The Utah Inland Port’s newest project area
New development is slated for rural communities just outside of fast growing Eagle Mountain.
The Utah Inland Port Authority is spreading throughout the state like metastatic cancer. It has launched another project area, bringing the total to 14 so far. The newest site for this subsidized industrial development is a fast growing region west of Utah Lake, Fairfield and Cedar Fort, near Eagle Mountain.
In every new project area the concerns are much the same–more pollution, more taxpayer money wasted, more environmental destruction and stress on our limited resources, more water consumption, more trucks and vehicle congestion on our roads, more tying of the state’s economy to unsustainable and poorly thought out projects and businesses.
“UIPA is cultivating a hub for light manufacturing, ag‑tech, and renewable energy that respects small‑town character and elevates opportunities for decades ahead,” the Utah Inland Port’s website says of the new area.
But residents and environmental groups have heard this story before — lofty promises, vague details, and little public oversight.
In reality, these project areas are advancing with no requirement for comprehensive environmental review, no independent health impact studies, and no clear accounting of where millions in tax subsidies are going. With each new Inland Port zone UIPA completely ignores the limits to growth in Utah, and the reality of our limited resources like water. Each project chips away at open space, degrades air quality and quality of life, all while offering corporations public money with few strings attached.
Send a comment to the Inland Port Authority. Tell them you want to see what businesses are slated for their project area near your community. At this rate, there likely is one closer than you think. How many additional trucks will they bring? Will they bring light and noise pollution and be another source of intense energy and water consumption like data centers? How many jobs are they providing and what is the rate of pay for those jobs?
Heather Dove, who spoke during a public comment period said the areas west of Utah Lake are already grappling with tremendous growth. She believes that local roads are overburdened with traffic, and the area can’t sustain the scale of industrial and residential development that’s being planned with this port.
“Cedar Fort and Fairfield city leaders are rushing into this project without fully understanding what they’re giving up, which is the peace and quiet and the natural beauty of the desert landscapes and the wildlife they support in this region,” Dove said.
