Logan barely in the clear with EPA
Cache County and Logan City governments are doing whatever is needed to make sure local residents won’t face mandatory auto-emissions testing, said Cache County Executive Lynn Lemon Wednesday.
Logan’s official air quality test results, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency last week, state the valley’s air pollution levels are barely meeting the standard, Logan Mayor Doug Thompson said.
“The results tell us we made it under the limits, but just slightly,” he said. “So we will be getting together to discuss what we did right and what went well this winter, along with what didn’t go so well.”
The test results concluded Cache Valley’s air pollution is at less than 2.5 microns, so the city continues in its past state of attainment. If the air quality was measured at more than 2.5 microns, Logan would have reached non-attainment and major changes, such as emissions testing, would have been enforced to improve test results, Thompson said.
“We are still investigating the things we can do to improve our air quality,” Lemon said. “We are finding out what it will cost to set up emissions testing centers and the things involved with such an act.”
“Our plan of action is very comprehensive,” Thompson said. “I think we will very likely be doing voluntary emissions testing in the future, we just don’t know exactly when it will happen.”
He said implementing a voluntary program is much more complicated than what was originally thought, but the idea is still the most effective for alleviating pollution.
Under a voluntary testing program, he said if a car does not get tested or fails the test, that driver will not be legally permitted to drive on red burn days.
Thompson said the most effective thing Utah State University students can do is reduce driving as much as possible and use alternative forms of transportation like the bus system and carpooling.
“If driving is a must, students should drive the most energy efficient vehicle they can,” he said.
Lemon said the county is doing their part to help reduce the number of vehicles on the road, as well.
“One of the things we are doing is meeting with all the departments in the county to advise them on eliminating driving, especially on red burn days,” he said. “If we want area residents to help alleviate this pollution, we need to do our part.”
He said he has met with building inspectors, the county assessor, the roads department and law enforcement to limit their amount of driving to little or nothing on red burn days.
“We have told all our departments that if they can get by without driving on red burn days, even if it takes a little bit of sacrifice, it needs to be done,” he said.
Thompson said air quality improvements strategies will be implemented as soon as a plausible plan is put in place.
“We are not going to put this off, I just don’t know exactly what approach we are going to take,” he said.
-lexiek@cc.usu.edu