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Show A4 Castle Valley Review, April 2009 VIEWPOINT Opinion and Letters to the Editor Industrial Park Offers Great Possibilities for Castle Valley Mike McCandless My View “ At a time when the whole world seems to be caught in a mist of bad news and gloom, it is refreshing to be a part of something positive and exciting. For more than two years, the number one focus of my office, the Economic Development Department of Emery County, has been to put together an industrial park near Green River. This process, although difficult, is the kind of good news that deserves attention. The new park, named Mancos Hills Industrial Park, consisting of 2,547 acres of land, sits directly north of the interchange of Highway 6 and Interstate 70, some three miles west of Green River. The direct access to Highway 6, combined with the fact that the Union Pacific Railroad bisects the park makes it a truly unique industrial park in all of rural Utah. With the support of the Emery County Commission, my office has put in substantial time and energy into the park, without substantial contributions from taxpayers. The park property is owned by SITLA, the State Institutional Trustland Administration. Emery County leases the property and through this lease, we hold the de- If this project moves forward, this would be the most substantial development in terms of employment and tax revenue in the history of rural Utah. They would utilize more than 3,000 construction workers during the development of the plant and the full time employees could total more than 800. ” velopment rights on the property for the next seven years. With these development rights, we have the opportunity to market industrial lots for sale. Furthermore, we are enabled to develop infrastructure such as water and roads to make the park more marketable. Lease payments have been and will be made by potential or existing tenants of the park. As lots are sold, the county receives a small commission back from SITLA that is then returned back to the park through lease payments or infrastructure improvements. We are also working closely with state and federal funding agencies who have offered their assistance in the development of the infrastructure. We are also examining various funding mechanisms such as Community Development Areas (CDA’s) or Special Assessment Areas where future tax revenues in the park serve as tools to do work today. Another unique thing about the park is the substantial positive tax implications. Currently, the properties generate zero tax dollars to Emery County or the Emery School District. This is because they are owned by SITLA, a government agency. As a result, another goal of this park is to Submissions Policy transfer property from public to private ownership, which will positively impact all taxpayers throughout the county. What is my point? This is really a win – win situation. Many have asked me, “What is the purpose of the park?” This question has often come because we have some high profile potential tenants in the park, most notably a uranium mill and a nuclear power plant. Both entities have publicly stated that the Mancos Hills industrial park is a preferred location for their facilities. Both entities have taken steps toward making these facilities a reality. While neither entity has acquired property and made the final decision to locate in the park, we are encouraged by the positive steps that have been taken. Before I briefly address each high profile project, let me first add that these are certainly not the only tenants we are courting. We are currently working with six different companies to locate in the park. These range from small (40 acre) projects all the way up to a manufacturing project that would utilize more than 600 acres. Our office works with all of these and would be very supportive of any of them coming to Emery County. Now, let’s discuss the high profile projects. The Mancos Resources Uranium Mill is a potential uranium mill project that, if constructed, would be located on 640 acres of the park some 7 miles north and west of Green River. The facility would be a substantial employer in the community, with more than 40 full time employees and numerous support businesses locating around it. Upon completion, the project would be an injection of more than $50 million into the local economy. This would be through a combination construction jobs, housing, and related expenditures. The promoters of this project held a pubic meeting in Green River last fall to discuss their project and to answer questions. They also have leased office space in town to operate out of once the project progresses. They have worked very hard to make this project a reality. “What about the tailings?” is the obvious next question. While I make no claim to be an expert on the subject, from my perspective Mancos Resources is very fortunate to be able to be so close in proximity to the Moab Tailings project the federal government is conducting. As a result, the best science for tailings management and disposal is being developed 20 miles east of town, and it serves as the model for the Mancos Resources project. Let me also add that once processed, the tailings pile consists of uranium and related ores that constitute less than .05 percent of the material in the pile. The purpose of the mill is to capture and remove the hazardous materials. Compare this to the fact that the native soil in the neighboring Buckmaster Wash and Tidwell Wash areas is 1 percent to 2.5 percent uranium and related ores. In other words, the native soil is potentially more hazardous than processed tailings. In any event, design, implementa- tion and enforcement of these issues will be monitored by state and federal regulatory agencies. Transition Power is the entity that has proposed the creation of a nuclear power facility along the Colorado or Green River drainages. One of four sites they are considering is approximately 1300 acres within the park. They have already completed seismic, archeological and other related surveys on the property. They have also worked to develop the various water resources that would be required. As a result, they are spending substantial financial resources on the project. If this project moves forward, this would be the most substantial development in terms of employment and tax revenue in the history of rural Utah. They would utilize more than 3,000 construction workers during the development of the plant and the full time employees could total more than 800. The project is estimated by some to cost as much as $12 billion to construct. Currently the entire taxable value of the Green River valley from all residential, commercial and agricultural property is $36 million. This project would entirely revamp the tax base for the county, city and school district. New schools, teachers, and resources would be available to the community through new tax resources. We recognize these are substantial changes. This is mitigated by the process that is required to build such a facility. The permitting, construction and launch will take nine or more years to complete. Permitting alone will take approximately four years. This gives the county, city and school district time to address the challenges associated with the growth. It is impossible to discuss a nuclear power facility without a discussion of nuclear concerns. This certainly cannot be completely covered in the limited space here, but the 104 operating nuclear power plants in the United States are the safest, most secure, and most appropriately managed facilities in the nation. Worldwide, nuclear power represents more than onethird of electric production and has the best safety record of all production methods. Three Mile Island, which is often cited as a failure of nuclear power, is actually the best example of its success. The containment vessel work exactly as designed, as did the entire safety process. Although the reactor was damaged, no environmental harms were made and the community and workers remained safe. The Mancos Hills Industrial Park, regardless of who eventually locates in the park has the potential be the most important economic development opportunity since the construction of the power plants. My office is working diligently to at least give us a chance to take advantage of these opportunities. Ultimately the public will have the final say in any projects in the county as they progress through the permitting, planning and zoning processes. (Mike McCandless is Economic Development Director for Emery County.) The Castle Valley Review welcomes and invites letters to the editor and guest commentaries on public policy or current events. We welcome letters of thanks to individuals who have helped make our community a better place to live, work and play. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions for space constraints, clarity and errors in fact. Submissions must include author’s name and contact information. Contact information will not be published. Letter’s and opinion articles can be sent to editor@castlevalleyreview.com, mailed to The Castle Valley Review, P.O. Box 487, Orangeville, UT. 84537 or faxed to 435-748-2543. |