Officials say air still ‘unhealthy’
Despite the revelation that equipment overestimated Cache Valley air pollution levels by about 22 percent, the Bear River Health Department says Cache Valley still needs to face the problem.
Mike Weibel, spokesperson for the Bear River Health Department, said real-time air monitoring equipment gave inaccurate results last week because of humidity. The information resulted in Cache Valley’s air receiving the designation “very unhealthy.” A second official test that weighs air filters revealed the pollutant levels to be at the “unhealthy” stage.
Regardless of the distinction between “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy,” Weibel said, Cache Valley’s air pollution is still more than double the federal ceiling.
“At these levels, it’s particularly difficult for people with asthma or any respiratory or heart disease, for children and the elderly,” Weibel said. “Frankly, it’s bad for all of us to breathe.”
Weibel said the number-one contributor to the pollution is vehicles.
The health department is asking everyone to maintain their vehicles, consolidate car trips, carpool or take the bus. Only households with wood stoves as the only source of heat should be burning wood, and chimneys and stovepipes should be clean.
“Every little bit helps, and it’s going to take everyone doing a little bit,” Weibel said.
Cache Valley has had an ongoing battle to lower levels of PM 2.5 (particulate matter). A combination of weather conditions, high ammonia levels from cows, and geography traps soot and vehicle pollutants in the valley. The inversion of the past few days resulted in record highs in pollutant levels.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been monitoring Cache Valley air quality for years. If the rolling three-year average of PM 2.5 exceeds a certain level, the EPA will mandate actions to solve the problem.
“We’ve been so high for so long, I have a hard time seeing how we would not be under EPA mandates,” said Grant Koford, environmental scientist for Bear River Health Department.
Possible mandates include requiring vehicle emissions testing or a stepping up of wood-burning limit days.
Koford said the pollution levels will likely stay up until a front comes in to break it up.
“With the high pressure, it’s just not going to go away,” Koford said.
Weibel said the Bear River Health Department is especially grateful to businesses such as McDonald’s and Wells Fargo that closed their drive-thrus during the worst of the pollution, and any individuals who are choosing to drive less until the air clears up.
-heidithue@cc.usu.edu