Great Salt Lake is Shrinking and That’s Not Good for our Air Quality
July 26th, 2021
Dr. Moench was on NPR this week on the “All Things Considered” segment dealing with the disappearance of the Great Salt Lake and what the health consequences will be from
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Bad Air Continues, an Indoor Air Filter Hack
July 26th, 2021
Another massive heat dome is setting up across much of the continental U.S. during the next few weeks, and “it could be the most expansive in the country so far”
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Pediatricians Urge Utahns to get Their Kids Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Before School Starts
July 19th, 2021
With the resurgence of the COVID pandemic from the delta variant, there are increasing calls for a return to mask mandates. The Surgeon General made that call over the weekend.
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Say NO to Tax Increase for Spraying More Chemical Pesticides
July 19th, 2021
Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD) Requests Tax Increase to Spray More Toxic Pesticides As ABC4’s Jason Nguyen reported on July 13, SLCMAD wants to raise residents’ abatement property taxes by 75%.
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Utahns Choke in Smoke from Western States
July 13th, 2021
According to IQAir.com, the PM2.5 concentration in Salt Lake City air is currently four times above the World Health Organization’s exposure recommendation. Thirty-three wildfires in Idaho, California, Oregon and Washington
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Record-shattering Heat Wave in the West Continues
July 13th, 2021
The record-shattering heat wave in the West continues. Salt Lake City broke all-time record temperatures the last two days with 104℉. And there are more signs that we are heading
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We Need Specifics, not Slick Promises, from Inland Port Authority, Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board Writes
July 13th, 2021
Controversial creation of Utah Inland Port Authority has focused attention on promises and perils of the area’s future. Salt Lake Tribune’s Editorial Board recently published an opinion piece in which
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Governor Pleads with Utahns to Get Vaccinated as Cases Surge
July 6th, 2021
We are seeing a tragic surge in hospitalizations and deaths from the more deadly and more transmissible COVID Delta variant, and almost all of it is in people who have
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Climate Disaster Endangers Us All
July 6th, 2021
“The predictions seemed completely outlandish,” said Larry O’Neill, associate professor at Oregon State University and state climatologist. “They were so crazy insane that professional forecasters and people like myself thought
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Wildlife, Air Quality at Risk as Great Salt Lake Nears Low
July 6th, 2021
The climate crisis and bad public policy are joining forces in causing the lake to continue to shrink to its lowest level in modern history. That exposes more dry lake
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Utah’s response to our ozone pollution problem? Blame China
June 29th, 2021
“In Salt Lake City, the ozone problem is so persistent, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is about to reclassify the city’s non-attainment status to the federal ozone standard from
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Your 4th of July celebrations are likely polluting local air and water
June 29th, 2021
UPHE is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of Utah residents by promoting health education and interventions that result in measurable improvements to the environment. Even though fireworks displays
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Utah does the dirty work for industrial polluters
June 29th, 2021
Our Board President, Dr. Brian Moench, has an Op Ed in the Salt Lake Tribune (see below), calling out the state for hijacking the Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) to
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FOREST FIRE SMOKE DRIVING INCREASED HEALTH RISKS FROM AIR POLLUTION WORLDWIDE
June 21st, 2021
A substantial body of research correlates increased rates of multiple types of cancer–breast, lung, prostate, cervical, brain, and stomach cancer, and childhood leukemia, with air pollution exposure, even at very
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Inland Port Board Approves $40 Million Budget With Taxpayer Money
June 21st, 2021
In opposing the dirty energy inland port since the beginning, UPHE was not gifted with extraordinary vision. Instead, we simply looked at the evidence and applied common sense. That evidence
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UPHE and STPP ADVOCATES SPEAK OUT AT PRESS CONFERENCE
June 15th, 2021
UPHE and Stop the Polluting Port Coalition (STPP) held a press conference on June 10 to demand that the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) NOT waste taxpayer dollars for construction
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JOIN US WEDNESDAY FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. WE DON’T WANT TAX DOLLARS TO SUBSIDIZE THE POLLUTING PORT AND PROFITS FOR DEVELOPERS AND GIANT CORPORATIONS
June 15th, 2021
Today, Wednesday (June 16) at 4 pm, the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) will hold a public hearing on its proposed $40,252,574 budget for the coming year. This is our
