Olympus Cove residents happy with plant fixes

By Arthur Raymond
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 12:04 a.m. MDT
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Residents who protested the decision to place a temporary concrete plant in their Olympus Cove neighborhood last month say they feel good about changes implemented at the plant since then by the Utah Department of Transportation.

At an August community meeting with UDOT, those residents said they had not been given ample information on the plant's operation schedule and expressed concerns over air quality issues because of diesel fumes and harmful particulates that could be released into the air as part of the plant's concrete-making process.

Steve Pohlman, an engineer who is a resident in the area and one of the leaders in the fight against the plant, said Monday that UDOT had gone "to great lengths" to address those concerns."There's been a lot of positive movement," Pohlman said. "They've listened to our concerns ... and have addressed every one of them."Pohlman said the power used to operate the plant was converted from an on-site diesel generator to a new Rocky Mountain Power line last week and the change has made a notable difference in the level of diesel fumes in the area. He also said UDOT and members of the community had agreed on a third-party company to monitor air pollution and conduct tests of the material used in the concrete production process. That testing is under way, and being paid for by UDOT.

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"There are two (air pollution) monitors each at three different sites that have been operational for about a week," Pohlman said. "There's a full-time technician taking samples from those monitors everyday ... and conducting other testing."Those other tests include an "opacity" check for dust levels near the plant, and evaluations of heavy metal content in the mix material used to make concrete.

John Montoya, UDOT's project manager for the I-80 renovation, said his agency feels very good about being able to work with Pohlman and other residents in the area to ensure that the concrete plant's operation does not pose health risks."It's been a very positive experience," Montoya said. "UDOT's been able to step up and make citizens more comfortable with the work that's happening in the area."

Montoya said that an interlocal agreement between UDOT and Salt Lake County is nearly complete and will give residents in the area a path of recourse if the testing or monitoring shows cause for concern. Test results, the first of which should be available in the next few weeks, will be reviewed by a committee, that will include members of the community, to establish remediation if necessary.

A representative of the Salt Lake Valley Health Department is scheduled to address the issue at today's Salt Lake County Council meeting. Health department spokeswoman Pam Davenport said Monday that the agency had conducted its own testing in the area and had not found any problems.

Montoya said the plant will only operate through the duration of the I-80 State Street to 1300 East project, which is currently scheduled to be completed in September 2009.

E-mail: araymond@desnews.com

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