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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." …

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 …

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%…

The White Mesa Uranium Mill is situated near the Ute Mountain Ute tribal reservation and Bears Ears National Monument. (Grand Canyon Trust)

Utes Fear Uranium Mill is Becoming Radioactive Waste Dump

WHITE MESA, Utah -- Native tribes and environmental groups alike are worried that a Utah uranium-processing mill is becoming a dumping ground for …

$A group of Kanab citizens believed a planned fracking sand mine in the sandstone hills near the town would destroy the local environment. (spiritofamerica/AdobeStock)$

Developer Abandons Plan to Mine Fracking Sand Near Kanab

KANAB, Utah -- A group of activists in the southern Utah town of Kanab have convinced a developer to abandon its plans to mine sand for oil and gas …

Air quality in Salt Lake City turns dangerous each winter when a natural air inversion traps pollution from coal-fired power plants and other sources in the atmosphere. (WikimediaCommons)

Advocates Criticize EPA Plan to Roll Back Pollution Regs

SALT LAKE CITY — Members of Moms Clean Air Force testified Monday before the Environmental Protection Agency over plans to roll back protections…

The University of Colorado found the Uintah Basin's bowl shape and snowy conditions trap emissions of methane and other gases from nearby oil wells, causing high ozone pollution. (Covee/Flickr)

Doctors: More Oil Development in Uintah Basin Will Threaten Health

VERNAL, Utah — Estonian company Enefit American Oil for years has been eyeing northeastern Utah for what would be the largest oil shale …

More than 17 million people live within a mile of an active oil or gas well, including more than 2 million children and older adults. (Getty Images)

Doctors Confirm Health Risks Posed by Fracking

SALT LAKE CITY – Physicians' groups are sounding the alarm about the health risks posed by hydraulic fracturing, and have published a …

Utah law prohibits selling tobacco products to minors, but there are no federal rules limiting access to electronic cigarettes. (Lindsay Fox/Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Vaping Harmful to Teens Even With No Nicotine

SALT LAKE CITY – An increasing number of teens in Utah and across the United States are drawn to electronic cigarettes, with such flavors as …

A new study says automobiles are so much cleaner than 100 years ago that household cleaning agents, perfumes and paints are taking over the top spot for urban air pollution. (Pixabay)

Researchers Find Indoor Pollution on Par with Auto Emissions

SALT LAKE CITY – Because cars are now dramatically cleaner than they used to be, products such as skin lotions and indoor cleaners are becoming …

Government investment helped increase China's share of worldwide solar cell and panel production from 7 percent in 2005 to 61 percent in 2012. (Pixabay)

Concern Over Solar Tariffs Led to Job Loss in 2017

SALT LAKE CITY – Nearly 10,000 jobs nationwide were lost in the solar industry in 2017, according to a new report released by The Solar …

Natural gas wells are known to be sources of problematic air pollution, and may be causing issues in developing fetuses. (Pixabay)

Princeton Study: Fracking Poses Risks for Pregnant Women

SALT LAKE CITY -- Pregnant women living next to fracked gas wells are more likely to have a low birth-weight baby - that's the finding in a new study …

Municipalities joining the Ready for 100 campaign are transitioning to renewable energy sources in one or more sector: electricity, buildings or transportation. (Pixabay)

Utah Cities Take the Lead in Switch to Renewable Energy

SALT LAKE CITY – As the Trump administration continues to roll back Obama-era policies designed to slow climate change, a new report from the …

Taxpayers could lose over $800 million in royalties if companies don't take steps to prevent the loss of natural gas on public lands. (Pixabay)

Outdoor Rec Industry Concerned Over Future of Methane Rule

MOAB, Utah – Public-lands advocates are keeping a close eye on U.S. Interior Secretary and former Navy SEAL Ryan Zinke on this Veterans Day…

Coal-fired power plants are the nation's top source of CO2 emissions. (Getty Images)

Public Health Experts Cite Risks of Clean Power Plan Repeal

SALT LAKE CITY – This week the Trump administration took steps to repeal the Clean Power Plan, the nation's first-ever attempt to limit carbon …

In the 2015-2016 election cycle, fossil fuel companies invested $354 million in campaign contributions and lobbying. (Getty Images)

Tax Breaks for Fossil Fuel Companies Blunt Market Forces

SALT LAKE CITY – As Washington grapples with rebooting the nation's tax code, a new report makes a compelling argument for eliminating tax …

Scientists warn that extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Irma, are likely to become more frequent and powerful as the planet warms. (Getty Images)

Utah's Solar Goals Can Reduce Costs of Climate Change

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Economists warn that the costs of climate change in the United States - from the health impacts of air pollution to …

The Methane Waste Rule is designed to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and increase royalties for states and tribes. Caitlyn Cromwell)

