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Show Gtewf Published FoDDiGag 7I!d2 On Wednesday And Friday! in Basin? O GjJoiratisIn) ww improvement umrtct taScd to mate a decision on a water treatment plant and mat resulted question, mreMnq a Unaooroved Rattm. mnrt AVWSID Indecision Results In Unapproved Water Last Wednesday, March 24th, the Ashley Valley Water and Sewer Improvement District met in their weekly meeting to discuss the controversial water treatment plant and other business matters. The room was filled to by residents who erpected that they would find bfiffromThe Board Vhat type of culinary water treatment plant they would "be getting. Instead, following many comments by residents and petitions were submitted arguing the validity of some claims by a board member that residents wanted the Central Utah Water 55-Conservancy District project when in fact a 0 random street selection petition drive indicated the opposite, everyone was left with indecision by the Board on that issue. Following a detailed legal review of the contract by AVWSID attorney Gayle McKeachnie and comments by District clerk Ray Nash, there was an attempt by Board members to vote, but new trustee member Boyd Workman, knowing that a firm contract had not been ironed out between the entities involved and realizing that he is the 'swing vote said 'going into it without having a contract is not the right thing to do. I'm not going to make a decision. Because of that no decision was made on the treatment plant. A warning which the State Board of Health had given the AVWSID and the Maeser Water District was thereby formalized. A letter sent march 25th by the Utah State Department of Health through the division of Bureau of Public Water Supplies was recieved by Maeser Water District earlier this week and by AVWSID March 30th. In that letter it states that the culinary water systems for both ' districts have been rated 'not approved. This approved-correctiis a change from the 'not action status' which the Districts have had pending a decision on a water treatment plant. .Director of the Bureau of Public Water Supplies and Executive Secretary to the State over-flowi- (Uintah Basin) - gas exploration ajid Some employees of oil development program well drilling companies, with the price tag of ' along with many other nearly 67 million will oil field employees have he conducted in 13,000 been told that the square mile, of the Belt in drilling of new oil wells Overthrust will be. slowed down in Montana, Utah, Wyo- the Basin fields, for up ming and Idaho by Gulf to 18 months. Exploration and Pro- - duction Company and Penzoil Corporation. shut down all drilling According to a for a period .company spokesman, a operations of 60 to 90 days 'Significant portion' of according to the the land to be explored and developed is rumors. ' The slow down of located in Lincoln and drilling is reportedly the Uintah Counties, result of a drop in the Wyoming. Sheldon Jones, price of oil products because of a surplus of Public Affairs Repre- sentative of Phillips stockpiled oil. field oil Many people Petroleum Company feel that if the said. 'We have had no production is slowed recent changes in our then the market will plans as far as have a chance to exploration and pro- recover and the price duction is concerned, will stablize, changes have A representative of. the Overthrust Industrial Association from Denver, Colorado said the association was Aware that the drilling of oil had slowed down. They said the Basin area has been one of the last (Rangely) - The places to experience the Escanlante Trail Motel Some small companies will completely - occurred over the past few months as our budget had to be adjusted because of the drop in the price of crude oil." Dick Nicholes of Amoco Production very bluntly stated, 'We are not cutting down drilling or exploration. We are currently on a testing program which has resulted in a limited shut down for test purposes in the East Anshutz field. This test will begin April 1, 1982 and run for 42 days. The test is for communica- lion between wells (formation seepage) to determine 'We will be flowing the test well at 1,000 barrels per day. The oil and gas will not be wasted, all the natural gas will go to Mountain Fuel Supply and the crude to our regular sources. The test will not affect drilling rigs in the area, however some work-ovrip will shut down until the test is completed. We now have 23 drilling rip er working and plan to continue at that level in the Overthrust area. Nicholes added. future Child Abuse spacing of wells. One Conference Set test well will be pumped A Child Abuse Conand seven adjoining wells will be tested for a ference is set for April drop in pressure, which 29, 1982 at the Vernal would indicate forma-Som- e Junior High School. Two sessions are tion seepage.' being planned so that everyone will get to attend. The first session is from I p.m. to 3 p.m. and the evening session is planned for 7 p.m. in the evening. This conference is a joint dffort of Sheriff and red gloves. Arden W. Stewart, The Rangely Police Douglas Gale. Super- located at 117 South Department is offering vigor 0f the Division of Grand, Rangely, Colo- a 500 reward for the p,cd Services: John rado, was held up by an information leading to phelon. Crime Preventarmed robber on March the arrest and prose-- ion Specialist and cution of the individual Project Coordinator of 30th at 8:05 p.m. A white male report- - involved in the robbery. edly walked into the Motel, gun in hand and $500 Reward Offered change. On the bright side, the O.I.A. has been advised that drilling budgets for the large companies are up this year and the cost of drilling has dropped. One company official it at the remarked, 'We are pointed Lois Jones. manager. getting more Bang for The subject asked for all our Buck.' the money in the cash Statements from which amountregister, several large oil ed to approximately companies should give 300. the Basin oil field After obtaining the workers some added the subject left money, security. Gulf Oil is the area on foot. He was increasing its operation dressed in a ski