Update on industrialization, and our wetlands report
November 21st, 2023
Separate from the onslaught on wetlands and undeveloped areas perpetrated by the Utah Inland Port Authority, one of the few remaining rural areas in Salt Lake City has been approved
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More potential health effects of not getting water to Great Salt Lake
November 21st, 2023
The health consequences of allowing Great Salt Lake to dry up have been covered quite extensively at this point by many major state and national news outlets. They’ve covered headaches,
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Who does the I-15 expansion really benefit?
November 21st, 2023
An excellent op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune echoes the many reasons UPHE has presented in opposition to the Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) plan to expand nearly 20 miles
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Rally on wetlands and the Inland Port
November 8th, 2023
On November 6, 2023, activists showed up at the Capitol to oppose the Utah Inland Port and specifically their assault on wetlands. Currently the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) is
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Utah Lake islands are dead, but the controversy continues
November 7th, 2023
Although the plan to dredge Utah Lake and build artificial islands for real estate development was squashed when the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands found the plan
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Dust and mountain snow
November 7th, 2023
In a recent University of Utah study, researchers added to the extensive body of knowledge about the alarming consequences of the shrinking Great Salt Lake on the health of Utah’s
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Utah prioritizes biggest polluters, not public health, Dr. Robert Weir
November 1st, 2023
Robert Weir, double-board certified in neurology psychiatry, and an active member of UPHE, had an excellent op-ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune. The op-ed discusses the growing ozone problem
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Repurposing wasted Inland Port spaces
November 1st, 2023
“According to a recent Tribune article, Wayne Niederhouser, the Utah Homeless Coordinator, reported that a $5 million gap exists in shelter money for the homeless in Utah this winter. May I
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A reminder why not to pass the Uinta Basin Railway
November 1st, 2023
Malin Moench, a UPHE member and Utah resident with a background in analyzing public utilities and logistics at the federal level, presents a compelling argument against the proposed Uinta Basin
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Land, Water and Air Report
October 24th, 2023
There was another report recently published on Utah’s health and environment, this one from the Institute for Land, Water and Air. “This report serves as a 2023 snapshot of key
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Report on methane pollution in Utah
October 24th, 2023
A Salt Lake Tribune article highlights findings from a report that only furthers the body of knowledge on fossil fuels and public health. “In 2016, the report says, air pollution
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UPHE supports west side residents in battle against I-15 expansion
October 24th, 2023
Make a comment to UDOT on the expansion here. UPHE has been a vocal opponent to UDOT’s plan to widen I-15, standing with the many local residents who oppose as
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A proposal to “protect” wetlands from the Inland Port
October 18th, 2023
The Utah Inland Port Authority recently announced a proposal to allocate funding and land for wetland preservation around the Great Salt Lake. The proposal is an oxymoron, considering the vast
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Huge transit projects are coming to Utah
October 18th, 2023
A Salt Lake Tribune article outlines the many transit projects in the works in Utah. “The projects listed in the plan will add 4,700 miles of active transportation pathways across
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Central Wasatch Commission stands against mine in Parley’s
October 18th, 2023
At an October 2nd meeting, the Central Wasatch Commission unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the I-80 South Quarry. The Commission is composed of the mayors of Salt Lake City, Millcreek
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Letter to the EPA on prescribed burns
October 12th, 2023
UPHE is very concerned that some members of Congress have started to put pressure on the EPA to relax air quality standards so that more “prescribed burns” could be conducted in
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Another new polluting port – Beaver County
October 10th, 2023
“Beaver County gets an inland port, with Tooele next in line,” last Saturday’s Tribune article headline states. The four sections of the “Mineral Mountains” port in Beaver County amount to
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The Utah Inland Port and Utah’s wetlands problem
October 10th, 2023
New Inland Port locations have been rapidly approved across the state this year, and many of them are posing a threat to wetlands. In addition to the the SLC location
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Is Utah’s ozone violation getting worse?
