Pollution has increased along Wasatch Front, but there’s good news, USU study finds
Dec 4, 2024, 6:25 AM
Hazy air is seen in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. At the time, the air quality index for PM2.5 was 69, or moderate, according to AirNow.gov. Levels of fine particulate matter have decreased along the Wasatch Front in recent years, according to a report from Utah State University. (Spenser Heaps/Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Levels of fine particulate matter have decreased along the Wasatch Front in recent years even as the population has grown, according to a report from Utah State University.
The report, compiled by researchers at USU’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air, attributes those improvements over the last decade to better monitoring of air quality, clean air legislation and industry upgrades. Researchers presented their annual Land, Water and Air report to the governor, lieutenant governor and several lawmakers Tuesday morning in an effort to guide policy about the environment, land and water use in the state.
The 166-page report touched on a variety of topics from wetland restoration to the state’s snowpack, but institute executive director Brian Steed led off by discussing air quality.
“Obviously, we have some work to do here,” he said, noting the inversion that blanketed the valley during his commute.
The good news, he said, is that the amount of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns across — in the air has been trending downward over the past decade.
“That’s actually pretty amazing when you look at the numbers themselves,” Steed said.
Read the full story and more from Bridger Beal-Cvetko on ksl.com.
