What you can do
Show up and speak out.
Nothing has been built in Carbon County, and Valar still needs local, state and federal permits before it can build.
At Valar’s 29 September town hall in Price, CEO Isaiah Taylor said that if what Valar hears from everybody in Carbon County is “we don’t want it here”, then “we won’t build it here”.
Next meetingTuesday, October 6 · 4:30 p.m.Carbon County Planning Commission · Where: Commission Chambers, 751 E 100 N, Price (in person only)The body that decides Valar's county permitValar Atomics presentation added to the agenda on October 2 (item 6)
The planners' rules for 'highly contested industries' are still being drafted; the August minutes on them do not mention nuclear. The meeting's one permit item is a technology park east of Wellington for Altigen JS, LLC and Duct Tape, LLC (no record read links it to Valar). No public-comment period is listed.
Who decides Valar's county permit
The Carbon County Planning Commission
This rests on the county's Development Code (2023 edition) and on the state's lease memo, which says Valar needs this permit. The record: csite-015
Members named in the planners' August 4, 2026 minutes
- Gary TaylorChairman
- Kurt McFarlaneVice-Chairman
- Paul AndersonMember
- Scott BrunoMember
- Lisa SimmonsMember
- Kenzie BurnettMember
- Jade PowellMember
- Todd Thorne (staff)Planning & Zoning Administrator
Why the Planning Commission, and how to take part
Not the County Commission. Under the 2023 edition of the county's Development Code (the version its code site gives for download), the Planning Commission approves or denies the conditional use permit that the state's lease memo says Valar needs to build north of Wellington; the County Commission appoints its seven resident members and two alternates and adopts the rules they apply. The planners meet the first Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m., 751 East 100 North, Price. Under state law they must approve the permit if reasonable conditions can reduce the harms, so input works best as evidence: about the expected harms, and about specific conditions that would or would not reduce them.
About the member list: the code provides for seven members and two alternates; the August 4, 2026 minutes name seven and do not say which, if any, are alternates. The June 2, 2026 minutes also name Oran Stainbrook; the state notice site's contact list for the Planning Commission, as of October 2, 2026, does not; neither record says whether Stainbrook still serves. One name is spelled 'Kenzie Burnett' in the August minutes, 'McKenzie Burnett' in June and 'Mackenzie Burnett' in the contact list. The County Commission makes the appointments, so membership can change.
Reach the people who decidePlanning Commission decides Valar's county permit · Trust Lands board · State legislators · BLM's Price Field Office
The Planning Commission decides Valar's county permit.
Under the 2023 edition of the county's Development Code (the version its code site gives for download), the Planning Commission approves or denies conditional use permits for large industrial projects and power plants; the County Commission appoints its members and adopts the rules they apply. The planners meet the first Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m., 751 East 100 North, Price. Valar is on the October 6 agenda for a presentation, with no public-comment item listed, so ask the chair to be heard, or write to the planners. Under state law the permit must be approved if reasonable conditions can reduce the harms, so input works best as evidence: about the expected harms, and about specific conditions that would or would not reduce them (see who decides, on the County Transparency page). The county commissioners, who meet the first and third Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m., signed the June 29 letter supporting the Carbon lease and decide zoning changes and county agreements.
The Trust Lands board.
It approved the lease after hearings in Salt Lake City (online attendance was possible), where no one spoke against it. Ask the board to name the applicant and the use in its public notices, and to hold hearings in the county affected.
Your state legislators.
The state's economic development board approved up to $106.7 million in tax credits for Valar; its agendas from April to September 2026 named none of its 13 tax-credit applicants. Ask your legislators for rules that require agendas to name the company and the use.
The record: csite-024
BLM's Price Field Office.
BLM's public layer lists three pending Valar land cases there, including a 10,270-acre reactor and data-center 'gigasite' near Green River; in September 2026 Valar said it had decided not to pursue the Green River project, though BLM still listed it as pending on 29 September. Ask for the case files, and to be told when public comment opens.