Court Forces Feds To Implement Methane Gas Waste Rule

SALT LAKE CITY -- A federal judge ordered the Trump administration late Wednesday to implement an Obama-era rule that forces oil and gas companies to …

Will Rocky Mountain Power's rate hike proposal have a negative effect on Utah's growing solar power business? (Getty Images)

Raising the Roof Over Higher Home Solar Rates

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Public Service Commission holds a public hearing today on Rocky Mountain Power's proposal to address challenges the utility …

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to reverse pollution protections on 60 percent of U.S. streams and 20 million acres of wetlands, significant sources of drinking water. (Getty Images)

New EPA Proposals Could Put Utah Drinking Water at Risk

SALT LAKE CITY - The American public will have 30 days to comment on the Trump administration's plan to repeal and replace the 2015 Clean Water Rule…

Drought and warmer temperatures have been linked to an increase in the number and size of wildfires across western states. (Getty Images)

Study: Wildfires Pollute More Than Previous Estimates

SALT LAKE CITY – The amount of air pollution released by forest fires is three times larger than previous EPA estimates, and particulates can …

New research shows going solar could turn a profit of as much as several million dollars per life saved from coal-related diseases. (Getty Images)

Report: Switching from Coal to Solar for Electricity Would Save Lives

SALT LAKE CITY – Thousands of Americans die prematurely from air pollution-related diseases associated with burning coal, and a new study from …

Plugging natural-gas leaks from pipelines and well sites is creating jobs and reducing climate pollution. (Pixabay)

Utah Sees Job Opportunities in Plugging Methane Leaks

SALT LAKE CITY – A new report shows a booming business in stopping leaks in natural gas pipelines across the country. While cleaner air is …

Critics of President Trump's executive order to eliminate two regulations for every new one adopted say it would compromise environmental and other safeguards. (Pixabay)

Federal Court to Weigh In on Trump's Regulations Order

SALT LAKE CITY - Public-interest law, environmental and labor groups are suing to stop the Trump administration's executive order to cut government …

The Clean Air Act has reduced pollution, but clean air advocates say more needs to be done. (Pixabay)

Mothers Group Protests Trump's EPA Pick Over Clean Air Record

SALT LAKE CITY – A group of clean air advocates is running a series of television ads opposing President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to head th…

The struggle to limit natural gas waste on public lands is heating up in court, even before new BLM rules take effect. (Pixabay)

Battle Over Natural Gas Waste Rules Headed to Court

SALT LAKE CITY – A coalition of national, state and local conservation and health organizations has filed a petition in federal court to defend …

Faith groups are praising new Bureau of Land Management rules to curb methane waste on public lands. (Curraheeshutter/iStockphoto)

Utah Faith Leaders Send Thanks for BLM Methane Rules

SALT LAKE CITY -- Faith leaders from Utah and across the Southwest signed a letter addressed to President Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell th…

Some recalled toys still may be available online. (Pixabay)

Some Recalled Toys Still Available Online

SALT LAKE CITY – As Utah parents and caregivers tackle their holiday shopping lists, a new report is reminding them to keep toy safety top of …

New rules to limit natural-gas waste on public lands are being met with opposition by congressional Republicans and the oil and gas industry. (iStockphoto)

Utah Could See New Revenues from BLM Methane Rules on Public Lands

SALT LAKE CITY – As the clock ticks down on the Obama administration's final days, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has finalized rules to …

Yet another report has found that capturing methane waste at oil and gas operations can turn environmental costs into revenues for the industry. (Pixabay)

New Research Confirms Economic Benefits of Capturing Methane Waste

SALT LAKE CITY - Capturing methane waste at oil and gas operations on national and tribal lands is an opportunity to turn environmental costs into rev…

Technology advancements are expected to continue to drive down the cost of wind energy. (Pixabay)

Experts: Wind Energy Costs Could Fall by 40 Percent by 2050

SALT LAKE CITY – Some of the answers to the challenges of switching to clean energy could be blowing in the wind, according to a survey of wind …

A new report predicts emissions from oil, gas and coal currently in production are enough to raise global temperatures above limits set in Paris. (Pixabay)

Study: Fossil Fuel Expansion has Reached Climate Limits

SALT LAKE CITY – Existing fossil fuel production is enough to blow the world's entire remaining carbon budget for keeping global temperatures be…

Coal companies met with GOP attorneys general to stop the EPA's Clean Power Plan. (Pixabay)

Fossil-Fuel Firms Met with GOP AGs over Clean Power Plan

SALT LAKE CITY - Fossil-fuel companies Murray Energy and Southern Co. paid for private meetings with Republican state attorneys general to discuss …

Report: Solar and wind related energy jobs could absorb coal industry layoffs. (Pixabay)

