Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Health workers are investigating the illegal dumping of thousands of tires near Salt Lake City.
- The dumping site, near Magna and West Valley, includes boats and a broken refrigerator.
- Cleanup costs could exceed $20,000, requiring cooperation from multiple local agencies.
SALT LAKE CITY — Health workers on Tuesday confirmed they were investigating a massive illegal dumping case involving thousands of tires, among other discarded junk.
According to officials with the Salt Lake County Health Department, they learned of the issue within the past month.
Hayley Shaffer, supervisor with the Bureau of Water Quality and Hazardous Waste, said it was unclear who or how many people were responsible for the dumping, which took place in an area near Magna and West Valley and within walking distance of the county landfill.
"It's really sad," Shaffer told KSL-TV. "It's heartbreaking that people don't care about the environment."
It was unknown exactly how many discarded tires were on the land, but Shaffer believed there were thousands. Other junk included a couple of boats and a broken refrigerator.
Shaffer said the area had been a notorious dumping site for decades, but she said this was the worst anyone with the county had seen.
"The chemicals that are in the tires can leach into the waterways that you see, in the soil, they can harm the wildlife that's out here," Shaffer said. "We are trying to find the suspects who are doing the dumping, but regardless we are going to get it cleaned up."
According to county officials, the last cleanup in Spring of 2019 cost roughly $20,000, and the scale of this dumping case was much larger.
Shaffer estimated that the cleanup would cost well into the five-figures range and would require cooperation from Magna, West Valley City and Salt Lake City, as well as the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
"It's really a public nuisance that involves a lot of partners and a lot of time," she said.
The cleanup may not take place until Spring, officials acknowledged.
"It's just not good," Shaffer said. "We don't want this."
Salt Lake County Health Department officials said anyone with information on this illegal dumping case or any others should call 385-468-8888 (option 8 for environmental contamination), or visit saltlakehealth.org and then click "Report a Problem."