The record: mine-006
More dates aheadNext: Wednesday, October 7, Carbon County Commission
Wednesday, October 7 4:30 p.m. (expected), Carbon County Commission, regular first-Wednesday meeting, 751 E 100 N, Price. No notice or agenda was posted on the state notice site as of October 2, so the meeting is not yet confirmed. Residents can ask the commissioners how Valar's county permit for the Section 16 campus will be handled, including whether it will have public notice and a hearing, and when the contested-industry rules will be taken up. dir-016, csite-015, dir-014 Monday, October 12 About when Valar's RW 453 location notice must be recorded with the Carbon County Recorder (30 days after Sept 12). dir-004 November 2026 Carbon County Planning Commission: planned public hearing on rules for large, contested projects and data centers. csite-013 Friday, December 11 Deadline for Valar to record the RW 453 claim with BLM (90 days after Sept 12). dir-005 Show up: the decisions still ahead4 ways to act
Comment on Carbon County's new rules for big 'contested' projects.
The county's planners are drafting rules for large, contested industries and data centers: where they may go, and what conditions they must meet (water, heat, power, the county's finances). A public hearing is planned for November 2026; the planners aim to finish the rules by year's end. Residents can comment on whether nuclear facilities should be covered, whether projects like these should require a public hearing, and which conditions (for example emergency planning, fuel storage, transport routes, water use or cleanup bonds) should apply.
The record: csite-013
Watch for Valar's county permit and ask whether a hearing will be held.
The Trust Lands memo says building on the Section 16 land north of Wellington that the state approved leasing to Valar goes through Carbon County's conditional use permit, with notice and a public hearing. No Valar application was found in the county's posted notices as of 29 September. State law says the county land-use chapter does not by itself give a county jurisdiction over state land unless another law provides it; the signed lease, of which no copy was found in public records, would show whether Valar agreed to county approvals. Where the permit applies, state law says the county must approve it if conditions can reasonably reduce the harms, so the conditions are where residents make a difference.
Hold every meeting to the open meetings law.
Utah law requires 24 hours' notice, agendas that say what will be decided with reasonable specificity, and minutes within 30 days. A body may not take final action on a topic that is not on its agenda. If an agenda does not say what will be decided, say so in public comment, and in writing.
The record: csite-016
Ask about water.
The Carbon campus plan includes data centers. A 2026 Utah law requires a county to notify the state's water regulators before approving a large data center, and the operator to report its expected water use. Ask the county and the state whether it applies here.
Ask the questions that have to be answered2 ways to act
Four questions for any public meeting.
What fuel is in the reactor now running in Emery County? Valar's safety agreement and DOE's own shipping review disagree. What mineral is Valar's RW 453 claim for? Where will spent fuel go? What is the emergency plan for Wellington and Emery County?
Ask for the reactor's safety papers.
No copy of the safety analysis, operating limits or signed startup approval for Ward 250 was found on DOE's public sites as of late September 2026. Anyone can ask DOE for them under the Freedom of Information Act (the template is below).
The record: safe-007
Get the records yourself2 ways to act · 7 requests ready to send
File a records request: filing costs nothing, and agencies must respond.
Utah agencies generally have 10 business days to respond to a GRAMA request; federal agencies about 20 working days under FOIA. Copies can carry fees, so ask them to waive fees because the records serve the public. Ready-to-send requests are below: fill in your name and address.
See Valar's mining claim filings.
The RW 453 lode claim was located on September 12, 2026. Utah law requires the location notice to be recorded with the Carbon County Recorder within 30 days (by about October 12), and federal rules require recording with BLM within 90 days (by December 11). After those dates, ask the Recorder, and BLM (claims are recorded with its Utah State Office), for every claim filed by Valar Atomics.
Records requests, ready to send
Copy one, fill in your name and address, and send it as it says. Keep a copy and the date you sent it.
