Public News Service

In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the first-ever national drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to PFAS. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Pesticide use could do more harm than good

A new report sounded the alarm in states like Utah for the adverse health, wildlife and environmental impacts of toxic chemicals known as "PFAS." …

The Washington County Water Conservancy District in Utah pays property owners a rebate of $2 for each square foot of grass up to 5,000 square feet, and $1 per square foot for more than 5,000 square feet that are removed and replaced with water-efficient landscaping. (Adobe Stock)

One Utah county looks to buy lawns to save water, residents' money

By Morgan Sjogren for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Utah News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Networ…

The rural population of the United States is roughly one fifth of all its residents, according to the Rural Climate Partnership report. (Adobe Stock)

Rural UT produces significant amount of emissions, expert sounds alarm

At least 12% of Utah's population lives in rural areas, and a new report finds that a significant portion of the state's greenhouse-gas emissions …

The analysis from Climate Central uses data from 476 weather stations to assess trends in 245 climate divisions spanning all 48 contiguous U.S. states over a 51-year period. (Climate Central)

Report: Longer, more intense fire weather seasons, especially across West

A new report finds that climate change is affecting weather conditions in ways that increase wildfire risk, with the West seeing the greatest jump in …

Currently, 90% of public land managed by BLM is open to commodity-driven extraction, like mining and oil and gas development, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. (Adobe Stock)

National parks in UT benefit from BLM rules

Conservation experts are applauding the Bureau of Land Management for releasing two new rules that recognize conservation as an essential part of publ…

The Public Lands Rule helps ensure BLM management decisions will continue to be guided by science and data. (Adobe Stock)

Utah opposes BLM's new Public Lands Rule

The Bureau of Land Management recently released its final Public Lands Rule, which is set to put conservation on equal footing with other multiple …

Mayor Lenise Peterman spoke with a participant at the Coal Country at a Crossroads Listening Session. (United Today, Stronger Tomorrow)

Utah mayor calls for more federal dollars for rural communities

Federal and agency officials convened with stakeholders in Southeastern Utah to discuss how federal funds can help grow and strengthen local economies…

Utah's Orphan Well Plugging Program has spent about $2.5 million to plug orphan wells since its inception in 1992. (Adobe Stock)

Greater accountability sought for abandoned well cleanup in West

According to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, there are at least 49 orphan wells in the state -- wells that are abandoned and not plugged -- …

In 2019, Utah saw $48 million of gas wasted, enough to meet the annual needs of more than a fifth of the residential gas customers in the state, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed gas pipeline rule could help keep UT communities safe

One Utah public lands advocate is standing behind the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's proposed rule which aims to improve ove…

The lake bed of the Great Salt Lake is laced with arsenic, mercury and other toxic substances, according to the environmental law firm Earthjustice. (Jenny Thompson/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit Argues UT Has Failed to Address Shrinking Great Salt Lake

Conservation and community groups have filed a lawsuit against Utah for what they claim is the state's failure to ensure enough water gets to the Grea…

Gov. Spencer Cox speaks about projects underway in the Beaver River watershed. (Utah Department of Natural Resources)

Utah Leaders Tour Forest Management Projects

Last week federal, state and local leaders visited forest management projects in Utah to examine how land managers are addressing what some are …

According to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, wildfires scorched more than 25,000 in 2022, but only 1,104 of those acres burned as a result of natural causes. (Adobe Stock)

State Leaders Break Ground on New UT Fire Operations Center

Utah state leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new firefighting center to be built along the Wasatch Front. Jamie Barnes, director of …

According to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, the state has plugged more than 100 wells. (Susan Vineyard/Adobe Stock)

Group Urges Action to Plug Orphaned UT Oil Wells

Congress allocated billions of dollars through the infrastructure law to plug orphaned well sites across the country, with Utah being one of the …

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Department of Transportation studies have shown a 90% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions when there is a crossing structure or fence in an area. (Adobe Stock)

