SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Opponents of HF Sinclair’s proposed Westline Connect pipeline pressed leaders in Emigration Canyon and Salt Lake City on Tuesday to take a stronger stand against the project before the company selects a final route.
At the Emigration Canyon Council meeting, Save Our Canyons presented a petition with 1,281 signatures opposing the proposal as of Tuesday morning.
The pipeline has become a growing concern for people who live along a corridor that company materials have shown running through Parleys and Emigration canyons, then along Salt Lake City’s foothills through the Avenues, Capitol Hill and Rose Park before reaching North Salt Lake.
HF Sinclair says no final route has been selected.
But opponents said waiting for a final route is not an option.
“It can’t be committees. It can’t be studies. It has to be: We are saying no,” one speaker told the council.
WATCH | Pipeline opponents press Salt Lake, Emigration Canyon leaders for a clear stand
The meeting grew tense when Justin Kahn was asked to leave after speaking up during the meeting. As he left, Kahn told council members, “I’m disappointed in all of you.”
The Emigration Canyon meeting did not include a vote on the pipeline or a formal council position.
At the same time, Salt Lake City residents also used public comment at the City Council meeting to raise concerns about the proposed project.
The public pressure follows HF Sinclair’s presentation to the Salt Lake City Council last week. Company representatives said the Westline Connect project would provide more resiliency for the region’s transportation-fuel system and reduce price volatility when demand exceeds supply.
But Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and the City Council issued a joint statement afterward saying they were “deeply concerned” about the proposal.
They said the project, as presented, was inconsistent with the city’s responsibility to protect residents, visitors, drinking water and the Great Salt Lake from environmental hazards.
City leaders asked HF Sinclair for more information about potential impacts to watersheds, groundwater recharge areas, streams, hospitals, residential neighborhoods and other sensitive areas.
“Based on the information provided today, there are no compelling benefits — only risks — for Salt Lakers,” the statement said.
Opponents in Emigration Canyon have focused on water, wildfire evacuation concerns and the prospect of construction near homes and private wells.
In previous FOX 13 reporting, canyon property owners also raised concerns after receiving letters from a law firm seeking access to survey property for the project. Some said language referencing possible sheriff involvement made them feel pressured.
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Tuesday’s meetings did not resolve those concerns or create an official barrier to the project.
Instead, they showed opposition becoming more organized in two communities along the potential corridor: Save Our Canyons now has more than 1,200 petition signatures, and speakers are asking local governments to move beyond requesting more information and state clearly whether they will oppose the pipeline.
HF Sinclair has said it is still evaluating options and has not made a final route decision.