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HEAL Utah

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For 25 years, HEAL Utah has been at the forefront of environmental advocacy, policy change, and community engagement. Join us as we celebrate a quarter-century of making a difference in Utah’s environmental landscape.

We advance community-based solutions and public policy advocacy to address the biggest environmental threats in our state.

Since 1999, HEAL Utah has been a relentless force in safeguarding our air quality, championing clean energy initiatives, and leading efforts against toxic and radioactive waste in Utah. Through a multifaceted approach encompassing education, grassroots mobilization, and policy at both state and federal tiers, we have achieved significant milestones in protecting Utah’s environment and its people. See what we achieved together in 2022.

Nuestra misión

HEAL’s mission is to protect Utah’s environment and its people by promoting clean air, clean energy, and comprehensive solutions to radioactive and toxic waste. Learn more about how we work here. 

 

Our vision is a world

Where everyone can breathe clean air and live healthy lives

That provides dignity to all those who live in our communities and environments

That promotes clean energy and a just transition away from our fossil fuel dependency

That resolves the problem of radioactive waste

That upholds our role as faithful stewards of the earth and reconnect ourselves with nature

Where an equitable economy and employment support local communities’ growth

Governed by a functional Democracy that is driven by the active participation of individuals and communities

Nuestra historia

2022
El Gran Lago Salado
  • Collaborating with state lawmakers to pass a study bill for a Utah Diesel Emissions Program, inspired by Texas.
  • Expanding campaigns to save the Great Salt Lake and securing funding from the Utah Legislature for increased toxic dust monitoring.
  • Organizing public comments and zero-fare days to combat air pollution and reduce vehicle emissions.
  • Securing a $200,000 federal grant from the EPA for expanding air quality monitoring on electric buses in Salt Lake County.
2021
Stopped Bill Against Electric Vehicles
  • Stopped a bill that would have increased registration fees on electric vehicles (HB209). 
  • Successfully removed language from a bill that merged the Utah Departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources.
  •  Ayudó a conseguir la aprobación de una resolución estatal de apoyo a la prórroga y ampliación del programa federal de compensación a los Downwinders. 
  • Passage of a bill making the diesel vehicles emissions testing program a permanent program rather than just a pilot
2020
Logros populares
  • HEAL submitted eight pages of comments on the weaknesses of the sustainability sections of the Inland Port Business Plan.
  • Los esfuerzos de HEAL fueron decisivos para reducir en un 50% el apoyo al proyecto de energía nuclear UAMPS. 
  • Stopped land preservation being funded with a tax on radioactive waste (HB233).
  • Published an interactive GIS map about uranium activities in Southern Utah.
  • Having virtually gathered around 100 citizens to give public comment to the Public Service Commission, the commission subsequently ruled against drastically cutting Utah’s rooftop solar export credit rate.
2019
Emission Testing Pilot Program
  • Bill was drafted to improve the economics of retiring coal plants early (securitization).
  •  HEAL’s Inland Port White Paper published. Passage of a bill establishing an emission testing pilot program for diesel vehicles in Utah County (the only Wasatch Front county that wasn’t doing this testing). 
  • A technical study was commissioned and published by HEAL about the poor economics of small modular nuclear reactors. 
  • HEAL helped pass H.B. 353, the Reduction of Single Occupancy Vehicle Trips Pilot Program, which will trigger free fares on public transportation during seven days of bad air quality.
2018
Utah's First Climate Resolution
  • Defendió la primera resolución de Utah sobre el clima (HCR007), que reconocía el cambio climático y se comprometía a combatirlo.
  • HEAL submitted technical comments and led the grassroots charge to have the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control Board deny an EnergySolutions exemption request from a state law governing depleted uranium shipments. 
2017
Negotiating Rooftop Solar Rates

Negotiated with Rocky Mountain Power, the solar industry, the Public Service Commission, and the governor’s office to improve the utility’s proposed electric rate increases for rooftop solar users. These negotiations included Rocky Mountain Power completing a new rooftop solar study.