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Press Conference: STPP Coalition Demands Port Authority NOT Waste Taxpayer Dollars For Construction Of A New Transloading Facility
June 14th, 2021
Who/What: Members of the Stop the Polluting Port Coalition (STPP) will be holding a news conference calling on the Utah Inland Port Authority NOT to waste millions in taxpayer dollars to fund
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Stop the Polluting Port Coalition (STPP) Demands Port Authority NOT Use Taxpayer Dollars For Construction Of A New Transloading Facility
June 8th, 2021
For immediate release: May 26, 2021For information: Deeda Seed, 801-803-9892 Utah Inland Port Authority Planning To Spend Taxpayers’ Millions to Supercharge Dirty Port The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) recently
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LEGISLATURE SIGNS OFF ON SCHEME TO BUILD PRIVATE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT IN UTAH LAKE
June 8th, 2021
Our friends at Utah Valley Earth Forum have informed us about an issue we should be aware of and share with our supporters. The Utah Legislature has signed off on
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EPA ANNOUNCES PUBLIC LISTENING SESSIONS ON RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN RULE
June 8th, 2021
UPHE has been working with Earth Justice and other partners to put pressure on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the Agency’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) for fence-line communities
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STPP DEMANDS PORT AUTHORITY NOT USE TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW TRANSLOADING FACILITY
June 8th, 2021
The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) recently announced its intention to build a new transloading facility to move shipping containers between rail and trucks, using taxpayer money to increase the
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UDAQ Appears to Adopt Modeling Results From Utah Mining and Utah Petroleum Associations
June 2nd, 2021
Western Resource Advocates, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, HEAL Utah and the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club have submitted comments on the Northern Wasatch Front Ozone International Transport
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Drilling Proposed on Dinosaur National Monument’s Doorstep
June 2nd, 2021
BLM CONSIDERS EXPLORATORY OIL WELLS AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE NATIONAL MONUMENT According to a May 26 Salt Lake Tribune story by Brian Maffly, “The Bureau of Land Management is
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Massachusetts Towns Are Fighting Against Pesticide Spraying For The Same Reasons We’re Fighting Against It In Utah
June 2nd, 2021
Among the many reasons to stop pesticide spraying is that many of these chemicals are contaminated with something that may be even more toxic than the pesticides, PFAS compounds. These
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Market for Fossil Fuels and Internal Combustion Engine Cars is About to Collapse
May 25th, 2021
There was a good Op-ed recently in The Salt Lake Tribune. Transportation currently accounts for 60% of oil demand. After 2025, this source of demand will rapidly dry up. By
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UDAQ Not Fulfilling Its Mandate to Protect Public Health
May 21st, 2021
In a letter to the Utah Division of Air Quality, Board President Dr. Brian Moench writes: UPHE has learned that the Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) posted a proposed
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A Second Opinion on the Use of Anti-mosquito Pesticides
May 18th, 2021
Please read this excellent Op Ed which ran in the Salt Lake Tribune on May 13, written by UPHE board members Drs. Brian Moench and Courtney Henley on stopping the
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Pesticide Exposure Linked to Brain Activity Differences in Adolescents
May 17th, 2021
UPHE is dedicated to bringing the latest science into the debate over public policy. The latest science is very clear: we must stop contaminating our environment with toxic chemicals, especially
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Air Pollution from Farms Leads to 17,900 U.S. Deaths Per Year, Study Finds
May 17th, 2021
You may have read news stories in the last few days about the air pollution related to industrial agriculture. More specifically, meat production is the largest contributor to the pollution
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Mega Warehouses in CA, a Smog Source, Face New Rule
May 10th, 2021
A plan aimed at the nation’s largest cluster of warehouses is designed to spur electrification of pollution-spewing diesel trucks and could set a template for restrictions elsewhere. The NY Times
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Pesticides Make Our Air Quality Worse
May 3rd, 2021
Pesticides are toxic chemicals, even at very low doses of exposure, especially for children. But even that’s not the end of the story. Spraying pesticides also involves a “carrier” compound
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Deadly Air Pollutants ‘Disproportionately and Systematically’ Harm Americans of Color, Study Finds
May 3rd, 2021
New reports show that nearly every source of the nation’s most pervasive and deadly air pollutants disproportionately affect Americans of color, regardless of their state or income level, according to
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Stop the Chemical Arms Race
April 26th, 2021
