Concrete spill cleanup in Mill Creek continues

By Bridget Raymundo | [email protected]

Recently, a concrete spill polluted Mill Creek and raised the pH to dangerous levels. Pets, people and even plants in contact with the water will be harmed. Thus far, the water used from the creek in gardens and lawns is not a concern as long as produce exposed to the water is washed. As expected, plants that source their water from the creek are likely to die from the high alkaline concentration. The foam on the surface of the water is an especially concerning sign and health officials urge those in contact with the contaminated water to wash exposed skin with clean water, then seek the guidance of a health care provider to prevent the possibility of further skin irritation issues. 

The cause of the spill was the UDOT’s joint I-215/1-80 project which was reported by a resident on July 19. Deejay Allen, an employee of Millcreek, found the source of the spill and gathered the appropriate help from UDOT. Since then, cleanup has continued up to the second week of August and may continue due to the consequences of the accident. Hand shovels are retrieving the concrete all the way down from below I-215 to 500 East. More than 100 fish were killed with many more to be expected in the count. With all this being said, the recovery team is making progress and are approaching the final stages of their cleanup. 

On the recovery team now are officials from Millcreek, South Salt Lake, Salt Lake County, Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality, UDOT, and Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction. Concerns are being directed to the hotline: 844-909-3278. To report concrete deposits remaining, call 801-214-2700.

In the Millcreek City Council Meeting on Aug. 9, the issue of who would pay for the cleanup was raised. It was then established that emergency funds from the state would pay. Millcreek residents do not need to worry about the incident draining the city’s coffers.