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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Science & why it’s treated as the enemy of the people
October 28th, 2020
Dr. Moench, UPHE Board President, has an Op Ed in the SL Tribune Wednesday, October 28, on the dire situation of the COVID pandemic, the consequences to patients and caregivers
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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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Cherry farmers pitted against gravel quarries over dust
October 12th, 2020
Dr, Brian Moench was reached out to comment on the issue of dust and particulate matter negetively affecting Utah orchards. Here is the coverage from Beaumont Enterprize: State law limits
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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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Environmental Justice Gaining in SLC
September 21st, 2020
Environmental justice is finally gaining traction in Salt Lake City. Daniel Mendoza, a former member of UPHE’s board, has an important article in the Catalyst on the issue of Environmental
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Radioactive Waste Headed to Utah
September 21st, 2020
Radioactive material from Japan is heading to San Juan County and UPHE is vehemently opposed to it. The proposal to ship 136 tons of radioactive material from two atomic research
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Another 2020 Crisis We Can’t Overlook
September 21st, 2020
E. Thomas Nelson: One more crisis in 2020 we don’t want to overlook By E. Thomas Nelson | Special to The Tribune · Published: 09/18/2020 Now three-quarters of the way complete, 2020
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SLC – Ranked Among the Worst Globally for Air Quality
September 14th, 2020
Salt Lake City, Utah was ranked as one of the worst cities for air quality in the world last week at 5th most polluted. Unfortunately, we at UPHE aren’t surprised
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All Utah children should be tested for lead poisoning
September 10th, 2020
Dr. Claudia Fruin, founder of the Utah Lead Coalition, had a publication in the Deseret News on the dangers of lead poisoning to children. We do not know how many
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Air Pollution Defeat Parts a National Problem
September 9th, 2020
The Guardian reported on the national problem of defeat parts and wrote about UPHE’s lawsuits against the Diesel Brothers and Tap Worldwide (another pollution defeat device marketer and subsidiary of
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Pollution from Wildfires – a Piece of the Climate Crisis
September 9th, 2020
ABC 4 TV contacted UPHE this morning and asked us to write a message on the pollution we are experiencing from the wildfires. “Because there is a higher concentration of
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“Fun-Sized” Nuclear Power Plant Amid Climate Crisis
September 8th, 2020
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) is a consortium of small municipal power companies from cities throughout the state. With the noble intention of finding sources of electricity from something
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Air Pollution & COVID
September 8th, 2020
We have pointed out this research before, but we are glad to see other physicians outside of UPHE are warning the public that air pollution increases the likelihood of catching
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Press Conference Addressing Rio Tinto & the Port
August 27th, 2020
Yesterday, Wednesday, September 26th at 10:00 am UPHE and the Stop the Polluting Port Coalition help a virtual press conference addressing Rio Tinto’s connection to the dirty Utah Inland Port.
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Welcome New Board Member!
August 25th, 2020
Please meet our newest board member, E Thomas Nelson, MD. We are excited to have him as part of the UPHE team! Here is an introduction he wrote for us
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Environmental Racism Endangers Utah Children
August 24th, 2020
UPHE has been working with Salt Lake County and the Utah Lead Coalition on the Lead Safe Housing Program to reduce lead poisoning of Utah children. Samantha Carlisle, our intern
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A Win for National Parks & Monuments
August 24th, 2020
UPHE is excited to see a win for our National Parks & Monuments! The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has canceled the proposed sale of oil and gas leases near
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Logan Withdraws from Risky Nuclear Power Project
August 24th, 2020
Members of the Logan City Council voted Tuesday to end the city’s partnership in an increasingly expensive nuclear power project. As a member of the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems
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Car-Centric is Not the Answer by Ellen Birrell
August 17th, 2020
An excellent guest editorial has been published in the Salt Lake Tribune, written by our Fried Ellen Birrell at Save Not Pave. Birrell addresses the heat we are all feeling this
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Will Utah Bail Out Coal Port in CA?