October 10th, 2023
A Salt Lake Tribune article reports that the EPA is likely to move Utah’s non-attainment status for ozone pollution from “moderate” to “serious.” It’s worth also noting that the EPA’s
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Brian Moench: Inland Port Authority’s plane crash landing on you
October 10th, 2023
UPHE’s co-founder and board president, Dr. Brian Moench, had the following op-ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 10, 2023. Ronald Reagan said, “What I want to see above all
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UDOT’s I-15 expansion is pricier than they said
October 3rd, 2023
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the cost of the largely contested Interstate 15 expansion will be more than double the initially estimated $1.7 billion, to $3.7 billion of taxpayer
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Pesticide spraying doesn’t just affect the mosquitoes
October 3rd, 2023
A Salt Lake Tribune letter to the editor outlines the troubling experience of a group of students out birding on the Antelope Island causeway, who witnessed pesticide spraying from a
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“Thinning” in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
October 3rd, 2023
UPHE strongly disagrees with the multi-agency strategy of “thinning” and burning trees to prevent forest fires. Those operations are now being conducted close to home, in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
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Environmental win: courts reject an attempt to halt the Good Neighbor Plan
September 26th, 2023
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the nation’s clean air and public health by rejecting an attempt to halt the Good
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UPHE discusses litigation on KRCL’s RadioACTive
September 26th, 2023
KRCL’s RadioACTive discussed two of UPHE’s latest litigation efforts last week. They had Michael Toll of the Grand Canyon Trust, our partner in a lawsuit targeting an oil shale lease
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What Great Salt Lake dust does to our bodies
September 26th, 2023
The Salt Lake Tribune had an informative article last week outlining the effect dust pollution has on the human body. UPHE has been calling attention to these health effects for
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UPHE lawsuit gets attention from Leonardo Dicaprio
September 26th, 2023
In a powerful testament to the urgent environmental concerns surrounding the Great Salt Lake, acclaimed actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio took to Instagram on Tuesday to lend his voice
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New Inland Port project promises to save local farms. Can it?
September 19th, 2023
The Utah Inland Port just approved its fifth project area. This one would take up about 35,000 acres in Juab County. UPHE board member, Dr. Courtney Henley, was quoted in
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Enefit American Oil Abandons Lease to Mine Oil Shale in Utah’s Uinta Basin
September 18th, 2023
Settlement cuts off oil shale giant’s planned mine and processing facility from water supply Estonian state-owned oil shale company Enefit American Oil is abandoning its lease to mine oil shale on
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Brian Moench, M.D. – Why we are suing to save the Great Salt Lake, op-ed
September 18th, 2023
UPHE’s Co-Founder and President, Dr. Brian Moench, had the following op-ed published in the Deseret News on our litigation to save Great Salt Lake. Recently local, national and international news
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Why we are suing to protect Great Salt Lake
September 12th, 2023
National and international news outlets have been covering the issues related to declining water levels in Great Salt Lake, emphasizing the looming consequences for residents and the ecology of the
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The Utah Inland Port Authority must be more transparent about its environmental impact
September 6th, 2023
An extremely well written op-ed outlines the public’s difficulty getting a voice or clear answers out of UIPA. Heather Dove, President of Great Salt Lake Audubon, describes her own experience
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SITLA can’t benefit Utah students by contributing to pollution
September 6th, 2023
Courtney Henley, UPHE board member, had an excellent op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune this week on the Utah Inland Port Authority’s (UIPA) attempt to purchase State Institutional Trust Lands
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Lawsuit Targets State of Utah for Failing to Protect the Great Salt Lake
September 6th, 2023
West’s Largest Wetland Faces Ecological Collapse Because of Utah’s Neglect Salt Lake City, UT – Conservation and community groups sued the state of Utah today for its failure to ensure
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Fourth Inland Port approved despite community opposition
August 29th, 2023
“Utah board approves 4th inland port location amid environmental concerns,” a KSL headline reads, breaking the unfortunate news to the 1,200 concerned local residents who signed a petition in hopes
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How Utah is making it safer to breathe in classrooms
August 28th, 2023
A unique partnership provided the necessary expertise. Jake Jensen, program coordinator for K-12 Schools for UPHE, wrote the following op-ed, published in the Salt Lake Tribune. A recent Tribune article
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Powerful voices speak out against a Port near the Bird Refuge
August 22nd, 2023
The Utah Inland Port is once again being called out for an unacceptable proposal that threatens environmental health and quality of life for Utah residents. This time, their site is
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Utah needs better angels to save nature
August 21st, 2023
UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench had an excellent op-ed on some of the most pressing issues Utah’s facing. Find the op-ed below. James Madison wrote in 1788, “If men were angels, no
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Appeals Court Throws Out Permit for Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway
August 21st, 2023
