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Show Residents complain about noxious odors By JUDY JENSEN WOODS CROSS Concerned citizens met with the Woods Cross City Council Tuesday to petition the city's help in solving an air pollution pol-lution problem in the city. The no-nious no-nious odors they were complaining about are apparently being emitted from Spectragraphics Inc. located it 1370 W. 500 S. Former Woods Cross City Mayor, Lawrence Urry, presented i videotape showing clouds of imoke coming from the business, rlarvey Price who lives at 741 N. luflin Circle, said he and many of where the odor is coming from and many blame it on Phillips Petroleum. Pet-roleum. Spectragraphics production manager Jay Streator said the company com-pany conducted their own neighborhood neigh-borhood survey and contacted 20 residents in the area Of those, two said they had seen the smoke and the other 18 were totally unaware of the problem. He gave Mayor Ralph Argyle a copy of the survey. According to Streator some of the people surveyed were close neighbors neigh-bors to Urry and Price. Monty Keller of the Utah State Board of Air Quality, said they According to (Jay) Streator, "the federal government govern-ment requires control on any major pollution, defined as 100 tons per year, and the Air-Chem survey showed emission of Spectragraphics at a maximum of only 24 tons per year." is neighbors had suffered buring yes, sore throats and dry tongues rom the emissions. He said two Iderly people had experienced reathing problems and one of lem had been taken to the hospital be checked. Urry told the council the odor mells like my diesel Rabbit." He kid he had flown kites to be sure 'hich way the wind was blowing 3 that he would not confuse the mell with others in the area. He kid many people don't know started investigating the problem in 1983. Since that time many studies have been done and the final review re-view should be completed this week. He said the company had been required to submit to the state plans to correct any air pollution problems they may be creating. Streator said they have submitted submit-ted those plans which include the purchase of a $125,000 Model Tec HRX 4000 afterburner gas fired in- Continued on page two WX residents comjplain about noxious odors Continued from page one cenerator with a catalytic filter system. sys-tem. This equipment should clean up 95 percent of the capacity (density (de-nsity of smoke) and odor. Keller said the company was issued a "cease and desist" order on June 23 and they have chosen to continue to operate. Richard Harvey Har-vey of the Davis County En-viromental En-viromental Health Board asked why the state had not closed the company. According to Keller the company "has certain rights and can appeal. We can't go out and ask the attorney general's office to shut them down till we have evidence evi-dence that an actual imminent health hazard exists," he said. Streator said if the company stopped the presses for even 48 hours they would be out of business busi-ness and "the 25-men in the shop would lose their jobs." He said the company has spent more than $10,000, for studies to determine if there is a health hazard and they've been assured by experts that there is none. "We're not emitting heavy metals, met-als, no tongues are swelling up. The employees work in a much greater concentration of the product pro-duct that the citizens are complaining complain-ing about and none of them have any problems. I have asthma myself my-self and I've worked there 10 years with no problem." According to Streator the federal government requires controls on any "major source" of pollution. A major source is defined as a company com-pany that puts 100 tons of pollution into the air yearly. He said the analysis performed for them by Air-Chem showed they emitted 8.2 tons per year and at maximum capacity that amount would be only 24 tons per year. He said the company has had hearings with the state and have asked the state officials to test the emissions to prove the company has a problem. He said the state is now claiming that any new company com-pany must have the "best available technology" to control air pollution pollu-tion regardless of their size. "Are we going to go by the rule book or by what the state says" asked Streator. "We're not trying to get around the rules, but this is a big financial burden on the company. We've submitted our proposal to the state about six weeks ago and until we get their approval our hands are tied." Harvey said the "state is great but they are too cautious. When I close a restaurant if they continue to operate we send in the sheriff." Mayor Argyle said the city has to depend on the county and the state to solve the problem, but that he would follow their progress closely. close-ly. Harvey said they have considered consi-dered issuing a writ of mandamus to the state to require them to do their job. Keller said a hearing should be held later this week to give the company a final analysis and approval of their proposal to solve the problem. |