Senate adopts Great Salt Lake amendments that prioritize low‑water extraction methods while protecting existing leases

The Utah Senate on the morning calendar passed a substituted version of House Bill 513 aimed at strengthening state oversight of the Great Salt Lake and setting priorities for mineral extraction from the lake.

Senator McKell, presenting the measure, said the bill empowers the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) with greater responsibility on lake management and creates a severance/royalty mechanism intended to generate royalties for the state. The chamber uncircled the bill and considered a substitute that pared back other provisions and focused on a few targeted changes.

Senator Sandle described the fourth substitute as prioritizing non‑evaporative extraction technologies for new applications while protecting existing leaseholders. "What this does is it prioritizes non evaporative, proven technologies to go to the front of the list to be evaluated first," Sandle said, adding that the substitute would not prohibit currently used evaporative technologies.

Senator Kennedy pressed whether lithium was explicitly included in the bill's list of minerals. "Lithium is the most talked about rare earth mineral, and it's not mentioned in here," Kennedy said. Sandle and other sponsors replied the bill's definition of "mineral" and related language was intended to encompass lithium and similar elements; Senator McCall said existing leases would not be displaced.

The substitute also adds a requirement for the state to monitor and report on water depletions tied to extraction and establishes an annual review to report royalty agreements and permitting outcomes to a legislative appropriations subcommittee. Sponsors described those provisions as mechanisms to incent lower‑water extraction technologies and to provide oversight of royalty negotiations.

Under suspension of the rules, Senator McCall moved passage. The roll call recorded 24 yay votes, 3 nay votes and 2 absences; the bill passed and will be returned to the House for further consideration.

Supporters said the measure balances economic development and environmental stewardship by prioritizing lower‑water technologies and creating reporting that will inform future legislative oversight. Opponents and some senators representing local firms said they were concerned the prioritization could disadvantage companies already working on projects at the lake; sponsors repeatedly said existing leases would not be removed and that the language merely "tips a little bit of the balance" toward non‑evaporative approaches.

The bill next returns to the House, where the sponsors and the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will likely continue negotiating technical language and monitoring and reporting requirements.