As the warm temperatures arrive in Utah, so does summer ozone pollution. Unlike winter’s thick inversions, ozone is odorless and colorless, and can typically not be seen with the eye. Reducing emissions from a number of sources is critical in limiting the formation of ozone.
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Small, gas-powered lawn equipment causes a lot of air pollution. In fact, using a 2-stroke gas-powered leaf blower for one hour is the same as driving the average vehicle 727 miles.
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The Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control (DWMRC) has developed a new tool to help the public locate recycling, solid waste, and used oil collection center facilities.
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Record snowfall brings concern for spring flooding Utah is having a record-breaking snow year – according to the latest report from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), we have surpassed the previous record of 26 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE). While the record precipitation is good news for the state’s ongoing drought, and waterbodies like …
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Since 1999, the National Groundwater Alliance has recognized the importance groundwater plays in all of our lives through National Groundwater Awareness Week.
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SALT LAKE CITY – After thorough review of the Promontory Point Resources, LLC, application to reclassify its Class I Promontory Point Landfill to a Class V commercial nonhazardous solid waste facility, the Director of the Division of Waste Management and Control (DWMRC) has issued a statement of basis with the rational explaining the intent to …
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2022 was a year of successes for the Department of Environmental Quality, including transformational investments in communities, quality of life improvements without additional regulation, strengthened partnerships and significant progress on projects decades in the making. In our annual State of the Environment Report, each Division looks back at the previous year and highlights some of their major accomplishments.
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The Department of Environmental Quality State of the Environment report highlights the many accomplishments and successes our agency has had throughout the previous year. Click the tabs below to view each Division’s 2022 metrics, success stories, and quotes from partners.
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The Division of Air Quality’s Wood Stove and Fireplace Conversion Assistance Program aims to combat wintertime air pollution by reducing smoke from wood burning. The program provides incentives for homeowners to convert their wood burning stoves or fireplaces into a natural gas, propane fueled, or electric appliance.
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The state’s new all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning is now being driven by DEQ employees after it was delivered on Oct. 18. It’s the first of five electric trucks the state will add to its fleet in a continued effort to improve air quality.
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Over twenty years after it was listed as a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cleanup is finally underway at the Jacobs Smelter Superfund site in Stockton. The project was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding.
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Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to address the risks posed by air emissions of ethylene oxide (EtO) from commercial sterilizers, and also identified specific facilities where lifetime cancer risk levels are elevated for people who live nearby. The medical sterilization facility BD Medical in Sandy (9450 State St.) was identified as one of those facilities.
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DEQ Executive Director Kim Shelley has appointed John Mackey to serve as the new Director of the Division of Water Quality (DWQ). He has served as the Interim Director of the Division since April of this year.
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After over a year of monitoring and analysis for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has determined that there is a low risk for human exposure to PFAS through the state’s drinking water sources.
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The North Temple Landfill, located on the northwest side of Salt Lake City, was operated by the City from approximately 1959 to 1979 when it was closed. Due to the size of the landfill, it has historically been divided into two sites: North Temple Landfill East, also known as the Bonneville Center, and the North …
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Radon is known as the slow, “silent killer.” You can’t smell it, taste it, or see it, but it’s the number one cause of lung cancer death for non-smokers. Although Utah has the lowest rate of smoking in the nation, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in our state.
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