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Show ; S(Dwee Jlkmmryt Bsmhm mm$ AVir.v Editor tWRMlSCTOX - Although the Davis County . Kfsourcf Recovery Hoard has until June 30 to make ; ,i final decision of a proposed garbage-burning facil-: facil-: iry in Clearfield, they were urged last week)o gixe : tentative approval "within the next few weeks' , "UV need to know where we're going," commented W'il J'ff''n,'s' ''v',''"'''' director of Wasatch Front : Regional Council, coordinating agency for the prop-: prop-: atd 55-million dollar plant. -We'll have most of the contracts prepared within a couple oj weeks and they will be ready for review at the next hoard meeting," he said. However, no date was set for that meeting. Warren Cregoty, financial consultant representing represent-ing Katy-Seagers of Seagers Industries, xvho was awarded the bid for building and operating the plant, told the board that "we are working on a tight deadline dead-line and need the board's cooperation in following a stringent timetable for sale of bonds and construction of the plant." First, however, there are problems to be worked out. Although a primary site has been .selected on property prop-erty owned by Utah Department of Transportation near Hill Air Force Base on the north side of Utah I Highway 193, developers have not yet obtained a construction permit from Clearfield for the plant. Also, developers are awaiting approval of an air quality study underway by the Environmental Protection Protec-tion Agency (EI' A); agreements are still unsigned regarding the sale of steam (to Hill AFB) and electrical elec-trical power (to Utah Power and Light Company); landfill studies, including cost analysis are still incomplete; in-complete; construction costs of the plant are still being reviewed; and contracts (five of them) are being prepared pre-pared between the developers, Davis County, bonding f irms, etc. Industrial revenue bonds amounting to about $55 million can not be sold until other agreements have been reached, it was explained. At the same lime, consultants for the development firm say they are "confident about the project." "We are not concerned about the feasibility of the plant," said one spokesperson. "We know from previous pre-vious experience that the project is sound, that there is sufficient garbage to operate the plant at near capacity capac-ity from the beginning, that the project will outlive its 20-year indebtedness, and that reasonable lipping fees can be maintained." He said sale of steam to Hill Air Force Base and electrical power to Utah Power and Light Company will offset costs to a point that tipping fees should CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Resource Recovery: Decision? Continued from page 1 remain very stable even decline after a few years o operation, "We have been very conservative in our projections and the results of our studies show that the proposed project has a lot of promise," he said. "We are confident confi-dent that it will be successful. " Mr. Gregoiy told the board that bonds should be sold before July 1 "while interest rates are still low." He said sale of bonds today would be at about 8 to 9 percent interest. "We can be pretty well assured that interest rales will not fluxuate much before July 1," he said. "But after thai, no one knows. " Mr. Gregory pointed out that based on eight percent per-cent inflation rate per year, there could be a difference of between $10 and $35 per ton tipping fee depending depend-ing on the bond sale going at eight percent or 11 percent. The proposed plant is expected to be operational by July 1, 1985, and the bond payoff is scheduled for 20 years -- until the year 2005. Tipping fees the cost per ton charged to cities for disposal of garbage at the plant as well as operation of the county's two landfill sites for leftover debris will range from about $8 to $12 per ton, depending on location. Cities in south Davis County will have a high transportation cost hauling garbage to the plant. Tipping fees for these communities could amount to $12 per ton - or more, according to some board members. If approved, the plant will serve all Davis County and, if necessary, will import garbage from Weber County. The plant must operate near capacity to be economically feasible, it was explained. Although the bonding has been approved by Davis County (Commission) the repayment of bonds will be entirely from tipping fees and from revenue generated gener-ated through the sale of steam and electricity. Neither the county or communities within the county are financially responsible for the operation and maintenance mainte-nance of the plant or repayment of the bond. Solid waste delivered to the plant is expected to reach a capacity of 157,000 tons per year in 10 years. Representatives of the development firm assured the resource recovery board that the plant will be built by local subcontractors. Only the general supervisor will be brought in from Georgia to oversee the project. It will be the first garbage-burning plant of this type to be built in the United States. Other similar plants have operated successfully in Europe and Canada. North Salt Lake Mayor Robert Palmquist was elected chairman of the board to replace Layton Mayor Lewis Shields. Dave Packer of Fruit Heights City Council was named vice chairman. |