Logan air pollution exceeds federal standards
Logan’s air quality is worse than some places along the Wasatch Front, said Rick Sprott, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality.
Sprott was a guest at the March 6 Logan City Council Meeting, and presented facts about small particulates called PM2.5 in the air, their quantities and the health hazards they present.
The annual averages for Logan are 15.9 nanograms per meter cubed (ng/cu.m) of air, and Northern Provo’s average is 12.4, according to information presented by Sprott.
Utah State University professor Randy Martin also presented information about daily rates for PM2.5s.
Sprott said the Federal Standard is 65. In February 2002, Logan’s particulates reached 137.5 ng/cu.m, Martin said.
“That’s close to the record, unfortunately,” Martin said.
Logan has exceeded federal limits two years in a row during the winter months due to the influence of temperature inversions, Martin said.
Hansen ended the presentation by saying, “There’s more to come.”
Other items on the agenda at the meeting included a unanimous vote in favor of a $9,045,000 bond resolution to facilitate building of the engineered wetlands.
“Basically we have a motion and a second to spend over $9 million,” Borg said of the action.
“Actually, it’s more like $13 million and some change,” Kent Mitchy of Zion Finance, said.
Council member Stephen Thompson expressed concern that in building the wetlands, the city was about to “invest in another white elephant.”
Hansen said he is very comfortable it is the right thing to do.
Jeff John from the Logan River Golf Course (LRGC) presented a plan to increase course fees by 50 cents to $1, averaging a $52,000 increase in revenue.
The increases are necessary to offset deterioration the course is expecting to see within the next few years, John said, but LRGC’s price is still competitive in the golf market.
Tami Pyfer, council member and golfer, said, “It’s a small price to pay to golf on Logan River.”
The employee of the month was Fire Chief Peterson, Mayor Doug Thompson announced. Numerous firefighters stood and clapped when the announcement was made.
Logan City Parks and Recreation representative Scott Huskinson presented information on Litter-Free Logan, the city’s anti-litter campaign.
“Logan should be a place for us to call home,” Huskinson said.
Huskinson said activities for the event will include a logo and slogan contest at Mount Logan Middle School, presentations and painting garbage cans to encourage recycling.
The program, Huskinson said, is to help facilitate implementation of a mission statement from the Mayor’s Office.
Huskinson also reported 841 participants in this year’s Junior Jazz Program, and said the program showed great potential for growth.
The council members entertained discussion about moving the meeting time to 5:15 p.m., but due to council members’ schedules, left it as scheduled.