Wetlands Under Continuing Threat from Development
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FRONT PAGE A1 www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY TOOELE Buffs lose on TRANSCRIPT last-minute field goal See A10 BULLETIN August 21, 2007 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 114 NO. 26 50¢ Wetlands under continuing threat from development Plan to protect vital ecological resource has been in the works for five years, but still not in effect by Sarah Miley “We’re losing wetlands at a pretty and city representatives, as well as STAFF WRITER alarming rate in Utah,” he said. “I’ve environmentalists and business lead- Tooele County’s wetlands, which heard figures that we’ve lost half of ers, banded together to form the perform many vital ecological func- our wetlands since the time of settle- Tooele Special Area Management tions, are being encroached upon at ment by pioneers.” Plan. The Tooele SAMP is in the an unprecedented rate as more and Most wetlands in Tooele County are process of developing a long-range more land is gobbled up for homes, located on the county’s northern bor- plan to protect wetland areas. The according to environmentalists. der near the Great Salt Lake. Those group would like a blanket permit “Where the wetlands exist in areas, once destroyed or degraded, that would allow them to pre-deter- Tooele County, there’s a lot of pres- are difficult to reclaim. Also, most mine acceptable uses for wetlands sure for development,” said Jeff Salt, wetland mitigation — creating new inside the rough boundaries of SR- executive director of the Great Salt wetlands somewhere else in place of 138, SR-36 and I-80. Lakekeeper, an environmental group original wetlands — by developers Salt, a member of the SAMP, said that monitors issues facing wetlands isn’t successful, Salt said, because while it’s been a long five-year pro- and the Great Salt Lake. “Wetlands there isn’t adequate long-term man- cess, the SAMP meeting set for this can’t continue to provide their full agement and monitoring after the Thursday could be the last stakehold- value and function if they’re carved mitigation is completed. er meeting before a draft of the plan up into pieces that are surrounded by In 2002, in an effort to define spe- is formulated. Once that draft comes development.” cific areas where development could photography / Troy Boman and could not occur in wetlands, a Wetlands border a new real estate development north of SR-138. Environmentalists say new Salt said Tooele County is part of a SEE WETLANDS PAGE A5 statewide trend. collection of federal, state, county home building is encroaching upon Tooele County’s wetlands at an unprecedented rate. Companies eye Gas prices drop almost 50 cents over summer months Several local stations selling below average statewide cost, but experts expect to see a rise in prices soon new racetrack by Mark Watson Maverik Country Store through the spring after hit- refined fuel. which is increasing the sup- STAFF WRITER and 7-Eleven on Tooele’s ting a low for the year back The state is not depen- ply of gasoline and lower- Gas prices in Utah have Main Street. It was $2.75 in February when the aver- dent on oil from the Middle ing prices. plummeted 50 cents to at Walker’s Phillips 66 and age price for a gallon of East, South America or “Demand has not exceed- industrial zone $2.79 per gallon over the $2.72 and the Flying J Travel regular was at $2.09. Prices Asia, according to Dustin ed supply so this has kept by Mark Watson last three months after hit- Plaza in Lake Point. jumped 70 cents per gallon Coupal of UtahGasPrices. prices down,” she said. “In STAFF WRITER ting a record high for the Utah’s prices are right at in March and then topped com. addition, there has not been Tooele County is primed and ready to year of $3.26 per gallon the national average and out at $3.26 in May. “Almost all oil used in a lot of unrest such as hur- lure major companies to a newly created back on May 25, according 24th lowest in the coun- Utah AAA spokesperson Utah is produced in Utah, ricanes or natural disasters industrial zone near Miller Motorsports to UtahGasPrices.com. try. UtahGasPrices.com Rolayne Fairclough said Wyoming, Colorado and recently, so supplies have Park, according to county and state busi- The average price for a expects Utah gas prices to the price decrease is due to Western Canada,” Coupal been very steady.” ness leaders. gallon of regular gasoline in begin to increase while in increasing supply, as Utah said. Coupal said the number Economic Development Corporation of the state this week is $2.79. some states decreases are refineries were able to com- Fairclough believes that of refineries located in Utah Utah spokesperson Tauni Everett said con- Lowest price in Tooele on