Say goodbye to the basic Green, Yellow and Red air quality days!
Utah’s Division of Air Quality has updated their air quality alert system to more clearly and precisely communicate about action days and health alerts related to Utah’s air quality.
Tag Archives: pollution
Air Quality Grants Available
The Utah Clean Air Partnership (more commonly known as UCAIR) is now accepting proposals for their new grants program.
The purpose of the program is to provide incentives to the private sector, government entities, and individuals to reduce emissions of criteria pollutants that cause Utah’s poor air quality.
Grants will be used to promote investment by the private and public sector in emission-reducing technology, lower emission vehicles, energy efficiency and other proven methodologies for reducing or eliminating emissions, including education of the public.
The program will also encourage creative thinking and promote the development of new technology, but will be based on solid metrics and performance standards that demonstrate actual emissions reductions. A loan program will be announced at a later date.
Visit the UCAIR website for more information, and to download the application form.
Turn your key, be idle free
With fall upon us, and cooler weather in the forecast for Salt Lake City, it is the perfect time to recommit to making one small change that will have a positive impact on our air quality (and your pocketbook!) this season. Say it with us…
Turn your key, be idle free!
For over six years, Salt Lake City and its partners have promoted the voluntary Idle Free Utah campaign in schools across the valley and in every corner of the state. The campaign reminds parents to eliminate vehicle idling in school pick up zones to prevent the unhealthy buildup of air pollution in an area heavily trafficked by children.
Pollution Prevention Awards Due Tomorrow!
The Utah Pollution Prevention (P2) Association is requesting nominations for the 2013 Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention Awards.
Large Businesses or Industry, Small Businesses or Industry, and Community Involvement Programs are eligible. Special consideration will be given to businesses or organizations demonstrating Collaboration with other businesses and organizations, Employee Involvement, and Innovation and Initiation of New Programs.
These awards recognize the outstanding efforts of businesses whose practices reduce risk to Utah’s environment and to public health. To be considered organization must be able to demonstrate excellence in pollution prevention practices for the calendar year 2012.
Reductions can be achieved through practices, projects or activities that reduce pollution at the source or remove materials from the waste cycle. Pollution prevention avoids transferring waste from one environmental medium (air, land, water) to another.
Treating existing waste, installing equipment to comply with pollution control regulations, and energy recovery are not considered pollution and will not be considered for this award. Projects that focus on the environmental benefits of a product or service are not eligible.
Who is Eligible?
- Any individual
- Environmental, community, educational, or non-profit organizations
- Business
- Industry
- Agriculture
- Trade or professional organizations
- Local government
Entry Deadline: Tuesday, September 10, 2013
For Rules, a Nomination Form, and Previous Winners, visit the P2 Web Site.
Selection Criteria
2013 Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention Awards
- Activities should be true pollution prevention, not pollution control or treatment. Acceptable activities include:
- Facilities, program-wide and multimedia efforts, or outstanding projects;
- Projects must reduce waste generation, pollutant emissions or other releases at the source; recycle materials or conserve water or energy.
- Nominated program should use sound technology, be innovative and cost effective.
- Environmental benefits should be demonstrated.
- Applicant’s efforts, both inside and outside their organization, should promote pollution prevention as the preferred approach to protecting the environment and human health.
- Measurable progress should have occurred during the calendar year of 2012.
- Efforts should be able to serve as a model for other programs.
- Efforts should be taken voluntarily (in advance of regulatory requirements), but can be an innovative response to regulatory programs.
- Nominees should have a good overall environmental compliance record for two years prior to the nomination deadline.
Nomination Form
All nominees should submit a cover sheet, a one-page summary, and a narrative description. Optional supporting documentation, including charts, photographs, news clippings, news releases, publications, or other material may be included.
The cover sheet should include:
- Nominee’s name, address, and telephone number(s);
- Name, title and phone numbers(s) of a contact person to answer questions regarding the nomination;
- Name, title, organization, address, and telephone number(s) of the person/organization submitting the nomination (if not self-nominated, please be sure to notify the nominee).
