100 acres under contract in Tooele, on our dime
We’ve been very vocal opponents of the Utah Inland Port Authority’s proposed development for Tooele County. That’s because UIPA is granting significant tax breaks and public funding to industrial developers, including those with family ties to elected officials—State Representative Bridger Bolinder and Josh Romney, son of U.S. Senator Mitt Romney. Despite this, no business case has been presented to justify using taxpayer money to subsidize these projects.
The proposed inland port also threatens to destroy wetlands, worsen air quality, increase traffic, and degrade the overall quality of life in Tooele County and northern Utah.
Governor Cox was recently quoted by KSL, saying “We don’t believe those projects are too close to the Great Salt Lake. We’ve worked very closely to make sure that this type of development is actually protective of the Great Salt Lake, and that we’ll be able to create some barriers there.”
The map of the area’s boundaries shows something very different. The only reason barriers need to be created now is due to pending development from the Inland Port. Wetlands are largely undeveloped currently, not only because of their beneficial biological functions, but because they’re expensive to develop. Without taxpayers backing these bonds, developers wouldn’t likely foot the bill.
Our most recent attempts to halt this highly contested development of Tooele County include filing a lawsuit against the makeup of the UIPA board, and issuing a formal letter calling for the bond issuance in Tooele to be stopped.
Tooele residents shouldn’t have to subsidize this risky industrial development. The proposed sale of nearly $100 million in tax-exempt, high-yield (junk) bonds would fund privately owned infrastructure in an area already struggling with poor air quality and depleted water resources. More than 800 residents signed a petition opposing this state-subsidized project. The public deserves a pause on this decision until proper environmental and financial standards are met.