Meet Kaile Akina, HEAL Utah’s vibrant new Community Engagement Manager. Leveraging experiences at PIK2AR and UVU Center for Social Impact, Kaile advocates for systemic solutions embracing all communities. We are excited to have Kaile on board.
Welcome, Kaile!
In response to NuScale and UAMPS canceling the “Carbon Free Power Project,” HEAL Utah underscores the project’s unsustainable cost trajectory and diminishing city participation. The cancellation leaves Utah cities in need of energy solutions, prompting HEAL Utah to advocate for a shift to transparent, community-involved renewable energy sources. Emphasizing a commitment to responsible initiatives, HEAL Utah urges collaboration among stakeholders for inclusive, ethical, and environmentally conscious sustainable energy development.
Advocates for downwinders held a press conference in Salt Lake City urging Utah’s Congressional delegation to support the expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include all victims of nuclear weapons testing in Utah and other Western states. The bipartisan amendment, included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), awaits conferencing with the House. The expansion, supported by new evidence and resolutions from Utah entities, aims to provide justice to downwinders and uranium miners who suffered illnesses due to nuclear exposure. Despite bipartisan Senate approval, Utah senators did not vote in favor. Urgency is stressed as the current RECA program expires in June.
Our board plays a crucial role in guiding HEAL Utah’s mission and impact. Be part of a dynamic team responsible for strategic planning, fiscal health, fundraising, and more. Help shape our community’s future while enhancing our public standing and supporting our dedicated staff. Apply today and make a difference!
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.
Community engagement and activism play a vital role in shaping the future of our environment and society. One remarkable individual who has truly exemplified the power of grassroots efforts and community involvement is Naphtali Garcia Arana, a dedicated community outreach intern at HEAL Utah
SALT LAKE CITY, — We commend the recent court decision that aligns with the goals set forth by the Biden Administration to combat the pressing issue of climate change. This decision is a commendable step forward, reflecting a commitment to the well-being of our communities and the preservation of our invaluable waterways. As we stand on the precipice of potentially irreversible feedback loops of global warming, which could lead to catastrophic losses of arable land, biodiversity, and clean water sources, decisions like these are pivotal in our collective effort to mitigate the most severe consequences of climate change.
A recent article published by the New York Times highlights a study that contains startling revelations about the widespread reach of radioactive fallout from nuclear testing in the southwest starting in the 1940s. The study highlighted in the article, titled “Trinity Nuclear Test’s Fallout Reached 46 States, Canada, and Mexico,” sheds light on the far-reaching consequences of these tests, including their impact on Utah. As advocates for health and environmental justice, HEAL Utah is calling for the expansion and extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to provide much-needed compensation and support for the victims of nuclear testing, particularly in Utah.
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.
