Since January 2025 the Trump administration has implemented a sweeping rollback of federal environmental justice efforts. The federal government has played a critical role in providing communities with the necessary resources to help them confront environmental risks, and this support must continue.
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.
“We should be listening to the EPA,” said Vielleux. “The EPA has the best available science. All that ozone is crossing state borders, and it’s polluting other places. If those plants need to be shut down by the EPA, we’re going to take their word for it. Instead of spending $2 million on a lawsuit, maybe they should be spending $2 million thinking about where those jobs are going to be when the coal plants start shutting down. We’re just lighting money on fire for what purpose?”
Legislative Priorities with HEAL Utah’s Lexi Tuddenham and Dr. Brian Moench of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.
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Before embarking on projects like an auto mall, Gonzalez said, cities should answer: Would auto malls stay afloat in the next decades? How much parking would it require in the future? Is there enough room for green spaces in the city? And is this kind of development the best for the community?
“We want to know when dust is coming in, where it’s hitting communities, how to install monitors in the best places,” said Alex Veilleux, a policy associate with HEAL Utah.
HEAL plans to lobby lawmakers to do a comprehensive study of dust pollution, including sources beyond the lake. And it’s a concept that might receive support — Cox has requested $160,000 to study the lakebed dust issue.
En español: Comienza la Semana Latina de Conservación 2020 en Utah Las organizaciones locales celebran eventos y hacen un llamado a la acción 18 de…
