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Serious Area PM2.5 State Implementation Plan (SIP) Development (2017-2019)
The Serious PM2.5 SIP Development is very much an iterative process. The technical foundation of any SIP involves numerous emissions inventories, air quality modeling assumptions, potential emission controls, and ever-fluctuating design values recorded throughout the air monitoring network. The PM2.5 Implementation Rule is very prescriptive about how these numbers must fit together to comprise an…
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Control Strategies for Serious Area PM2.5 SIP
Discover the specific policies and technologies Utah implemented as part of its control strategies for its serious area PM2.5 SIP, drastically cutting PM2.5 emissions in serious nonattainment areas. Disclaimer The Serious PM2.5 SIP Development is very much an iterative process. The technical foundation of any SIP involves numerous emissions inventories, air quality modeling assumptions, potential…
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Serious Area PM2.5 SIP Public Participation
Read about Utah’s Serious Area PM2.5 SIP public participation where residents, businesses, and advocacy groups commented on the planning process. EPA reclassified two of Utah’s three PM2.5 Nonattainment areas from Moderate to Serious. The State must comply with additional requirements for its PM2.5 State Implementation Plan (SIPs) as a result of this reclassification. Under these…
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Technical Analysis for Serious Area PM2.5 SIP
Technical Analysis for Serious Area PM2.5 is the scientific modeling and data analysis that support Utah’s serious area PM2.5 plans. Disclaimer The Serious PM2.5 SIP Development is very much an iterative process. The technical foundation of any SIP involves numerous emissions inventories, air quality modeling assumptions, potential emission controls, and ever-fluctuating design values recorded throughout…
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Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) Overview
Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of small, solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. PM10 is particulate matter that is 10 microns (μm) or less in diameter. It is a mixture of materials that can include soot, metals, salt, and dust. Major sources include: Air Quality Standards The health-based, National Ambient Air…
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PM10 State Implementation Plans and Maintenance Plans
Explore Utah’s PM10 State Implementation Plans (SIP) strategy to control and sustain reductions in PM10 pollution, keeping communities safe and compliant with federal air standards. Nonattainment Areas In 1987, the EPA set new air-quality standards for PM10 of 150µg/m3 over a 24-hour period and an average of 50 µg/m3 annually. Utah was initially unable to…
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What is Ozone?
Ozone is an odorless, colorless gas made up of three oxygen atoms (O3) and is a natural part of the environment. It occurs both in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, or stratosphere, and at ground level in the lower atmosphere, or troposphere. Approximately 90 percent of atmospheric ozone is located in the stratosphere, which begins about…
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Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS)
The increased awareness in recent years of the dangers of toxic air pollutants has caused Congress to design regulatory efforts to control toxic substances in the air. These hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) are air pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) do not exist. These pollutants may be expected to cause cancer, developmental…
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2015 Study: Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS)
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are air pollutants that are known to cause or suspected to cause serious, adverse health effects. They come from a wide variety of industrial, residential, and mobile sources. The Division of Air Quality (DAQ) conducted a year-long pilot study in 2015 to learn more about HAPs in the Salt Lake and…
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Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that can be lethal in high concentrations. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for CO is 9 parts per million (ppm) on an eight-hour average or 35 ppm on a one-hour averaging period. CO occurs naturally by the decomposition of organic matter. The primary man-made…
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Frequently Asked Questions:
AsbestosWhat is Asbestos? Asbestos is a name given to a group of minerals which occur naturally as masses of long silky fibers. Asbestos is known for its unique properties of being resistant to abrasion, inert to acid and alkaline solutions, and stable at high temperatures. Because of these attributes, asbestos was widely used in construction…
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SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide)
Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs. It mainly comes from burning fuels that contain sulfur, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. When these fuels burn, the sulfur reacts with oxygen to form sulfur oxides (SOx). SO₂ is the most common form of SOx and is often measured to…
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Check Daily Air Quality Forecast to Plan Ahead & Protect Health
Utah DEQ provides air-quality forecasting throughout the summer through its UtahAir app, website, and regular email updates.
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About the Division of Air Quality
Our mission Safeguarding and improving Utah’s air, land and water through balanced regulation. Our vision Clean air, land and water for a healthy and prosperous Utah.
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MACTs and Other NESHAPs:
Air Toxics Lead and Asbestos Section (ATLAS)Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rules The 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments established a new and fairly complex program to regulate emissions of 188 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from particular industrial sources. The Act required the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to regulate emissions of these HAPs by developing and promulgating technology-based standards based…
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Planning Branch: Division of Air Quality
The Air Quality Planning Branch is responsible for developing comprehensive plans (also known as State Implementation Plans (SIPs)) to reduce air pollution, and developing rules that set requirements on air emissions for both individuals and industry in Utah. The planning Branch is composed of three sections: Emissions Inventories Emissions Inventories are routinely compiled to understand…
