Senate approves Tooele County class-5 landfill resolution after heated debate

Senate Concurrent Resolution 2, which would approve a class-5 nonhazardous landfill on school institutional trust lands in Tooele County, passed the Utah Senate on Feb. 24 by a recorded vote of 28–1 after extended floor debate.

Sponsor Senator Allen said school trust lands had been assessed and identified a landfill as the best revenue-producing use for a remote parcel. He told the Senate that local approvals and Department of Environmental Quality permitting had been completed and urged support so the trust lands could produce income for the trust fund.

Opponents and careful questioners repeatedly pressed whether a class-5 permit would allow out-of-state waste. Senator Hilliard asked, "My question is as I read the newspaper article about it, it said that it would not be allowed to take out of state waste. Is that correct?" Senator Allen replied he had been assured by the parties involved that they did not intend to accept out-of-state waste and cited logistical barriers to doing so by rail.

Other senators voiced concern about regional equity and impacts: Senator Hayden said a class-5 designation allows commercial nonhazardous waste and under certain circumstances could include out-of-state material. Senator Dimitrich acknowledged East Carbon's potential harm from competition but said he had negotiated commitments that Allied would not send out-of-state waste to the Tooele facility and that those commitments helped secure his support.

Supporters framed the measure as an economic opportunity. Senator Stevens noted that the facility could provide nonhazardous waste capacity and generate revenue and jobs for Tooele County and income for school trust lands. Senator Bramble urged colleagues to pay attention to the negotiations that produced the compromise.

The Senate ultimately voted to read SCR 2 for the third time and approved it, with President Valentine recording the result as 28 yes, 1 nay and no absences. Sponsors and several senators urged ongoing oversight and noted that local permitting and DEQ approval remain part of the implementation process.

What happens next: The resolution will be transmitted per the legislative process and the trust lands administration and local permitting authorities will oversee any leasing or contracting arrangements; the floor debate left unresolved whether the approval should have included a statutory restriction explicitly barring out-of-state waste, relying instead on private-sector commitments and assurances on record.