August 17th, 2020
Last week, an attorney for the bankrupt proponents of an Oakland coal port told a judge they were counting on a $20 million infusion from the Utah Legislature to keep
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Air Purifiers in Schools
August 17th, 2020
Dr. Moench, was interviewed on the issue of what would be required in order to open schools safely. It gave us another opportunity to raise awareness of the need to
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Teachers Rally to Delay School Reopening
August 10th, 2020
Teachers rallied at the Utah State Capitol last Friday in want of stricter reopening plans for school – all while abiding by COVID-19 safely precautions of social distancing and mask
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Negative Effects from the Port on Students
August 10th, 2020
KUTV did an excellent segment covering how the Utah Inland Port would negatively affect school children who attend school near the port due to increases pollution and traffic. “Developers are
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On Track to See More Deaths
August 10th, 2020
A pandemic anywhere means a pandemic everywhere. COVID does not honor state borders or the politics of its victims. Now the virus is working its way through the country, and
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Stop Toxic Burn Pits
August 10th, 2020
Northrop Grumman/ATK Launch Systems has been openly burning toxic and potentially explosive waste on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley for decades. This open burning pollutes our air
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Victory for Tooele Residents
August 10th, 2020
We were thrilled to see Tooele residents, who had consulted with us, have a resounding victory in court to keep a gravel pit out of their neighborhood. This battle was
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UPHE Opposes Hazardous Waste Storage
August 4th, 2020
A hazardous waste permit has been approved that would allow the continued open air burning of hazardous munitions wastes at the ATK Bacchus Facility – Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant (NIROP) in
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Schools Need to Take COVID Seriously
August 3rd, 2020
Doctor Brian Moench co-authored an Op Ed published in the Deseret News on July 31st, 2020. This time Dr. Moench writes about the need for schools that are reopening to
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Utah Not Doing Enough to Make Schools Safe
August 3rd, 2020
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment is calling for a delay in opening up Utah’s public schools until safety protocols can be put into place. Without safeguards in place, having
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Doctors Agree With Teachers: State Not Doing Enough to Make Schools Safe
July 29th, 2020
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE) support the Utah Education Association (UEA) in calling for a delay in opening up Utahs public schools. While the research that enlightens us about
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Submit Comments on Burning of Hazardous Waste in West Valley
July 27th, 2020
A hazardous waste permit has been approved that would allow the continued open air burning of hazardous munitions wastes at the ATK Bacchus Facility – Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant
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New Research on Air Pollution & Exercise
July 27th, 2020
One of the most common questions we get asked by the public is, how bad does the air pollution have to get before you’re doing more harm than good to
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Politicians & Business Leaders Made Utah’s Pandemic Worse
July 27th, 2020
Propublica, an excellent investigative journalism non-profit, did a feature story on how in Utah “politicians and business interests pushed health officials aside to control reopening, then cases exploded.” “Back in
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Shut it Down, Start Over, Do it Right
July 27th, 2020
The pandemic is out of control in the US. A national petition is circulating among physicians and other healthcare professionals calling on state and federal governments to, “Shut it down,
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Schools in Session?
July 20th, 2020
Opening up schools in the fall with the pandemic unabated, is a heated topic of discussion throughout the country. The President is adamant in ignoring the experts and demanding that
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Latest on COVID – It isn’t Good
July 20th, 2020
Here’s the latest COVID news, and none of it is good. Hospitals are starting to run out of one of the few drugs known to help critically ill patients, remdesivir.