2016
Passing a Hot Water Heater Bill
  • Helped pass a hot water heater bill in the legislature. 
  • Colaboró en la elaboración de la norma sobre la niebla tóxica regional, por la que se aplicaron controles más estrictos a las centrales de carbón de Rocky Mountain Power.
2015
Releasing the Brown Sky Report
  • Passed the “not stricter than” bill in the legislature, which freed up the hands of air quality regulators.
  • Developed and released Brown Sky report, a report highlighting Rocky Mountain Power’s energy mix and lobbying practices.
2014
Organized a Clean Air Rally
  • We organized another clean-air rally, which helped push the issue before the legislature. A record 22 air quality bills were introduced, nine of which passed.
  • We also stopped Rocky Mountain Power’s bid to institute a monthly fee on rooftop solar owners.
2013
Supporting Tier3 Fuel
  • Brought attention to tier 3 fuel and cars by encouraging Utahns to file several thousand comments to the Environmental Protection Agency in support of tier 3.
  • Successfully lobbied Governor Herbert to show his support for Tier 3.
2012
Expanding Our Work
  • Ampliamos nuestro trabajo para incluir el aire limpio y empezamos a investigar cuestiones específicas, desarrollar legislación y colaborar con otros defensores del aire limpio.
  • Organizó la exitosa concentración "Aire limpio ya".
2011
Developing Community Energy Choice in Utah

Impulsó un programa comunitario de elección de energía en Utah, similar al del condado de Sonoma (California), que permitiría a los residentes agrupar su demanda y comprar al por mayor energía renovable directamente a los promotores.

2010
Publishing the eUtah Report
  • Began participating in Rocky Mountain Power’s electricity-planning process, which we still take a significant part in today to help the utility and regulators develop more renewable energy. 
  • Worked with the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research to publish the eUtah report, which explains how our state can transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
2008 - 2009
Depleted uranium proposal

Halted the disposal of 40,000 tons of depleted uranium in Utah by demanding that state regulators and Governer Herbert take action (The governor put a moratorium on the waste until a performance assessment was completed)

2007
Fighting Against the Green River Reactors

Comenzó la lucha para detener los primeros reactores nucleares comerciales de Utah en el río Green.

HEAL y nuestros partidarios siguen luchando contra este proyecto sobre la base de la prevención de los residuos radiactivos siempre que podemos - en los tribunales estatales, frente a SITLA, y en la legislatura

2006
Stopping Private Fuel Storage

Detención de la propuesta de almacenamiento privado de combustible, por la que un grupo de empresas de servicios públicos pretendía llevar el combustible gastado de alto nivel de los reactores nucleares de todo el país y almacenarlo "temporalmente" en la reserva de Goshute, en el desierto occidental de Utah.

 

Este plan finalmente murió para siempre en 2012

2005
Prohibición de los residuos nucleares

Ha contribuido a la aprobación de un proyecto de ley (SB24) para prohibir los residuos nucleares de clase B y C en Utah.

 

Este proyecto de ley significaba que sólo los residuos de baja actividad de clase A (que pierden casi toda su peligrosidad al cabo de 100 años) pueden llegar a Utah.

2001
FAIR -> HEAL

FAIR se dio cuenta de que el desierto del Gran Lago Salado de Utah estaba cada vez más en el punto de mira de intereses comerciales de dentro y fuera del estado como emplazamiento para la eliminación de los residuos radiactivos del país. Para proteger a los habitantes de Utah de estas empresas depredadoras, FAIR amplió su ámbito de actuación y, en 2001, se convirtió en la Alianza para un Medio Ambiente Sano de Utah (HEAL Utah).

1999
Sin ánimo de lucro

Recognizing the numerous ongoing threats to public health and the environment,  organizers from Tooele saw the important role they could fill and applied to become an official nonprofit, gaining 501(c)(3) status in 1999 as FAIR-Families Against Incinerator Risk.

DONATE $25 FOR 25 YEARS

Support our legacy fundraising campaign and contribute to our ongoing efforts to protect Utah's environment and communities for the next 25 years and beyond. Every donation makes a difference.

Join the Celebration

Share your HEAL Utah stories, memories, and messages of support on social media using #HEALUtah25. Together, let’s celebrate 25 years of impact and look forward to a sustainable future.

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