Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands will seek to terminate US Magnesium’s leases to operate on the Great Salt Lake after settlement discussions fell apart, FOX 13 News has learned.
In a court filing in a legal battle surrounding a waste pond on US Magnesium’s site near Rowley, attorneys for the state and the mineral extraction company acknowledge they have been unable to come to a resolution and were evaluating “next steps.” Asked what those next steps would be, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands director Jamie Barnes told FOX 13 News: “We’re noticing up an administrative hearing which is an informal process with the Division to cancel US Mag’s lease agreement.”
When pressed if that meant the company would no longer be able to operate on the Great Salt Lake, Barnes replied: “That’s correct.”
US Magnesium has been a major operator on the lake for years. Recently, it has laid off workers and reduced some of its operations on the lake. That led to the state’s concerns surrounding a waste pond — which the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands went to court over — alleging it posed a public and environmental risk because it was not being maintained and hazardous chemicals could leak into the Great Salt Lake. In a court hearing last year, US Magnesium’s attorney disputed that it was posing a risk. A judge appointed a receiver to monitor for any concerns.
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