By Michael Grange In a state where approximately 75 percent of the community water systems serve less than 3,300 people and 50 percent serve less than 500 people, relationships are everything. The annual Rural Water Association of Utah conference provides Division of Drinking Water (DDW) staff with a unique opportunity to build relationships by working …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler Perhaps one of the highlights of the 2016 Legislature for the Utah Department of Environmental Quality was a last minute appropriation of $6 million for a new technical support center for air monitoring, water testing and other needs. For years, DEQ sought funding for a new building closer to its headquarters …
Read MoreBy Frances Bernards Storm water often gets a bad rap. Runoff into storm drains carries chemicals and debris that can pollute rivers and streams. Four years ago, Chris Thompson, public works director at Spanish Fork City, started to see storm water as a resource rather than a waste product. Spanish Fork City’s transition to Low …
Read MoreBy Bill Rees If you’ve ever taken the Blue Line, commuted on FrontRunner, or hopped aboard the California Zephyr, you’ve benefitted from a brownfield cleanup. How? Well, Salt Lake’s bustling Intermodal Hub site sits atop what was once a contaminated, 18-acre railyard. The city remediated and repurposed this land through DEQ’s Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP). This …
Read MoreBy Eleanor Divver You’ve probably heard that one in three homes in Utah has elevated levels of radon, and that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. And since you care about your family’s health and safety, you’ve tested your home — and your results came in above the EPA action level …
Read MoreBy Bo Call You may have heard about the low-cost air quality sensors that people have been using to collect personal air quality data during high pollution periods. The question I often get is, “Do they really work?” And all I have to say is, “Well, it depends.” The regulatory monitors we use at DEQ …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler The 2016 Legislative session may be getting much of the public’s attention, particularly legislation aimed at improving Utah’s air quality. Quietly, behind the walls of state government, employees are taking action by participating in the TravelWise Winter Air Challenge, a friendly competition to see which agency can save the most trips and achieve the …
Read MoreBy Utah Clean Cities Coalition, 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. The number of visitors to Utah’s National Parks and Monuments has increased steadily over the last decade. In …
Read MoreInterview with Ken Bousfield Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water has gotten national attention in recent weeks, raising concerns about whether this could happen in Utah. Ken Bousfield, director of the Division of Drinking Water (DDW), explains why this is unlikely. How did Flint’s drinking water become contaminated with lead? In April 2014, Flint City’s …
Read MoreInterview with Munkh Baasandorj The Utah of Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ), Brigham Young University, and the Neil Armstrong Academy have partnered for a hazardous air pollutant (HAP) monitoring project in West Valley City. The study uses state-of-the-art instruments to measure gaseous and particulate HAPs in real-time. What are hazardous air …
Read MoreBy Frances Bernards, DEQ, and Robert B. Sowby, Hansen, Allen & Luce, Inc. The “water-energy nexus” has been getting a lot of press lately — the nexus between how much water is used to generate and transmit energy and the energy costs to deliver water to homes, businesses, and industry. The energy price tag for …
Read MoreBy Alan Matheson Every day, the nearly 400 employees of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) work tirelessly to improve the lives of all Utahns. These dedicated public servants safeguard Utah’s air, land, and water to support human health, a vibrant economy, and our unsurpassed quality of life. DEQ’s successes are many, and impact …
Read MoreBy Maura Hahnenberger, 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. Growing up, both my parents were educators. So with summers off, we would go on long road trips across the …
Read MoreInterview with Matt Sullivan Most of us take our trash to the curb for pickup and don’t really consider where it goes after that. But did you know that the landfill that accepts your trash has to meet and maintain rigorous environmental standards to protect soils, ground water, and air? We asked Matt Sullivan, an …
Read MoreBy Suzan Tahir I have the privilege to live in one of the most beautiful states in the USA. Our state is an incredible and endless resource for hiking, skiing, backpacking, rock climbing, sightseeing, and other outdoors and recreational activities. We have extremely beautiful nature in abundance, but one of our most precious natural resources …
Read MoreBy Lynn Berni, 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. The Salt Lake County Watershed Planning and Restoration Program hosted its 9th annual Watershed Symposium on November 18 and 19, …
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Air Quality
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Environmental Response and Remediation
Waste Management and Radiation Control
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