Utah Trust Lands Administration: the Carbon County lease (GRAMA)
Send it through the Utah Open Records Portal (openrecords.utah.gov), or to the agency's records specialist on its own form (agency rule R850-6-300), or by mail to Trust Lands Administration, 102 South 200 East, Suite 600, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. No records-request email for Trust Lands was found in the records read.
Where this comes from: Open Records Portal (Utah Division of Archives and Records Service); Agency Rulebook, 39th edition, rule R850-6-300 (Utah Trust Lands Administration)
Under the Government Records Access and Management Act (Utah Code 63G-2), I request copies of the following records about the Special Use Lease / Other Business Arrangement for Section 16, Township 14 South, Range 11 East, SLB&M, Carbon County (SULA 2095), with Valar Atomics Inc: 1. The application and all attachments, and the date it was received. 2. Notices, agendas, minutes and recordings of any board committee meeting at which the lease or Valar was discussed in 2026, including the July 2026 committee meetings. 3. Correspondence between the Administration and Valar Atomics, Carbon County, or the Utah Office of Energy Development about this parcel, January 1, 2024 to the present. 4. The Resource Development Coordinating Committee (RDCC) submission for this parcel (posted April 20, 2026) and any comments received. 5. The executed lease or agreement. 6. The certified-mail list, the newspaper affidavit of publication, and the RDCC recipient list for the public notice of this application. I prefer electronic copies. I request a fee waiver under Utah Code 63G-2-203(4): the records concern a proposed nuclear facility on public trust land, and releasing them primarily benefits the public. Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
Carbon County: the commission's support for the Wellington site (GRAMA)
Send to: Carbon County Clerk / GRAMA Officer, Carbon County, Price, Utah, by mail or in person. No records-request email for the county was found in the records read.
Under GRAMA (Utah Code 63G-2), I request copies of: 1. Any letter or resolution from Carbon County, or any commissioner in an official capacity, supporting Valar Atomics or the lease of Section 16, T14S R11E, and any draft of it. 2. Correspondence between Carbon County (commissioners, attorney, planning staff) and Valar Atomics, the Utah Trust Lands Administration or the Utah Office of Energy Development about Valar or that parcel, January 1, 2024 to the present. 3. Any agenda, minutes or recording of a county meeting at which that letter or the Valar project was discussed. 4. The RDCC notice the county received on or about April 20, 2026, and any county response. 5. From the County Recorder: every mining claim location notice (and any amendment) recorded by or for Valar Atomics Inc since September 1, 2026, including the "RW" lode claims in T14S R11E, SLM, with recording dates. I request a fee waiver under Utah Code 63G-2-203(4) (public interest). Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
Utah Department of Natural Resources / Office of Energy Development: San Rafael Energy Lab safety (GRAMA)
Send it through the Utah Open Records Portal (openrecords.utah.gov), addressed to the Office of Energy Development. No records-request email was found in the records read.
Where this comes from: Open Records Portal (Utah Division of Archives and Records Service)
Under GRAMA (Utah Code 63G-2), I request copies of the following records for the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab (USREL), 800 N Coal Haul Rd, Orangeville: 1. The requisition and position description for the Safety Manager position (job requisition 2646, posted September 25, 2026), showing whether it is a new or existing position, and the position history of any earlier safety manager or environmental, health and safety lead at USREL since January 1, 2025 (titles and dates only). 2. USREL's environmental, health and safety program documents, emergency preparedness or emergency response plan, and any agreements with local fire, EMS or emergency management. 3. Contracts, task orders and scopes of work for safety, radiation-protection or nuclear-safety services at USREL since January 1, 2025. 4. Agreements between the Office of Energy Development and Valar Atomics for use of the USREL site. I request a fee waiver under Utah Code 63G-2-203(4) (public interest). Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
Utah DEQ, Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control: radioactive-materials licenses (GRAMA)
Send it through the Utah Open Records Portal (openrecords.utah.gov), addressed to the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control. No records-request email was found in the records read.
