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Show Somtli Davis CoiMicils Get Garbage Isifo By GARY R. BLODGETT News Editor BOUNTIFUL Mayors and council members of south Davis County communities communi-ties sat through a long-and sometimes emotional-meeting last Tuesday night, listening to more information about a proposed garbage-burning resource recovery plant. TO MANY in attendance, the information was much the same they had heard over and over during the past couple of years. To others, however, it was a first-time to hear from proponents of the proposed facility. North Salt Lake Mayor Robert Palm-quist, Palm-quist, who conducted the open meeting, emphasized that there are "still some unanswered un-answered questions and contractural procedures proce-dures that must be cleared before official approval can be given by the governing bodies of each city." HE STRESSED that until there is a steam-purchase steam-purchase contract signed with the Air Force, there will be no plant. Until there is a plant site approved and building permit issued, there will be no plant. And until there is a sale of bonds (amounting to $55 million), there will be no plant. "We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go - at least in the eyes of some city officials," said Mayor Palmquist. "Many changes have been made, even changes in local laws, 'o allow for this type of facility but there are still a lot of details to be worked out." WARREN GREGORY, representing Smith-Barney Investment, said there would be some "remote risks" taken by the county coun-ty in the financing procedures of the S55 million project. "But there will be more risks to the builder buil-der and operator than to residents of the county," explained Mr. Gregory. "We have worked in every safeguard, guarantee and insured safety that we can possibly think of." HE EMPHASIZED that the county or communities would not be financially responsible re-sponsible in any way for the plant once the bonds are sold. But later in the meeting there was clarification to this statement. "If there is something that happens unforeseen un-foreseen and out of the reasonable control of the plant owner and operator -- the county coun-ty would be responsible for modifications needed to bring the plant up to standard," he said. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 3 SomLth Davis CoTuuacils Get Garbage Info CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "ALSO, SHOULD the plant go defunct, hrough no fault of the owner, the county ould be responsible for payment of the ba-ance ba-ance due on the bonds indebtedness." This brought a response from Bountiful ;ity Manager Tom Hardy. "IF PAYMENT of the debt fell on county esidents, it could mean an obligation of up o S40 per person per year, for every man , oman and child in the county -- not includ-ig includ-ig the existing contractural agreement of ipping fees and transportation costs to keep ie plant operating," he said. Centerville Mayor Neil Blackburn also uestioned the cost of the proposed plant, iting examples of other types of garbage-urning garbage-urning plants that dispose of nearly one-alf one-alf the garbage for one-fourth the cost. DAVIS COUNTY'S proposed plant will e constructed on property owned by Utah lepartment of Transportation at a site near lill Air Force Base. The garbage-burning facility has proved uccessful in several cities of western ,urope but if approved by city officials, it 'ill be the first plant of its kind to be built in le United States. MR. GREGORY said the plant will be uilt "as soon as financing has been pproved and bonds sold. The plant is to be ampleted within two years after the sale of onds. The contractor will then have an jditional 18 months, if needed, to make the lant 80 percent operational. Davis County cities will be contracted to rovide the plant with "all their burnable garbage" and communities will be billed according to residential units in each city. Somehow, garbage collected from commercial commer-cial establishment was inadvertently omitted from the contract but will be added to the agreement, it was explained. STIPULATIONS of the agreement also call for the plant operator to be able to collect col-lect garbage from sources outside Davis County if there is not enough burnable material in the county to operate the plant at or near its capacity of 160,000 tons per year. Tipping fees -- cost per ton to deliver and have the garbage treated - will be based on the operation and maintenance costs of the plant after the sale of steam and electricity which will be generated at the plant. PRELIMINARY estimates place the tipping tip-ping fee at about $8 per ton plus transportation transporta-tion costs. Naturally, communities of south Davis County will pay extra for transportation transporta-tion costs, estimated to be between $2 and $5 per ton, with some estimates ranging as high as $8 per ton. Sale of steam to Hill Air Force Base is expected to generate about $2.5 million the first year - by far the largest single source of revenue for payment of the 22-year debt and operation of the plant. SINCE NOT all of the garbage delivered to the plant will be burnable, landfill sites will be kept open and maintained by the plant owners. They said they would invest $2.5 million to $3 million the first year to upgrade the landfill sites. There will also be a limited amount of electricity, generated at the plant, sold to Utah Power and Light Company for a price slightly below 50 mills per killowatt hour. |
