DWMRC and UVU Students Soil Sample at Historic Industrial Site

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control (DWMRC) heads to the former Anderson Geneva site for a hands-on field exercise with students from Utah Valley University (UVU).

The collaboration brings students from UVU’s Soil 101 course out of the classroom and onto a site past industrial activity. The Anderson Geneva site serves as a vital backdrop for this exercise. While the site has undergone significant cleanup to allow for commercial redevelopment, ongoing screening is essential.

This fieldwork marks "Part Two" of an intensive X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) exercise, where students will learn to detect and analyze residual contamination using the same high-tech tools used by state regulators.

"There is no substitute for the dirt under your fingernails and a detector in your hand," said Paige Walton, DWMRC scientist. "Working alongside these students allows us to mentor the next generation of environmental scientists by showing them what goes into land reclamation." Students also benefit from working with experts by receiving mentorship and seeing the day-to-day duties of aspiring careers.

The goal of the May 16th fieldwork is to collect soil representing a site that has been closed and designated for industrial and commercial use. The exercise is structured into four specific tasks, focusing on whether residual contamination remains above natural background levels.

Key technical aspects of the day include:

• Plotting a five-point composite sampling to ensure an accurate average of the area’s composition.
• Using a portable X-ray fluorescence detector to identify elemental concentrations in the soil.
• Comparing gathered data against background levels to determine if further action or screening is required to protect public health.

The DWMRC is to be commended for its proactive role in student education and community outreach. By investing time in these local collaborations, DWMRC ensures that Utah’s future environmental scientists are trained by the best in the field, while simultaneously upholding the highest standards of safety for the residents of Utah County.