Climate change relentlessly desiccates our environment, posing greater risks to our air quality every year, especially during wildfire season. Understanding the health risks of wildfire smoke can empower us to make changes in our community to advocate for cleaner air.
HEAL Utah is thrilled to announce we have been selected to receive a 2024 AARP Community Challenge grant. We are one of only 343 grantees selected (out of 3,300+ applications!) from across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In 2021, HEAL Utah received our first Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project grant, partnering with Salt Lake County, the University of Utah, Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake City, and others. Using this grant, HEAL Utah purchased and installed air quality monitors on top of electric buses traveling around the Westside of the Salt Lake Valley. These monitors are now actively collecting data as the buses move through various neighborhoods, providing a more nuanced understanding of local air quality.
Dive into Utah’s inversion season, exploring the health risks, environmental disparities, and policy efforts combating air pollution. Discover the impacts and solutions in our latest issue update.
Explore the Great Salt Lake’s ecological significance and the challenges it faces in our latest blog post, ‘The Great Salt Lake: An Update on Current Levels, Ongoing Challenges, and Our Next Steps.’ Discover how low water levels due to drought, overuse, and climate change threaten its ecosystems and communities. Stay informed about current water levels and the urgent need for conservation efforts. Explore the role of policy changes and collaborative initiatives, including HEAL Utah’s legislative impact. Address environmental justice concerns and community-driven efforts to protect the lake.
In partnership with the Utah State Legislature, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR), and the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah), the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is holding Zero Fare for Clean Air days this Thursday and Friday (AUGUST 17 & 18). Zero Fare will be available on all UTA bus and rail services, including bus, TRAX, FrontRunner, the S-Line Streetcar, Paratransit, the Park City-SLC Connect, and UTA On Demand. GREENbike is also offering a free Day Pass on these days; use the promo code 8123 in the GREENbike BCycle app.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Today the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition for review that would bring some of Utah’s worst polluting coal plants into compliance with the Clean Air Act’s visibility-protection provisions, instead enabling the Hunter and Huntington plants to continue polluting at the same damaging levels they have for more than a decade. The decision allows polluters to continue threatening air quality for Utah’s communities and muddies views at treasured national parks. The state’s stunning national parks — the Mighty 5 — stretch across southern and central Utah and contain some of the most iconic geological formations in the nation, including world-famous Zion and Arches National Parks. The conservation organizations are represented by Earthjustice and attorney John Barth.
Discover how solar power is transforming Utah’s air quality and energy landscape. Despite challenges, Utah’s commitment to solar energy shines bright. With impressive solar power generation, innovative community projects, and a drive for grid integration, Utah is leading the way towards cleaner air and a greener future. Learn how solar power reduces reliance on fossil fuels, charges electric vehicles, and supports grid stability. Explore the environmental considerations and equity aspects of solar energy adoption. Take action to strengthen Utah’s solar plan, ensuring a more sustainable tomorrow for generations to come.
Did you know Utah experiences air pollution in both summer and winter? Winter air quality in the northern valleys is among the worst in the nation. In summer, ozone pollution is especially hurting air quality, causing all kinds of health issues such as difficulty breathing, chest discomfort, headaches, and coughing, not to mention long-term issues such as chronic respiratory illness and increased risk of infection. If you’re in Utah, read our latest blog post to learn more about this invisible pollution, precautions you can take, and how to take action.
Utah is home to what is known as “the mighty 5” national parks.” These include Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks. Utahns across the state are extremely proud of their national parks, but with the great privilege of being home to these parks comes the great responsibility of keeping these national parks clean for everyone to continue to enjoy.