A federal appeals court today rejected the U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s permit for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway, designed to quadruple oil production in Utah’s Uinta Basin and move crude through the
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The Four Horsemen of the Airpocalypse
August 16th, 2023
UPHE’s president and co-founder, Dr. Brian Moench, gave an excellent presentation last week titled “The Four Horsemen of the Airpocalypse: ozone, winter inversion, wildfire smoke and dust.” Air pollution is
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Why President Biden must stop the Uinta Basin Railway and phase out fossil fuels
August 16th, 2023
President Biden’s visit to Utah has been highly publicized and anticipated. Deeda Seed, our partner on the Stop the Polluting Port Coalition, wrote an excellent op-ed in the Salt Lake
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Taxpayer dollars being wasted by the Utah Inland Port Authority
August 16th, 2023
For five years, UPHE has been calling out all the reasons why the Inland Port was a terrible idea. In the last year, we helped hire a logistics expert who
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UT Schools Get Free Purifiers to Combat Poor Air Quality
August 15th, 2023
Brandi O’Brien, Senior Program Coordinator for UPHE on the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ free air purifier program, spoke with Public News Service about the success of the
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Federal Court Ruling Again Lets Utah’s Worst Polluters off the Hook From Cleaning Up Emissions
August 14th, 2023
Decision will harm human health and ruin views in national parks Today the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition for review that would bring some of Utah’s worst polluting coal
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US Magnesium’s superfund plan needs Great Salt Lake levels to rise
August 8th, 2023
US Magnesium, who was in the news earlier this year for findings that showed their operations account for up to 25% of the Wasatch Front’s PM2.5 pollution, is in the
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Environmental justice report shows air quality disparities on Salt Lake City’s west side
August 8th, 2023
The EPA is conducting an environmental justice study in Salt Lake as a result of concerns raised by UPHE, community members and other organizations. The preliminary report issued by the
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Utah DAQ’s permit for Parley’s Mine Violates Federal and State Law
August 3rd, 2023
State permit fails to protect public from the mine’s dust and pollution Multiple environmental and public interest groups filed comments on July 27 to the Division of Air Quality (DAQ)
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1,400+ comments to the DAQ about Parley’s mine
August 2nd, 2023
The Utah Division of Air Quality is flooded with comments from concerned residents, including technical comments from UPHE, pleading with them to deny Granite Constructions’ permit for a mine and
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UPHE warns of Great Salt Lake dust health impacts
August 2nd, 2023
UPHE’s president and co-founder, Dr. Brian Moench, warned of the health impacts if serious action isn’t taken to raise water levels in Great Salt Lake on Utah Public Radio last
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Comments to the DAQ on Parley’s Canyon
August 1st, 2023
UPHE submitted the below comments to the Division of Air Quality on Granite Construction’s proposal for Parley’s Canyon: Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment submits these comments on behalf of
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The Salt Lake Tribune’s Robert Gehrke on the gondola
July 26th, 2023
Despite massive public opposition and numerous alternative suggestions, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has released a decision that includes constructing an eight-mile long, 22 towers measuring 200 feet high,
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Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola opponents speak out
July 18th, 2023
The Utah Department of Transportation’s choice of Gondola Alternative B to address traffic issues in Little Cottonwood Canyon has, unsurprisingly, sparked controversy. Residents have been very vocal in expressing opposition
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Great Salt Lake Summit emphasizes one snow-heavy winter won’t be enough
July 18th, 2023
Nearly three hundred concerned residents attended the People’s Great Salt Lake Summit last Saturday. It truly was a day of information, inspiration and action. UPHE co-sponsored the event, along with
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Deadline this Friday for Utah schools to get free air purifiers
July 18th, 2023
This week is the last chance for schools to take part in the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ free air purifier program for schools and state-licensed daycares. UPHE
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2023 People’s Great Salt Lake Summit on Saturday July 15: Will provide information, inspiration, and action to save Great Salt Lake
July 14th, 2023
Hundreds of Utahns will come together Saturday, July 15 from 10 am -3 pm at the 2023 People’s Great Salt Lake Summit to discuss ways to save the lake. This
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UPHE’s successful litigation funds program to help reduce excessive vehicle emissions
July 11th, 2023
UPHE’s saying “we educate, we advocate and when necessary we litigate ” has resulted in some extremely positive programs and influential policy, especially concerning the issue of illegally modified vehicles.
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Thinning forests will not save Great Salt Lake
July 11th, 2023
The idea of thinning forests to save the Great Salt Lake has again been proposed by GOP Salt Lake County Council member Dea Theodore. This idea is met with skepticism
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Last call for air purifiers!
July 11th, 2023
Multiple news outlets covered UPHE and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services program this week in a final effort to distribute clean air to classrooms before the federal
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70% of Utah schools have air purifiers. What about the 30% that don’t?