The Salt Lake Tribune recently published an article on current developments on the issue of spraying pesticides by the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD). UPHE is calling for
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Inland Port Letters
April 19th, 2021
Last week, two letters to the editor were published in the Salt Lake Tribune regarding the Utah Inland Port boondoggle. The first concerns how the port undermines the importance of
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Press Conference on Mosquito Pesticide Spraying in SLC
April 19th, 2021
On Wednesday, April 14, we held a virtual press conference to discus our recently published report on the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD)’s strategy for mosquito control. Watch the
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Mosquito Pesticide Spraying on the Westside of Salt Lake City
April 19th, 2021
Another “Downwinder” Threat to Utahns “New research suggests that the use of airplanes to spray anti-mosquito pesticides may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays among children.”American
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UIPA removes west-side reps from community advisory council
April 6th, 2021
Salt Lake City leaders say it appears the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) “is still struggling to conduct business in a way that translates as legitimate and transparent.” UIPA should
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Port Authority Pretends to Listen
April 5th, 2021
Once again, the Utah Inland Port Authority is proving that they have no interest in considering public concerns. It has been obvious from the beginning that they want to push
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Utah declaration of a drought emergency ignores the bigger emergency that caused it
March 31st, 2021
There will be no end to drought conditions unless we deal with climate change. UPHE President, Dr. Brian Moench, has an Op Ed in the SL Tribune taking a harsh
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Judge taps brakes on Utah coal mine expansion, orders climate change analysis
March 30th, 2021
Alton Coal Mine, on the doorstep of Bryce National Park, should never have happened. But the mine had reached the end of the coal reserves on private land, and applied
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A Call to Veto Port Fund Bill
March 22nd, 2021
Members of the Stop the Polluting Port coalition visited the Utah State Capital in person to deliver a letter to Gov. Spencer Cox after the legislative session, calling on him
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Aerial Mosquito Spraying is a Dangerous Idea
March 22nd, 2021
The Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SCLMAD) is planning to use the US Air Force to spray pesticides over 43,000 acres in the Northwest Quadrant of Salt Lake City
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Utahns call on Governor Cox to veto ‘inland port fund’ bill
March 17th, 2021
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Over 1,700 Utahns have signed a letter to Governor Cox calling on him to veto Senate Bill 243 which creates an ‘inland port fund’. Many of the
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Coalition Challenges Taxpayer Bailout for Inland Port
March 3rd, 2021
Members of the Stop the Polluting Port coalition are protesting SB 243 (Political Subdivisions Amendments), an 11th-hour “inland port fund” bill with a reported $75 million appropriation. Late Friday afternoon,
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Funding plan for the port despite objections that the public is being shut out
March 2nd, 2021
UPHE Executive Director, Jonny Vasic, said at yesterday’s committee meeting, “For a bill that will use millions of dollars of our money and you’re only allowing 15 minutes of public
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Chemical arms race is being launched in Salt Lake
March 1st, 2021
Mosquitoes and other insects can be overwhelming to people who visit Great Salt Lake. This very much includes the area in which both the new prison and the Utah Inland
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$75 million for a state bank to fund the port
March 1st, 2021
UPHE is adamantly opposed to SB 243 – a bill that would fund the Utah Inland Port. “It is beyond frustrating that the leaders of Utah’s legislature continue to create
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Air Pollution has a Higher Mortality Rate than Previously Estimated
February 16th, 2021
New research has improved on our ability to estimate pollution exposure, and that new research concludes that previous estimates on the mortality from air pollution are far too low. More
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Baby food sold contained high levels of heavy metals
February 16th, 2021
We have disheartening news to share about contaminated food. Four of the leading baby food manufacturers knowingly sold baby food that contained high levels of toxic heavy metals. Even worse,
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The Dangers of Gas Stoves
February 16th, 2021
It’s time we passed a law prohibiting gas appliances in new construction. Not only do they pollute the community airshed, they cause significant indoor nitrogen oxide pollution for those homes
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Proposed Bill for “Water Authority” for Lake Powell Pipeline
February 8th, 2021
We commented just a couple of days ago that the Utah Legislature is perennially a well spring of bad ideas, and this year is turning out to be no exception.