Solar Could Employ Laid Off Coal Workers, Study Finds

SALT LAKE CITY – The growth of solar and wind energy related jobs could easily absorb coal industry layoffs over the next 15 years and provide f…

The EPA says that without action, airplanes will emit 43 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas pollution by 2050. (Pixabay)

EPA Says Airliners Major Source of Greenhouse Gases

SALT LAKE CITY - Greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft engines endanger public health and welfare, that's according to a new finding from the …

The EPA has ordered two power plants in central Utah to cut emissions which are causing haze in several national parks and wilderness areas, including Canyonlands National Park. (National Park Service)

EPA Orders Utah Power Plants to Cut Emissions

SALT LAKE CITY - The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the operator of two coal-fired power plants in central Utah to bring their emissions…

The American Lung Association recently rated each of the 50 states on their tobacco control policies (audelfin/morguefile)

Utah Gets Mixed Grades on Tobacco-Control Programs

SALT LAKE CITY - The American Lung Association says Utah does a good job of protecting its citizens from secondhand smoke, but rates poorly in other …

Natural gas flaring on federal and tribal land would be reduced and taxed under new rules proposed by the Bureau of Land Management. (Environmental Defense Fund)

Clean-Air Advocates Praise New BLM Limits on Methane Pollution

SALT LAKE CITY - The Bureau of Land Management is clamping down on companies that dump methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane is the principal …

A coalition of environmental organizations oppose a plan to spend Utah money to build a coal shipping terminal in California. Credit: Joe Belanger/iStockphoto.

Enviros. Oppose Utah Money for Calif. Coal Terminal

SALT LAKE CITY – Environmental advocates are calling on Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes to reject a plan to spend millions of dollars in public…

Iron County, Utah is known for its Cedar Breaks National Monument, but also for plentiful sunshine that has prompted a flurry of solar farm development. Credit: Marc Averette/Wikimedia Commons

Report: Utah Ranks 4th in Clean-Energy Job Growth

PAROWAN, Utah - Utah ranks fourth on a new top 10 list of states seeing job growth in clean energy and clean transportation. Environmental …

Long view of Bears Ears, Utah, cited for housing centuries of history for the Navajo and other tribes. Courtesy: U.S. Geological Survey

Bears Ears, Desolation Canyon Called "Too Wild to Drill"

SALT LAKE CITY – A new report called Too Wild to Drill calls for greater government protections of federally managed public lands around Desolat…

Toxic sludge from the Gold King Mine spill is being treated in containment ponds such as this one. Courtesy: Environmental Protection Agency

SE Utah Tourist Season Fouled by Gold King Mine Spill

MONTICELLO, Utah - The Gold King Mine spill, which dumped millions of gallons of toxic sludge into the Animas River in Colorado, is having a far-…

The EPA is treating some of the contaminated water from the Gold King Mine spill in containment ponds like this one. Courtesy: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Gold King Mine Spill Impacts Utah

MONTICELLO, Utah – San Juan County in southeastern Utah is now feeling the impact of the Gold King Mine spill in southwestern Colorado…

President Barack Obama advocating the Clean Power Plan rules. Courtesy: US White House

Reports: EPA's Clean Power Plan Will Save Utahns Money

SALT LAKE CITY – The Clean Power Plan, which President Obama finalized Monday, is expected to help energy consumers in Utah and around the …

GRAPHIC: To help improve the state's air quality, thousands of Utah residents are expected to drive less this month as part of the annual Clear the Air Challenge. Graphic courtesy Salt Lake Chamber.

Utah Residents Can Help "Clear the Air"

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah residents are being asked to drive less in July as part of the state's annual Clear the Air Challenge, which organizers …

PHOTO: This photo, taken in the Cache Valley, shows what more Utah counties are facing in terms of ground-level ozone pollution. A new report says the BLM could get tougher on methane gas leaked from oil and gas development sites, which would help curb the ozone problem. Photo courtesy Utah State University.

Report: $28 Million in Methane Gas Escapes Yearly into Utah Air

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah makes a "top five" list for amounts of natural gas being wasted by energy developers working on federal and tribal lands…

PHOTO: Climate change is among the factors contributing to severe air pollution that again has earned Salt Lake City an

SLC Gets "F" In Air Quality Report

SALT LAKE CITY - Salt Lake City's track record remains unbroken when it comes to getting a failing grade for air quality in the American Lung Associat…

Photo: Young people in Utah and across the U.S. are using e-cigarettes more than all other forms of tobacco, including regular cigarettes, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Photo credit: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

CDC: E-cigarette Use Among Young People Tops Regular Cigarettes

SALT LAKE CITY - E-cigarette use among young people in Utah and across the U.S. is topping regular cigarettes. The Centers for Disease Control and …

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