General Information

Government Type

State Agency

Entity

Department of Environmental Quality

Public Body

Division of Water Quality

Notice Information

Add Notice to Calendar

Notice Title

Notice of Limited Extension to Comment Period: Waterleaf Phase I, LLC Draft UPDES Permit

Notice Type(s)

Notice

Event Start Date & Time

August 21, 2026 05:55 PM

Event End Date & Time

September 4, 2026 05:00 PM

Description/Agenda

NOTICE OF LIMITED EXTENSION TO COMMENT PERIOD WATERLEAF PHASE 1, LLC DRAFT UPDES PERMIT PURPOSE OF PUBLIC NOTICE On June 30, 2026, the Director of the Utah Division of Water Quality issued a public notice announcing the Director's intention to issue a Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (UPDES) Permit to Waterleaf Phase 1, LLC (Waterleaf) for its Great Salt Lake Phase 1 Lithium Extraction Project (Facility) (First Public Comment Period). After consideration of the comments received during the First Public Comment Period, the Director prepared a Fact Sheet and Statement of Basis Addendum, and modified the Draft UPDES Permit (collectively, the draft Permit documents), to address the concerns raised during the First Public Comment Period. Specifically, the Director added a daily Total Residual Chlorine effluent limit, and monitoring for Halogenated Organic Disinfection Byproducts. The public comment period is being extended for the narrow purpose of making the new effluent limit and monitoring parameters available for public comment. The Director solicits comments only on the new effluent limit and monitoring parameters identified in this Notice, and discussed in greater detail in the Fact Sheet Addendum. All aspects of the previously noticed Draft UPDES Permit are not included as part of this limited extension to the public comment period. Concerning the previously noticed Draft UPDES Permit, the Director will only consider comments submitted on or before July 30, 2026, and will summarily disregard comments that are duplicative, late, or out of scope. PERMIT INFORMATION PERMITTEE NAME: Waterleaf Phase 1, LLC FACILITY NAME: Great Salt Lake Phase 1 Lithium Extraction Project MAILING ADDRESS: 9350 South 150 East, Suite 710 Sandy, Utah 84070 TELEPHONE NUMBER: (248) 497-2883 FACILITY LOCATION: Western Slope Promontory Mountains Unincorporated Box Elder Co. UPDES PERMIT NO.: UT0026352 PERMITTED OUTFALLS: Outfall 001 RECEIVING WATER: Gunnison Bay, Great Salt Lake BACKGROUND Waterleaf intends to extract lithium from Gunnison Bay, Great Salt Lake (GSL), at its Facility located along the western slope of the Promontory Mountains, Box Elder County, Utah. This Permit wholly replaces the UPDES Permit for the Demonstration Plant (UT0026280). The Facility was designed and constructed based on the information gathered from the Demonstration Plant, and has a maximum daily flow rate of 20 MGD (millions of gallons per day). The Facility will utilize non-evaporative ion-exchange direct lithium extraction technology to produce Lithium Carbonate Extract. The Facility will include an intake and discharge located in Gunnison Bay. The Lithium Carbonate Extract will be shipped off-site for further processing/sale. See draft Permit documents for more information. PUBLIC COMMENTS Pursuant to Utah Admin. Code R317-8-6(6.6), any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit documents and may request a public hearing if no hearing has already been scheduled. A request for a public hearing shall be in writing and shall state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the hearing. All comments will be considered in making the final decision and shall be answered as provided in Utah Admin. Code R317-8-6(6.12). Commenters have an affirmative obligation to raise all reasonably ascertainable issues and submit all reasonably available arguments and factual grounds supporting their position, including all supporting material. Supporting material must be included in full and may not be incorporated by reference, unless the material is already part of the administrative record. Public comments are invited any time prior to the deadline of the close of business on September 4, 2026. Written public comments can be submitted to: Lonnie Shull, UPDES Individual Permit Section, Utah Division of Water Quality, PO Box 144870, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4870 or by email at: lshull@utah.gov. After considering public comments, the Utah Division of Water Quality may issue the permit, revise it, or abandon it. The permit is available for public review under 'Participate' at www.waterquality.utah.gov/. If internet access is not available, a copy may be obtained by calling Lonnie Shull at (385) 600-4035.

Notice of Special Accommodations (ADA)

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify Emily Canton at 801-536-4342.

Notice of Electronic or Telephone Participation

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Meeting Information

Meeting Location

195 N 1950 W
Floor 3
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
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Contact Name

Emily Canton

Contact Email

ercanton@utah.gov

Contact Phone

(801)536-4342

Notice Posting Details

Notice Posted On

August 21, 2026 04:50 PM

Notice Last Edited On

August 21, 2026 04:50 PM

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