Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Oil And Gas Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Duchesne County delays vote on oil-and-gas zoning after residents cite compressor noise and road impacts
Summary
Commissioners recessed consideration of ordinance 24-4-09 until Oct. 21 after hours of testimony about heavy truck damage to county roads and 24/7 noise from a compressor station; the county commissioned a second review of the proposed road-mitigation fee and will hold a public work session Sept. 30 to review results.
Duchesne County commissioners recessed consideration of an oil-and-gas zoning amendment until 2 p.m. on Oct. 21 after a lengthy public hearing Sept. 16 that centered on road damage from heavy industry traffic and persistent noise from a compressor station.
The hearing began with staff framing the issue: Duchesne County accounts for most of Utah’s recent oil production, and commissioners said rapid private-land development has increased wear on county roads and created community concerns. Commissioner Miles described two technical efforts under way to quantify impacts: Jones & DeMille’s condition survey using an AI platform and an independent transportation mitigation-fee study being produced by EFG Consulting (Cody Dieter).
The public-comment period included multiple residents who said a compressor station near Martin produces continuous noise that registers in the 70–80 dB range at nearby yards and described sleep and quality-of-life impacts. “It is 24/7,” resident Kim Hardy told the commission, presenting noise measurements she said peaked in the 80s decibels. Neighbor Liz Morgart said sound walls installed near her home did not mitigate the problem. Residents asked the county to expand permitting and regulation to include compressor stations and to adopt enforceable decibel limits.
Industry representatives told the commission they are willing to meet and to share mitigation ideas and data. County staff and consultants said the draft ordinance would add conditional-use review for facilities such as compressor stations and flare-gas generation, while traffic/fee formulas may differ by facility type because truck counts vary between well pads and compressor sites.
Commissioners said they wanted a second technical review of the road-fee calculations before adopting any formula. The county had a draft figure from Jones & DeMille that produced a high per-mile figure; EFG’s initial approach uses average repair costs reported by local operators rather than assuming new road construction. Cody Dieter confirmed he has the information he needs to finish the mitigation-fee study and is actively working on it.
To give residents, industry and staff time to review the consultant’s findings, commissioners scheduled a Sept. 30 public work session to preview the study and set a formal public hearing in mid-to-late October. In the interim commissioners and staff said they will review nuisance/noise ordinances and conditional-use standards to determine what can be applied to existing facilities and what would be imposed on new operations.
The commission stressed it seeks “win–win” outcomes: preserving industry operations while securing fair contributions to road maintenance and addressing community impacts. The hearing was recessed to Oct. 21 for further deliberation.