Utah Approves $20 Million for Wildlife Crossings

Some $20 million of Utah's whopping $29 billion state budget will be spent on building wildlife crossings and fences across the state in an effort to …

Soot standards were last updated by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2012. In December 2020, the Trump administration declined to tighten standards. (Adobe Stock)

EPA 'Soot Standard' Receives Pressure from UT Clean-Air Advocates

The danger of soot pollution is real, and clean-air advocates in Utah say it is a top-of-mind issue for many in the state. Lindsay Beebe, senior …

In September 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found pygmy rabbits were not warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act because the agency said there was not enough data to show the threat level had risen leading to possible extinction. (Adobe Stock)

Petition Seeks Protection for Pygmy Rabbits Across West

Conservation groups in Utah and across the western United States are requesting protection for the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act…

According to the Conservation in the West Survey, 75% of Utahns support a national goal of conserving 30% of America's land and water by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

Survey: Conservation Efforts, Environmental Priorities Remain High in UT

The thirteenth annual Conservation in the West Poll surveyed the views of Utahns and voters in seven other western states, and found support for …

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, with methane from human sources driving roughly a third of current global warming. (Adobe Stock)

Utah Group Calls EPA Methane Rule Crucial for State's Overall Wellbeing

A Utah group was one of many who voiced its support during last week's Environmental Protection Agency public hearing on a proposed rule to reduce oil…

All projects being funded by the grant program and valued over $150,000 must include a minimum local contribution of at least 30%. (Adobe Stock)

$15 Million Allocated to Utah Wastewater Reuse Projects

The state of Utah has allocated a total of $15 million to wastewater re-use projects in Southern Utah. The Southern Utah Reuse ARPA Grant Program …

According to the Forest Service, wildfires alone cause about 80% of reforestation needs on national forest lands. (Adobe Stock)

Utah Trees Help Forest Service Meet Challenging Reforestation Efforts

Seeds from trees located within Utah's national forests are helping repopulate forests with similar makeups that may have been impacted by climate cha…

According to the Bureau of Land Management, Grand Staircase-Escalante spans across 1.87 million acres of America's public lands in Southern Utah. (Adobe Stock)

Protection of Utah National Monuments Under Attack

Conservation groups are pushing to keep federal protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. Boundaries of …

According to the EPA, stronger standards would reduce harmful emissions and energy waste from covered sources by 87% below 2005 levels. (Adobe Stock)

UT Group Backs New EPA Proposal to Reduce Methane Emissions

One Utah group is pleased with the Environmental Protection Agency's latest proposal to further reduce methane pollution from oil and gas drilling…

Mark Wintch, a fifth-generation Beaver County rancher in Utah's Wah Wah Valley fears his ranch would be rendered inoperable if the Pine Valley Water Supply Project moves forward. (Kim Raff/Deep Indigo Collective)

UT Landowners, Tribes Fight Plan to Pump Rural Water to Cedar City

By Claire Carlson for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for the Utah News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Coll…

According to the latest data from the Bureau of Land Management, the majority of wild horses in the U.S. are found in Nevada, followed by California and Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

Utah Group Pushes to Protect Wild Horses from Intentional Shootings

At least 16 wild horses have been shot dead in Utah's rural San Juan County since the beginning of the year, and one group working to protect them …

Officials in Scottsdale, Arizona say for every square foot of grass removed and replaced with native desert plants, the city saves 57 gallons of water. (Katy/Adobe Stock)

Utah to Offer Cash for Replacing Lush Lawns with Desert-Tolerant Landscapes

Starting this week, the state is taking applications for a program to pay up to $1 dollar a square foot of turf to replace water-guzzling grass with …

Analyses show that the fossil-fuel fields currently producing, if fully developed, would push global temperatures past the Paris Climate Accords target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. (WildEarth Guardians)

