By Whitney Oswald Imagine being an oil and gas compliance inspector and needing to head out into the field for a few days to inspect many sites. Before even heading out to the field, you have to spend quite a bit of time prepping for your trip. Identifying what sites you want to visit, getting …
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By Paul Harding The Utah Department of Environmental (DEQ) strives to provide exceptional service in all we do, but this is especially true in the areas of environmental permitting and inspection. Part of that commitment to exceptional service is responding to concerns or complaints from the public and businesses. That’s where I come in: in …
Read MoreBy Alex Pashley Almost everything we do creates some kind of waste. While many wastes are relatively benign, some are hazardous and need to be regulated to protect public health and the environment. As a hazardous waste inspector for the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste (DSHW), I evaluate the hazardous …
Read MoreBy Jay Morris Did you know that there are over 1,500 stationary emission sources in Utah, along with several hundred federal and state air quality rules and regulations that cover these sources? When I first started performing air quality compliance inspections, I had no idea! Our program, which includes inspections, compliance assistance, and enforcement, protects …
Read MoreBy Renette Anderson and Scott Baird The scientists and engineers at DEQ are data-driven and naturally curious. They measure air, surface and ground waters, and land impact from pollutants. Ask any one of them about his or her work, and each can quote statistics in orders of magnitude or parts per billion, whichever applies. It’s …
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