mask, in the Overthrust Belt. blue sweater, blue jeans A cooperative oil and . ' NEWSPRINTIS THE .. ON LVlNEWSPAPEfti I N THEtWORLDlTOM CAREABOUTiTHS WHOLEU1NTAH ng ve Safe Drinking Water Committee, Gayle Smith said that even though a committment by AVWSIDtrusteesonawater treatment plant was not made at the March 24th meeting. A decision had already been reached by his office March 18th to rate the two districts drinking systems as 'not approved. Smith said 1 was busy and so our status didnY go out on the 18th when it was promised them. Upon finding out of the AVWSID Boards indecision however. Smith felt that '...we made the right decision in the first place, it just kind of put the icing on the cake. Meeting with the AVWSID Board members on March 2nd, to discuss the States rating system and the Board status on the water 'non-approve- m trie water tor the areas m Realtor Gives Views It was explained by Robert Cope who is the Chief Appraisor for the Federal Housing Administrationin Salt Lake that "the funding cuts for new FHA financing would be 'effective immediately upon receiving the State Board of Healths letter, which they did earlier this week.' Kimball Howard who is the Chief of Rural Housing in the Farmers Home Administration for Utsah and Nevada said that their funding cuts would be 'automatic with 'no he said that additional mortgages service homes would those continue to they and committments 'which they already had and Veterans Administration financing. When asked if the not approved status would curtail their new operations in the two water district areas said 'yes, immediately. Why Federal Cuts FHA Chief Appraiser explained how the treatment issue. Smith extended the 'corrective action' label because of the new trustees on the Board and the provision that progress would be made on the pursuit of a water treatment plant. Smith told them 'You've promised but not carried through the So we Ye just plain not too promises. optomistic. We hope that you do carry through this time... No Funding Without Ashley Valleys committment to a water treatment project and the 'not approved' status given the twodistricts, a result of their inaction will be that some types of federal funding will be cut. ties into further federal home financing. He said in their minimum property standards to insure a loam they must have State Board approval for sewage and water. For individual systems like a well or a septic tank individual approval is given or not given, but in the case of a public sewer and water system we assume that their water system is approve, and so the State has been sending letters of 'not approve'for those which the State finds no meeting up to regulations. Corrective Action The current status of 'not approved 'can be changed back to 'corrective action' by the State Board of Health if the AVWSID does three things explained Bureau of Public Water Supplies Director Gayle Smith. First, they must make a decision as to how they are going to go about it, with what plant. Secondly, they must have 'funding committed' and thirdly, they must have a 'time schedule. If those conditions are met. the Farmers Home Administration. Federal Housing Administration and the Veterans Administration will no longer be looking at a 'not approved 'label over the AVWSIDorthe Maeser Water District and the Funding will probably resume. d' Letter Received By AVWSID And Maeser (Vernal) - 'Because Vernal City and the Ashley Valley Water and Sewer District canY come to an agreement on the water treatment plant for the valley, the whole Ashley Valley has been cut off from any Government funded or insured loans, stated Art Allred of Accord Realty. 'We now are rated as because of the indecision on the water treatment plan. ed Robert Lope 'not approved' status Loss Of Loans This non-improv- rating means no Federal Housing Administration or Administration loans will be given on homes in Ashley Veterans Valley,' Allred added. "This is not a small matter, it involves of dollars, millions when you consider all the people who are affected by the lack of Government loans. Contractors who have homes built and are waiting for loan closing are paying 40 or more interest per day, each day the home sits empty. Meanwhile, we have people living in RV vehicles because their loans canY be completed. 'Builders canY start on new construction because people are not able to qualify for high interest conventional loans, so they are losing their shirts. Building material suppliers are also effected by the loss in their business managing a water trau.ncnt revenue Real estate facility (i.e. Central Utah or also are tna bind P0Ple the District k own facility) and to get 2)by April l. the District must as they struggle securc funding for the needed their loans for their exAllred improvements. Subsequent to clients.' that letter a meeting was held on March 2 in Vernal, wherein plained. Allred became into gather data and make 'it was decided that if the Safe difficult decisions relative to Drinking Water Committee volved in this water concurred, the March I treatment plant contro- water treatment facilities. In our Januay 26 letter we deadline would beextended to VerSJr J indicated that because of a March 17. TheCommittecdid Just when the change in the District k Board concur. It is now apparent angry! of Directors, we would that the decision (condition interest rate was coming continue the 'Not Approved-Correctio-n number I above) has not been down we were faced a"d C0",eS"e",Iy with this water situa-AshAction Ratingfor .. Valley District docs . Ashley Valley provided unneces-continuatinot meet the conditions for the t,on progress was being made. when Not of the sary analyze you were TWo deadlines given: I) e Action the cause for the by March I. the Ashley Valley District must decide which ralin- indecision. It is quite plan they would pursue in obvious that the only and terms of contracting Coot on os 9 Ashley Valley Water and Sewer Improve mem District 85 South 200 East Vernsl.UT 84078 Gentlemen: Re: Water System Rating We commend the District for recently taking positive steps Gl "d Approved-Correctiv- ... ky on |