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Utahns Pay for a California Coal Port
July 6th, 2020
Our most powerful members of the legislature have created a shell game so they can funnel $53 million of our money to a bankrupt coal company to develop a coal
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Pollution Spikes from Fireworks
July 1st, 2020
The health hazard from fireworks is under appreciated by most people. Even though fireworks displays are relatively brief, the pollution is very intense, and can linger for several hours into
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Utahns need to be more proactive against lead poisoning
July 1st, 2020
UPHE’s Education and Outreach Coordinator, Bert Merrill, cowrote an guest opinion piece in the Deseret News with Claudia Fruin, founder of the Utah Lead Coalition, about the dangers of lead
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Brian Moench: American exceptionalism now means something deadly
July 1st, 2020
Dr. Brian Moench has yet another compelling Op Ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune. This time it is about what has become of American exceptionalism with the anti-science phenomena
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Urging a Mask Mandate
June 30th, 2020
The state epidemiologist has asked Herbert to order a statewide mask mandate. We urge you all to continue calling the Governor’s office, insisting he do that. Many of you were
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Port Authority Rubber Stamps Flawed Strategic Business Plan
June 23rd, 2020
Thanks to everyone who virtually attended the port authority’s board meeting yesterday. Over 30 concerned residents spoke about the plan, all but one were opposed. We were not surprised that
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Growing Correlation Between Air Pollution & COVID
June 15th, 2020
The connection between air pollution and the pandemic continues to grow. Evidence is mounting that the COVID virus can be attached to particulate air pollution particles. This opens the possibility
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Court Overturns EPA Approval of Toxic Herbicide
June 15th, 2020
A few days ago, an appeals court stood up against the Trump EPA for its continued siding with chemical companies and defiance of its mandate to protect public health, and
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Inland Port’s Fairy Tale of a Plan
June 8th, 2020
Our Executive Director, Jonny Vasic has a great Op Ed in the Salt Lake Tribune about the inland port. Read below or click here. Jonny Vasic: Port Authority spends $850,000
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White Coats for Black Lives
June 8th, 2020
We don’t engage in politics for any reason other than to protect public health. Last Friday, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers throughout the country, including at Intermountain Healthcare and
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UPHE’s Comments to the EPA: Reject the White House’s Proposal
June 4th, 2020
Below are the comments UPHE submitted to the EPA recently on the White House’s proposal to disqualify much of the world’s research on the health consequences of air pollution. Representing
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Inland Port Board Meeting
June 1st, 2020
The Utah Inland Port Authority Board of Directors met last week, the first time since October 2019. Dozens of concerned residents spoke out in opposition of the polluting port, including
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EPA Clean Car Rollbacks
June 1st, 2020
ABC 4 covered our first ever “virtual” press conference calling for all our Congressional delegation and all of Utah’s elected officials to insist that EPA restore the clean car standards
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Utah Inland Port Business Plan answers none of the critical questions
May 25th, 2020
(May 21, 2020 – Salt Lake City, UT) – The Stop the Polluting Port Coalition (STPP) states that the Utah Inland Port Authority Board has spent two years and millions
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A Demand for Strong Air Quality Standards
May 20th, 2020
With so much national attention focused on the pandemic, the White House took advantage of the opportunity to quietly launch another attack on public health by EPA. With the current
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Trump’s Rollbacks of Environmental Protections
May 18th, 2020
In the midst of the worst public health crisis in 100 years, the Trump Administration has already tried to roll back nearly 100 different environmental protections. Just lately they: Used
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A Victory for Water Conservation
May 18th, 2020
A major environmental and economic victory has been won for water conservation! After 14 years, the Southern Nevada Water Authority did not appeal the Nevada District Courts decision to block
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Indoor Air Pollution
May 11th, 2020
Indoor air pollution that originates in your own house may be even more important than outdoor air pollution. Starting about ten years ago, evidence emerged that natural gas appliances, in
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TRUMP’S EPA REFUSES TO IMPROVE AIR POLLUTION STANDARDS: THOUSANDS MORE WILL DIE
May 11th, 2020
(May 7, 2020 – Salt Lake City, UT) – Last week, the Trump EPA refused their obligation under the Clean Air Act to make national air quality standards stricter, despite
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The Many Symptoms of COVID
May 11th, 2020
Covid cases are continuing to rise in Utah. And the longer the pandemic goes on, the more we are learning that COVID-19 can be much more of a systemic disease
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It is too early to reopen dining areas – no question
April 27th, 2020
Fox13 asked Dr. Brian Moench to weigh in on whether it will be safe to open up businesses like bars and restaurants in Utah by May 1. This is a
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Stay at Home Orders Save Lives
April 20th, 2020
We recognize the economic hardship the stay at home orders has caused, but many lives have been saved because of the isolation and social distancing instituted so far. To put
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Op Ed: Who would really benefit from coal country proposals?