The summary should include:
- A one-page overview of activities including dates when achievements occurred.
The narrative should include a description of:
- The nominee: including background information, reasons for the project or program and number of individuals involved and their efforts;
- Pollution prevention efforts, quantitative results of efforts, technological or managerial innovations, employee involvement, financial impact on operations, and costs and benefits (financial or otherwise).
Submissions must be received by Tuesday, September 10 and sent to:
Pollution Prevention Awards
Utah Pollution Prevention Association
Attn: Paul Harding
P.O. Box 144810
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4810
(801) 536-4108 Fax: (801) 536-4457
Electronic submissions may be sent to pharding@utah.gov
Summer Smog
Summer is a beautiful time in Salt Lake City. The flowers are blooming, the trees are green and the mountains offer unparalleled activities for outdoor enthusiasts and families alike. We are all so happy to say goodbye to the inversions that gunk up our winter air.
But don’t let the blue skies fool you — our valley faces air pollution challenges in the summer months, too. Ozone pollution, a different kind of pollution than our wintertime particulates (PM2.5), forms through a chemical reaction when heat and sun combine with emissions. It can aggravate asthma and impact heart and lung health.
Learn about ozone pollution and its health impacts.
State health officials recommend that on days that face poor air quality, residents exercise outdoors during the morning and evening hours. Ozone pollution often peaks sometime between noon and 6 p.m.
View current air quality conditions in Salt Lake City.
You can limit your impact on air quality by driving less. Ride UTA, walk, bike, skip a trip or even carpool. Track the trips and miles you save by using alternatives to driving alone this July through the Clear the Air Challenge and you just might win a prize for your efforts!
[VIDEOS] Get inspired by Salt Lake City residents making a positive impact on air quality.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uKEyGbu9C8&w=560&h=315]
A National Climate Action Plan
Yesterday President Obama delivered a groundbreaking speech on climate change, and unveiled a new Climate Action Plan for the country. The plan takes action to:
- Cuts Carbon Pollution in America. In 2012, U.S. carbon pollution from the energy sector fell to the lowest level in two decades even as the economy continued to grow. To build on this progress, the Obama Administration is putting in place tough new rules to cut carbon pollution—just like we have for other toxins like mercury and arsenic —so we protect the health of our children and move our economy toward American-made clean energy sources that will create good jobs and lower home energy bills.
- Prepares the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change. Even as we take new steps to cut carbon pollution, we must also prepare for the impacts of a changing climate that are already being felt across the country.
- Lead International Efforts to Address Global Climate Change. Just as no country is immune from the impacts of climate change, no country can meet this challenge alone. That is why it is imperative for the United States to couple action at home with leadership internationally. America must help forge a truly global solution to this global challenge by galvanizing international action to significantly reduce emissions, prepare for climate impacts, and drive progress through the international negotiations.
Read the full Climate Action Plan to get all of the details (PDF).
Join the conversation on Twitter with the #ActOnClimate hashtag.
Hot Issue: Air Quality
Air quality is a hot topic for residents living in Salt Lake City and along the Wasatch Front. It’s no surprise, really. With more than 22 RED air quality days on the calendar so far this year, it’s easy to count the days our air quality has been GREEN on your fingers.
Learn more about winter inversions – what they are and what we can all do.
Salt Lake City is committed to improving our air quality, and is aggressively working to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality through programs that conserve electricity and natural gas, encourage individuals to drive down their personal motor vehicle miles and reduce other sources of air pollution.
Learn more about what Salt Lake City is doing to help improve air quality.
One of the largest contributors to our air pollution is motor vehicle emissions. This is both a challenge and an opportunity. The opportunity is for residents to take simple but important actions to reduce their vehicle trips and miles. The challenge is speaks for itself.
Learn more about driving less and other green transportation options.
In addition to implementing an Idle Free Ordinance, Salt Lake City is working on new strategies that will result in real, measurable improvements in the air quality. Stay tuned for more developments.