expected. plete repairs this summer consumers are also cut- helps keep fuel prices in Prices skyrocketed to increase the supply of ting back on consumption, fidentiality agreements do not allow EDCU Monday was $2.73 at the SEE GAS PAGE A8 to issue statements about clients until they commit, but she said there is major inter- est from companies wanting to operate near MMP. “What I can tell you is that we’re work- ing with clients in the high-tech indus- try such as advanced composites and the automotive industry,” Everett said. “Miller Motorsports Park gives them a place to test.” County economic advisor Nicole Cline said two companies are close to finaliz- ing agreements to begin operations near MMP. “Tooele County is turning into a hotbed for heavy-duty manufacturing, which is good because these companies pay higher wages,” Cline said. “In fact, this is what we “We’re working with clients in the high- tech industry such as advanced composites and the automotive photography / Maegan Burr Grantsville City Attorney Ron Elton works in his office in a portable trailer behind city hall. Due to overcrowding in city hall, Elton moved to the trailer in January industry.” when he became the city’s full-time attorney. TAUNI EVERETT Economic Development Corporation of Utah Lack of space pinching Grantsville government are focusing on in Tooele County. Some by Joshua Figueira “My concern is for the safety of people in my office, and there’s Elton’s “office” is a portable areas of the state want financial institu- STAFF WRITER the jurists. There’s no real barrier not enough room for everyone,” trailer equipped with a desk, tions or call centers to come in, but those The city attorney’s office is between them and the rest of the she said. phone, computer and small wait- companies do not pay as high as manufac- a portable trailer in a parking court.” That was a common theme ing area for clients. Ideally, he said, turing.” lot. The detective’s office at the In fact, there’s no barrier at all. while Grantsville City Recorder his office would be in Grantsville Utah, overall, is experiencing increased police station doubles as a tem- When court is in session the jury Jeremy Walker was making rec- City Hall along with the rest of interest from out-of-state companies seek- porary detention room for juve- sits in a row of folding chairs just ommendations to the council the city’s government, but for now ing new locations. At a meeting last week, nile offenders. The city council to the side of the main gallery, about how to handle the space he’s content to have any space EDCU listed Allegheny Technologies and meets in the courtroom, or court which is also comprised of fold- crunch at city hall. to call his own — which is more Syracuse Castings West as two of its sig- is held in the chambers of the ing chairs. The judge’s seat and “With the rapid growth in than some city employees have. nificant “wins” during the past fiscal year city council, depending on who the witness stand are part of the Grantsville, we’re experiencing an “Both of our sergeants share ending in June. Both companies are build- you ask. Any way you look at it, same conference table, which is increasing demand for services,” an office,” said city Grantsville ing plants in Tooele County this year. office space for a growing city separated from the gallery by a Walker told the council. “We need Police Chief Daniel Johnson. Allegheny is building near U.S. Magnesium government is in short supply in thin partition that resembles a more space to accommodate that “And that’s just the beginning. at Rowley, where it will produce sponge Grantsville. staircase banister. demand.” We store ammo and other equip- titanium to be used in the aerospace indus- “We need more space, plain and “This room wasn’t really Walker suggested several ment in our evidence room, our try. Syracuse Castings West, at Tooele simple,” said City Court Judge designed to be a courtroom,” said options for procuring more space, detective’s office is an interview Commercial Park on Vine Street, manu- Mary Saxon. “The city has done Saxon “We need to improve the including purchasing more trail- room, temporary detention room, factures iron castings for drainage grates, the best they can, but space is safety of the room.” ers like the one that currently fingerprint lab and storage facil- manhole covers and other products in the definitely an issue.” Saxon said in addition to houses city attorney Ron Elton. ity. We’ve got stuff in every corner construction industry. Saxon said her main concern improving security in the court- “It doesn’t bother me,” Elton of this place.” “Allegheny, in particular, is a major coup is safety, and that’s what she told room the city needs a safe place said of the current arrangement, Johnson even went so far as to for us.