A long-burning political and legal fire, sparked when the Davis County waste-to-energy plant was built, has finally been doused with an agreement about the future of a south Davis landfill.
Officials of six south Davis cities and the County Commission have agreed to allow Bountiful to continue using the Bay Area Refuse Disposal landfill in West Bountiful. At the same time, the other cities will remain liable for any environmental effects until June 1987, when Bountiful took over landfill operation.
A long-burning political and legal fire, sparked when the Davis County waste-to-energy plant was built, has finally been doused with an agreement about the future of a south Davis landfill.
Officials of six south Davis cities and the County Commission have agreed to allow Bountiful to continue using the Bay Area Refuse Disposal landfill in West Bountiful. At the same time, the other cities will remain liable for any environmental effects until June 1987, when Bountiful took over landfill operation."It's a relief. It is good not to be at odds with your neighbors," said Tom Hardy, said Bountiful city manager. For more than 2 1/2 years the landfill's fate has been tied up in lawsuits, countersuits and environmental studies.
Bountiful has changed the landfill's name to the Bountiful City Landfill.
Bountiful, West Bountiful, Woods Cross, Farmington, North Salt Lake and Centerville have formally approved the agreement during the past few weeks. The Davis County Commission was the last to sign the agreement this week.
Davis County and all municipalities, except Bountiful, agreed to join the Davis Solid Waste Management and Energy Recovery District and haul their garbage to the district's burn plant in Layton. Original plans had called for the closure of Bountiful's landfill and for all cities to join the district.
The district has kept open the North Area Refuse Disposal in Layton, using it to contain ash from the garbage-burning plant.
Bountiful has maintained it can safely operate its landfill for another 25 years and provide cheaper garbage service at the landfill than by using the burn plant. The five other south Davis cities had viewed the landfill, located on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, as an environmental liability and the burn plant as the solution for the future.
Recent environmental studies by an engineering firm hired by Bountiful helped in the decision-making. The firm found that contaminants from buried garbage are, for the most part, contained in natural clay liners and insignificant amounts of toxins are leaking into the lake. The other five cities had independent confirmation of the studies, Hardy said.
Also, there were the political realities.
"With all of the newly elected mayors and council members we wanted to resolve it before they took office. We didn't want to burden them with it," Hardy said, noting that south Davis officials agreed it was time to settle or allow the courts to decide the matter.
The 13-page agreement allows the release of a $1.9 million fund that can be used to make improvements at the landfill. Those improvements include installing a ground water monitoring system, rerouting Barton Creek which runs through the landfill area and hauling in fill dirt on the south of the landfill to improve drainage.
County, other cities will dispose of their garbage at burn plant
"It's a relief. It is good not to be at odds with your neighbors," said Tom Hardy, said Bountiful city manager. For more than 21/2 years the landfill's fate has been tied up in lawsuits, countersuits and environmental studies.
Bountiful has changed the landfill's name to the Bountiful City Landfill.
Bountiful, West Bountiful, Woods Cross, Farmington, North Salt Lake and Centerville have formally approved the agreement during the past few weeks. The Davis County Commission was the last to sign the agreement this week.
Davis County and all municipalities, except Bountiful, agreed to join the Davis Solid Waste Management and Energy Recovery District and haul their garbage to the district's burn plant in Layton. Original plans had called for the closure of Bountiful's landfill and for all cities to join the district.
The district has kept open the North Area Refuse Disposal in Layton, using it to contain ash from the garbage-burning plant.
Bountiful has maintained it can safely operate its landfill for another 25 years and provide cheaper garbage service at the landfill than by using the burn plant. The five other south Davis cities had viewed the landfill, located on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, as an environmental liability and the burn plant as the solution for the future.
Recent environmental studies by an engineering firm hired by Bountiful helped in the decision-making. The firm found that contaminants from buried garbage are, for the most part, contained in natural clay liners and insignificant amounts of toxins are leaking into the lake. The other five cities had independent confirmation of the studies, Hardy said.
Also, there were the political realities.
"With all of the newly elected mayors and council members we wanted to resolve it before they took office. We didn't want to burden them with it," Hardy said, noting that south Davis officials agreed it was time to settle or allow the courts to decide the matter.
The 13-page agreement allows the release of a $1.9 million fund that can be used to make improvements at the landfill. Those improvements include installing a ground water monitoring system, rerouting Barton Creek which runs through the landfill area and hauling in fill dirt on the south of the landfill to improve drainage.
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(Additional information)
Landfill Agreement
-Releases $1.9 million to make improvements.
-Bountiful continues to operate the landfill. Officials estimate it will be open for another 25 years.
-Bountiful assumes all future costs and liabilities for landfill.
-Cities and county agree not to sue and to drop pending lawsuits.
-All parties agree to assume liability for any ground water contamination due to operations before June 1987.
-Bountiful is given 109 acres adjoining landfill by other parties.
-Requires that groundwater be sampled over next two years.