Land-use attorney warns 'CIMA' changes reduce local discretion over mining, supporting moratorium

Nate Mitchell, a land-use attorney, told the council that changes adopted by the Utah Legislature in 2025 and 2026 — referred to in the meeting as "CIMA" — restrict the legislative discretion of local bodies to limit mining of critical materials like sand and gravel once an operation is established. He said the statute allows enlargements or changes to operations unless the local body finds the expansion would endanger public health, safety or welfare.