BLM Halts Uinta Basin Oil-and-Gas Project Over Climate Concerns

The Biden administration has set aside a massive oil and gas drilling project in the Uinta Basin due to its potential effect on the climate and greenh…

Northern Utah'a air quality ranks among the worst on the planet, according to IQAir, a website that monitors pollution levels around the world. (Salil/Adobe Stock)

High-Pollution Days Bring Free Rides on Wasatch Range Transit System

Salt Lake City is notorious for its bad air days this time of year, but there is a silver lining to the brown cloud. The Free Fare for Clean Air …

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument was named for the multicolored layers of sedimentary rock that look like a stairway across southern Utah. (Dean Pennala/Adobe Stock)

BLM Seeking Comments on Grand Staircase-Escalante Management Plan

The Bureau of Land Management is kicking off its planning process for managing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument with several public hearing…

The Recovering America's Wildlife Act passed the House of Representatives in June and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. (mramsdell1967/Adobestock)

Conservation Union Places Western Monarch Butterflies on Threatened List

The iconic orange and black migratory monarch butterfly has just made the Red List of Threatened Species, designated by the International Union of …

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, a network of 500,000 electric-vehicle charging stations will be built over the next decade. (trekandphoto/Adobe Stock))

Groups to Build EV Charging Stations Across Rural Utah, Western States

Electric vehicles (EVs) are an economical and environmentally friendly way to get from Point A to Point B, but the lack of charging stations often …

Salt Lake City and its surrounding region are among the Top 10 worst in the country for toxic ozone pollution/ (salil/Adobe stock)

Salt Lake City, Others Sue EPA for Stronger Ozone Protections

A group of health and environmental advocates has sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its failure to enforce air-pollution protections in 30…

A program by the Utah Division of Water Services is showing residents how to save water by digging up thirsty plants on park strips and lawns and replacing them with drought-resistant species. (alexin21/adobe Stock)

FlipBlitz Program Converts Grassy Utah Landscapes to Curb Water Use

After two decades of drought and with no relief in sight, many Utahns are looking for ways to conserve water, and for many residents, part of the …

Studies show oil and gas wells, like this one in Duchesne County, are a major source of methane pollution in Utah's Uinta and Wasatch regions. (Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Utah's Low-Producing Wells Emit Half of Methane Emissions

A new study found low-producing oil and gas wells make up about half the methane emitted from all well sites in the U.S., while accounting for just 6%…

Utah is one of the most wildfire-prone states in the U.S., experiencing between 800 and 1,000 ground fires, surface fires and canopy fires each year. (rck/Adobe Stock)

Poll: Utahns, Westerners Voice Concerns for Water, Climate Change

Voters in Utah and across the West are increasingly anxious about the effects of climate change on the beauty and ecology of their Rocky Mountains…

Glen Canyon Dam is 710 feet tall and impounds the Colorado River to form the 26-million-acre-foot Lake Powell reservoir. (shuvro ghose/Adobe Stock)

A Contest to Change Glen Canyon Dam, 'Re-Wild' Colorado River

A contest to "Re-Wild the Colorado River" is seeking engineering alternatives from the public for the future of Glen Canyon Dam. Conservation groups …

The Mill Creek Dinosaur Tracksite features more than 200 dinosaur tracks preserved in sedimentary rock, representing 10 distinct species of dinosaur. (Center for Biological Diversity)

Conservation Groups Blame Feds for Damage to Rare Dinosaur Tracks

Conservation groups say it was a close call last week when a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contractor began clearing a site near Moab which containe…

The primary cause of rapidly increasing extinction rates is due to habitat loss caused by human activity, with drought from climate change an increasingly potent accelerant. (PAOLO/Adobe Stock)

Scientists: Sixth Global Mass Extinction Event Happening Now

New research suggests Earth's Sixth Mass Extinction event, on par with the one that ended the age of dinosaurs, is already under way. Noah Greenwald…

