Two advocacy groups sue the State of Utah over Inland Port

SALT LAKE CITY — Concerns over development along the Great Salt Lake wetlands are heading to Utah’s 3rd District Court, as two advocacy groups are suing the State. Both groups claim the Inland Port Authority board, which has been approving the developments, is unconstitutional.

“We can’t save the Great Salt Lake if we allow the Port Authority to amputate its wetlands,” said Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.

Moench leads one of two advocacy groups jointly suing Utah, claiming the Utah Inland Port Authority board’s approval of the development of 95,000 acres along the wetlands is not in accordance with the state constitution.

The lawsuit claims the Port functions under Utah’s executive branch, yet the majority of its members are appointed by the state legislature, which violates the state’s separation of powers and makes them unaccountable to taxpayers.

“We’re not in this because we’re constitutional scholars, we’re in this to try and protect the public, and the public needs to understand they’re not being protected by the port authority’s actions,” Moench said.

Moench said developing 10s of thousands of acres will further shrink the lake and add multiple sources of air pollution.

When asked about the lawsuit, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he hasn’t seen it yet but admits he’s fine with more industrial development along the Great Salt Lake.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is going to be one of the more environmentally friendly inland ports in the country, and we’re committed to making that happen,” Cox said.

Now Cox and Utah’s Inland Port will have to defend that view in court.

“When we are served papers, which we have not been served papers at this point, then we can know exactly what the lawsuit entails, but as of right now it’s just a press release, that’s all it is,” said Ben Hart, executive director of the Utah Inland Port Authority.

Moench claims it’s in stark contrast to the danger development poses to the wetlands.

“If the public knows the details of this, nobody would be in favor of this, and for taxpayers to be footing the bill for it, just makes it all the more egregious,” Moench said.

KSL TV also reached out to Utah’s legislative leadership, who picked three of the five board members, but as of late afternoon, their offices said they have not seen the lawsuit either and declined to comment.