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Whit Johnson reporting
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans today to tighten federal air quality standards. Utah's Division of Air Quality says the change could have a significant effect on the Wasatch Front.
The announcement from the EPA came late this afternoon, although local officials had been expecting the change for several months. The current standards were enacted 10 years ago and required the amount of measurable smog, known as ozone, to fall below 80 parts per billion.
Many health experts have urged the EPA to tighten the standards, saying they do not adequately protect the public. So, the change today is for the guideline to be set at 75 parts per billion, which will have a dramatic impact on areas in Utah--especially between Box Elder and Utah counties.
"We've been fortunate the last few years. We've met the existing standard. But now given the new numbers that we're looking at, we will have some challenges ahead of us," said Cheryl Heying, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality.
Right now, numerous counties in Utah do not meet the new standards, but we're not alone. Nearly 350 counties in the United States are in the same position. Experts say the tougher standards will possibly have a noticeable impact on certain businesses and consumers.
"We're going to work hard to meet the standards. We've been in a situation in the past where we've had our challenges, and we've basically rallied. We found solutions and we met those standards," Heying said.
If Utah is unable to comply with the changes, the EPA could penalize our state by withholding federal funding for a variety of projects. Utah has until 2013 to come up with plans to meet the new requirements.
E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com
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