At Breathe Utah, we share the concerns many Utahns are raising about the proposed Stratos project—and we know many of you do as well. We are hearing from Utahns across the political spectrum, ranchers, sportsmen, local residents, public health advocates, business leaders, and community members, who have serious questions about the proposed Stratos project. We do too. While projects of this scale face a long road before steel is ever in the ground, the decisions being made today could shape Utah’s air, water, wildlife, energy future, and rural communities for generations. The good news is there is still time to ask thoughtful questions, engage in the process, and ensure this project is held to the same commonsense standards Utahns expect of any major industrial development. The best thing concerned citizens can do is stay informed, ask smart questions, and engage early. To help, we’ve broken down some of the key issues surrounding air quality, water, energy, wildlife, and public accountability below.
Who to contact?
Commission OfficePhone: 435-734-3347Commission Secretary: Chrisee BennettEmail:
Contact the Box Elder County Commissioners:
Boyd Bingham -
Lee Perry -
Tyler Vincent -
Box Elder County Planning Commission
For questions about zoning, site plans, infrastructure, and future land-use impacts.
Community Development OfficePhone: 435-734-3354
Scott Lyons — Community Development DirectorDirect: 435-734-3316
Marcus Wager — County PlannerDirect: 435-734-3308
Destin Christiansen — County PlannerDirect: 435-695-2547
Water Rights
Utah Division of Water Rights
Public AssistancePhone: 801-538-7240
Email:
Teresa Wilhelmsen — State Engineer / DirectorEmail:
Skyler Buck — Northern Region Engineer (Box Elder region)Phone: 435-752-8755Email:
Water Quality / Wastewater / Industrial Discharge
Utah Division of Water Quality
Main Office: 801-536-4300
Candice Hasenyager — DirectorPhone: 385-214-8679
MIDA Governance
Military Installation Development Authority
General Office: 801-593-2500
General Email:
Don’t forget to contact your legislator. Find who represents you here
Questions to Ask
Air Quality & Backup Power
1. Diesel “emergency” generation
If grid power or permanent on-site generation is not available when operations begin, does the project anticipate relying on diesel backup generators for routine or continuous load support during commissioning or early operations? If so, for how long, at what megawatt scale, and under what air permitting framework?
2. Aggregation / cumulative emissions
Will all backup, temporary, portable, and emergency combustion sources on this campus be evaluated as a single cumulative source for air permitting and emissions analysis, rather than unit-by-unit?
3. Diesel vs. natural gas emissions
If diesel generation is used as an interim bridge before permanent natural gas generation is operational, what are the projected incremental emissions of NOx, PM2.5, VOCs, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouse gases compared with the permanent generation scenario?
4. Already stressed airshed
How will cumulative emissions from construction, backup generation, permanent generation, and increased freight traffic be evaluated in an airshed that already faces air quality challenges?
Natural Gas Supply & Methane Intensity
5. Where will the gas come from?
What is the anticipated source of natural gas for this project—Utah production, Wyoming/Rockies supply through the Ruby Pipeline, Permian Basin supply, or a blended interstate portfolio?
6. Lower-methane gas
Will the project require certified lower-methane-intensity natural gas, and if so, what production-level verification standards will be used?
7. Utah production
If Utah-produced gas is technically and commercially available, will the project prioritize Utah production in order to support local jobs, reduce transportation emissions, and strengthen energy resilience?
8. Upstream ozone impacts
If increased gas demand stimulates additional upstream production in the Uinta Basin, how will potential impacts on basin ozone formation and methane emissions be evaluated?
Water
9. Water demand
What is the projected annual water demand for full buildout, and how does that compare to agricultural, municipal, and industrial users in the region?
10. Water source
What is the proposed source of water—groundwater, surface water, leased rights, imported supplies, or recycled water?
11. Drought resilience
How would operations change during drought, aquifer decline, or curtailment scenarios?
12. Cooling technology
What cooling technology is proposed—air-cooled, evaporative, hybrid, or another design—and how does that affect water demand?
Environmental Review & Transparency
13. Whole-project review
Will there be a comprehensive cumulative environmental review of the full project, or will impacts be analyzed only through individual permits issued in phases?
14. Public access
What formal opportunities will local residents, ranchers, sportsmen, tribes, scientists, and county stakeholders have to review technical analyses and provide meaningful public input?
15. Independent analysis
Will independent third-party studies be conducted on air quality, water resources, ecological impacts, and infrastructure demands?
Wildlife & Land Use
16. Habitat fragmentation
What impacts could this project have on migratory corridors, sagebrush habitat, raptors, pronghorn, mule deer, and other species native to western Box Elder County?
17. Lighting and noise
How will round-the-clock lighting, noise, traffic, and thermal impacts affect wildlife behavior and nearby land uses?
18. Transmission corridors
What additional transmission lines, roads, compressor stations, substations, or pipeline infrastructure may be required beyond the project footprint, and how will those impacts be evaluated?
Community & Governance
19. MIDA transparency
How will cumulative environmental and public-health oversight be preserved within a Military Installation Development Authority project area, and how can local communities ensure traditional public accountability remains intact?
20. Same rules for everyone
What assurances can be made that backup generation, phased infrastructure, and temporary operations will be regulated under the same standards applied to any other industrial power generation facility in Utah?
What happened with the water right?
Water Right 13-41-4148 is still the underlying water right, but the change application tied to it is the one that was withdrawn.
Water Right 13-4148 (sometimes written 13-41-4148 in public materials) appears to be the underlying 1904 Salt Wells Spring Stream right in Hansel Valley, held by Bar H Ranch, Inc. It’s still an existing water right. The Stratos/Wonder Valley team filed Change Application a54385 to convert that right, about 1,900 acre-feet/year, from agricultural use to industrial use for the data center/power project. On May 6–7, 2026, after roughly 3,700–4,000 protests, Bar H Ranch withdrew Change Application a54385. Multiple outlets and the Governor’s FAQ confirm the application was withdrawn and that the developers intend to refile.
“Should I still protest Water Right 13-41-4148?”
Not right now, not under that withdrawn change application. The protest window tied to Change Application a54385 is effectively moot because that application is no longer pending.
The better question now is:
“Has Bar H Ranch or the Stratos team refiled a new change application on Water Right 13-4148, or on any related Hansel Valley rights?”
That’s what people need to watch.
Keep your head up, stay engaged, and follow along for more information.
