Air quality in Utah

rdf:langString Air quality in Utah

rdf:langString SLC historical AQI

rdf:langString Utah county historical AQI

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rdf:langString Days in various AQI categories for SLC and Utah county. Approximately half of the days are not in the "Good" category .

rdf:langString SLC AQI 2000-2018.png

rdf:langString Utah county AQI 2000-2018.png

rdf:langString Air quality in Utah is often some of the worst in the United States. Poor air quality in Utah is due to the mountainous topography which can cause pollutants to build up near the surface (especially during inversions) combined with the prevalence of emissions from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, especially older models. Burning wood fuel for home heating can also contribute significantly to poor air quality. Homes heated with wood contribute about 3000 times the amount of pollution as homes heated with natural gas. About 50% of air pollution in Salt Lake County is from vehicles. In 2017 the American Lung Association (ALA) ranked Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem area as the 14th worst city for ozone air quality in the U.S. and 8th for worst short-term particle pollution, just after Los Angeles. Logan was ranked the 11th worst city for short-term particle pollution. Of the 12 counties with ozone data from 2014 to 2016, 7 received an "F" grade by the ALA, and 6 of 9 counties monitored received an "F" for particulate pollution. An MIT study estimated that over 450 deaths annually in Utah are due to poor air quality. Utah has had mixed responses to poor air quality. For example, from 2015 to 2016 the state offered up to a $1500 credit for clean fuel vehicles However, in 2019 Utah began imposing an additional registration fee on clean fuel vehicles that will increase to $120 annually by 2021.