Air pollution levels in Cache Valley on the rise
Air pollution levels have been on the rise in Cache Valley and local officials met to decide how the levels can be reduced.
The City of Logan and the Bear River Health Department have formed a coalition with representatives from Cache County, the Chamber of Commerce, local businesses and the plants, soils and biometeorology department at Utah State University to educate and train the public in ways to reduce air pollution, said Grant Koford, an environmental health scientist with the Bear River Health Department.
“We want to try to stop the pollution without having mandated programs. We’ve been fairly lucky so far,” Koford said.
Air pollution levels violated federal standards in January and February 2001, and if repeat violations occur in the next two consecutive years the Environmental Protection Agency will dictate changes that must be made in Cache Valley, he said.
The EPA sets their standards based on the needs of those in the community who are in a compromised health situation, Koford said. The community is more susceptible to the air quality problems.
These standards were changes last year from 10 parts to two and one-half parts per million, Donald Jensen, a climatologist at USU, said, regarding to the number of fine particles in the atmosphere.
“The general population wouldn’t notice that much, but it will affect us whether we realize it or not,” Koford said.
People who exercise outside might notice in the winter and children seem to be a little more susceptible, Koford said.
In Salt Lake City, the school board has requested when the pollution levels get to a certain level, to be contacted to keep kids in from recess, Koford said.
If violations continue, the EPA will present officials with a list of possible solutions which they must choose from to develop an implementation plan.
Some of these changes could include monitoring emissions, emissions testing, having to use oxygenated fuels in the winter – which are more expensive – and traffic-light synchronization.
“It’s not a simple thing,” Koford said.
California, which used to have large pollution problems has reduced theirs drastically, Koford said. But the state has higher restrictions than EPA standards. This means there is restrictions on everything from lawn mowers to drive-up windows.
The primary cause of the pollution is cars, Koford said.
“It affects the whole county although it’s produced right in Logan mainly,” he said.
There are many possible solutions being looked at. Mayor Doug Thompson in particular is very much an advocate of doing things, Koford said, as is the Cache Metropolitan Committee.
“Everyone is concerned about this and wants to do something,” Koford said.
Local officials met Oct. 10 to develop an educational program to notify residents when air quality is so bad they should avoid using wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.
The program they’ve decided to implement uses red, yellow and green codes publicized through the media to let people know when it’s all right to use their wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, Koford said.
The department has been posting these codes on their Web site for the past three years, Jensen said.
“It’s not a big thing, but it might be enough that we don’t have to worry about the federal government controlling air quality here,” Koford said.
There are three levels which mean the following, Koford said.
Red means the atmospheric pollution levels are not dispersing, and burning shouldn’t be done. Those days have severe inversions, snow on the ground and are really cold. Last year there were quite a few, Koford said.
Yellow is in the middle, he said. The conditions exist which don’t allow the greatest amount of pollution to disperse. If people don’t need to burn, they shouldn’t, but if they need to, they can.
And green means conditions are adequate to burn.
Green days are the most common, Jensen said.
Koford said they hope to have this program running by Nov. 1, are still working on the logistics of it.
The department finds out weather conditions for this area and Salt Lake for inversions in particular, and they will send them to the Department of Air Quality in Salt Lake City, who will in turn send them to the media for publication daily, Jensen said.
These types of voluntary programs are already in effect along the Wasatch Front.
“We haven’t had a problem in the past in Cache County until last year,” Koford said.
The problem now is with fine particulate standards, which can get down into lungs, Koford said.
“We exceeded that [the federal limit] last year three or four times. We want to try to curb that,” Koford said. “We’ve looked at a lot of different things. This is just one thing.”
Logan is also looking at how they put salt and sand on the road, Koford said. There is a particular kind that doesn’t become airborne.
They’re also looking at going to propane powered vehicles instead of gas powered, he said.
To help with the traffic problem, they’re working on traffic light synchronism and creating more byways to keep fuel burning more efficiently, Koford said.
“It would be nice to maintain air quality like we’ve had it in the past. But with increasing traffic and miles traveled, it’s inevitable at some point in time we’ll exceed the standards, unless we take some dramatic steps,” Koford said.
When the federal government will have to step in depends on how effective and how much co-operation is given to these plans, he said.
“The next two years will be a critical time. Two more violations, and we’re toast, so to speak,” Koford said. “That’s why we’re trying to push the wood burning. There are quite a few people in Cache Valley who like wood burning stoves. If they co-operate and do it only on days when the atmosphere can handle it, that would help,” Koford said.
For more information see the climate Web Site at www.climate.usu.edu.