Grand Staircase-Escalante in southern Utah is one of dozens of national monuments that could be fully protected under the 30x30 Conservation Plan. (Andrushko/Adobe Stock)

Conservationists See 2022 as Critical Year for 30x30 Initiative

Conservationists say significant progress was made in 2021 toward the goals of the 30x30 Initiative, to have 30% of the world's land and oceans …

The release of methane is one the largest sources of greenhouse gases contributing to global climate change. (Leonid Ican/Adobe Stock)

Utah Officials Hope Climate Summit Spurs Action, Results

PARK CITY, Utah -- As talks continue at the annual international climate summit, Utahns are among those urging the U.S. to follow up on its …

Droughts caused by climate change can lower water levels in creeks and streams and affect water quality, making it difficult, if not impossible, for anglers to pursue their sport. (Mikhail/Adobe Stock)

Report: Hunters, Anglers Must Speak Up about Climate Change

SALT LAKE CITY -- Few people spend as much time in the wilderness as hunters and anglers, and a new report aims to be a springboard to bring their …

Utah's Goblin Valley State Park is one of four areas that could see oil and gas exploration if the BLM auctions off the parcels for mineral leases. (Colin/LindaMcKee/Adobe Stock)<br />

Judge's Ruling Puts Utah Wildlands at Risk for Oil-Gas Exploration

GREEN RIVER, Utah -- Despite a January presidential order pausing all oil and gas leases on public lands, the federal government has restarted the …

Coal mining and coal-fueled electricity generation provides direct employment to about 2,500 Utahns, and millions of dollars in royalties to state and local governments. (agnormark/Adobe Stock)

Biden Could Face Uphill Battle in Utah Over Clean-Energy Plan

SALT LAKE CITY - President Joe Biden's $150 billion clean-energy plan aims to rid almost half the power grid of carbon-based fuels by 2035, but …

A report prepared for the Utah Legislature points out that the state's power grid may not have the reserve capacity to withstand an extreme heat wave without blackouts. (naufalmq/Adobe Stock)

Heat Wave Generates Concerns Over Viability of Utah Power Grid

SALT LAKE CITY -- Extreme drought has brought abnormally high temperatures across the Western states this week, and normally temperate Utah has not …

The Biden administration's 30x30 Plan to fight climate change by preserving public lands, such as the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, may not be possible without congressional action. (Laurens/Adobe Stock)

30x30 Plan Fights Climate Change by Protecting Public Lands, Waters

MONTICELLO, Utah - The 30 by 30 Plan, also called the "the "America the Beautiful" campaign" campaign, aims to preserve 30% of the nation's public …

President Joe Biden has nominated longtime environmentalist Tracy Stone-Manning to serve as director of the Bureau of Land Management. (NWF Photo)

Conservationists Laud Choice of Stone-Manning to Head BLM

MOAB, Utah -- Conservationists in Utah and across the West are praising the Biden administration's nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning, a longtime …

Conservationists Back Congressional Effort to Restore Methane Controls

MOAB, Utah -- Conservationists and others are optimistic key climate-change regulations on methane leaks rolled back during the Trump administration …

Under President Joe Biden's infrastructure program, thousands of new workers would be needed to improve bridges and roadways, repair water and wastewater systems and build a clean-energy economy. (denklim/Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Biden Climate Summit Could Bring Jobs, Infrastructure to Utah, U.S.

SALT LAKE CITY -- When President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit on Earth Day, he's not only seeking to engage world powers on environmental issues…

About 38-million acres of onshore and offshore public lands are under lease, but critics say organizational, financial and environmental problems abound. (Jeffery/Adobe Stock)

Feds to Review Public-Lands Oil & Gas Lease Program

GREEN RIVER, Utah - The Biden administration has ordered the U.S. Department of the Interior to conduct a review of the federal government's oil-and-…

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - September 18, 2024

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UT: Environment