News Stories
2024
Utah Supreme Court sides with inland port, says zoning doesn’t violate state law - Deseret News, June 29, 2024
Controversial Utah Inland Port Authority project and more on Behind the Headlines - Utah Public Radio, Behind the Headlines, May 24, 2024
It's Weber County's turn to get bossed around by the Utah Inland Port Authority. Salt Lake City Weekly, May 22, 2024
Opinion: Utah Inland Port wants 9K acres in Weber Co. You should weigh in. Residents have issued their own warning about what could be permanently lost. By Ann Florence. The Salt Lake Tribune, May 20, 2024
Massive inland port project targets western Weber County, concerning residents, environmental groups. - Great Salt Lake Collaborative & KSL TV, May 20, 2024
Utah Inland Port Authority approves new site near the Great Salt Lake. Great Salt Lake Collaborative & FOX13 News, May 20, 2024
West Weber Inland Port approved amid community outcry: County residents worry the effects the project may have on their health and environment. - Utah News Dispatch, May 20, 2024
Massive new Utah port project would turn ‘pristine land’ into a ‘parking lot,’ critics say.
The project was expanded to almost 9,000 acres by the Utah Inland Port Authority. By Sofia Jeremias. The Salt Lake Tribune, April 30, 2024
Inland port darkens Utah’s future. - Commentary by Brian Moench. Utah News Dispatch, Mar. 7, 2024
Utah Inland Port Authority votes to expand Spanish Fork site by 418 acres. - The Daily Herald, Jan. 12, 2024
Inland port proposal near Great Salt Lake grows from 900 acres to nearly 9,000: A massive industrial development is slated for an area in Weber County with wetlands and open space vital to the lake’s ecological health, but port supporters vow minimal impact. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 3, 2024
2023
Inland port is cashing in on Salt Lake City’s building boom: Audit shows surge in property tax revenue and tighter procurement policy bolstered the port authority’s coffers. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 22, 2023
Opinion: Utah’s growth paradox - Like the California gold rush, the Utah Inland Port Authority’s 21st century gold rush will create a few fortunes, but everyone else will pay for it with a diminished quality of life, and holding nothing but fool’s gold. By Brian Moench. Deseret News, Dec. 19, 2023
Utah Inland Port Authority approves two new projects in Tooele County: Supporters say the light industrial developments will diversify the economy, while opponents worry about impacts to water demand, wetlands and the Great Salt Lake. The Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 6, 2023
Beaver County gets an inland port, with Tooele next in line: The port authority has also presented a plan to incentivize wetland protection as its many projects keep cropping up across the state. The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 7, 2023
Interactive map shows location of inland port projects across Utah and their proximity to wetlands: What does Utah stand to gain and lose as wetlands and open space get paved over by port development? - The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 1, 2023
Another inland port project approved on imperiled Great Salt Lake wetlands: Weber County launches its own industrial port project, right next to the shores of the imperiled lake and the critical habitat it provides. - Great Salt Lake Collaborative & The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 18, 2023
'A terrible idea': Groups worry new inland port will harm Great Salt Lake refuge. Great Salt Lake Collaborative & KSL.com, Aug. 17, 2023
Utah Inland Port Authority is still paying millions for land leases it doesn’t need: A few deep-pocketed developers are making big bucks off both future and abandoned port projects. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 11, 2023
Utah Inland Port Authority has a new look, but why does Utah have an inland port in the first place? Is it an international cargo hub? A rail infrastructure funding mechanism? A means of rural economic development? Can it really be sustainable? - The Salt Lake Tribune, May 20, 2023
‘It seems they’re on hyperdrive’ — at least 9 Utah communities have opened the door to inland port projects: Utah Inland Port Authority is shifting gears to focus on smaller areas across the state, but is it moving too fast? - The Salt Lake Tribune, May 11, 2023
Utah’s first inland port appears ready for construction, but it’s not in Salt Lake City: Communities across the state are ready and want to move forward with port projects, including Iron, Tooele and Box Elder counties. - The Salt Lake Tribune, April 11, 2023
Deeda Seed and Lynn de Freitas: Salt Lake City needs to protect the south shore of the Great Salt Lake: More water may help save the lake, but industrial development will never go away. - The Salt Lake Tribune, March 10, 2023
Pushback against Northpoint plan builds as two former SLC mayors, inland port boss raise concerns: Is Salt Lake City prioritizing warehouses over farms, homes and habitat for the Great Salt Lake? - The Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 13, 2023
2022
Salt Lake City and the port authority have forged a deal for the northwest quadrant: The port’s tax income will decrease over time, and it must fund environmental and community improvement projects.- The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 15, 2022
Opinion: You’ve heard about Utah’s inland port — here’s the history behind the opposition. The inland port was established as an independent entity, not subject to public input. But the public has a lot to say about it. By Fred Ash. Deseret News, Oct. 6, 2022
Opinion: The fatal flaw in Utah’s Inland Port idea - The inland port attempts to help a supply chain crisis, but it would be counterproductive to send goods to Salt Lake City and then backhaul them for distribution. By Malin Moench. Deseret News, Oct. 4, 2022
Langley: The Utah Inland Port Authority Works Against Salt Lake Citizens. - The Daily Utah Chronicle, Sept. 26, 2022
Inland port prevails in Utah Supreme Court ruling: Justices reject Salt Lake City’s arguments that the facility’s establishment and revenue grab are unconstitutional. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 29, 2022
Inland Port Authority’s budget, of more than $40 million, includes lots of spending with little detail: No line items note how much the port plans to invest in its transloading facility, Intelligent Crossroads Network or other big-dollar projects in the coming year. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 27, 2022
Did Utah Inland Port’s actions balloon the price tag for LDS Church property?
