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Show Kennecott on Pollution Alert Farm ContrUbmiilioias Hurt- by Urbanization - by Mary McMillan Gaber Review Staff Writer Kennecott Coppers has been on Magna plant and off pollution altert status during past weeks because of a temperature inversion over the Salt lake valley. When sulfur dioxide content in the air surrounding Kennecott reaches .4 parts per million, an alert status is enforced by the state of Utah and an S02 monitoring device at Kennecott is placed under surveillance by state personnel around the clock. Pollution standards, set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state's air conservation committee, dictate that S02 content in the air should never reach 1 part per mil- lion. (Sec KENNECOTT, page 4b) hfiMl Depending on which sources you believe. Salt Lake County has between 28 and 69 years of cropland left. According to a study recently conducted by Steven F. Jensen, project planner for Salt Lake County 208 Water Quality Study, between 937 and 1965 acres per year are converted from agricultural to urban use in the county. The figures vary widely because data on the subject is difficult to find, Jensen said. The two figures come from information compiled by Salt Lake County and by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The County figures arc the more recent, he said, and are probably more accurate. These figures indicate about 69,000 acres of county land are presently being used as cropland. By 1974 that figure will have been reduced to 64,726 acres, cr an annual absorption rate of about 7 percent per year. Nursing Homes Entangled in Profit and Reimbursement Plan byDeanAlsup Review Staff Writer Representatives of Utah's Nursing Home Association met last week with state Social Services Committee members to determine if and when nursing homes will be permitted to make a profit. Association Executive Director Dennis McFall said he was pleased with the attitude expressed by the state, but not the results of the Under a new cost reimburse- ment program set forth July 1. 1976, nursing homes are not permitted to make a profit on Medicade patients who represent about 70 percent of Utahs 5,000 nursing home patients. Nursing homes, both skilled and intermediate care facilities, are reimbursed by the state only for the amount spent on each patient and in many cases less than the actual amount spent. McFall said that many nursing homes have not been adequately reimbursed by the state and some homes have incurred operating losses. The association would like a firm commitment from the state that these losses will be paid back to the homes on a retroactive basis. Incentive Profit without lowering patient care quality. But the state legislature, McFall said, failed to appropriate enough funds to permit an "incentive profit." The present system of reim- bursement doesnt give home owners and administrators any incentive to cut costs and run an business," he said. Nursing home operators know that the government will repay most expenditures regardless of how state legislature and expenditures are allocated at a rate of $20 per day for each patient in an intermediate care facility and $25 per day for But patients in skilled homes. because of the legislatures failure to appropriate enough money for homes in the state, funding has been inadequate and less than the amount needed by the homes to break even. Last year the Utah State Legislature appropriated 518 million for nursing home operation within the; state. "The legislature failed to minimum wage increases, inflation over the year and the increasing cost of supplies when reimbursement program makes cr Policy Change In addition to very limited budget restrictions, McFall said that the state changed its policy on medical purchases. Prior to October 1. 1976, the state of Utah was responsible for purchasing such items as wheelchairs, drugs and medical equipment. These items are now being bought by the individual homes, to be reimbursed by the state. Therein lies the lack of some nursing home administrators to exercise effective buying practices, McFall said. Some administrators dont really care how much money they spend on medical expenditures because the money doesnt come from the homes, it comes from the state," he said. Under Title 18 of the Department of Health Education and Welfares cost reimbursment plan, the only profit margin allowed nursing homes is an 11 percent non-prescripti- much the home spends." Under the federal reimbursement plan, the cost of nursing home operation is predetermined by the con-sid- The director of Utah's 118 nursing homes said that the federal they made their limited appropriation," McFall said, but the legislature's failure to effectively budget their moqpy doesn't excuse the state from failing to meet the needs of the nursing home profession." cost-savin- efficient meeting. No g incentive provision for a homes to plan that would allow make a profit if they can effectively shave off operating expenditures . on return payment from the government on net equity in the nursing home structure and medical facilities. For administrators leasing .or renting nursing homes that equity payment is not applicable. (See NURSING HOMES, page 3b) Using County figures. Jensen speculated farmers in the county have about 69 years before urban encroachment forces them to retire. But in his evaulation, Jensen stressed the need to control urban growth. Maximize Land Use The rate of growth should continue, but its pattern, density and direction becomes of critical concern," Jensen wrote in a report called Agricultural Preservation Study. November 1976. If growth occurs in a compact manner, to maximize use of space and minimize land use fragmentation, croplands west of the Jordan River would not require preservation., he continued. But if the growth continues in its traditional laissez-fair- e fashion," with no for incentives compact urbanization, the of urban expansion would be impact He listed such problems as trespassing, vandalism and as negative competition for traffic-way- s from nearby urban encroachment impacts He added land on agricultural land. developers need to avoid interference with irrigation systems, street and utility lines used by farmers. Evaluating the farm community's impact on Utah's economy, Jensen estimated the state's farmers contribute $320 million in total cash receipts from livestock and crops severe," he predicted. in 1974. More than 68 percent of these receipts were for livestock ($220 Million), while 31 percent results from sale of crops ($100 The top two million), he estimated. in commodities terms of cash receipts in the state were cattle and milk. has been typical of Utah," he wrote, and it is fair to assume the major supportive crops do much to maintain this economic pattern." Feed crops provide the largest proportion of all crops grown in Utah, Jensen figured. This commodity is followed by food grains, sugar beets, fruit and nuts and vegetables. It is safe to assume Utah is a livestock and dairy state, and the major crops grown in Utah are grown to support livestock and dairy commodities," Jensen continued. The Salt Lake County farm community's contribution to the states economy was about $23 million in 1974, with livestock comprising about 66 percent of the total. This pattern Small Sales Contribution Jensen estimated the $23 million is only about eight percent of the value contributed by mineral production. If it were compounded to include profit margins realized by farmer, wholesaler, retailer and consumer. the $23 million would reach $101 million. But even that figure is only six percent of the total county retail sales in 1974, Jensen figured. But, he added, the value of nearby (See CONTRIBUTIONS, page 4b) |