July 11th, 2023
UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench had the following op-ed in the Deseret News: For the last 15 months, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment has been collaborating with the Utah Department of Health
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Clean the air challenge
June 27th, 2023
While many of the major projects that affect our air quality feel out of our immediate control, there are many individual actions that add up to make a big difference
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Another study supporting UPHE’s mission
June 27th, 2023
Since our conception, UPHE has passionately supported and advocated for reducing air pollution. We’ve sounded the alarms on industrial operations that pose threats to residents’ health and well being, advocated
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Showing up for Parley’s
June 27th, 2023
Send a message to the Utah Division of Air Quality on their Intent to Approve the mine through July 27th here. Thank you to all who showed up last Thursday
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Dust on the snow – we’re not in the clear with GSL yet
June 20th, 2023
Despite what lawmakers and big industry want you to think, we are not in the clear with rising Great Salt Lake levels yet. Much needs to be done in the
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Staying safe in Salt Lake County
June 20th, 2023
KUTV2 asked UPHE to weigh in on the health hazard of the dust storm we had earlier this week. In short, dust pollution has virtually all the same health hazards
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Gov. Cox, protect your legacy by protecting Parleys
June 20th, 2023
UPHE’s president and co-founder, Dr. Brian Moench, had another incredible op-ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune. This time the topic is pressing and something we encourage all residents to
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Utah leaders are not prioritizing one of our biggest threats to public health
June 13th, 2023
Park City resident, David Bennett, had an excellent op-ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune on recent developments that demonstrate Utah’s disregard for environmental and public health. He starts his
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Opposition to the Spanish Fork Inland Port speaking out at town hall
June 13th, 2023
The Daily Herald covered Conserve Utah Valley’s public town hall on the proposed Spanish Fork Inland Port last week. UIPA has been working on creating multiple “mini-ports” across the state,
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The dangers of a Uinta Basin Railway
June 13th, 2023
In an op-ed published in the Deseret News, Malin Moench criticizes the Uinta Basin Railway project, arguing that it poses significant environmental and health risks to Utah, Colorado, and downstream
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Wildfire smoke impacting the nation – how forest management can be adjusted to help
June 13th, 2023
Massive climate crisis related wildfires have sprung up all over Canada, causing terrible air quality in large sections of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of New England and the east
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Statewide clean air initiative in schools and daycares
June 6th, 2023
There is still time to participate in one of the most important clean air initiatives in Utah! For a limited time, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services is
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Opposition to the Parley’s mine
June 6th, 2023
June 22, 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM there will be a public hearing on Utah Division of Air Quality’s decision to approve a mine/gravel pit in Parley’s Canyon. The hearing
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Wildfires and watershed – Parley’s Canyon is mismanaged
June 6th, 2023
A recent KSL article reports on ongoing forest thinning activities in Parleys Canyon aimed at reducing wildfire risks. This practice brings up concerns about the ecological impact of selective vegetation
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Utah Physicians Achieve Federal Court Order Prohibiting National Auto Parts Distributor From Selling Pollution Control Defeat Devices
June 1st, 2023
4 Wheel Parts stores nationwide – including those in Salt Lake City and Ogden – are now prohibited from selling or installing aftermarket parts that defeat air pollution controls in
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Residents speak out against Inland Port
May 31st, 2023
There have been numerous op-eds by concerned and skeptical residents since the Utah Inland Port’s rebrand and recent actions to expand operations across the state. One of the latest was
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Malpractice in Utah forest management
May 31st, 2023
If you’d like to take action on this topic, you can express your views to: Joel Ferry, Utah Department of Natural Resources Director joelferry@utah.gov801-538-7201 Governor Coxhttps://cs.utah.gov/s/submit 801-538-1000 Field-level DNR employees:
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Comment on DAQ’s decision to approve Parley’s mine
May 31st, 2023
It’s time to step up in the fight against the massive gravel pit and mine at the base of Parley’s Canyon. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air
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Deadline to order free air purifiers for schools coming soon
May 23rd, 2023
Fox13 had a piece on the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ free air purifier program for schools and daycares. UPHE president Dr. Brian Moench said, “It’s important that
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UIPA’s money is our money; where is our say?
May 23rd, 2023
Two excellent op-eds on residents’ views and experiences with the Utah Inland Port were published in the Salt Lake Tribune this week. Teri Lyn Harman attended the Stop the Polluting
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Why does Utah have an Inland Port?
May 23rd, 2023
The recent rebranding of the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) may seem like a fresh start, but it’s going to take a lot more than a new logo to prove
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What’s been up with the air?
