Health workers investigate massive illegal dumping case near Salt Lake City county landfill

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 5-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.

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