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Salt Lake County isn't ready to relinquish more than 800 acres of its rugged Rose Canyon holdings — not without more stringent environmental safeguards from the prospective buyer, Kennecott.
Mayor Peter Corroon has shelved the sale of Rose Canyon indefinitely, arguing that mandatory air- and water-quality monitoring should be part of any deal.
"I will not sign a contract without agreement for air and water monitoring," he vowed Thursday.
Kennecott, which countered that a real-estate document is no place for such mandates, declared Thursday that the land will remain split — with the county owning the surface and the copper giant holding claim to the underground ore.
The latest twist comes after years of negotiations between the county and Kennecott. The county bought the Rose Canyon acreage in 2007 to create one of the largest tracts of preserved open space on the west side. But Kennecott had mineral rights to ore underneath about half the property.
As a result, the county and its largest taxpayer have clashed, sometimes sharply, over Kennecott's interest in prospecting.
This fall, the company offered to pay a high price for 832 of the county's 1,700 acres of open space in Rose Canyon. The company's offer: $5.3 million. That's about $1.1 million more than the county paid for that stretch of Oquirrh Mountain wilderness.
But the proposed purchase pricked a nerve with Herriman residents and environmental activists, who warned that Kennecott's plans to explore for profitable ore thousands of meters beneath the mountainside could contaminate the air and water.
"There are too many uncertainties to move forward," Terree Kay, who lives near Rose Canyon, urged the mayor and County Council during negotiations. "In good conscience, can you all still make that decision and then live with it? I can't, and I live up here. No amount of money is worth my clean air and water."
Even Herriman City joined the opposition, calling on the county to require environmental testing, limits on rock disposal, a prohibition on open-pit mining and a commitment to continued public access to the property.
"Our ultimate hope would be to see this pristine land preserved for the enjoyment of residents for generations to come," the City Council wrote to Corroon. "That being said, we recognize the reality of mining rights. While it may not be possible to prevent the underground exploration and potential mining of found ore deposits, there is a great opportunity to limit the use of this property for the greater good of all."
Comments such as those led Corroon to rethink the sale of an Oquirrh Mountain expanse the county once characterized as the "crown jewel" of its open-space collection. He says more environmental protections are needed "so citizens feel comfortable that their quality of life won't be hurt by the mining that might take place."
Now, the deal could be off.
Kennecott spokeswoman Jana Kettering said the mine has offered to conduct air- and water-quality monitoring — and even to put that commitment in writing — but that a land transaction is no place for such regulation.
Is Kennecott still interested in buying?
"We have yet to determine how to move forward," Kettering said.
But the company will move forward with its exploration work, she said. Because of an 1872 mining law, Kennecott has the right to explore for subsurface minerals, no matter who owns the property. It simply will have to coordinate its efforts with the Bureau of Land Management and the county.
"Kennecott has had a positive long-term relationship with Salt Lake County and is committed to continuing this relationship while cooperatively working under the guidance of state and federal regulatory bodies," she wrote. "Kennecott strives to work with our stakeholders openly and transparently, and will continue operating in this manner."
Brian Moench, president of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, applauded the mayor's decision as a "bold and courageous move."
"It is disappointing," he said, "that Kennecott doesn't seem to be committed to protecting the health of Salt Lake County residents."
County Councilman Jim Bradley characterized the county's request for environmental safeguards as "not onerous by any means." Instead, he said, the county simply is asking Kennecott to "conform to being a member of the community."
"We have every right to protect the interests of the people of Salt Lake County," Bradley said. The bottom line is that officials want Kennecott "to be diligent in protecting the air and water."
Corroon remains open to further negotiations. He said he will recommend the sale of Rose Canyon "if and when" he feels the purchase agreement protects public health.