Tag: Environmental Protection Agency

  • Ozone: EPA Designates Marginal Nonattainment Areas in Utah

    The Wasatch Front and parts of the Uinta Basin were designated as Marginal nonattainment areas for ozone this week by the EPA. A Marginal designation is the least stringent classification for a nonattainment area and doesn’t require the state to submit a formal State Implementation Plan (SIP).

  • 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…

  • EPA Scientists Join Utah DEQ in PM2.5 Study

    By 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.…

  • DEQ: Air Scientists Have Eyes in the Sky for PM2.5

    By Donna Kemp Spangler 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 Quality’s air-quality scientists have been focused…

  • Chromium-6 in Utah Drinking Water Triggers Questions, Concerns

    By Ken Bousfield Recent news reports about the presence of hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) in the drinking water in several northern Utah counties have raised concerns among residents about the safety of the state’s drinking water. Fortunately, the levels found in the Davis, Weber, and Box Elder County drinking-water systems are below the California state standard,…

  • Water Quality: Gold King Mine Spill Underscores Need to Fix Leaky Mines

    By Donna Kemp Spangler People all across the nation were stunned and outraged when on Aug. 5, a breach at the Gold King Mine turned the Animas River near Durango, Colo., a bright mustard-orange color. Even more shocking was the fact that federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractors caused the disaster. It took a 3-million-gallon…

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