May 23rd, 2023
The air pollution over the last few days is a jarring glimpse into our future. On Wednesday, it was, in part, a dust storm from the exposed lake bed of
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Coalition calls out Utah Inland Port Authority’s latest business scheme: “More tax breaks for the rich, pollution for everyone else”
May 23rd, 2023
On Thursday, May 11, at 9:30 am in the Utah Capitol Rotunda on the east steps, a coalition of groups will call on the Utah Inland Port Authority to stop the
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Free air purifier program ending soon
May 16th, 2023
UPHE has been hard at work with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services on a program that provides federally funded air purifiers to schools and daycare centers across
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Ports spreading across the state are pollution nightmares
May 16th, 2023
A lot has transpired concerning the Utah Inland Port lately, particularly various “satellite ports” now called project areas popping up across the state. Watch the Stop the Polluting Port Coalition’s
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There’s a lot more than baseball in the Utah air
May 2nd, 2023
Salt Lake City has been buzzing about the potential of hosting a Major League Baseball (MLB) team since concept images were released. A notable and realistic aspect of the concept
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New research supports ongoing program for free air purifiers in schools
May 2nd, 2023
Two recent studies add even more evidence to the importance of children breathing clean air at the earliest stages of life. One study out of Simon Fraser University, which has
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Utah inland ports offer public risk for private gain
May 2nd, 2023
Salt Lake City has been fighting against an Inland Port in our neighborhood for 5 years. After 5 years of misusing public funds, steamrolling public input, and removing local representation,
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This Utah spring, it’s what we’re not hearing that’s the problem
May 2nd, 2023
Global bird populations have plummeted 30% and pesticides are one of the culprits. UPHE’s president and co-founder, Dr. Brian Moench, had the following op-ed published in the Salt Lake Tribune.
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Takeaways for Utah from the 2023 State of the Air report
April 28th, 2023
The American Lung Association annually releases a report on the air quality of the country’s major cities, “State of the Air.” The report came a day after winds over the
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Free air purifiers for Utah schools and state-licensed early care and education centers
April 27th, 2023
Program ends soon Salt Lake City—Using money from a one-time federal grant, Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE) have collaborated
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Op-eds: pollution, development and growth
April 18th, 2023
A few recent op-eds in the Salt Lake Tribune really resonated with UPHE’s mission. It’s great to hear the community’s input and opinions so this page is dedicated to amplifying
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Heavy snow has helped Great Salt Lake, but conservation is still essential to saving it
April 11th, 2023
An unusually snowy winter has brought Great Salt Lake up a few feet from its record-breaking low. While we are happy to see levels rising, we’re hesitant to celebrate. We
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A promise from Governor Cox
April 11th, 2023
Public comment processes can be difficult to navigate. Comment dates and periods often come up and pass by quickly, or don’t happen at all. This leaves residents who want to
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The Inland Port expands its impact – Cedar City to Tooele
April 11th, 2023
The Utah Inland Port just approved the creation of a new project area, consisting of nearly 900 acres outside of Cedar City. The Iron Springs Port will provide unnecessary tax
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Call to action! Utah Air Quality Board
April 11th, 2023
Last week, three Republican Senators voted against Governor Cox’s nomination of Dr. Suzanne Harrison for the Utah Air Quality Board. Dr. Harrison is a current member of the Salt Lake
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Stricter standards would benefit the public
April 4th, 2023
Thanks to all who submitted comments to the EPA on their consideration of soot standards. We know that there is no safe level of air pollution. After over a decade,
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UPHE on letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg opposing Uinta Basin Railway
April 4th, 2023
UPHE joined 149 other environmental groups in sending a letter to the U.S. Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, to pull the plug on the Uinta Basin Railway. The railway would be
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Unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicals in popular household cleaners
April 4th, 2023
KPCW reporter, Kimberly Flores, asked UPHE to weigh in on an article in the New York Times about people continuing to use toxic cleaning disinfectants in their homes to kill
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Listen: Fight against sale of illegal pollution-defeating devices
April 4th, 2023
KPCW’s This Green Earth had UPHE on their talkshow last week to discuss our ongoing campaign against the sale of pollution-defeating devices on trucks. Our lawsuit against the Diesel Brothers
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Listen: What we lose if the Great Salt Lake dries up
March 28th, 2023
Utah has gained a national spotlight through the depletion of one of our most precious natural resources, Great Salt Lake. The national attention has helped Great Salt Lake gain $25
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Uinta Basin Railway – “unconscionable greed, denial and a dismissal of reality”
March 28th, 2023
Americans were promised the Biden Administration would prioritize reducing the impacts of climate change by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Despite this understanding, in 2021 the Forest Service approved
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