Category: Air Quality

Air Quality: My Top Ten List for Better Air

DEQ’s “Top Ten” list provides residents with ways to reduce their emissions and improve air quality during Utah’s inversion season.

The National Weather Service Teams With DEQ to Forecast Inversions

Teaming with the National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City, Utah DEQ’s Division of Air Quality works to provide accurate weather forecasts of pollution events.

Identifying and Quantifying the Impact of Wildfires and Dust Events on Utah’s Air Quality

Principal Investigator: John Lin, (UU) Study Period: 1 September 2014 – 1 January 2016 Funded for: $93,335 DAQ Contact: Chris Pennell (cpennell@utah.gov) Wildfires and dust storms are considered “exceptional events” in air quality modeling because they are not reasonably controllable or preventable, are caused by human activity that is unlikely to recur at a particular …

Improving Volatile Organic Compound Emission Estimates for the Uintah Basin

This study builds on last year’s effort to improve the speciation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from oil and gas wells in the Uintah Basin. Better speciation profiles will yield a better emission inventory for the basin and will help focus emission reduction strategies.

• Principal Investigators: Trang Tran, Huy Tran (USU)
• Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $140,000

Characterizing Air Quality Impacts from Exceptional Events along the Wasatch Front

This study, led by researchers at BYU, will use particulate matter (PM) sampling to identify regional dust sources that impact local air quality and public health, as well as model how dust sources might change in the future.

• Principal Investigators: Dr. Greg Carling (BYU)
• Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $150,000

October 2, 2019 Agenda: Air Quality

Call-to-Order Date of the Next Air Quality Board Meeting: November 6, 2019 Approval of the Minutes for September 4, 2019, Board Meeting. Propose with Department Fee Schedule: Operating Permit Program Fee for Fiscal Year 2021.  Presented by David Beatty. Informational Items. Ozone Nonattainment Status Update. Presented by Jay Baker. Duchesne and Uintah County Updates. Uinta …

DAQ Fires Up New Weber County Air Quality Monitor

This month, the Utah Division of Air Quality fired up its new monitoring station for Weber County in Harrisville, Ut. Learn more about the work done at the site to protect human health in Northern Utah.

Improving WRF/CMAQ Model Performance using Satellite Data Assimilation Technique for the Uintah Basin

This study will test if satellite observations of vegetation and land use can be used to improve photochemical model performance in the Uintah basin. An improved model will help inform emission reduction strategies and regulatory action.

• Principal Investigators: Huy Tran, Trang Tran (USU)
• Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $38,392

TRAX Air Quality Observation Project (Blue Line)

The TRAX air quality project continues to measure PM2.5 and ozone from TRAX light rail trains, and will add measurements to the Blue line. All data is publicly available and posted in near real-time on the MesoWest website.

• Principal Investigators: Daniel Mendoza, Logan Mitchell, John Horel, John Lin (UU)
• Funded by legislative appropriation: $44,000

Investigating Sources of Ammonia Uncertainty in Modeling the Salt lake City PM2.5 Nonattainment Area

This study will investigate the existing emission inventory of ammonia (NH3) sources and compare modeled NH3 concentrations to those observed during recent field studies in order to identify and correct missing NH3 sources. In addition to improving the inventory, this study will add new NH3 emission pathways to the photochemical model.

• Principal Investigators: Chris Emery (Ramboll), Randal S. Martin (USU)
• Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $86,396

The Red Butte Canyon Air Mass Exchange and Pollution Transport Study

The University of Utah will make measurements of vertical wind and aerosol profiles, as well as ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon in order to better understand air exchange in the Salt Lake Valley during wintertime PM2.5 events.

• Principal Investigators: Sebastian W. Hoch, Erik T. Crosman (UU)
• Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $34,965

The Red Butte Canyon Ozone Network:
Leveraging Existing Infrastructure to Probe Background Concentrations, Canyon Flows, and Stratospheric Oxidant Exchange

This study will deploy a number of ozone sensors at different distances up Red Butte Canyon to better understand natural gradients in ozone and how phenomena like large thunderstorms and valley drainage flows contribute to ozone concentrations in the Salt Lake Valley.

• Principal Investigators: Logan Mitchell, Ryan Bares, David Eiriksson (UU)
• Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $39,833

Understanding How Wood-Burning’s Contribution to Particulate Matter Concentrations Have Changed over Time

Wood burning contributes to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the Wasatch Front, and reducing the use of wood burning during pollution episodes has been the focus of many policy decisions. This study looks at patterns of temperature, heat deficit, and day of the week along with markers of woodsmoke and mandatory no-burn days, to try and understand if public awareness and policy efforts have been effective in reducing wood burning during pollution events.

• Principal Investigator: Kerry Kelly (UU)
• Funded for: $25,215

Smoke School: Training Schedules

The State of Utah no longer furnishes a Visible Emissions Course (Smoke School) but that function has been taken up by the private sector

Cornerstone (Kennecott’s Expansion Project):
Kennecott Utah Copper LLC

Introduction In 2011 Kennecott Utah Copper LLC announced a proposal to expand the life of its Bingham Canyon Mine located in the southwest Salt Lake County. The expansion project, called “Cornerstone,” included widening the Bingham Canyon pit to accommodate operations focused on the mining and processing of ore located on the southeast margin of the …

Approval Order Modification Granted: Cornerstone:
Kennecott Utah Copper LLC

On June 27, 2011, the Division of Air Quality has approved Kennecott’s request to modify its Approval Order, outlined in a Notice of Intent (NOI). The NOI centered on a requested increase in the limit of the material moved from 197 to 260 million tons per year. The public comment period ended on March 20, …