Utah board approves 4th inland port location amid environmental concerns

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah —Utah’s inland port system is officially growing, despite concerns raised about its newest project.

Utah Inland Port Authority’s board of directors voted unanimously Monday to approve the Golden Spike Project Area. It sets aside new port sites across Box Elder County, including in Brigham City, after local leaders previously approved the project locations.

Miles Hansen, chairman of the port authority board, said the vote signals “a significant milestone for Utah’s economic future.”

“The proposed location of the Golden Spike Project Area offers substantial benefits for neighboring counties,” he said in a statement Tuesday, pointing out that Cache and Weber counties are among Utah’s top five importing and exporting counties.

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The project is the third regional port approved, following votes to approve similar ports in Cedar City and Spanish Fork earlier this year. The primary inland port, located in Salt Lake City’s Northwest Quadrant, was established by the Utah Legislature in 2018.

Utah Inland Port Authority officials contend the projects will reduce road congestion and improve importing and exporting efficiency by stationing ports along rail lines. Box Elder County Commissioner Stan Summers said the newest port may be a “turning point” for the county and northern Utah, focusing heavily on agriculture, aerospace and other industries located in the region.

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“(T)his project area is set to attract high-tech advanced manufacturing jobs and create a thriving economic focal point,” Summers said in a statement. “Box Elder County remains focused on quality of life and quality growth. These project areas reflect Utah’s forward-looking approach to economic development, sustainability, infrastructure improvement and job creation.”

However, the Golden Spike Project Area also sparked controversy because of its close proximity to the nearly century-old Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City. Last week, representatives of Utah Physicians for a Health Environment and Center for Biological Diversity staged a rally inside the Utah Capitol and delivered petitions to two members of the Utah Inland Port Authority, calling on them to cancel the project.

Those opposed to the plan argue it will increase truck and rail traffic, which will disrupt an important part of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and cause other environmental harm.

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“To put industrial development next to a migratory bird refuge of international and global importance is a terrible idea,” said Deeda Seed, senior campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity.

Both Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Ben Hart, the port authority’s executive director, countered those claims last week. The governor said the project would be located “where trains have been before and where trains will continue to go.”

Hart told KSL.com that port authority leaders are aware of the concerns and will look for ways to mitigate impacts as the project comes together in the near future, including “environmental buffers” between new development and the refuge, possible conservation easements and adjusting lighting so that it’s more wildlife friendly.

Utah’s inland port Golden Spike County Project Area Plan FINAL by LarryDCurtis on Scribd