Utah is facing a wave of proposed AI data centers, with 21 applications pending across the state. In a new FOX 13 interview, Dr. Brian Moench of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment explains why these projects raise serious concerns for air quality, water use, energy demand, and public health.

Governor Cox is talking about the Stratos data center, and we need to make sure he hears from us directly! 📍 South Steps, Utah State Capitol 🕥 Thursday, May 14 | 10:30 AM

In the last few days, the dismissive attitude of Utah’s politicians toward the will of the people of Utah has been on full display.

Over 1,000 people showed up in Box Elder County to oppose a massive proposed AI data center project. Residents raised concerns about water, pollution, and energy demand. County commissioners approved it anyway. Utah communities deserve more than being treated as infrastructure for the AI boom.

A proposed hyperscale data center in Box Elder County could have statewide impacts. Energy demand at this scale doesn’t stay local. It affects air quality, water resources, and public health across Utah. Residents are already speaking out. Public comment is expected May 4.

“We’re headed in the wrong direction.” That was the message from Sara at Sunday’s Earth Action Rally at the Capitol. As covered by ABC4 News, she pointed to the link between air pollution and serious health impacts, from respiratory to cardiovascular disease.

Less lawn. More life. 🌿 Free 12-week challenge to turn your yard into a thriving ecosystem. Starts May 7. Simple steps. Real impact. lesslawnmorelife.com

The Environmental Domain of Risk Dr. Brian Moench was on UPHE Board VP, Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones’ podcast, 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩, talking about the risks of air pollution.

Every day is Earth Day at UPHE, but today is your chance to step in. Clean air. A protected Great Salt Lake. Accountability for decisions that impact all of us. 💚 Support the work: www.uphe.org/donate/

AI data centers aren’t just energy-hungry, they’re reshaping Utah’s future. From rising local temperatures to increased pollution and water use, the impacts are already here. Now they’re even driving a push for new nuclear development. Expand first. Deal with consequences later.

Nuclear power isn’t just about energy - it’s about water. In a drying state like Utah, the water demands alone should raise serious questions. Dr. Brian Moench explains 👇 www.uphe.org/the-case-aga... Got questions? Join our upcoming Reddit AMA.

Dr. Brian Moench is returning to Reddit for an Ask Me Anything - this time focused on nuclear power in Utah.

Utah lawmakers sided with oil profits over people. Utah became the first state to shield oil companies from climate accountability, despite worsening drought, wildfires, and air pollution. UPHE will continue fighting to protect Utah communities. Read more: www.exxonknews.org/p/these-stat...

Why do we still live in Utah, knowing what we know about air quality and health? A recent article from Utah News Dispatch highlights a difficult question many Utah families are beginning to ask.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Patagonia last week for Docs, Dust & Answers. We had meaningful conversations about Great Salt Lake dust, air quality, and public health - and connected with a community committed to protecting Utah’s future.

The Great Salt Lake is disappearing and the climate crisis is accelerating the collapse. Severe drought is forecasted this summer. Temperatures are rising. Water diversions continue. Yet state leaders refuse bold action.

Utah just had its warmest winter in over a century, and the consequences are already showing. Three Utah ski resorts have closed early following record March heat. But this goes far beyond skiing.

Unanswered questions about the Utah Inland Port. A Utah resident asked how proposed development could impact air quality, pollution, and public health. No answers.

Utah is about to hit 30° above normal this weekend. Parts of the Southwest? 100°F… in March. That kind of heat wipes out what little snowpack we have left, and pushes us deeper into drought.

Utah is planning a major expansion of critical minerals mining, with goals of supplying up to 25% of national demand. While often framed as essential for energy and security, large-scale mining raises real concerns for air quality, water, and public health.

More large-scale development is being proposed near Utah’s wetlands, including data centers that require huge amounts of water and energy. In already water-stressed areas, that raises real concerns.

Utah could become a storage site for the nation’s nuclear waste. State leaders are exploring storing radioactive waste in Millard County as part of expanding Utah’s role in the nuclear fuel cycle.

New op-ed from a UPHE Board Member and Climate Change Ambassador on the consequences of rolling back climate protections and failing to address greenhouse gas pollution.

Utah Legislative Session Wrap-Up Some progress this year: • HB 76 - Data center water use transparency • HB 509 - State wetlands study • HB 378 - Stronger dust mitigation rules • HB 247 - Funding for Great Salt Lake protection

SB 234 would weaken Utah’s ability to protect public health. The bill blocks regulators from acting when contaminants increase the risk of disease, forcing agencies to prove a specific toxin causes a specific illness before taking action. That ignores decades of public health science.

⏳ Final week of the Utah legislative session — two quick actions. Both bills were sent back to the Senate Rules Committee, where leaders will decide whether they move forward before session ends.

