HF Sinclair wants to build a fuel pipeline in Summit County as part of its Mountain West infrastructure expansion, and the county’s legal team says local officials have little authority to interfere despite residents’ concerns about environmental impacts and private property rights. The nati onal energy company has not shared many details about the pipeline, called Westline Connect, but a website dedicated to the project describes it as an effort to upgrade infrastructure, “including pipelines, terminals, refineries and pump stations,” in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. Jeff Danielson and Will Swoyer, two HF Sinclair executives, in a recent Salt Lake Tribune opinion piece said the improvements are needed to keep pace with Utah’s growing “population, economy and transportation needs.” “Demand across the West for gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products has grown faster than the region’s existing pipeline network, leaving communities more vulnerable to supply disruptions, higher costs and transportation bottlenecks,” the executives wrote. “Project Westline Connect is intended to help address these challenges by supporting a more reliable and efficient fuel supply network across the region.” HF Sinclair has not yet published the final alignment, or map, of the Westline Connect project nor filed an application with the county; however, a Summit County spokesperson confirmed the company has contacted the local government about its plans to build in the area. Silver Creek residents have also reported seeing surveying equipment associated with the project. Multiple county councilors said they received emails from concerned property owners, many of whom expressed anxieties about protecting their property rights and deterring potential environmental risks. Community members will have an opportunity to share concerns with HF Sinclair directly, too, because the company will need to obtain conditional use permits from the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission and Snyderville Basin Planning Commission to build the pipeline. Each group will hold at least one public hearing on the proposal. Planning commissioners handle conditional use permits as an administrative action. That means the Summit County Council will not be involved in the approval process. But Summit County likely has more local control than other governments because of its response to a similar proposal more than 10 years ago, according to Thomas. The Tesoro Corporation had plans to build a pipeline through Summit County in the early 2010s, but local officials were concerned about its proximity to the Provo River and other important waterways, Thomas said. The County Council passed ordinances imposing strict setback requirements, effectively prohibiting the pipeline from being built next to the river. “We have a very robust regulatory scheme that complies with federal law, as well as state law, because there are things that you don’t have control over as a local government with a pipeline that’s governed by mostly federal statutes,” Thomas said. “But there are things that we can do.” Tesoro never built the pipeline and pulled out of the project because of rising oil prices, according to Thomas. HF Sinclair hasn’t submitted a formal application to the county yet, but Thomas said the company has been receptive to Summit County’s feedback so far. Specifically, the company complied with a request to shift the pipeline so it follows Interstate 80 instead of cutting through the 910 Cattle Ranch, which is protected by a conservation easement. Energy companies typically acquire land for large-scale projects in two ways: voluntary agreements with landowners, called easements, or eminent domain, which is when a government seizes private land for public use. “In the state of Utah, the power of eminent domain isn’t dependent upon it being exercised by a government,” said County Chief Civil Deputy David Thomas. “Eminent domain is by public use, and anyone who is using something for a public use has access to eminent domain. Oil pipelines are specifically called out in the eminent domain statute as a public use.” Thomas said residents with specific concerns should contact the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman. County Manager Shayne Scott, who expressed his personal opposition to the pipeline, said Sinclair HF representatives will likely meet with the County Council as a courtesy early next year. He also said the county plans to make the application “as public as we can” once it’s submitted to the Planning Department. Information about Westline Connect is available by visiting westlineconnect.com. The post Summit County officials have little control over proposed pipeline, says attorney appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less