Where this comes from: Open Records Portal (Utah Division of Archives and Records Service)
Under GRAMA (Utah Code 63G-2), I request copies of: 1. Any radioactive-materials license (and its conditions and amendments) issued to the Utah Office of Energy Development, the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab, or Valar Atomics. 2. Inspection reports, notices of violation, and incident or event reports for those licensees since January 1, 2025. 3. Correspondence with Valar Atomics or the Office of Energy Development about reactor fuel, radioactive materials, or radioactive waste at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab or in Carbon County. I request a fee waiver under Utah Code 63G-2-203(4) (public interest). Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office: Ward 250 (FOIA)
Send it electronically through FOIA.gov, as DOE asks, addressed to the Idaho Operations Office. DOE lists no email for Idaho FOIA requests.
Where this comes from: Freedom of Information Act (U.S. Department of Energy); FOIA contacts (U.S. Department of Energy)
Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), I request copies of the following records about the Ward 250 test reactor operated by Valar Atomics at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab, Emery County, Utah: 1. The approved Documented Safety Analysis, including its Technical Safety Requirements, and the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis. 2. DOE's approval letters for the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement, the PDSA, the DSA and startup, and any approval to operate above 100 kWth. 3. Records stating the enrichment of the fuel loaded in Ward 250. 4. The categorical exclusion determination and its supporting record (NEPA) for Ward 250. 5. Occurrence reports and records of any event or noncompliance at Ward 250. I request a public-interest fee waiver: disclosure will contribute significantly to public understanding of the safety review of a reactor operating in a rural Utah community, and I have no commercial interest. Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
Bureau of Land Management, Price Field Office: Valar's land applications and claims (FOIA, or ask first)
Send it online: BLM accepts FOIA requests only through Interior's FOIA request form (securefoia.doi.gov) or FOIA.gov, not by email. You can also ask at the BLM Price Field Office, 125 South 600 West, Price, whether the case files can be seen there first.
Where this comes from: Freedom of Information Act (Bureau of Land Management); Price Field Office (Bureau of Land Management)
I request copies of the case files for the following matters, and any NEPA documents for them: 1. UTUT106784007, "Green River Gigasite Small Modular Reactor/Data Center" (applicant Valar Atomics). 2. UTUT106801248, "Project Beehive Small Modular Reactor/Data Center" (applicant Valar Atomics). 3. UTUT106833224, pipeline / distribution-line right-of-way (Valar Atomics listed on the case). 4. Any notice of intent to locate mining claims, 43 CFR 3809 notice or plan of operations, or mining-claim recordation filed by or for Valar Atomics Inc in Carbon or Emery County, including the "RW" lode claims located in September 2026 in T14S R11E, SLM. 5. The Master Title Plat and land-status records for T14S R11E, Section 28, SLM. I request a public-interest fee waiver. Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (its board's notices still say Office of Economic Development, GOED): Valar's $106.7 million tax credit (GRAMA)
Send it through the Utah Open Records Portal (openrecords.utah.gov), addressed to the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. No records-request email for the office was found in the records read.
Where this comes from: Open Records Portal (Utah Division of Archives and Records Service)
Under GRAMA (Utah Code 63G-2), I request copies of the following records about the post-performance refundable tax credit (REDTIF) approved for Valar Atomics Inc on July 9, 2026 (up to $106,737,499, Emery County): 1. The incentive agreement, if executed, and the board materials for the July 9, 2026 item. 2. The record classification decision for those records under Utah Code 63G-2-305(35), including any written business-confidentiality claim by Valar Atomics under 63G-2-309. 3. The unredacted or least-redacted July 9, 2026 board minutes. 4. Any local incentive approved or proposed for this project, and any incentive application or discussion concerning a Valar project in Carbon County. I request a fee waiver under Utah Code 63G-2-203(4) (public interest). Name: ____________ Mailing address: ____________ Phone: ____________ Email: ____________
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Every finding here links to its source, so anyone can check it. Stick to what the records show; that is what cannot be argued away.
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The printable handout with the source for every line · PDF.
Source for the top of this page: csite-001