Victory for clean air: Stericycle closes medical waste incinerator

UPHE celebrated a long fought victory today with a press conference outside of Stericycle’s office. Stericycle, for 33 years, has been polluting the air of Davis County with toxic chemicals emitted from their medical waste incinerator. UPHE has been supporting community members in their fight to clean up the air by shutting down this incinerator for nine years. 

Even well operated incinerators, and medical waste incinerators in particular, are well documented public health hazards, increasing rates of serious diseases like cancer, endocrine disorders, infertility, and birth defects, for people living as far away as 7 km. and further. Stericycle was hardly well operated. “The plant was exceeding its emission limits and had rigged stack tests to give a false impression the plant was in compliance with its permit. That led to a record $2.3 million fine against Stericycle in 2014” a Salt Lake Tribune article writes. 

Thanks to intense public opposition, their permit to operate expired July 1st of this year. 

UPHE founder and board president, Dr. Brian Moench was quoted in the Tribune article “After years of town hall meetings, protest rallies, meetings with the governor and state officials, criminal investigations, and even a march led by Erin Brockovich, public health protection has finally won a hard-fought victory in North Salt Lake. Make no mistake, it was citizen activism that forced the state and the federal government to put enough pressure on Stericycle that shutting down their incinerator was their only viable option.”

UPHE’s executive director, Jonny Vasic, was also quoted in the article. “It only served to spread toxins throughout the community and even created new ones. Allowing Stericycle its original permit in 1989 was controversial at the time, but it became dramatically more so in the last 15 years.” As development in the area spread, the pollution coming from the facility became an increasingly pressing issue, with homes backing up to the facility. Residents describe black plumes coming from the facility when emissions-control devices failed, and studies show residents in the area have higher rates of multiple types of cancer, and higher rates of premature birth and low birth weight syndrome. They also found high concentrations of dioxins in the attics of homes in Foxboro, in some cases 17 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable in an industrial zone.

Fox13 covered the press conference, and the long fought battle in a segment where you can see the outrage of community activists that made this closure possible. 

Watch our press conference here.

Watch Fox13’s segment here.

Read the Deseret’s coverage of the press conference here.

KSL’s coverage.

Read ABC4’s coverage.

🎉 Join us in celebration on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT to kick off our campaign to save the Phalaropes - and the Great Salt Lake.

Featuring speakers like Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow), Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES, and more. Plus, don't miss the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs expressing our love for the Lake.

🐦 What exactly is at stake for the Great Salt Lake if the Wilson’s Phalarope gains Endangered Species Act protection?

Protecting the Wilson’s Phalarope under the Endangered Species Act could mean crucial safeguards for the Great Salt Lake, including regulations on water levels and ecosystem preservation. Federal involvement might push leaders to prioritize water flow to the lake.

We can't wait to see you there ❗️RSVP: Link in Bio.

🎉 Join us in celebration on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT to kick off our campaign to save the Phalaropes - and the Great Salt Lake.

Featuring speakers like Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow), Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES, and more. Plus, don`t miss the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs expressing our love for the Lake.

🐦 What exactly is at stake for the Great Salt Lake if the Wilson’s Phalarope gains Endangered Species Act protection?

Protecting the Wilson’s Phalarope under the Endangered Species Act could mean crucial safeguards for the Great Salt Lake, including regulations on water levels and ecosystem preservation. Federal involvement might push leaders to prioritize water flow to the lake.

We can`t wait to see you there ❗️RSVP: Link in Bio.
...

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Immigration at the southern border and inflation, especially food inflation, have been the top two political issues this year according to recent polls. Did you know that both are being affected, if not largely driven by, the climate crisis? 🌎
 
Agricultural stability hinges on consistent precipitation and temperatures. However, the climate crisis, marked by extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more, is significantly disrupting food production. Already, millions of people worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result. In 2022, over 30 million people became climate or earthquake refugees. Not surprisingly, a new study directly connected the climate crisis with food inflation throughout the world. 📈
 
Central America, the origin of much the immigration surge at the southern border, contributes hardly any greenhouse gases to the global atmosphere, but is especially at risk from the climate crisis. Honduras is pummeled with hurricanes, rising seas and storm surges, and coastal erosion. In Western Mexico it’s drought. In Guatemala and El Salvador its hurricanes, drought, floods, and malnutrition from crop failure.
 
