The problem with PFAS
April 24th, 2024
What are PFAS or “forever chemicals”? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are probably the most toxic chemicals ever produced. They’ve been nicknamed “forever chemicals” or “teflon” because they do not…
UPHE and Residents of Tooele County Appeal the Approval of a New Rail Line in Tooele
April 23rd, 2024
(Salt Lake City, UT) – Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE), the Erda Community Association, and individual residents of Tooele County, with the support of the Stop the Polluting Port…
Diseases in desert dust
April 16th, 2024
Valley Fever is traditionally thought to only be a risk in the far southwest of the United States, barely including southern Utah’s desert. However, in 2001, archeologists were diagnosed after…
Proposal for Southern Utah Puts Residents at Risk
April 16th, 2024
A plan for a community in Ivins, Utah, could expose 47 acres of lakebed dust to a surrounding community, as the city council contemplates a $22 million plan for treated…
Tooele residents explain frustration with Inland Port
April 11th, 2024
“Tooele County moving forward with 2 inland port projects despite resident concerns,” a December, 2023 headline wrote. Following suit with their 2018 approval of an Inland Port in Utah’s capitol…
Rocky Mountain Power pushes back closing date for coal plants
April 8th, 2024
We are disappointed but not surprised to hear Rocky Mountain Power’s recent decision to backtrack on its commitment for early retirement of coal-fired power plants in Utah. Initially, the company…
Update on UPHE’s legal win against diesel pollution
April 8th, 2024
UPHE has won two lawsuits (Diesel Brothers and 4Wheel Parts) using the Clean Air Act to prevent illegal exhaust modification of diesel vehicles. The result of these lawsuits is hugely…
Petition for the Wilson’s Phalarope and the link between GSL and Inland ports
April 2nd, 2024
By now, many of you, UPHE supporters and environmental champions, are aware of the harms of the Utah Inland Port; drastically increased diesel emissions, irresponsible uses of resident tax dollars,…
Comments to the EPA on deadly paraquat use
April 1st, 2024
TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN COMMENTS: click here and use Docket ID EPA–HQ–OPP–2011–0855. DEADLINE IS APRIL 1, 2024. In the far left hand side of the page, click the box that says…
Reasons to break up with beef
March 19th, 2024
One of the most important, and easiest, things we can do to conserve water on a personal level in the West is to reduce our beef consumption. The water footprint…
Utah ranks among worst in the world in this critical climate change metric
March 19th, 2024
Utah ranks among the worst in the world in carbon footprint generated per capita. The state ranks 19th in the country. On average, each person in Utah generates more than…
Inland port darkens Utah’s future
March 12th, 2024
Utah News Dispatch published an op-ed from UPHE president and co-founder, Dr. Brian Moench, on the frightening future of Utah if the Inland Port continues. Full op-ed: Utah’s future quality…
Our lawsuit to protect GSL and why it’s needed
March 12th, 2024
NPR’s All Things Considered did a story on Great Salt Lake, the agriculture problem associated with it’s condition, and UPHE’s lawsuit to hold the state accountable. The piece mentions state…
Trying to avert disaster, Great Salt Lake
March 5th, 2024
In September of 2023, UPHE and other groups announced a lawsuit aimed at preserving Great Salt Lake. And it’s a good thing, because the legislature proved to do little to…
Ask the Governor to veto an anti-Great Salt Lake bill
March 5th, 2024
As always, there is good news and bad news to report now that the legislative session is over. First, the good news. Massive public outcry from people like you against…
Corruption causes pollution in Utah
February 27th, 2024
You may remember an article about a year ago which announced that one company, US Magnesium, was responsible for about 25% of the pollution in a typical Wasatch Front inversion. …
The future is looking polluted! What can help?
February 27th, 2024
The Guardian covered a concerning report from the First Street Foundation indicating that a significant portion of the continental US will face unhealthy air pollution levels by 2054. Currently, one…
Your support helped protect Parley’s, but we’re not done yet
February 27th, 2024
You did it! All of your emails, phone calls, and texts helped kill one of the worst bills the legislature has ever seen, S.B. 172 and modify H.B. 502. H.B.…
Don’t allow a rock quarry up Parley’s Canyon
February 20th, 2024
The Deseret News had an excellent in-house editorial against mining bills SB172 and HB502. Both bills would open the door for the highly contested rock quarry in Parley’s Canyon. Both…
Utah is trying to get out of being a Good Neighbor
February 20th, 2024
Dr. Moench took part in an Earthjustice national virtual press conference explaining why they are pushing back against the pollution industries’ attempt to get the Supreme Court to rule against…
Dr. Courtney Henley on the Inland Port
February 13th, 2024
“Local government is the last line of defense for the health and well-being of her residents,” Dr. Courtney Henley, board member of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment said at…
Responding to wildfire smoke
February 13th, 2024
When the weather starts to get nicer, our inclination is to breathe a breath of fresh air and celebrate the end of inversion season. However, a summer pollution source is…
EPA tightens some standards, but Wasatch Front needs more to improve air quality
February 13th, 2024
Utah has struggled to stay in compliance with EPA air quality standards. Instead of tightening mining, industry and vehicle emission standards, the state is trying to pass a law (SB57)…
EPA Sets Stronger Soot (PM2.5) Standards but Ignores the 24-hour Standard That Plagues the Wasatch Front
February 8th, 2024
(Salt Lake City, UT) – Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment applauds the EPA for strengthening the annual health-based national ambient air quality standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from…
Forest Service pulls permit for Uinta Basin Railway
January 30th, 2024
UPHE is proud to be part of the lawsuit against the proposed Uinta Basin Railway, whose very purpose is to quadruple the amount of climate-killing oil and gas that is…
Open letter to an ‘inland port’ community in Utah
January 30th, 2024
James Westwater is among many community members across the state who have growing concerns over their new neighbor, the Utah Inland Port Authority. The Port Authority has swept in and…
The feds want cleaner air in Utah, but the state legislature is ready to fight them
January 30th, 2024
Jan. 30, 2024 A Salt Lake Tribune headline writes, “The feds want cleaner air in Utah, but the state legislature is ready to fight them.” While unsurprising, the headline is…
Utah Public Radio: Health care professionals ask policymakers to save Great Salt Lake
January 30th, 2024
UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench spoke on Utah Public Radio about our sign-on letter for the medical community. The letter urges the Utah legislature to take meaningful action to get water…
Over one thousand people gather to protect Great Salt Lake!
