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Show County orders more Brown's Canyon tests by Christopher Smart The Summit County Commission has authorized analysis of the proposed Brown's Canyon dump site in preparation for a pending lawsuit and a ruling by the committee which oversees the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste. On April 17, the commission okayed a contract with Dames and Moore, a Salt Lake City engineering firm, to drill as many as 12 core samples to a depth of 30 feet- for analysis of soils in Brown's Canyon. The additional analysis is an extra precaution, said Commissioner Tom Flinders. He explained that in the wake of a lawsuit filed by Brown Canyon property owners in U.S. District Court the county wants to be sure the proposed site is within ecological guidelines. "We don't want to have any questions asked," Flinders said. Last summer, Summit County contracted with another Salt Lake firm, Forsgren and Perkins Engineering, Engine-ering, to study Brown's Canyon as a possible site for a landfill. That firm found the area met state and federal guidelines required of solid waste dumps. But Brown's Canyon property owners, lead by Robert Garff and Ed Rogers, retained the Salt Lake City firm of Bingham Engineering to analyze Brown's Canyon for soils suitability. According to attorney Randall Trueblood, with the firm of Watkiss and Campbell, who represents repre-sents the landowners, Bingham found the Forsgren and Perkins report to be incomplete. Since that analysis took place in mid-winter, Bingham was unable to make core samples of their own. Upon analyzing the data obtained by the core drillings of Forsgren and Perkins, Bingham Engineering filed a report stating that no conclusions could be drawn without more data, Trueblood said. He added that he did not believe the data gathered by Dames and Moore would confirm the Forsgren and Perkins study made for the county. The additional core samples are expected to be completed in about three weeks. Following the collection of the data, the Brown's Canyon property owners will appeal to the committee that oversees the Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste which has given preliminary approval to Summit County to use the Brown's Canyon site as a dump. That approval, however, cannot be formally awarded to Summit County until it purchases or condemns the property in question. The Brown's Canyon property owners are bracing to challenge the county on the value of the land as well. County estimates put the land at $300 to $700 an acre. But the property owners believe their land may be worth 10 times as much. Meanwhile the Park City dump is nearing capacity. The dump in Kamas is officially closed. And the current facility in Henefer is filling up at a rapid rate. |