HB 501 hearing TODAY at 4 PM. UPHE opposes it because it increases financial pressure for major diversion projects that threaten the Great Salt Lake. Less lake water = more toxic dust and worse air. Call and EMAIL members of the Senate Government Operations Committee and urge a NO vote.

HB 501 proposes new fees on water bills that could fund major water development projects, like the proposed Bear River diversion.

Air quality in Utah is directly tied to Great Salt Lake water levels. As the lake shrinks, toxic dust increases — impacting public health across the Wasatch Front. 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 — and we have a narrow window to act.

CWC & Environmental Systems Committee Speak Out on Parley’s Mine Proposal Our executive directors on the Environmental Systems Committee and the Central Wasatch Commission issued a strong statement opposing Granite Construction’s proposed open-air gravel mine in Parley’s Canyon.

Your voice matters — and right now, it matters a lot. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗕 𝟮𝟮𝟱 & 𝗛𝗕 𝟯𝟳𝟴 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲. Decisions are moving quickly — one call to your state Senator can address both. We’ve seen harmful bills slowed or stopped because people spoke up. Public pressure works. Let’s use it.

Two water bills. Two very different outcomes for public health.

Federal environmental protections are under attack. The EPA under the Trump Administration is proposing changes that could: • Weaken chemical disaster safeguards • Repeal the climate “endangerment finding”

Legislative Roundup ⚡️ 📣 Utah legislative session is moving fast — your voice matters! ________________________________________

HB 456: Protecting Kids from Pesticides Overwhelmingly the evidence suggests that children are particularly susceptible to the well established harms of pesticide exposure. It is our duty as physicians to do no harm, which is why UPHE supports H.B. 456.

🚨 HB 501 threatens the Great Salt Lake & Utah’s air! 🚨 This Thursday, Feb 12 at 5:00 pm, the Legislative Water Development Commission will discuss a new water tax bill that could divert Bear River water and worsen lakebed dust pollution. Say no to HB 501 to protect the lake and clean air.

🚨 SB 242 Threatens Safer Streets in Salt Lake City — ACTION NEEDED TODAY 🚨 SB 242 is on the committee agenda today at 3:40 PM. This bill would make it harder for cities to: • Add bike lanes & pedestrian improvements • Calm traffic & improve public transit • Reduce car pollution

Governor Cox is wrong about nuclear power. Utah is moving fast toward nuclear — from generation to mining to waste — without reckoning with the real costs.

Show up for Parley’s Canyon. After months of advocacy, our chance to oppose the proposed mine is finally here — and it matters that the room is full. 📅 Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 | 5 PM 📍 Millcreek City Hall 1330 E. Chambers Ave., Millcreek, UT Grandview Room, 6th floor

The Nuclear Debate UPHE’s president Dr. Brian Moench warns of serious public health, safety, and environmental risks tied to nuclear development. Every phase—from mining to waste storage—poses major risks.

Inversions are inevitable. Pollution is not. Winter inversions are back along the Wasatch Front, trapping harmful air that affects everyone’s health. Every UPHE fight—clean energy, protecting the Great Salt Lake, opposing harmful development—comes back to the air we breathe.

Fireworks don’t disappear — they linger in our lungs. This graph shows PM2.5 levels from a University of Utah sensor during New Year’s celebrations. During stagnant winter inversion conditions, fireworks helped push pollution into the unhealthy range —

2025 has been a year of real wins and hard fights — from protecting the Great Salt Lake and pushing back on PFAS and data centers, to stopping illegal diesel pollution and fighting a new aggregate mine in Parleys Canyon.

New Year’s fireworks might feel like a tradition — but during an inversion, they’re a problem. In northern Utah, winter air often gets trapped under temperature inversions. Cold air settles in, warmer air sits on top, and everything we emit — exhaust, smoke, pollution — has nowhere to go.

Granite Construction has changed their plans to bull doze Parley’s Canyon. They have abandoned their last application to the Division of Air Quality, in large part because we pointed out all the flaws in it.

Give the gift of clean air this holiday season 💚 As a physician, I’m reminded every day that clean air is not just an environmental issue, it’s a matter of human health, and for some, survival. Every one of us depends on the simple act of breathing.

Our general environment (air, water, soil, and food) is badly contaminated by plastic nanoparticles. That has led to studies that have found those particles are also contaminating our bodies including our critical organs.

800 square miles of the Great Salt Lake lakebed are exposed, and fine particulate dust is already being carried into nearby communities. Existing monitors don’t reliably detect the smallest particles — but medical research shows they pose serious health risks.

UPHE's President & Co-founder Dr. Brian Moench had a powerful piece in the Salt Lake Tribune about the risks posed by the shrinking Great Salt Lake - and what happens if we keep ignoring the warning signs.

EPA says Utah is officially no longer violating national air pollution standards on particulate pollution. PLEASE NOTE — our pollution is still impacting your health.