Sanpete County is going to spend $106,887 to return eight town dumps - many just gullies - to nature.

The state mandated the closure of the dumps after the Sanitary Landfill went into operation a year ago.A state Community Development Block Grant is providing $72,264, and the eight towns will pay the balance. Cost per dump varies from $8,960 to $18,466, depending on the area that must be restored, the distance that top soil must be hauled and other factors.

A committee determined the cost allocation and the eight towns agreed to the formula.

Tom Crisp Construction of Spring City, and Jake Olsen Construction, Ephraim, have been awarded a joint contract of $99,000 for preparing the sites for reseeding. Goble Seed Co., Gunnison, will reseed the areas for $7,887.

The preparation phase involves disposal of debris, leveling, grading and covering the area with a foot of top soil. The revegatation will involve planting to native grass and shrubs typical of the area.

The county expects to have the project completed this fall.

Some city officials have complained that paying their share will further strain already tight budgets. Hardest hit will be Fairview (see accompanying box).

The cities now pay a fee toward the operation of the Sanpete Sanitary Landfill. Some collect their garbage and haul it to the landfill; others contract for that service.

Commissioners say the new system of solid waste disposal, although much more expensive, is also much more satisfactory than the town dumps that served that function for more than a century.

The dumps, they claim, were safety and health hazards, the frequent cause of fires and a haven for rodents. They also caused air and water pollution and were unsightly blots on the landscape.

Commissioners plan further improvements at the landfill, including drilling a well and landscaping.

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(Additional information)

Dump closing costs

Eight central Utah towns will help pay to close and reseed former municipal dumps. Total cost is followed by the city's share of the expense. A Community Development Block Grant will fund the rest.Manti, $15,000 $4,859

Sterling, $9,555 $3,095

Ephraim, $10,816 $3,504

Moroni, $17,232 $5,582

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Spring City, $8,960 $2,902

Fairview, $18,466 $5,982

Gunnison, $11,008 $3,566

Fountain Green, $15,850 $5,134

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