On Jan. 28, hundreds of Millcreek residents came together at Millcreek City Hall to voice their concerns about a proposed gravel mine to be located in Parley's Canyon. The open-air mine would be built by Granite Construction Company (GCC), a California-based company, on a 6-acre plot just 2 miles up Parley's Canyon. 

The permit for the mine was originally submitted in 2022 with a request to make the mine cover 20 acres, but the revised 6-acre operating permit was submitted in August of 2025. The revised plan is set to be approved by the Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ), a state-run organization responsible for monitoring the standard of air across Utah, whose representatives were present at the meeting.

Residents fight to save Parleys Canyon

While the updated plan implies the intent to generate a smaller-scale operation, some worry the mine could expand far beyond its stated intent. Utah State Legislature HB 355 permits mines to widen their scope of operations beyond the original boundaries and prevents local governments from denying the expansion.

For concerned residents, the potential of this weighs more like a promise, as representatives of GCC have previously indicated their long-term vision of turning the mine in to a 635-acre quarry in Parley's Canyon. 

Dr. Brian Moench was present at the meeting and offered a clinical perspective on the impacts of corporate interest-based decision making. Moench serves as president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, an organization that has been closely following development of the case. He explained that Utah's lack of regulations makes the state a prime target for the mining industry, calling Utah, "the No. 1 stooges for the mining industry in the entire world."

"They're trying to get their foot in the door now with an extremely small mine that doesn't make any economic sense," he said. "If this mine actually happens, it will be the poster child of an utterly failed Utah state government."

The proposal has been widely unpopular since its first announcement in 2022, evidenced by a petition that garnered 20,000 signatures opposing the mine (as of press deadline, it was at over 27,000). Those in attendance at the meeting had the opportunity to speak directly to the DAQ about their concerns, and residents did not hold back about their justifiable worries. 

The potential location of the mine leaves Millcreek residents particularly vulnerable to its harmful effects. Toxic dust and inhalants being released into the air create increased risk of developing respiratory illnesses, cancer and asthma. 

One resident stated she already requires bimonthly injections to keep her lungs open, another resident said they regularly can't open their doors and windows. Moench concurred, "If their homes and their cars and their yards are being blanketed with dust on a regular basis, so are their lungs."

Millcreek Mayor Cheri Jackson was present at the meeting along with members of the Millcreek City Council who voiced their concerns not just as community members, but as representatives of the 63,000 Millcreek residents who will be impacted by this decision. Prior to the meeting, the mayor and councilmembers had submitted a letter to DAQ citing evidence to support their concerns over the mine's development, proposed and potential operations.

During public comment, Jackson stated that GCC has not once attempted to speak with her to discuss the project plans, but noted the company has made many legal challenges to the Utah governing bodies attempting to stop or slow the implementation of the project. 

Salt Lake County has previously attempted to put their own regulations in place to mitigate corporation's ability to use the area in Parley's Canyon. In 2022, the Salt Lake County Council unanimously voted to prohibit mining within the Wasatch foothills and Canyon Overlay Zone. This decision was almost immediately challenged by GCC, and the strength of the company's financial power is not lost on residents and community leaders determined to fight for their quality of life.

When describing the gravity of the situation, Jackson said, "These are not hypotheticals...I visibly see the dust coming out of the canyon. This is not just a one time or a couple of times a year thing, it's something we live with daily."

Former Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini was also in attendance and questioned the method the DAQ is using to determine the mine's potential environmental and health impact. Silvestrini asserted that the DAQ is using equipment out of the Salt Lake International Airport, not equipment within the canyon, saying "one of the flaws in issuing this permit is that there is no monitoring at the mouth of the canyon to measure the actual dust that's coming out." 

Using improper technology could lead to a deflated estimate of the impact, enticing DAQ to make a decision based on misleading evidence. Moench explained, "When the DAQ issues a permit it must try and calculate whether that new pollution source can cause a violation of air quality standards. But because there are no monitors within several miles of the current quarry, DAQ has no idea whether there is an ongoing violation before this permit is issued, let alone after."

DAQ’s presence at the meeting was to hear public comments. A statement will likely be released along with their final decision, which is not expected to be made for at least a month. To find updates on the status of the decision, the estimated impacts or the fight to thwart the mine, visit www.saveparleys.org.