By Jared Mendenhall The Uinta Basin drew little interest from European settlers when they reached the Great Basin. In fact, the Deseret News reported that the basin was a “vast contiguity of waste…valueless excepting for nomadic purposes, hunting grounds for Indians and to hold the world together.” This all changed in 1948 when oil was …
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The Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) is leading a new effort to improve estimates of the speciation of organic compound emissions from Uinta Basin oil and gas wells. Utah State University (USU) will work with UDAQ to collect and analyze pressurized gas and liquid samples from oil and gas well separators, as well as conduct data processing and analysis.
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 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 …
Read MoreBy Scott Baird The whirlwind of Utah’s 45 day legislative session is over, the dust has settled, and we at the Department of Environmental Quality want to thank you for helping this session to be a success. The appropriations and legislation approved in this session will ensure that the Department can continue its ongoing work …
Read MoreBy Scott Baird The 2017 Utah Legislature kicked off its 45-day session last week, marking the start of an exciting and occasionally hectic time for all of us at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Although we are neutral players in the legislative process, our directors and scientists are available 24/7 to answer questions, …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler They are unknown to the vast majority of Utahns. Yet the quality of life in rural Utah depends on them each and every day. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) employs four engineers, each one assigned to different corners of the state to ensure that tap water is clean, sewer …
Read MoreBy Donna Kemp Spangler You don’t have to be an air quality expert to know that Utah’s mountain-and-valley topography creates wintertime inversions and summertime smog. It’s a matter of atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, and source emissions that are a recipe for unhealthy air. As one air scientist is fond of saying, “What goes out your tailpipe …
Read MoreBy Craig Anderson, Guest Blogger 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. What do attorneys do for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)? What is our role? What are our successes? I …
Read MoreBy Amanda Smith State agencies compile huge amounts of data. What if we could share that data with other agencies so we could do our work more efficiently? What if this combined information could make it easier for businesses to identify risks for development projects? What if we could view this information as layers on …
Read MoreBy Amanda Smith Last year, Governor Herbert launched his SUCCESS Framework, a set of management principles designed to improve quality and efficiency in government. We embraced these principles at DEQ, and over the past year we have implemented process improvements that have increased both our efficiency and our effectiveness. At DEQ, we define success as …
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