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Stericycle pays $2.6M to resolve alleged clean air violations
February 1st, 2021
Ever since a series of incinerator bypasses poured toxic black smoke into the nearby neighborhoods, UPHE has been working to shut down Stericycle, the medical waste incinerator in North Salt
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80% of COVID-19 Patients May Have Lingering Symptoms
February 1st, 2021
More studies are emerging that are revealing increasingly disturbing information about the long term consequences of even mild cases of COVID. A new meta-analysis found that 80% of patients diagnosed
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Utah Money Shouldn’t Go to the Uinta Basin Railway
January 25th, 2021
Deeda Seed with the Center for Biological Diversity and John Weisheit also wrote an Op-Ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune this week, bluntly addressing the misuse of state fund
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Don’t Merge the DRN & DEQ
January 25th, 2021
Dr. Brian Moench, UPHE President and founder, wrote an article published in the Salt Lake Tribune addressing the absurd proposal to merge the Utah’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and
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Conservation Groups Challenge EPA’s Reversal on Utah Regional Haze Plan
January 19th, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 19, 2021 CONTACTSJenny Harbine | Earthjustice | (406) 223-7781 | jharbine@earthjustice.orgLiam Kelly | National Parks Conservation Association | 213 814-8666 | lkelly@npca.orgJonny Vasic | Utah Physicians for
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8 Facts Regarding COVID-19
January 19th, 2021
In an era where misinformation, propaganda and conspiracy theories are allowed to proliferate endlessly on social media, it is all the more important for people to stick with reliable sources
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Comment to Oppose Uinta Basin Railway Boondoggle
January 14th, 2021
The proposed Uinta Basin Railway (UBR) is a multi billion dollar boondoggle that will harm our air, wildlands, and communities. A draft Environmental Impact Statement has been released for public
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Western US in Megadrought
January 11th, 2021
The consequences of our dirty energy addiction are currently on full display. This year the West is clearly in a persistent, severe drought related to the climate crisis. As it
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Smoke from Burning Bridge Affects Resident’s Health
January 11th, 2021
Wooden beams in a railway bridge on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley owned by Patriot Rail Company, somehow caught fire and had been burned for several days.
