Category: Communication Office

  • Making Effective Comments on Proposed Rules

    It may be helpful when commenting on a proposed rule to consider the agency’s authority to make the rule. Most environmental statutes authorize one of DEQ’s boards to make rules; the boards have only the authority given to them in that statute. The Utah Drinking Water Board, for example, has these authorities: (1) The board…

  • Making Effective Comments about Settlement of a Violation

    Most DEQ agencies have an enforcement or penalty policy that guides its decisions about settling a violation. Reviewing the relevant policy would help a commenter focus on those matters that an agency will ordinarily consider. Statute Penalty Policy Air Conservation Act Utah Admin. Code R307-130 Air Conservation—Federal Asbestos Hazard Enforcement Utah Admin. Code R307-135 Drinking…

  • Underground Storage Tank Newsletter

    Archives

  • Communications

    Current News Releases

  • Utah’s Environment

    Home of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Annual State of the Environment Report

  • Ogden Business Exchange – Voluntary Cleanup Program

    An Ogden Brownfields project tackled environmental uncertainties at the historic Ogden Union Stockyards. In approximately 1905, the 50-acre stockyards were a shipping point to on- and off-load livestock to the railroads. The stockyards eventually closed in 1971, and the property slowly fell into disrepair. Parts of the property were used for various other purposes, including…

  • OpenLine Newsletter

    Past Issues 2016 OpenLine Newsletter 2015 2013 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

  • The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI): What It Means, How It’s Used

    By Christine Osborne The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) is a public database that chronicles toxic chemical releases, transfers, waste management, and pollution-prevention activities throughout the United States. A recent Forbes article ranked Utah as the third-highest state in the country for toxic releases based on data in the TRI for the reporting year (RY) 2015. These same…

  • Water Quality and Macroinvertebrates: A Story under Every Rock

    By Amy Dickey What’s the first thing most people do when they walk up to a stream? Perhaps they feel it to check the temperature. Maybe they toss a stick and see how far downstream the water carries it, or cast a line to see if the fish are biting. I prefer to grab a…

  • DEQ: Tips for Making Public Comments Count

    By Donna Kemp Spangler I understand people’s frustrations when they take the time to submit a written or verbal public comment on a regulatory proposal and at the end of the process, the final rule or regulation doesn’t seem to reflect their comment. They walk away with a feeling their comment doesn’t really matter. That’s…

  • A Look Back: On the Scene after the Gold King Mine Spill

    By Christine Osborne This week, we take a look back at DEQ’s response to the Gold King Mine release two years ago. On August 5, 2015, EPA contractors were clearing debris from the opening of the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado, when the blockage gave way, releasing three million gallons of acid mine drainage into…

  • DEQ Forecasters Keep Their Eyes on the Sky during Ozone Season

    By Kimberly Kreykes Like many people, my day starts with the weather forecast. Not just because it is my passion, but because it is my responsibility to stay informed — I am the lead air-quality forecaster for the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) Division of Air Quality (DAQ). Along with two other DAQ forecasters,…

  • Water, Water, Everywhere: Is Your Drinking Water Safe after a Flood?

    Over 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…

  • Employer-Based Trip Reduction Programs Improve Air Quality

    By 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…

  • Mercury in Fish: When Catch and Release Is Good for You, Too

    By Amy Dickey Editor’s Note: The recent release of metals-laden sediment from Tibble Fork Reservoir has raised concerns among anglers about heavy-metals contamination in fish in the American Fork River. The Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is currently collecting live fish downstream from the reservoir and will be testing them for the presence of metals…

  • Wildfires: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Pollution

    Originally published July 5, 2016 By Donna Kemp Spangler Wildfire season is in full swing, most notably in central and southern Utah, where firefighters continue to battle several stubborn wildfires. Although individuals along the Wasatch Front may not be directly impacted by the wildfires burning south of here, the smoke from fires can have a…

Back to top