Tribes in Utah celebrated in August 2009 when the state halted construction of a train station near a sacred site.

The deal protected a 3,000-year-old village where artifacts have been discovered. But construction of a different FrontRunner station continues at an adjacent location, and tribes are worried that the sacred site remains at risk.

The tribes are hoping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will step in and deny a water permit to the Utah Transit Authority for the station. But local officials say the federal government lacks authority because construction is taking place on private land.

“I don’t think the Corps should have anything to do with that private land,” Draper city council member Troy Walker told The Salt Lake Tribune. “We respect the tribal position, the Indian nations and their ancestors. But that is private land and we want FrontRunner in Draper.”

The Army Corps says it will consult tribes before making a decision on the permit.

Get the Story:
Tribal leaders mull fate of ruin on rail site (The Salt Lake Tribune 3/21)

Related Stories:
Utah train station won't be near sacred site (8/19)
Utah tribes oppose train station at sacred site (7/23)