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Take Action to Address Climate Change
January 6th, 2021
UPHE is part of a national organization of physicians, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, that now represents 60% of physicians in the country. We are calling for
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COVID “Long Hauler” Patients
January 6th, 2021
We are learning more about COVID “long hauler” patients, and it all points to even more reason to be vigilant in avoiding the activities proven to spread the disease. It
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Ozone and Air Purifiers
January 6th, 2021
To those of you that may have recently purchased an air purifier, or perhaps received one for Christmas, we pass on this bit of advice. If the air purifier has
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Air Pollution Can Cause Almost All Cancers
December 23rd, 2020
Several years ago the World Health Organization declared air pollution the most important environmental cause of cancer. Just about every type of cancer can be caused by air pollution, but
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Air Pollution Lowers Test Scores
December 23rd, 2020
University of Utah researchers find that air pollution, specifically winter inversion, is linked to lower math and English test scores. Read more here. “The huge takeaway is that this isn’t
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Noise Pollution, A Public Health Crisis
December 23rd, 2020
New research shows that loud sound can have a significant negative impact on human health and ecosystems. Here is coverage from the New Yorker: Modern sound-related health threats extend far
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Age & Air Pollution
December 17th, 2020
Written by Kirtly Jones, MD Older women exposed to higher levels of air pollution can experience a 24-percent increase in Alzheimer’s risk Last month, the prestigious journal, Neurology, published research
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Air Pollution a Major Driver of Ill-Health Worldwide
December 16th, 2020
Written by Kirtly Jones, MD, UPHE Board Member “Air pollution is now the world’s fourth-leading risk factor for early death according to the State of Global Air Report 2020” UPHE
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The Inland Port Will Bring Smog
December 14th, 2020
Last week there was another excellent Op Ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune on the dangers of the Utah Inland Port. This one was written by Tom Walker, a
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3,100 US COVID Deaths in a Day – 300,000 Total
December 14th, 2020
The United States has now surpassed 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus – a threshold that was broken today. The explosion of the COVID pandemic is accelerating. Last Thursday alone there
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What to Avoid During Inversion Season
December 14th, 2020
Residents have been warned to avoid outdoor exercise, refrain from wood burning, and reduce driving with the inversion season settling in. Here is coverage from an article about last weeks
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Press Release: EPA Standard is Not Enough
December 10th, 2020
For Immediate Release Tuesday, November 10, 2020Doctors say meeting EPA standard is not enough, does not mean we have clean air, or that our health is being adequately protectedEPA says SLC and Provo
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US Air Monitors Routinely Miss Pollution – Even Refinery Explosions
December 7th, 2020
Reuters released an investigative report disclosing how inadequate and misleading the EPA’s monitoring network has been. The government network identified no risks from 10 of the biggest refinery explosions over
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Administration Rejects Tougher Soot Standards
December 7th, 2020
The pollution you see today is still considered “acceptable” according to the Trump EPA. Just this weekend they announced that they would defy all the medical research and the requests
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Air Pollution is More Deadly than COVID
December 7th, 2020
Our Board President, Dr. Moench, had a recent Op Ed in the Salt Lake Tribune about how support for the inland port is denial of reality on multiple fronts–denial about
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Air Quality regulation saved 1.5 billion birds
December 3rd, 2020
UPHE works to clean our air to protect human health. But along the way, if there are benefits to wildlife that makes it even more worthwhile. A new study has
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Dr. Moench calls on Port Board Members to Resign
December 3rd, 2020
Thanks to everyone that attended the zoom inland port board meeting yesterday and voiced their opposition. Over 30 concerned residents voiced their concern for this boondoggle. It is our conviction
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Warnings Against Holiday Travel
November 23rd, 2020
Despite the CDC’s guidelines against holiday travel, one million people still passed through US airports just on Friday. Look at the chart below on what happened in Canada after that
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Air Pollution Reduces Life Expectancy
November 19th, 2020
It’s far worse than even we have estimated. (Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune file photo) Law makers had loved to call us alarmists when voicing health concerns in regards to the
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Please Don’t Gather for Thanksgiving
November 17th, 2020
We continue to set new records in Utah for cases, over 4,000, and hospitalizations, 512 as of Tuesday, November 17. Our hospitals are overwhelmed. www.sltrib.com/news/2020/11/17/utah-coronavirus-cases-up/ Here is the most chilling of
