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Construction will end with cleaner air, relocated trees By
Amy Hayes Utah State University's campus is often scarred with construction and this year is no different as a $38.9 million heating plant and utility distribution tunnels are entering their final stages. The project plans began with construction of the heating plant and then the new tunnel system. The construction of both areas will allow the university to enjoy and promote cleaner air through a more central heating plant. The new heating plant is north of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The old heating plant, which is on Old Main Hill, is unreliable and is one of the major polluters of Cache Valley, according to Utah State University Facilities Planning and Design Office. The new heating plant will differ from the old by burning a form of natural gas instead of coal. This gas will burn cleaner, which will reduce the damage to the valley's environment and alleviate the black haze associated with winter inversion, according to USU Facilities Planning and Design Office. "We have an ecological and functional need for a new heat plant here at USU. We need to be the leaders in the valley and initiate a trend to greatly improve the quality of air and quality of life here," Stanley Kane, assistant director of the USU Facilities Planning and Design Office, told the Herald Journal. The second area of construction caused the most environmental concern and controversy. The new tunnel will follow the path of the old tunnel in hopes to eliminate unneeded disruption to USU's campus. The new tunnels will have significant increased space and in the future will allow construction to easily be performed to update additional utilities such as power, water and communications without having to dig up the campus again. The new tunnel system will begin at the new heating plant and follow south past the Geology and Natural Resources Building along a recognized walkway on campus. This walkway is known for beauty and providing a feeling of being under an umbrella of branches and leaves. Since construction is underway, the walkway is hardly recognizable and is a maze of dirt, construction safety net and chain-link fence. "The walkway was my favorite spot on campus during the autumn season. You could see a rainbow of colors," said Kari Mendenhall, a former attender of USU. Even though the construction effort looks like vegetation was destroyed needlessly, torn roots showing at every point, construction plans conscientiously tried to minimize the harm and damage done to the plant life. "But in order to perform the project it was inevitable for some trees to be relocated or removed," said Ellen Newell, USU landscape manager. The trees that were unfortunately cut down will be recycled into decorative wooden boxes by artist at Urban Forest Wood Works, according to USU's web page. According to the USU Arboretum Committee, made up of natural resources and plant science faculty and other experts, many shrubs and trees will be relocated in numerous locations (south side of the Fine Art Building, around the Old Main Building and around the new heating plant) around campus. To be exact, 23 trees were involved in the relocation effort; 14 maples, two magnolias, one fir, one oak, three pear and two hackberry trees. According to Newell, the older trees that were relocated or cut down will be replaced by rare species of trees selected for educational purposes. However, many trees were initially in bad shape due to the pollution the projectis trying to end and had dead roots that would kill the trees eventually. According to the USU Arboreteum Committee, the old tunnels leaked 30,000 gallons of treated water causing extensive deterioration to the roots of the trees that were along the walkway. "The project is designed to accommodate a growing campus population projected to reach 40,000 students over the next 50 years," said John Devilbiss, executive director of public relations and marketing for Utah State.
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