Rail company had a federal grant in hand to pay for the project at no cost to the state, but the port authority’s successful bid may have derailed that plan and added millions to the purchase price. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 17, 2022
Utah Inland Port shake-up: Executive director is out — sort of: Jack Hedge instead will become president and work as “Mr. Outside” as the embattled port authority seeks a new executive director to be “Mr. Inside.” - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 4, 2022
Inland port’s effort to snatch up LDS Church property throws wrench into plan to improve air, traffic: Rail company files its own eminent domain action to preserve a project years in the making to bring relief to west-siders. - The Salt Lake Tribune, May 30, 2022
2021
Opinion: Questions about the Utah Inland Port - Please provide the residents of the Salt Lake Valley with the information we have been seeking for the last 2 1⁄2 years, including projected impacts to human health, traffic, noise and the environment. By Katie Pappas. Deseret News, Nov. 4, 2021
Inland port board approves $40 million budget that includes money for a new transloading facility: Information about how much money the facility will ultimately cost, who will build it and when it will be constructed remain slim. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 16, 2021
As Utah’s inland port inks more cargo deals, opponents plead for transparency. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 11, 2021
Who will control Salt Lake City’s inland port? Utah Supreme Court wades into the legal land battle. The outcome could set a precedent for the division of state and municipal powers that goes beyond the inland port. - The Salt Lake Tribune, April 21, 2021
Inland port opponents call on governor to veto ‘infrastructure bank’ that would fund development: The governor has yet to sign SB243, which would fund improvements like roads, water, sewage and power within the port’s jurisdictional land. - The Salt Lake Tribune, March 17, 2021
2020
Tom Walker: If you like smog, you’ll love the inland port. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 8, 2020
Inland port meeting brings out supporters, dissenters of massive distribution hub development. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 2, 2020
Green River payments related to Utah inland port come under fire from critics. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 30, 2020
Utah inland port project continues to move forward after a ‘busy, busy’ summer and amid public disapproval. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 16, 2020
Eight rural Utah counties are competing to host a satellite inland port. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 30, 2020
Inland port foes turn their attention to Kennecott and its Salt Lake City land holdings. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 26, 2020
New air quality monitors going up in area near planned inland port. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 17, 2020
Utah Inland Port Authority approves strategic business plan over objections from the public. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 22, 2020
Utah’s Republican candidates for governor back inland port project, promise sustainable development. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 22, 2020
Public expresses skepticism as inland port board plan promises sustainable development. - The Salt Lake Tribune, May 27, 2020
Utah Inland Port Authority releases long-awaited business plan. - The Salt Lake Tribune, May 21, 2020
Utah Inland Port Authority signs deal with Rocky Mountain power for renewable energy. - The Salt Lake Tribune, May 13, 2020
David Ross Scheer: Utah Must Demand the inland port plan we need. - Comment by David Ross Scheer. The Salt Lake Tribune, May 4, 2020
2019
Salt Lake City’s lawsuit against the inland port hinges on a single sentence in the Utah Constitution. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 18, 2019
Public’s views on Utah’s inland port will help ‘shape’ the project, officials say. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 10, 2019
Inland port opponents call for health impact study on massive development. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept.18, 2019
Tribune editorial: Arrogance created Utah’s inland port storm. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 8, 2019
Utah Inland Port meeting erupts in protest, with dozens ejected by officers and one arrested. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 6, 2019
New inland port report says traffic and warehouses are coming to northwest Salt Lake City regardless — but argues the development could be greener under state leadership. - The Salt Lake Tribune, March 27, 2019
Inland Port may have upsides, but don’t downplay the downsides, Utahns are warned. - The Salt Lake Tribune, Feb. 2, 2019
2018
The Utah Inland Port board’s committees meeting in private despite criticism over lack of transparency. - The Salt Lake Tribune Nov. 13, 2018
How will the inland port, a massive project near the Great Salt Lake, affect air quality and the ecosystem? - The Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 21, 2018
Beyond the Books: Will the Inland Port Authority threaten the health of children? - KUTV News, Oct. 11, 2018
Report showing that 63% of SLC residents who know about the port "somewhat" or "strongly" oppose it. - UtahPolicy.com, Sept. 20, 2018
House Speaker Greg Hughes steps down from Inland Port board less than a week after his property holdings came to light. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 26, 2018
Commentary: Hughes should resign from port authority board Hughes would be unable to serve on the board he appointed himself to because of a law that he helped pass. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 23, 2018
Gov. Herbert is ‘not eager’ to change the conflict-of interest rules after Speaker Hughes’ property holdings come to light. He’s not alone. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 21, 2018
House Speaker Greg Hughes’ property holdings appear to disqualify him from the inland port board that he appointed himself to. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 20, 2018
George Pyle: Sadly, our editorial predicted what would happen with the Salt Lake City port. - The Salt Lake Tribune, June 2, 2018