Fight brewing in Mapleton

MAPLETON — A federal contractor worried the ground under an explosives plant in Spanish Fork was so contaminated — perhaps even with nitroglycerin — that he recommended detonating it in 1980.

Subsequent investigations found the drinking water in nearby Mapleton was contaminated by a plume of toxic waste that infected the town's groundwater, and the company that now owns the plant, Connecticut-based Ensign-Bick- ford, settled lawsuits with several residents who claimed their contaminated wells led to cancer and other diseases.

The relationship between Ensign-Bickford and Mapleton city officials remains explosive and likely will be on display on Sept. 2, when Utah's Department of Environmental Quality conducts an open house to hear public comment on a proposed $12 million settlement with Ensign-Bickford.

The company would put $9.375 million into a fund to pay for pumping and treating the contaminated groundwater for 20 years and create a $2.58 million trust fund to provide clean drinking water for Mapleton residents, DEQ executive director Dianne Nielson said.

However, city officials aren't happy with the proposals. They stress that the agreements would be between Ensign-Bickford and the state, which owned the water.

"This is a state natural resource damage claim," said Doug Thayer, a Provo attorney representing Mapleton in its $34 million lawsuit against Ensign-Bickford. "The city has not entered into an agreement, and this does not affect our rights in the lawsuit."

Thayer said city representatives will comment during the open house next month.

"Frankly, the city corporation is not impressed with these proposals and would like to see them go much further," Mapleton City Manager Bob Bradshaw said.

Mayor Dean Allan declined to comment because of the pending lawsuit.

State officials said the open house is designed to generate public comment before a final settlement between the state and the company is reached.

"We're very pleased that in working with Ensign-Bickford and the community that we have a proposed settlement at this point," said the DEQ's Nielson.

"We want to go to public comment to make sure citizens are aware of the plan and that we can consider any comments and questions before we put this in place," Nielson added.

Investigators have been unable to prove when the groundwater contamination began, but Mapleton's lawsuit alleges it began as far back as 1959.