1. UPHE originated the idea of “air quality alerts” on freeway message boards whose eventual implementation by the DAQ and UDOT has resulted in a reduction of vehicle miles of 3-4% in preliminary studies.
2. In 2007 UPHE received an award from the Utah Transit Authority for promoting mass transit.
3. Helped bring about the demise of numerous proposed coal plants in the Intermountain area, especially three large plants planned for Nevada.
4. Held numerous public education sessions that either contributed to, or in some cases provided the main impetus for the abandonment or mitigation of several specific, long term polluting projects, such as a proposed coal power plant in Sevier County and the reduction of the health impact of the planned Mountain View Corridor. UPHE prepared detailed and heavily referenced court documents for legal proceedings, like the appeal of the permit for the Sevier coal plant, and state and federal regulatory proceeding like the NAAQS attainment status of counties in Utah. We have been congratulated and thanked by the EPA for helping defend some of their regulatory rulings.
5. In Nov 2009, the EPA designated Wasatch Front counties as violating national air quality standards. The Utah DAQ approved a petroleum coke (the dirtiest fossil fuel there is) fired power plant within 5 miles of Salt Lake City. UPHE organized a town hall meeting, a protest hearing, a private meeting with the Governor and the financier of the project, Zions Bank, and ultimately got the project killed.
6. Held private “health and pollution” education sessions with Gov. Huntsman, Gov. Herbert, the Quorum of the Twelve of the LDS Church, numerous state legislators, the director of the Utah Public Health Department, the Division of Air Quality, Mayors Becker and Corroon, business leaders, the Public Service Commission, the association of television weathermen, and the KSL editorial board. UPHE has conducted numerous environment/public health seminars in libraries and university settings from Logan to Richfield, addressing topics from air pollution to global warming. UPHE has become the “go to” environmental organization for radio, TV, and newspaper journalists seeking input on environmental and public health issues.
7. Chevron Refinery management stated to a group of prospective oil engineers that they were spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new pollution controls because of the influence of UPHE on public opinion.
8. Continue to fight for longitudinal health study of the exposed residents from the two Red Butte Oil spills.
9. Have been fighting for over two years, and are now taking to court, Rio Tinto over their permit to increase multiple sources of pollution. We have good data showing that RT accounts for over 25% of particulate pollution in the SL Valley
10. We are helping residents exposed to open pit burning along the Wasatch Front and emissions from the ATK rocket fuel tests.
11. Are currently engaged in helping residents experiencing adverse health impacts from insecticide spraying in Juab County.
12. Have been instrumental in eliciting the support of the Utah Medical Association in numerous issues of public health and the environment.
13. Helped the residents of Mt. Olympus convince UDOT to reduce the pollution impacts of a cement batching plant in their neighborhood.
14. UPHE was one of the first organizations to voice opposition to the Las Vegas Water Grab, a project that will significantly increase dust storms from the West Desert and impair Wasatch Front air quality. UPHE convinced the UMA to oppose the water grab and has publicly debated the governor’s staff on whether Utah should sign the agreement allowing the project to proceed.
15. Helped raise awareness of the environmental liabilities of developing the NW Quadrant of Salt Lake City.
16. Organized an ongoing effort to provide a steady stream of audio, visual and print media coverage of the primary environmental/health issues affecting the state of Utah. UPHE has had numerous Op Eds supporting environmental/health protection printed in newspapers in Oregon, Montana, Nevada, West Virgnia, Michigan, Kansas and throughout the state of Utah.
17. Provided expertise and scientific testimony on behalf of residents opposing asphalt plants in California and waste incinerators in Pennsylvania.
18. UPHE was the primary organization involved in organizing citizen opposition and preventing the city of Ogden from burning down over 40 homes as a cheap means of demolition.
19. UPHE created a brief in support of the EPA in a lawsuit challenging their designation of Box Elder and Tooele Counties as non-attainment. The EPA, with UPHE’s help prevailed on that lawsuit.