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Uinta Basin Railway EIS
November 16th, 2020
The Draft Environmental impact statement for the Uinta Basin Railway is open for public comment and virtual public meetings. Click here to view the Draft EIS. This Oil Train is
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EPA Air Quality Standards are Not Adequate
November 10th, 2020
Meeting EPA standard is not enough and does not mean we have clean air, or that our health is being adequately protected. The EPA says Salt Lake City and Provo have
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Utah’s air pollution problem has not been solved
November 10th, 2020
Written by Dr. Brian MoenchNovember 9, 2020Also available as an Op Ed in the Deseret News Overshadowed by recent election drama are Utah problems that preceded the election and will
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Pollution Makes the Pandemic Worse
November 9th, 2020
As we head into the winter inversion season, we point to yet another study that shows how pollution makes the pandemic worse. A new study estimates that air pollution is
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Doctors Implore Utahns to follow COVID Restrictions
November 9th, 2020
We at UPHE full heartedly agree with the urgency of this request from Utah healthcare workers, published in the Salt Lake Tribune. Community members need to do their part to
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A request for help from Intermountain Healthcare
November 9th, 2020
We pass on without editing, a request for help from IHC nurses, doctors, and caregivers. COVID-19 threatens the health of our community. Supporting everyone’s health takes everyone’s effort. Healthcare is
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Provo Residents Oppose Expansion of Oil Storage
November 2nd, 2020
In Provo there is concern over the expansion of Christensen Oil, a bulk petroleum distributing company. People do not want oil storage to encroach further into neighborhoods and feel uncomfortable
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EPA & State Regulators Slash Plan to Limit Coal Pollution
November 2nd, 2020
Latest business-as-usual plan by EPA and Utah officials fails to limit haze-causing emissions Four years after EPA approved a common-sense plan that promised to dramatically cut pollution from Utah’s dirtiest
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Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
October 29th, 2020
My grandson was born in New York City 6 months before the Coronavirus pandemic frightened his parents away. They have been living with us off and on ever since while
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Utah and the Nation is in Crisis
October 26th, 2020
The Salt Lake Tribune covered the crisis we face as COVID cases keep climbing, pushing our health care workers and space to house critical cases to capacity. Almost 16% of
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Herd Immunity is a Dangerous Notion
October 19th, 2020
Multiple health organizations issued a joint statement against the Great Barrington Declaration, which is a herd immunity strategy petition advocated by some outlier physicians and apparently the President’s senior advisors.
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U of U Hospital ICU is over capacity
October 19th, 2020
The entire country, including Utah, is clearly in the grip of another pandemic spike. COVID hospitalizations are at a record level, and the University of Utah Hospital is now over
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Air purifiers help reduce the risk of virus transmission
October 19th, 2020
The pandemic experts agree with what we at UPHE have been saying: Air purifiers help reduce the risk of virus transmission, including COVID-19. We have been asked by many people
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Study finds correlation between air pollution & school absences
October 12th, 2020
New research from the University of Utah has established a direct correlation between air pollution and school absences. And while that might seem intuitive, they found that was true, even
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Cleaning Your Home (the Safe Way) During COVID-19
October 12th, 2020
It’s important to keep your home clean, even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleaning can also help relieve feelings of anxiety. But specific disinfecting products, when used together, can do more
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Air Pollution’s Effects on Pregnancy
October 12th, 2020
The little bits of dirt that you breathe into your body could affect your baby. Even though your lungs filters out dirt, and the placenta filter out all the other
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No lower “safe” level of particulate air pollution by Dr. Kirtly Jones
October 8th, 2020
You all who follow the postings and interviews and letters to the editor by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment know that there is no lower “safe” level of particulate
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Dust on Our Fruit and in Our Lungs – The Dangers of Gravel Pits
October 5th, 2020
An excellent article in the Salt Lake Tribune on how the proliferation of gravel pits on the Wasatch Front is wiping out fruit orchards. The article is not about the
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Climate has Already Changed, and it’s Ugly
September 21st, 2020
Malin Moench, the brother of UPHE’s Board President – Dr. Brian Moench, and our economic and statistical consultant wrote an Op Ed on the climate crisis that was published in
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