Division to Oversee Critical Infrastructure and Mining Study

During the 2024 legislative session, House Bill 502 was passed, directing the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining to study critical infrastructure materials operations and related mining to understand Utah's current and future needs better. Critical infrastructure materials are sand, gravel, or rock aggregate, and operations are the extraction, excavation, processing, or reprocessing of those materials.

The study focuses on three different groups of Utah counties that are classified based on population: 

Class one: Over 1,000,000 (Salt Lake County)

Class two: 175,000-999,999 (Cache, Weber, Davis, Utah, Washington counties)

Class three: 40,000-174,999 (Box Elder, Tooele, Summit, Wasatch, Uintah, Iron counties)

Due to the time demand on staff and the November deadline, the decision was made to hire a third-party consultant with specialized expertise and skills to conduct the study.

Timeline: 

  • March 2024 HB 502 language finalized by Utah legislature
  • 05/01/2024 Funds received to initiate study
  • 05/16/2024 Bidding opened for consultants 
  • 05/30/2024 Bidding closed - two bids received 
  • 06/19/2024 Contract awarded to Stantec
  • July 2024 Planning meeting held with Stantec and first stakeholder group to begin communications plan recommended in the bill. 
  • July, Aug., Sept. 2024 Additional stakeholder meetings will be held with the following: 
    DateTimeMeeting
    07/30/20242:00 p.m.HB-502 Utah Critical Infrastructure Materials Study Information Meeting-all parties invited
    08/01/20242:00 p.m.HB-502 Utah Critical Infrastructure Materials Study Information Meeting-all parties invited
    08/13/20242:00 p.m.Cache County and Local Municipalities
    08/14/20249:00 a.m. Iron County and Local Municipalities
    08/15/20249:00 a.m.Summit County and Local Municipalities
    08/20/20242:00 p.m. Tooele County and Local Municipalities
    08/21/20249:00 a.m.Utah County and Local Municipalities
    08/21/20242:00 p.m.Washington County and Local Municipalities
    08/21/20243:30 p.m.Salt Lake County and Local Municipalities
    08/22/20249:00 a.m.Box Elder County and Local Municipalities
    08/22/20242:00 p.m.Weber County and Local Municipalities
    08/27/20249:00 a.m.Davis County and Local Municipalities
    08/27/20242:00 p.m. Uintah County and Local Municipalities
    08/28/202410:00 a.m.Utah League of Cities and Towns
    9/10/20243:00 p.m.Utah Department of Transportation
    Critical infrastructure materials industry and related mining industry

    Tentatively planned meetings:

      • Real estate development industry
      • Home builders’ industry
      • One local metropolitan planning organization
      • At least two representatives from counties outlined in the bill
      • At least two representatives from municipalities located within counties outlined in the bill

    Looking Ahead

      • Contractor will develop a communication and outreach plan to build out the data set
      • Summary of data received will be discussed with division
      • Presentation of data to the November interim committee
      • Presentation of data to Utah legislature 

    The study aims to gather data that the Legislature can use for policy decisions. The division will complete the study's initial findings by November 1, 2024, and report back to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee by that committee's November 2024 interim meeting and the Legislature by the first day of the 2025 annual general session.

    The study will include: 

    • Inventory of critical infrastructure materials operations and related mining within the relevant area as of the effective date of this bill, to include:
    • number and location of critical infrastructure materials operations
    • levels of production
    • the extent to which the critical infrastructure materials meet standards used by the Department of Transportation
    • Inventory of new critical infrastructure materials operations and related mining that may be created by either the establishment of critical infrastructure materials operations or related mining on or after the effective date of this bill or the expansion of existing critical infrastructure materials operations or related mining on or after the effective date of this bill, taking into consideration:
    • zoning
    • supply in the market
    • Assessment of projected future demand for critical infrastructure materials within the relevant area, including:
      • effects of residential and commercial development
      • known planned projects, such as transportation projects
    • Analysis of the financial costs of transporting and distributing critical infrastructure materials to and from the relevant area.
    • Analysis of the impacts of critical infrastructure materials operations and related mining on local infrastructure within the relevant area and possible mitigation of those impacts.
    • Analysis of the regulatory requirements faced by critical infrastructure materials operations.
    • Study whether critical infrastructure materials operations should be licensed, permitted, or otherwise authorized or regulated by the division, another state agency, or local government.
    • Any other issue the division finds relevant to the study of critical infrastructure materials operations and related mining.