FRIENDS of the Great Salt Lake

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FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake has been educating our community and advocating for the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem since 1994. Our website contains vital research and information that will help you understand how to preserve and protect one of Utah's most unique natural resources and one of the Western Hemisphere's most important nesting, resting and staging sites for millions of migratory birds.

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Kennecott South Zone withdrawn from Superfund designation

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VIII (US EPA) announce that in early September the proposal to list the Kennecott South Zone Site on the National Priorities List (NPL) will be withdrawn. The Site was originally proposed for listing on January 18, 1994.

SHORT TERM VICTORY! Decision has been made on Oil Drilling near The Spiral Jetty

OUR HARD WORK HAS PAID OFF! On 7 August 2008 The Utah Division of Oil, Gas, & Mining returned the application for the permit to drill to Pearl Montana Exploration near SPIRAL JETTY because of inadequate response to detailed questions regarding their proposal. To view the letter, you can download a copy for your records: pdf 20080807_pearl_mt_apds_3_1 218.99 Kb

For additional information and background on this important event, click on read more below.

Apply for Lakeside Learning Program for Fall 2008

Our Lakeside Learning field trip program is available for area 4th grade classes.

Selenium Standards - Comments are IN!

The Department of Environmental Quality invited public comment on proposed amendments to water quality standards of the State. The proposed amendments include a revision of Antidegradation Review, Segmentation of Great Salt Lake into 4 Bays and transitional wetlands (below 4208 feet) along the shoreline, and a tissue based numeric standard for selenium in Gilbert Bay of 12.5 mg/kg (the EC10) with an Assessment Procedure that will apply annual selenium caps to all permitted discharges when the geometric mean egg selenium concentration reaches 60% of the standard. Many other changes that require careful review are also proposed. Two public hearings were scheduled in August and comments were due on 20 August. We will keep you updated on what happens.
Additional details are available on the DEQ website: www.waterquality.utah.gov/rules/rulechange.htm

FOR A LITTLE HISTORY on this topic and to review our submitted comments and all the recommendations, please click on "Read more..."

FACT Sheet for GSL Minerals Expansion and Application

Great Salt Lake Minerals has recently applied to expand their operations in Clyman Bay and Bear River Bay to increase their total footprint to 73,000 acres or equivalent to 119 square miles. Click read more to find a fact sheet, a copy of the application and maps and FRIENDS comments to the ACOE.

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