might flood some homes as the reservoir is drained “It’s not the kind of flood that’s going to wash homes away but the water will Fill base-ment- s” he said He said muddy water flowing through the dam had cut a shallow channel through g area farmland to a near US 6 He said the water was flowing under the highway pipe toward through a 4-fo- ot low-lyin- 36-in- ch another reservoir Genola Pond south of the town Work crews south of the town were trying to drain the pond which was also full so it could be used as a catch basin during draining of Santaquin Pond Umted Press International -- Santaquin Pond normally of waholds about 30 acre-feter or the amount of water it would take to cover 30 acres of land 1 foot deep said Colleen Bryan spokeswoman for the Workers cut diversion drain to relieve water pressuire behind earthan dam above Genola The unused reser- - voir had filled and threatened to break flooding farms state Office of Comprehensive Emergency Management The reservoir is fed by the larger Santaquin Reservoir about 15 the flood plain below the heels of announcements by some state and local officials that the The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for southern Utah County and specifically for residents living near highway crews were preparing to close US 6 and Utah 68 near Santaquin should the dam break The evacuation came on the miles to the south: et ll mi and homes erod- ing dam Myron Taylor maintenance engineer for the Utah Department of Transportation said children living in the city’s Pros- pector Square development show no abnormally high levels of lead but the results do “not answer any questions” and more extensive testing is needed a state health official said Wednesday Dr Dennis M Perrotta coor- dinator of epidemiological studies for the state Department of Health said the average blood-lea- d concentration in the children was 10 micrograms per 100 cubic centimeters of blood However he said that because snow had covered the ground for months prior to the April 28 and 30 samplings providing a natural shield for most contamination “This does not answer any Utah Gov Scott Matheson (left) makes point in a conversation with Wyoming Gov Ed Herschler during break at Western Governors’ Assn meeting West’s governors ask more state control on offshore oil PALM SPRINGS Calif (UPI) — A resolution calling for more state authority in regulating federal offshore oil development was adopted by the Western Governors Assn on the final day of their annual meeting The resolution by Oregon Gov Vic Atiyeh was passed Wednesday on a voice vote on the final day of the group’s annual meeting The measure was approved only after California Gov George Deukmejian succeeded in weakening it Atiyeh was seeking a resolution of support for a bill by Sen Robert Packwood that would overturn a US Supreme Court ruling weakening state controls on such federal projects as offshore oil development The court ruled in January that federal gov R-O- re ernment plans for leasing tracts for oil and gas development did not have to conform to all state environmental regulations off-sho-re The Packwood bill is opposed by the Reagan administration and Deukmejian but supported by Atiyeh Deukmejian proposed that the resolution declare that any changes in the Coastal Zone Management Act be considered in 1985 when Congress must decide whether to the law Atiyeh said he interpreted the compromise to mean that the association still would support the Packwood bill and if that failed seek the change in 1985 But the California governor said he thought the resolution did not support the Packwood bill ize Mystery illness strikes computer plant MINDEN Nev (UPI) — In- vestigators are seeking the cause of a mystery illness that has struck employees at the Xebec computer plant for the third time in a week Twelve more employes left work Wednesday complaining of headaches dizziness and other ailments Candace Fox manager of hu- - man resources for Xebec said the cause of the illnesses has not been determined State and local health officials took samples of water and food and checked for pesticides at the plant that manufacturers disk drives There are about 350 emoperation ployees at the hit have illnesses but the only on the day shift 24-ho- ur the area worst of Utah’s flood season might be over Crews in Salt Lake City have begun dismantling sandbag canals amid forecasts that the runoff from mountain streams had peaked However citizens of Genola had been sandbagging much of Tuesday fearing the reservoir might give way Robison said most of the people evacuated had gone to help crews working on the dam He said two Mormon chapels had been opened to those who did not have friends or relatives to stay with Tests find House-approve- d no high bill provides iead levels for CUP PARK CITY Utah (AP) — Blood samples taken from 38 United Press International in questions” funding By PAT THORNE Standard-Examine- Washington Bureau r WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted 349-4- 6 this week to approve en- ergy and water projects for next year including $1107 million for the Central Utah Project The largest slice of the CUP funding was for the Bonneville Unit $10478 million The project was easily approved despite new controversies involving unsettled water rights disputes for the Jordanelle Dam portion of the Bonneville Unit and a study released this week showing CUP cannot repay the money spent on it The study by the National Wildlife Federation the nation’s largest environmental group He said the main purpose of said the Interior Department igthe April testing was to provide nored the advice of its own in“baseline data” for comparison spector general and is proceeding when more extensive tests are contrary to the law The Bureau of Reclamation is performed in September Last fall health officials were responsible for building water alerted to a potential hazard aff-t- projects in the West under federtesting by the state Division al law which obligates the govof Geological and Mineral Sur- ernment to recover the costs of vey identified lead tailings in the the projects from future users with interest Prospector Square Development er Later soil and water samples confirmed there was a potential hazard The April samplings he said were also necessary to assure residents of state officials’ concern The study said the inspector general found the bureau entered into a contract with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District limiting its repayment obli- being incurred by the federal government” it stated Federation official Edward Os-an- n said the Bonneville Unit will be “the most expensive mu- nicipal water supply ever provided” if costs are to be recovered He added that the unit’s financial outlook is so bleak that the government may have to abandon it or undertake a major fed--er- al bailout “The Bureau of Reclamation is going along postponing the day of reckoning for the project” he said “In fact the bureau expects the district to seek a legislative ’ waver of the repayment obliga- tion” I Osann said if repayment is implemented “when the bills finally arrive consumers will suffer The result may be rate-shoc- k” simply walking away from millions of dollars of investment he said The federation said it is time for simple questions to be asked: What are the taxpayers buying and who will pay for it? “When it is all tallied up the citizens will find the Bonneville Unit is not needed and unaffordable” Osann said He asserted that Gov Scott Matheson has taken the right action in initiating a study of the Bonneville Unit The National Wildlife Federation has a long history of opposing major water projects An aide to Sen Jake Gam said its study should be viewed with that perspective The aide said there is no question that western water projects and CUP are expensive but he disagreed that CUP was a losing gation to $1568 million But cost estimates for Nine children from other ar- construction eas of Park City tested for com- the Bonneville Unit have more than doubled parative purposes had an The Bureau has subsequently level of 7 miaverage blood-lea- d the need taken actions to crograms The difference be- for a new contractdelay including retween the two groups is not payment deferment and proposstatistically or biologically meaning to allocate costs to ingful he said the study contin“The average for children hydropower “BuRec still has not entered across the country I understand ued a new contract to insure into is just about right at 10” Perrotof proposition and among the ta said He said the national repayment of hundreds now worst millions of dollars in costs R-Ut- ah repayment problems Centers for Disease Control have set a standard of 30 micrograms as cause for action Mrs Vance leaving One child from Prospector Square had a much higher level Some 40 employees were takthan the others but was still been to the emergency health care low 30 micrograms Another center Tuesday complaining of blood sample will be obtained various ailments Last week 15 from that child to verify the earworkers were treated The plant lier reading was evacuated both times Next week the state Division Xebex Vice President and of Environmental Health will General Manager Mike Rainey collect environmental dust samsaid the Desert Research Instiples from several homes in Prostute has been hired to help track pector Square as part of its down the cause Elizabeth Yance Utah’s national Democratic committee-woma-n is stepping down from the post she has held the past eight years for the post International erroneously reported Monday that Utah first lady Norma Matheson would challenge Mrs Vance mer Gov Calvin Rampton who represents Utah as the national Democratic The evaluation of the area United Press Mrs Vance a former state legislator said Mrs Matheson is running unopposed If she is successful she will join for- t 1 m post " m M - - - - f 1J 1 r - — - |