By Jared Mendenhall In December 2017, when the Wasatch Front choked on a ten-day-long inversion that clogged the valleys with PM2.5 pollution, more than 50,000 Utah residents stayed on top of air-quality conditions by using the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) mobile app: UtahAir. UtahAir delivers hourly air-quality data for two pollutants, PM2.5 and …
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By Jared Mendenhall Resourcefulness is as much a part of the frontier ethos as individualism. Coming up with ingenious solutions to life’s problems — on the cheap — is an essential skill in the rural expanses of the American West. Jordan Mathis, health officer and executive director of TriCounty Health Department, understands this. In fact, …
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By Donna Kemp Spangler Many people have said to me this summer, “It seems like we’ve had a lot of unhealthy air days.” Turns out, it’s true. Utah is experiencing the worst air pollution, particularly ozone, in a decade. Record heat and massive wildfires have taken their toll on Utah’s air. As a result, the …
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By Whitney Oswald The Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) Division of Air Quality (DAQ) believes sound science leads to good decisions and effective regulations. That’s why we conduct research on complex air-quality issues — to identify causes and find solutions. For example, we’ve seen an increase in winter ozone levels in the Uinta Basin in recent years, and …
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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, …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler School’s out and outdoor activities are in. It’s also the time of the year that the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) tackles Utah’s other air-quality demon – ozone. And it’s a battle that’s harder to fight. Unlike the visible winter inversions that trap the fine particulate pollution …
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