Lead
Lead is a heavy metal found naturally in the environment and manufactured products such as lead-acid batteries, lead-based paints, leaded glass, solder, chemicals, and older water distribution systems with lead pipes, solders, and fittings. Lead is a persistent chemical that accumulates in soils, aquatic systems, sediments, and some plants, animals, and other organisms. Since 1990, more than 6,000 studies on
Lead in Air
Lead is a toxic metal that was once used regularly in motor fuel, paint, ceramics, glassware, and other consumer products. The phase-out of leaded gasoline significantly reduced vehicle emissions and lead levels in the environment, but it is still used in some aviation fuels and used or produced in a variety of industrial processes. The primary stationary lead sources today
Identifying and Quantifying the Impact of Wildfires and Dust Events on Utah’s Air Quality
Wildfires and dust storms are considered “exceptional events” in air quality modeling because they are not reasonably controllable or preventable, are caused by human activity that is unlikely to recur at a particular location, or are a natural event. Exceptional events can unpredictably increase concentrations of pollutants like particulate matter (PM) and ozone precursors, especially downwind of the events. Until now, it
Improving Volatile Organic Compound Emission Estimates for the Uintah Basin
This study builds on last year’s effort to improve the speciation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from oil and gas wells in the Uintah Basin. Better speciation profiles will yield a better emission inventory for the basin and will help focus emission reduction strategies.
- Principal Investigators: Trang Tran, Huy Tran (USU)
- Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $140,000
Characterizing Air Quality Impacts from Exceptional Events along the Wasatch Front
This study, led by researchers at BYU, will use particulate matter (PM) sampling to identify regional dust sources that impact local air quality and public health, as well as model how dust sources might change in the future.
- Principal Investigators: Dr. Greg Carling (BYU)
- Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $150,000
Improving WRF/CMAQ Model Performance using Satellite Data Assimilation Technique for the Uintah Basin
This study will test if satellite observations of vegetation and land use can be used to improve photochemical model performance in the Uintah basin. An improved model will help inform emission reduction strategies and regulatory action.
- Principal Investigators: Huy Tran, Trang Tran (USU)
- Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $38,392
TRAX Air Quality Observation Project (Blue Line)
The TRAX air quality project continues to measure PM2.5 and ozone from TRAX light rail trains, and will add measurements to the Blue line. All data is publicly available and posted in near real-time on the MesoWest website.
- Principal Investigators: Daniel Mendoza, Logan Mitchell, John Horel, John Lin (UU)
- Funded by legislative appropriation: $44,000
Investigating Sources of Ammonia Uncertainty in Modeling the Salt lake City PM2.5 Nonattainment Area
This study will investigate the existing emission inventory of ammonia (NH3) sources and compare modeled NH3 concentrations to those observed during recent field studies in order to identify and correct missing NH3 sources. In addition to improving the inventory, this study will add new NH3 emission pathways to the photochemical model.
- Principal Investigators: Chris Emery (Ramboll), Randal S. Martin (USU)
- Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $86,396
The Red Butte Canyon Air Mass Exchange and Pollution Transport Study
The University of Utah will make measurements of vertical wind and aerosol profiles, as well as ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon in order to better understand air exchange in the Salt Lake Valley during wintertime PM2.5 events.
- Principal Investigators: Sebastian W. Hoch, Erik T. Crosman (UU)
- Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $34,965
The Red Butte Canyon Ozone Network:
Leveraging Existing Infrastructure to Probe Background Concentrations, Canyon Flows, and Stratospheric Oxidant Exchange
This study will deploy a number of ozone sensors at different distances up Red Butte Canyon to better understand natural gradients in ozone and how phenomena like large thunderstorms and valley drainage flows contribute to ozone concentrations in the Salt Lake Valley.
- Principal Investigators: Logan Mitchell, Ryan Bares, David Eiriksson (UU)
- Funded by Science for Solutions Research Grant: $39,833
Understanding How Wood-Burning’s Contribution to Particulate Matter Concentrations Have Changed over Time
Wood burning contributes to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the Wasatch Front, and reducing the use of wood burning during pollution episodes has been the focus of many policy decisions. This study looks at patterns of temperature, heat deficit, and day of the week along with markers of woodsmoke and mandatory no-burn days, to try and understand if public awareness and policy efforts have been effective in reducing wood burning during pollution events.
- Principal Investigator: Kerry Kelly (UU)
- Funded for: $25,215
Smoke School: Training Schedules
The State of Utah no longer furnishes a Visible Emissions Course (Smoke School) but that function has been taken up by the private sector
Bingham/Magna Ditch Soils Investigation: Kennecott Utah Copper LLC
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are conducting an investigation of arsenic contaminated soil sediments associated with the former Bingham-Magna Ditch, a historic mining drainage canal located in western Salt Lake County. This page will serve as an information archival repository for developments concerning this project. The public is encouraged to
Questions and Answers Bingham/Magna Ditch Soils Investigation: Kennecott Utah Copper, LLC
Frequently asked questions about the Bingham-Magna Ditch soils investigation of arsenic contaminated sediments (Kennecott Utah Copper LLC).Investigation DetailsBackground What is the Bingham-Magna Ditch? In 1930 the Utah Copper Company, a predecessor of Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation (Kennecott), constructed a ditch to transport waste water from copper extraction facilities in the Bingham Mine area to the tailings pond and mining mills northwest of
Kennecott Utah Copper LLC
The operational and environmental cleanup activities at Kennecott Utah Copper LLC’s (Kennecott) Bingham Canyon Mine, Copperton Concentrator, Smelter, Refinery, Tailings Facility and the various ancillary facilities are regulated under a number of federal and State programs with authority to oversee the work pursued by Kennecott and other third parties. The federal and State agencies draw their authority from a number of federal
PM2.5 Logan, Utah Maintenance Plan: Technical Support Documents
Technical documentation supporting the PM2.5 Logan, Utah Maintenance Plan for maintaining healthy air quality levels after achieving federal standards.Note: The following content is archived, and is being kept for reference, research, or recordkeeping. General Inventory General Inventory Preparation Plan Episodic Inventories Episodic Inventory Overview Point Source Episodic Inventory Area Source Episodic Inventory Non-Road Mobile Source Episodic Inventory On-Road Mobile Sources Episodic Inventory