Gov. Cox signs Utah Inland Port Authority bill, making it law
Mar 4, 2025, 3:16 PM
Gov. Spencer Cox delivers his 2025 State of the State address in the House chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — On March 3, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill giving new abilities to the Utah Inland Port Authority.
As he presented the bill during the 2025 Utah legislative session, Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Davis County, explained it has several purposes:
- Allowing the designation of new project areas
- Strengthened GRAMA securities for businesses operating in the port
- Expanding tax differentials for projects adjacent to existing project areas
- Adding a new governor-appointed member to the Inland Port Authority board
- Allowing private landowners to build distribution centers on contaminated land
“We have several inland port areas now that are producing … fantastically for us. They are creating jobs and they’re getting trucks off the road and they’re utilizing rails that are in those areas,” said Stevenson.
Expanding projects, allowing for development
In the meeting, Stevenson explained that some of the Utah Inland Port Authority’s projects expand outside the boundaries of their existing areas.
A report from KSL.com explained that tax differentials are used by several Utah land authorities, primarily along the Wasatch Front. They prevent the tax values of an area from increasing for a certain period of time, often 20 or 30 years.
Additionally, Stevenson said landowners wishing to develop on contaminated land will be required to disinfect it — to an extent — first.
“Last year, we ran a bill on the inland port and we took landfills away from being able to build distribution centers on top,” said Stevenson.
This bill undoes last year’s legislation, returning some landfills to their previous status, where owners can develop on them “as they see fit.”
According to Stevenson, the authority is only interested in developing on one.
“They have to be cleaned to a level before anything can happen.”
What are the Utah Inland Port Authority’s plans?
According to the Utah Inland Port Authority website, the organization is working to build new infrastructure to “support sustainable economic development.”
Utah Inland Port Authority Executive Director Ben Hart said Cox’s signing of the bill strengthens their goal.
“SB0239 strengthens UIPA’s ability to drive long-term economic growth while ensuring transparency, responsible governance and strategic infrastructure investments. This bill provides the flexibility we need to align project areas with evolving business and community needs, reinforcing Utah’s position as a leader in logistics and economic development.”
The authority currently has 12 projects, including a controversial zone between the Salt Lake City International Airport and Great Salt Lake’s shores.
Opposition
Utah Inland Port Authority opponents have often expressed concern for the group’s environmental impact.
Deeda Seed, Center for Biological Diversity senior Utah campaigner, speaks during a press conference urging the halt to Utah Inland Port Authority development in Great Salt Lake wetlands at the capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
In an email to KSL NewsRadio, Jonny Vasic, the executive director of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment expressed disappointment in Gov. Cox’s signing of the bill.
“This law will decrease transparency of the Utah Inland Port Authority. The authority has a spotty record with transparency as it is, and this will only make it worse,” wrote Vasic.
He cited a report released by Stop the Polluting Port, which claimed $1.3 billion in taxpayer funds are used to finance the authority’s project operations.
Hart previously told KSL.com that the port does not provide tax subsidies to developers.
Stop the Polluting Port’s report also said inland port developments will harm or destroy over 77,000 acres near the Great Salt Lake, while adding more than half a million vehicle trips to roads throughout the Wasatch Front.
The vehicles that would be making trips run on diesel. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, diesel emissions can lead to health problems, such as respiratory illnesses and heart and lung disease and it contributes pollutants that impact plants and water.
Additionally, the World Health Organization classifies diesel as a carcinogen.
Pollutants emitted by diesel engines can ultimately end up in humans as they travel up the food chain.
“The Inland Port Authority is attempting to dismiss very valid concerns about how they’re spending money and impacting the environment,” wrote Vasic.
Related: Environmental groups worry Utah Inland Port Authority may reactivate coal mine
