Help us raise $170,000 by December 31 to protect the Wasatch Mountains. Donate today as part of our end-of-year campaign!

Donate

This is not the place.

HF Sinclair has announced plans to build a new refined gasoline pipeline from refineries in Wyoming to markets in California and Nevada, directly through Emigration and Upper Parleys Canyons.

|

emigration canyon not the place sinclair

If you live in, recreate in, or just drive through Emigration Canyon, you may have seen survey crews out in recent weeks. That’s because Dallas-based oil company HF Sinclair has announced plans to build a new refined gasoline pipeline from Wyoming to markets in Nevada and California, directly through Emigration and Upper Parleys Canyons before traversing across Salt Lake City.

Sign the Petition

Sign to voice your opinion on the proposal and to sign up for updates. This petition will be sent to City Councils for each of the jurisdictions impacted by the proposal.

No new gas line in Emigration Canyon.

This proposal, dubbed Project Westline Connect, would transport an additional 35,000 barrels (~1.47 million gallons) per day of refined fuels, with a targeted completion date in 2029. The proposal has not received the approvals needed to proceed, though we know there are powerful forces attempting to advance it through the planning and regulatory processes.

This is a quickly evolving situation that we are watching closely, we will continue to keep this page updated with information and action steps that you can take to help preserve the watershed and wildlands of the Wasatch.


A few things we know:

  • Refined petroleum is different from crude oil. In addition to being harder to clean up, it is significantly more volatile and flammable. According to a presentation by the company to Salt Lake City Council, this pipeline could carry gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
  • There is an existing refined petroleum pipeline in Weber Canyon, AKA Pioneer Pipeline. HF Sinclair owns and operates this pipeline in a joint venture, and are framing the new “Westline Connect” proposal as an expansion of that line. Despite the new proposal being approximately 20 miles longer, and exposing hundreds-of-thousands of additional people to associated risks, the company would rather build a new pipeline rather than temporarily close, expand, and improve safety measures on their existing pipeline.
  • This pipeline is designed to bring refined petroleum to the West Coast, yet Utahns have to live with the environmental and public health risks that come with the project. HF Sinclair’s investor report clearly states “This initiative is designed to address the increasing supply and demand imbalances in key western markets, particularly Nevada and multiple markets in California.” Despite claims by HF Sinclair to local communities, it has not been demonstrated that this gas line would lower fuel prices for those impacted by the project.
  • No formal alignment has been released, though HF Sinclair survey crews have been active in Emigration Canyon. Preliminary concept maps that were sent to us show the pipeline running through miles of protected watershed in Parley’s Canyon, down the entirety of Emigration Canyon, across Salt Lake City Foothills, then punching through The Avenues, Capitol Hill, Marmalade, and Rose Park neighborhoods.
Preliminary concept map

Risks associated with this project:

  • Watershed Risks: To access Emigration Canyon from the East, an alignment would likely need to cross protected Salt Lake City Watershed in Parley’s Canyon. An accident in this area could severely impact hundreds-of-thousands of downstream water users. Though surface water in Emigration Creek is not widely diverted for culinary or irrigation uses, this project risks the water in private wells, along with downstream impacts to the Jordan River and Great Salt Lake. 
  • Urban Fire and Spill Hazard: To extend westward towards the end destination, one can assume that this pipeline would need to continue through or above Salt Lake City. A spill in this region could be a significant public safety risk for residents within urban areas.
  • Wildfire Hazard: This proposal travels through areas rated as “Extreme” wildfire danger rating by the state of Utah. A pipeline rupture could ignite a fire with potential to travel long distances at high-severity, risking not only Emigration and Parley’s Canyons, but the entire Wasatch Range. A significant portion of Emigration Canyon also lies within the High Risk Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) boundary. As taxpayers and homeowners work to reduce wildfire risk in response to H.B. 48 (2025), this proposal would increase wildfire risk in the very same area. 
  • Single Access & Evacuation Route: Emigration Canyon Road is the sole access and evacuation route for the entire canyon. A spill or fire along this route could block emergency vehicles and trap residents with no alternate egress. Constructing a fuel line alongside or underneath the only roadway could create severe emergency response and access risks.
  • Geologic Hazard: This proposal would need to cross the Wasatch Fault, which has an 18% chance for one or more Magnitude ≥ 6.75 earthquakes occurring over the next 50 years. Aside from vague claims of “new industry standards” presented to the Salt Lake City Council, no additional information has been provided about how the single-wall pipe could withstand such an incident.

Ways you can help:

Save Our Canyons will be attending the following council meetings to submit public comments, and we invite you to join us. Our local public officials have been elected to speak for us. Each Council Members at these meetings have seen presentations from HF Sinclair about this proposal, and at some point in the future will likely need to cast a vote on the proposal. Because agendas are often published within 24-48 hours of these meetings, it is uncertain whether this project will be a formal discussion item at these meetings. What is certain, is that we need to demonstrate our opposition to the project early. Links to specific meeting pages with agendas will be updated as they become available.

If you cannot attend these meetings, please fill out the petition.

As our climate reaches unprecedented temperatures, and the rest of us work towards a renewable transition, we must ask why a proposal to expand fossil fuel infrastructure at this scale is being considered. We must also ask why residents who don’t even see a financial benefit must face the immense risks associated with the proposal. Help us show HF Sinclair and our elected officials that this is not the place.

For questions, or to share additional information you have, please contact us at info@saveourcanyons.org.

Additional Resources:

You might also like: