Show MICRON to Affect the Lifestyles in Happy Valley The proposed plant will vw demand 10 to 17 millon gallons of water per day By Ernie Geddes Staff Writer MICRON Technology is planning planning planning plan plan- ning to build a 13 billion memory chip manufacturing plant in Lehi Utah The 2200 acre site which si sits ts in inthe inthe inthe the middle of a triangle formed by Draper Lehi and Highland will bring in estimated property tax revenue revenue revenue reve reve- nue of million and provide thousands of jobs But not everyone is happy about the Concerned residents of Highland have been writing letters to Gov Mike Leavitt regarding the impact of the facility on the surrounding surrounding surrounding sur sur- rounding communities Interstate 15 IS is already at peak capacity during rush hour and many residents and officials are concerned about adding a possible 2000 commuters commuters commuters com com- to already crowded lanes The proposed plant will manu manu- facture Ram D-Ram memory chips for computers and will demand 10 to 17 millon gallons of water per day for production The increased demand demand demand de de- de- de mand has utility officials worried about water availability and sewer treatment capacity The MICRON facility is not the only concern The new plant will hundreds of new businesses all flocking to northern Utah Valley The demands placed on roads utilities utilities ties and other services is a cause for concern for some Others worry about the increased demand placed on schools Other problems are also ing Eight hundred and eighty acres of the 2200 acre site were annexed by Draper eight years ago Since the bulk of the site is located in Lehi MICRON is asking Lehi to absorb the land in return for forthe forthe forthe the their plant locating in Utah Property owners near the MICRON MICRON MICRON MI MI- CRON site are also holding tight With property values in the area expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to increase sharply potential property sales revenue is motivating some land owners to a wait and see attitude impacts go beyond the obvious Increased traffic means increased from automobiles In order to meet power demands coal burning power plants will be required to step up power production Noise pollution in the area will increase and the impact of stress created by more people living inthe inthe in inthe the same amount of space will be hard to measure Even so so the tax revenue and increased business benefits are hard for any small city to pass up especially when it means thousands of jobs both di direct direct direct di- di and indirect MICRON was founded by Ward D. D Parkinson a former graduate from Utah State University and his oJ twin brother Joe Parkinson has commented that Utah way was a great decision Parkinson retired from MICRON in 1989 Current president president president dent Steve Appleton is also said tobe tobe to tobe be happy about the Utah decision |