April 15th, 2020
Stan Holmes, one of the many community members in the Stop the Polluting Port coalition, wrote an excellent Op Ed in the Salt Lake Tribune outlining who would benefit from
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Utah Continues to Make Progress Against Lead Poisoning
April 13th, 2020
Lead poisoning is beginning to receive the attention it deserves in Utah. This past legislative cycle, Senate Joint Resolution 2 was passed which encourages medical providers who care for children,
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Air pollution increases risk of a fatal outcome from COVID
April 13th, 2020
Press Release (April 8, 2020 – Salt Lake City, UT) For years UPHE has cited extensive research showing that air pollution causes and aggravates virtually all the underlying diseases that
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Petition Against EPA Rollbacks on Refineries
April 8th, 2020
While the coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate our thoughts and the news, we want you to know that UPHE is still fighting for clean air in every way possible. Clean
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Wear a Mask in Public
April 6th, 2020
UPHE wants to be clear – if you go to public spaces you should wear a mask. If you have been confused about whether or not you should, you are
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Stress Cooking by Kirtly Jones MD
April 3rd, 2020
As a retired physician, I take the physical distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 epidemic seriously. As a Parker, my family is food-oriented and when we are stressed, we cook (I
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Doctors signed up to help, not to be abandoned
March 30th, 2020
Dr. Brian Moench wrote an Op Ed for the Salt Lake Tribune discussing what he expected when he became a doctor, and it was not a complete lack of reasonable
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A Call for Medical Supply Donations
March 24th, 2020
If you are a medical professional with extra medical supplies or a business with personal protection equipment and are able to donate, we urge you to do so. WHERE: The
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Medical Supply Shortage
March 24th, 2020
The public does not realize the gravity of the situation and the Federal Government is ignoring it. Hospitals throughout the country, including those on the Wasatch Front, are dangerously low
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Utah’s Air Quality Issue: Problems and Solutions
March 23rd, 2020
Although Utah is a land of outdoor wonders, the state has a distressing air pollution problem. In some areas like Salt Lake City, geography exacerbates the issue; air quality in
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COVID-19
March 16th, 2020
UPHE fully supports the calls from our state and local government to reduce potential exposure to the virus by any and all means of “social distancing.” Avoiding group activities, keeping
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UPHE Press Conference on Air Pollution
March 13th, 2020
On Wednesday, UPHE held a press conference summarizing the most important research on air pollution and health published for the past year, 2019. Read the full report. The Deseret News
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Diesel Brothers Hit with $850,000 Air Pollution Penalty
March 11th, 2020
Discovery Channel celebrities also banned for life from defeating emission controls in vehicles (Monday, March 9, 2020 – Salt Lake City, UT) –In a significant victory for cleaner air and the
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Port Bill Advances with Tweak for ‘Minimal’ Environment Concerns
March 4th, 2020
The Desert News covered House Bill 347 and the new tweaks that still leave too much ambiguity in terms of environmentally sound development. The inland port legislation (HB 347) making
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Negative Recommendation to Geneva Rock Expansion
March 2nd, 2020
Great news! On Thursday, February 27th, the Draper City Planning Commission unanimously voted to give a negative recommendation to Geneva Rocks request for a zoning change that would allow them
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Op Ed on the Coronavirus by Dr. Moench
February 26th, 2020
Dr. Brian Moench, UPHE Board President, had an Op Ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune earlier today addressing the coronavirus that is yet another plea to for the global
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The Terrible Port Bill Was Passed
February 26th, 2020
Thanks to everyone who showed up to the hearing yesterday on the latest inland port bill. The Salt Lake Tribune covered it and our Ex. Dir. Jonny Vasic is quoted
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Tooele Inland Port
February 12th, 2020
UPHE is concerned about the proposal to build a 10,000 acre inland port in Tooele. Proponents are suggesting it as an alternative to the proposed Salt Lake City inland port
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Fox 13 Air Pollution Reports
February 12th, 2020
Fox 13 did a short series of investigative reporting on air pollution in Salt Lake City and what causes it. The first in the series looked into the pollution that
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Repeal the Port Rally at the Capitol
February 4th, 2020
Over 200 hundred concerned residents came out today to make their voices heard. We give a big thank you to everyone who braved the biggest snow storm of the year
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Dr. Moench Op Ed: Clean Air and Education
January 27th, 2020
UPHE’s board president and founder, Dr. Brian Moench, has an Op Ed in the SL Tribune on a new idea on how to improve education for Utah’s school children. Even
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Report on the Port: Common Sense vs. the Utah Inland Port
January 27th, 2020
Last Wednesday, January 22, the Stop the Polluting Port coalition released its report outlining the potential environmental harms from the proposed Utah Inland Port: Common Sense vs. the Utah Inland
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