By 2050, weather extremes and ecosystem destruction, and the ensuing societal collapse, will create as many as 1.2 billion climate refugees and risk the lives of even more. Food inflation that we’re seeing now is just the beginning of this dangerous trend. It is in our own self-interest and our moral obligation for Utah and the United States to end our dependency on greenhouse gas emitting dirty energy. Taking care of our local environment helps us take care of our shared world. 💚

Immigration at the southern border and inflation, especially food inflation, have been the top two political issues this year according to recent polls. Did you know that both are being affected, if not largely driven by, the climate crisis? 🌎

Agricultural stability hinges on consistent precipitation and temperatures. However, the climate crisis, marked by extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more, is significantly disrupting food production. Already, millions of people worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result. In 2022, over 30 million people became climate or earthquake refugees. Not surprisingly, a new study directly connected the climate crisis with food inflation throughout the world. 📈

Central America, the origin of much the immigration surge at the southern border, contributes hardly any greenhouse gases to the global atmosphere, but is especially at risk from the climate crisis. Honduras is pummeled with hurricanes, rising seas and storm surges, and coastal erosion. In Western Mexico it’s drought. In Guatemala and El Salvador its hurricanes, drought, floods, and malnutrition from crop failure.

By 2050, weather extremes and ecosystem destruction, and the ensuing societal collapse, will create as many as 1.2 billion climate refugees and risk the lives of even more. Food inflation that we’re seeing now is just the beginning of this dangerous trend. It is in our own self-interest and our moral obligation for Utah and the United States to end our dependency on greenhouse gas emitting dirty energy. Taking care of our local environment helps us take care of our shared world. 💚
...

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🤔 What does enacting the Endangered Species Act for the Wilson’s Phalarope mean for the Great Salt Lake? 

If we’re successful in achieving this status, an Endangered Species Act listing of the Wilson’s Phalarope would trigger a full range of protections that would likely include mandates around 💧water levels and ecosystem protections at the lake. The potential for federal involvement is a lever we hope will push our leaders to get serious about sending water to Great Salt Lake. 

💪 Help us make this launch as powerful as it can be so that we can address the great public health and ecological crises we face due to the drying Great Salt Lake. 

🎉 Join us on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT for the campaign launch and celebration. 

Speakers will include Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow) Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES and more. We’ll also have the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs showing our love for the lake.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.

🤔 What does enacting the Endangered Species Act for the Wilson’s Phalarope mean for the Great Salt Lake?

If we’re successful in achieving this status, an Endangered Species Act listing of the Wilson’s Phalarope would trigger a full range of protections that would likely include mandates around 💧water levels and ecosystem protections at the lake. The potential for federal involvement is a lever we hope will push our leaders to get serious about sending water to Great Salt Lake.

💪 Help us make this launch as powerful as it can be so that we can address the great public health and ecological crises we face due to the drying Great Salt Lake.

🎉 Join us on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT for the campaign launch and celebration.

Speakers will include Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow) Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES and more. We’ll also have the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs showing our love for the lake.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.
...

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SAVE THE DATE to SAVE THE PHALAROPES! 🐦
March 28th (Thursday), 11am @ Utah State Capitol. 

Protecting wildlife is not our agenda, that is the worthy focus of many other groups. But in this case protecting this endangered bird that depends on the lake overlaps completely with protecting public health on the Wasatch Front.  If we allow the lake to continue to shrivel up we will have allowed a pollution nightmare (toxic dust storms) to unfold.  Wherever you have a pollution nightmare you find a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.

SAVE THE DATE to SAVE THE PHALAROPES! 🐦
March 28th (Thursday), 11am @ Utah State Capitol.

Protecting wildlife is not our agenda, that is the worthy focus of many other groups. But in this case protecting this endangered bird that depends on the lake overlaps completely with protecting public health on the Wasatch Front. If we allow the lake to continue to shrivel up we will have allowed a pollution nightmare (toxic dust storms) to unfold. Wherever you have a pollution nightmare you find a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.
...

31 0