Cleaner air in Salt Lake City region could finally put area in EPA's good graces
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — After more than a decade, Utah air quality officials are celebrating cleaner air in the Salt Lake City area.
The Environmental Protection Agency is now on its way to taking the region off its list of places not meeting the standards under the Clean Air Act.
Thom Carter, who leads the Utah Clean Air Partnership, attributed the progress to years of collaboration between people, businesses and the government in addition to favorable weather. Inversions have been less of a problem the past few years, Carter said.
“As we continue to drive down emissions plus get a little lucky with weather, (it) allowed for kind of the perfect storm for us to get back into attainment,” Carter said.
The level of 24-hour fine particulate matter in the Salt Lake City area has been a problem since 2006, putting the region into non-attainment and later serious non-attainment status. Data from 2016 to 2018 met the standard, according to the EPA.
For example, readings of the particulate matter in Rose Park dropped from 43 micro-grams per cubic meter from 2012-2014 to 35 micro-grams per cubic meter from 2016-2018.
Carter said newer cars are polluting less, and people may be heeding the message to combine trips, use public transit and avoid idling. The Utah Air Quality Board has also implemented dozens of new regulations impacting a wide range of businesses.
Mining companies and refineries have spent millions of dollars to reduce emissions, he said.
“We cannot rely on weather,” Carter said. “We have to do our part and own the problem by driving down our own personal emissions.”
The public has a month to weigh in on the EPA’s proposal.