January 23rd, 2024
Sign our petition to protect Great Salt Lake and send a letter to the speaker of the house, Mike Schultz. Over the weekend, a powerful rally unfolded on the steps…
State of Utah Releases Inadequate Plan to Save the Great Salt Lake
January 19th, 2024
Great Salt Lake Commissioner, Brian Steed, released a plan that was supposed to rebuild water levels in Great Salt Lake. The plan, much like many legislative actions to improve the…
Great Salt Lake and dust storms
January 18th, 2024
UPHE Board Member and ER Physician, Dr. Tom Nelson, spoke to NPR about growing concerns of dust coming from Great Salt Lake. Dr. Tom Nelson was born and raised in…
Dr. Brian Moench: Young Utahns have a right to feel pessimistic, Gov. Cox
January 18th, 2024
UPHE’s board president and co-founder, Dr. Brian Moench, had an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, responding to Governor Cox’s comments on Great Salt Lake: At a conference last week,…
We can’t give up on Great Salt Lake, we must stop the Inland Ports
January 17th, 2024
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of Utah residents by promoting science-based health education and interventions that result in an environment that…
Letter calling for a full audit of the Inland Port
January 16th, 2024
House Speaker Mike SchultzState Capitol Building350 North State Street, Suite #350Salt Lake City, UT 84114 Senate President Stuart AdamsState Capitol Building350 North State Street, Suite #320Salt Lake City, UT 84114…
Doctors in the news, calling for action on Great Salt Lake
January 10th, 2024
The over 300 medical professionals who signed onto our call for legislators to take meaningful action to save the lake made headlines this week. Axios reported that we delivered the…
Over 300 Members of the Medical Community Urge Utah Policymakers to Save the Great Salt Lake
January 9th, 2024
Over 300 medical professionals based in Utah and throughout the country have signed a letter warning Utah policymakers that unless enough water reaches the Great Salt Lake to reverse its recent decline,…
Weber County Inland Port threatens GSL wetlands
January 8th, 2024
Opponents of the proposed inland port in Weber County showed up strong to the Weber County meeting, expressing concerns over the negative impacts the port would have on their community.…
Utah is asking for our lawsuit to protect Great Salt Lake to be dismissed
January 2nd, 2024
A handful of news outlets covered the latest update on our lawsuit to protect Great Salt Lake. The purpose of the lawsuit is to force state agencies to take meaningful…
Has the air quality got you worried yet?
January 2nd, 2024
Is it time we do something about it? A message from UPHE board member and emergency physician in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. Tom Nelson: Frightening truths that are separated…
Dr. Brian Moench: The Utah Inland Port Authority’s 21st century gold rush
December 20th, 2023
UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench had an op-ed published in the Deseret News. Find the op-ed here, or copied below. In 1849, fantastical rags to riches rumors from the California gold…
The gondola problem and what’s being done
December 19th, 2023
An op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune points out how UDOT’s decision to proceed with the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola is so contrary to any vestige of democracy at the…
Worst air in the country
December 19th, 2023
This week’s inversion made us home to the worst air in the country. The Salt Lake Tribune uses the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s coding system, which marked the air…
Real stories about air quality and health
December 14th, 2023
When we talk about the health consequences of air pollution, we often talk in broad terms. You’ve probably heard the statistic that along the Wasatch Front air pollution takes an…
Utah Inland Ports Spreading Like Wildfire
December 14th, 2023
The Utah Inland Port is another assault to the climate and public trust of government funds. Where it was originally designated as a warehouse and freight loading facility for Salt…
Global tipping points, and how Utah contributes
December 14th, 2023
Every new report on the climate crisis seems worse than the last. But the latest is not just more bad news, it should serve as a wake up call to…
Bad air is costing us money and, more importantly, our health
December 7th, 2023
Oftentimes, we see public and environmental health pitted against economic interests. We hear “we need jobs,” “we need to develop,” “the economy needs it.” What we’re missing is that they…
A toxic tour of Great Salt Lake, from High Country News
December 7th, 2023
A recent article from High Country News sheds light on the alarming state of Great Salt Lake, the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere. “Flying above Great Salt Lake,…
Tooele Utah Inland Ports approved despite public protest
December 6th, 2023
The Tooele community showed up strong outside of the county building ahead of the Utah Inland Ports vote to approve two new project areas in their county. The room was…
Dr. Brian Moench: Utah is sabotaging efforts to save Great Salt Lake
December 2nd, 2023
UPHE’s president, cofounder, and resident op-ed writer Dr. Brian Moench, had another excellent piece published in the Salt Lake Tribune. This one focuses on the state’s lack of accountability and…
What we can use from Nevada’s water conservation strategy
November 30th, 2023
The Las Vegas Sun picked up UPHE and coalition partners’ lawsuit to save Great Salt Lake. “Environmental law organization Earthjustice filed a lawsuit against the state in September on behalf…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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)…
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…
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…
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…