Cache Valley records high pollution reading
The cause of Logan’s high air pollution reading is “a bit of a mystery,” said Rick Sprott, director of the Utah Department of Air Quality (DAQ).
Sprott said small particles called PM2.5s are being studied for their origin and their effects on health, but the main cause is something the DAQ is still trying to work out.
“Most of the particles result from combustion, but we need to do more analysis. We’re puzzled about the nature of the problem,” Sprott said.
The actual sources must be verified before any long-term solution can be implemented, and there are many aspects and answers to the problem, he said.
“We need to take bites around the edge of the pie – a little measure here, a little measure there. There is no silver bullet to solve the air quality problem,” Sprott said.
Karen Borg, Logan Municipal Council chairperson, said the problem also is unclear in its extent.
Borg said, “It’s like crime and storm water. They don’t stay in the city. It’s a regional problem.”
The Feb. 7 reading of 137.5 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/ cu.m) of PM2.5 particles in Cache Valley was nearly twice the federal standard, said Utah State University professor Randy Martin in a recent Logan City Municipal Council meeting.
These particles aggravate existing respiratory problems and may cause new respiratory illness, said Grand Koford, environmental health scientist with the Bear River Health Department.
A recent report linked exposure to PM2.5s with an increase in lung cancer, he said.
The respiratory illness has a cumulative effect, Koford said, and the particles may also affect cardiovascular health to some extent.
“This is a serious problem, when the inversions in Cache Valley are worse than any place along the Wasatch Front,” Koford said. “And while it may only last for a week or two, it’s still a major problem.”
The small particles lodge in a person’s lungs and may cause mechanical scraping or provide transportation for other detrimental chemicals, Sprott said, but the extent of the results are unknown.
“It’s pretty apparent, though, that there is something that is detrimental to people. Health is one of the main causes for trying to work this out,” Sprott said.
Sprott said the pollution is seasonal.
“This is a wintertime problem,” Sprott said.
Cache Valley’s geography and meteorology are the main influences affecting inversions which help hold the pollution in the valley, Sprott said.
“We have bad news in Logan, which is surprising because it is still so pristine. But the very natural features that make it a desirable place to live give us problems in the winter. We are walled in by the mountains,” Sprott said.
The bowl created by the mountains, Sprott said, is much smaller in Cache Valley than along the Wasatch Front.
Dave McNeill, development manager for the State Implementation Plan (SIP), said there was a significant difference between Cache Valley and the Wasatch Front also because of the shape of the valley.
“Cache Valley is at the bottom of the bowl. There is no air drainage because it’s surrounded by mountains on all sides, except north to Idaho. In Salt Lake the wind blows north to south. Here there’s no opening,” McNeill said.
Sprott said air drainage from high valleys is also a factor because cold air and high pressure forms a cap that holds air and pollution close to the ground.
“The inversion is like a pressure cooker for little particles to push closer to the ground, and the dense fog makes the particles react and multiply faster,” Sprott said.
In fact, Sprott said, all the factors that relate to an inversion are more pronounced in Cache Valley because of the small valleys, snow cover and fog.
“It’s the perfect mix for particulate pollution,” Sprott said.
McNeill said SIP’s purpose is to help avoid or correct the problems caused by pollution. Sprott said the haze affects public welfare because “it’s yucky and affects the quality of life, and as a result, economics.”
“The future looks grim, and I don’t know what to do about it,” Koford said.
Cache Valley is already beginning compensation programs.
Voluntary burn days and no-drive days have been implemented, McNeill said.
Koford said more drastic measures such as oxygenated fuel, emissions testing, specific burn days, synchronized lighting, byways and small-gas engine regulations may be implemented soon.
Researchers are impressed with the cooperation by city officials, McNeill said.
Sprott said, “We’re tickled with the progress and attitude of this leadership. But the real indicators will come out of work done in the future.”
The progress Cache Valley makes will also be reflected in the number of visits by representatives from the DWQ.
“The less you see of us, the better,” Sprott said.