Ozone is formed in Utah when NOx and VOCs break apart under intense sunlight and reform. The formation of ozone is most likely to occur on days with calm winds, no cloud cover and afternoon temperatures above 90 degrees. Here are some ways you can protect your health and reduce your emissions.
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This fall’s snow blower exchange in the Uinta Basin offered 150 Greenworks 80-volt electric snow blowers to help reduce ozone-forming emissions.
Read MoreRelated Links: 2017 Statewide Oil & Gas Emissions Inventory 2014 Air Agencies Oil and Gas Emissions Inventory Oil & Gas Source Registration Ozone in the Uinta Basin Particulate Matter The Uinta Basin lies in the northeast corner of Utah and is bounded on the north by the Uinta Mountains, on the south by the Tavaputs …
Read MoreJump to: Emission Reductions Jurisdiction Ozone Basics Partnerships Planning Studies Ozone Mystery The Uinta Basin lies in the northeast corner of Utah and is bounded on the north by the Uinta Mountains, on the south by the Tavaputs Plateau, on the west by the Wasatch Range, and on the east by elevated terrain that separates …
Read MoreEmission inventories—databases that list, by source, the amount of air pollutants released in a specific geographical area—help determine significant sources of pollutants, track emission trends over time, direct regulatory actions and control strategies, and provide data for computer modeling. 2011 Uinta Basin Oil and Gas Emissions Estimates Technical Document (08/14/13) In 2006, Environ and the …
Read MoreAir monitoring delivers critical information to the public and scientists about ozone levels in the Uinta Basin. Monitoring data in the Basin: Helps residents protect their health during high ozone periods. Aids scientists in their efforts to understand the causes and sources of ozone pollution. Provides regulatory data for the determination of attainment/nonattainment status. Assists …
Read MoreAir quality permits issued by the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for oil and gas operations contain requirements that reduce emissions that lead to the formation of ozone. Oil and gas production accounts for 97 percent of the manmade volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the Uinta Basin, but new federal standards, state rules, and …
Read MoreThese voluntary practices include a menu of measures oil and gas operators can use to reduce emissions. These voluntary practices enhance but do not replace existing rules and regulations. Recommended Controls Enhanced Inspection and Maintenance Program Infrared (IR) Camera Conduct a representative survey of facilities and equipment with the potential for fugitive VOC emissions using …
Read MoreHigh wintertime ozone concentrations are relatively new phenomena in rural areas of the West. First observed in 2005 in the oil and gas production areas in the Upper Green River Basin (UGRB) of Wyoming, preliminary studies showed that wintertime ozone levels would spike when snow cover, sunny skies, and strong temperature inversions trapped ozone and …
Read MoreStarting in the winter of 2012, the Uinta Basin Ozone Study (UBOS) (2 MB) launched a wide-ranging research effort into the ways atmospheric chemistry and precursor gases interact to create high levels of wintertime ozone. The study was by far the largest and most complex air quality study ever conducted in Utah. This effort was …
Read MoreTeams of scientists continued their work in the Uinta Basin in 2013 to identify the sources and conditions that create ozone during winter inversions. The Division of Air Quality (DAQ) and its partners collected additional data to improve their understanding of the atmospheric chemistry that leads to the formation of wintertime ozone in the Basin. …
Read MoreThe 2014 Study focused on the ways snow chemistry and aerosol chemistry contribute to the formation of ozone. The study looked at quantifying the contribution of nitrous acid (HONO) and formaldehyde (HCHO) to the chemical reactions responsible for ozone formation. Prior studies in the Basin showed that the radical chemistry that drives ozone production is …
Read MoreTable of Contents Executive Summary Preface, Contributors and Acknowledgment Synthesis of Results Distributed Measurements of Air Quality and Meteorology Analysis of Aircraft Observations Intensive Chemical Measurements at Horse Pool Balloon-Borne Vertical Profiles of Ozone, Methane, Non-Methane Hydrocarbons, Nitrogen Oxides and Meteorological Parameters Ozone Deposition Velocity During Snow-Covered and Non-Snow-Covered Periods by Eddy Covariance Tethered Ozonesonde …
Read MoreDuring the winter of 2010-2011, the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) partnered with Utah State University Energy Dynamics Lab to study elevated winter ozone levels in the Uinta Basin. The study was done to understand the extent and behavior of winter ozone development in the Basin. Ten portable air monitors were placed throughout the Basin …
Read MoreJump to: Levels Standards SIP Reductions Proposed changes to the existing ozone standard combined with increasing incidences of high ozone values in the Uinta Basin could require further reductions in emissions from oil and gas operations. If ozone levels exceed federal air quality standards, the Basin could be designated as a nonattainment area, requiring preparation …
Read MoreRelated Links Governor Herbert’s recommendation to EPA regarding ozone nonattainment areas in Utah (2 MB) Division of Air Quality’s Analysis for the recommendation (4 MB) Ozone in the Uinta Basin 50 Summer Suggestions Regarding Ozone Frequently Asked Questions about Ozone and Your Health How Ozone is Formed Ozone in Utah: Not Always the Usual Suspects …
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