Utah Inland Ports Spreading Like Wildfire

Photo taken in Salt Lake City by Q Burtino.

The Utah Inland Port is another assault to the climate and public trust of government funds. Where it was originally designated as a warehouse and freight loading facility for Salt Lake City, the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) has spread its reach across the state quickly, with little regard to climate or air pollution consequences, or consideration of public opinion.

The most recently approved project areas are in Tooele County. UIPA approved the projects in a room full of protestors and local residents who were in opposition. Amongst them was UPHE board member, Dr. Courtney Henley, who spoke at a rally ahead of the meeting. “For six years, the Utah Inland Port Authority has touted its goal to create truck, train and air shipping ports around the state of Utah. The only truck, train and air transport we have today relies on the burning of fossil fuels, and the emissions increase air pollution in the form of ozone and fine particulate matter,” Dr. Henley said at the rally.

UPHE board member Courtney Henley at the Tooele rally.

UIPAattempted to reassure residents that truck pollution won’t be an issue and rail will be prioritized. Even if that were true, recent reports have shown rail to be just as, if not more polluting than truck traffic per ton of goods moved.

UIPA also has virtually unregulated, unaccountable control of resident tax dollars. Money that could be invested to fight the climate crisis or local services that improve quality of life for Utah’s communities. Instead it’s going to subsidize corporate developers.

UIPAalso recently revealed plans for even more ports in Vineyard, in Utah County, and San Juan County.

UIPA projects have been riddled with taxpayer waste, controversy and poor planning since its conception. UIPA’s projects threaten the destruction of Great Salt Lake wetlands. House Speaker Mike Schultz recently announced he was stepping down from UIPA’s board, about the same time it was revealed he has applied for permits to extract over 180 million gallons of water to construct reservoirs for his new ranch near the lake.