Mortar discovered at WJ waste management facility results in police response


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WEST JORDAN — The discovery of what appeared to be a mortar at a garbage handling and recycling facility Wednesday led to a response by police, fire and a bomb tech.

Waste Management plant manager Walt Mathiason said a worker at the facility, located at 8652 S. 4000 West, found the mortar on the sorting line and notified managers, who called for help to handle the device.

After a bomb technician examined the mortar, West Jordan police officer Scott List said it appeared to be an inert training round.

“From what I was told, this object was never intended to have any type of munitions in it, so (it’s) simply a training round,” List explained. “Now, whether it could be propelled or not — I don’t know — but (it was) never intended for any explosives.”

List said Wednesday that the mortar was being taken to Hill Air Force Base for disposal.

Dangerous Devices

Mathiason said this was not the first time something that was dangerous, or appeared to be dangerous, showed up at his plant.

“We get handguns, ammunition, propane tanks, needles,” Mathiason said.

He added that something dangerous arrives essentially on a daily basis.

“Those are the kinds of things that could really hurt somebody,” he said.

Proper Disposal

Mathiason said mortars — inert or not — as well as guns, needles and propane tanks should never be simply discarded in the trash, or sent off for recycling. List underscored the point, saying if someone knows a mortar or other explosive is inert, then the person should destroy the device before discarding it.

If anyone is uncertain whether a device is inert or not, List said the person should call police or fire to the house to assess it.

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Andrew Adams
Andrew Adams is a reporter for KSL-TV whose work can also be heard on KSL NewsRadio and read on KSL.com and in the Deseret News.

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