By Scott Baird The whirlwind of Utah’s 45 day legislative session is over, the dust has settled, and we at the Department of Environmental Quality want to thank you for helping this session to be a success. The appropriations and legislation approved in this session will ensure that the Department can continue its ongoing work …
Read MoreOver the past month, snowpack runoff, wet weather, and warm conditions have led to major flooding in northern Utah. When the Bear River crested in mid-February 2017, Garland City, Tremonton, Bothwell, Thatcher, East Garland Park, Riverside, Fielding, Plymouth, Corinne, Deweyville, Portage, and areas below the Cutler dam were hit with area-wide flooding. Roads and railroad …
Read MoreBy Christine Osborne Marie Owens is the new director of the Division of Drinking Water at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. She brings great experience and enthusiasm to DEQ, along with a commitment to continue the legacy of collaboration between regulators, water professionals, and the public to ensure safe and reliable drinking water throughout …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is getting serious about improving Utah’s air quality by 2019. Don’t get me wrong, DEQ’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has always been serious about improving air quality. Specifically, DAQ works to find reasonable and measurable solutions to bring Utah’s “nonattainment” areas of the state …
Read MoreBy Tammie Bostick-Cooper, Guest Blogger, Utah Clean Cities DEQ invites guest bloggers to share their thoughts on issues that impact our environment. We appreciate their insights and the opportunity to broaden the conversation with others in the community. Each year, the Energy Independence Summit hosts various Clean Cities organizations and …
Read MoreBy Jared Fry Frontrunner. Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons vxla My name is Jared Fry, and I commute 100 miles via public transportation every weekday. To be honest, the purpose in sharing my story is to help promote the use of public transportation and help improve air quality in Utah. My wife, Amy, and I …
Read MoreBy Ann Brown and Karen Stewart, Guest Bloggers DEQ invites guest bloggers to share their thoughts on issues that impact our environment. We appreciate their insights and the opportunity to broaden the conversation with others in the community. Winter in Utah brings to mind crystal clear blue skies, snow-capped mountains, and a long ski season. …
Read MoreBy Scott Baird The 2017 Utah Legislature kicked off its 45-day session last week, marking the start of an exciting and occasionally hectic time for all of us at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Although we are neutral players in the legislative process, our directors and scientists are available 24/7 to answer questions, …
Read MoreBy Brittany Guerra, Guest Blogger DEQ invites guest bloggers to share their thoughts on issues that impact our environment. We appreciate their insights and the opportunity to broaden the conversation with others in the community. Winter months in Utah bring snow sports, holiday feasting, and seasonal inversions. As you’ve watched the mountain line slowly disappear …
Read MoreBy: Kristin Armstrong Many of us have heard about the dangers of indoor radon in homes, but what about the risks of radon gas in schools? To combat radon’s harmful effects on school-aged children and to raise public awareness of the issue, the Utah Department of Health has provided funding to the Department of Environmental Quality …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp SpanglerWant to know more? Want to know more? It doesn’t take a scientist to know Utah has prolonged periods of bad air during the winter. But it does take a team of local and national scientific researchers to understand more fully why we have bad air. For years, the Utah Department of Environmental …
Read MoreBy Mat Carlile Last week’s inversion wasn’t the kind of “present” any of us wanted for the holidays. We know that fine particulates caused by the buildup of pollutants under the inversion’s “lid” create poor air quality and poses a health risk, particularly to the young, elderly, and those with respiratory and heart disease. We …
Read MoreBy Alan Matheson Successful organizations operate upon bedrock values that define who they are and guide their decisions and actions. These values are aspirational, inspiring high standards and best efforts. They provide clarity by aligning all in the organization toward common objectives. They help members of an organization make consistent and principled decisions. Core values …
Read MoreInterview with Heather Pattee by Christine Osborne How did the DEQ Holiday Charity Drive get started? Dianne Nielson, Utah Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director for 13 years, began the tradition. About a year after Amanda Smith came on board as executive director, I volunteered to head up the drive. I’ve been doing it for …
Read MoreBy Christine Osborne Ken Bousfield is retiring at the end of this month after more than 40 years of service with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) and its predecessor agencies. His career and service to the state, including his 10-year tenure as the division director, epitomize DDW’s mission statement: …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler Brandy Farmer, president of Centro Civico Mexicano, knows how to throw a party – or more precisely a press conference. On November 29, 2016, the Centro Civico community center was overflowing with excitement. Dancers from Ballet Folklorico de las Americas performed on stage, twirling their colorful dresses. Authentic Mexican tacos …
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