Geologic hazards group urges good maps, training

Better maps, more training for local governments, a model ordinance and improved engineering were among the draft recommendations Wednesday from the Governor's Geologic Hazards Working Group.

On advice from the Utah Geological Survey, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. established the group last year to come up with ways to make development safer, after landslides and flooding in recent years claimed dozens of homes and threatened neighborhoods across the state. In their wake, the geologic disasters left heartbreak and pleas for government help.

The group's recommendations, which will soon be made available for public comment, were reviewed during a meeting Wednesday. Utah Geological Survey geologist Gary Christenson said geologic-hazards maps exist for Wasatch Front counties and the Tooele and Heber valleys, but many of the maps were completed in the 1980s and need updates.

"We need to go back and look at those," Christenson said.

Information on those maps helps cities identify potential problem areas when developers come calling, he added. Based on scientific data, cities can order in-depth geotechnical studies for specific area.

The mapping is an ongoing process and one that will likely take more staffers at the geological survey to tackle, he said. But maps are just a first step in efforts to limit devastation from landslides.

Jodi Hoffman, an attorney with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, said there are 5,000 municipal officials who need annual training on land use and property rights. Local governments will also need to add a geologic-hazards element to their general plans and create geologic-hazards ordinances.

Within the next couple of months, Hoffman said, she plans to work on creating a model ordinance that cities can adopt.

The group recommends that officials determine whether grading codes — which change a hill's slope — can be enforced in Utah. The group also said that the state should provide geologic and engineering experts to review subdivisions in sensitive areas.

Other recommendations include ensuring that the study of engineering geology and geotechnical engineering advance in Utah. The group also urged that the major Utah universities set up engineering geology programs.

To achieve better enforcement of site-specific, geologic-hazards recommendations, the group suggested requiring a developer's consultants to make inspections during the construction process and sign off at a project's completion.

The group's recommendations came after a series of geologic disasters in recent years. In 2006, 4-year-old Kendell Keyes was injured when a mudslide crashed down the hill above her home in South Weber. Her home was destroyed.