Among the presentations at the Vernal Chamber luncheon this week was Bingham Research Center Director Dr. Seth Lyman, providing an update on the air quality and ozone issues in the Uintah Basin. Lyman gave a breakdown of what the air quality work of the Bingham Research Center is all about, namely to better understand the chemistry in the atmosphere and provide that information to those that make regulatory decisions with the hope of reducing ozone. This is a pursuit that Lyman says is important to not only our human health here in the Uintah Basin but also our economic health as the economy is strongly tied to the oil and gas industry. Projects they are currently involved with include measuring emissions from natural gas fuel engines that power pump jacks, the ongoing work of taking measurements of air samples throughout the Uintah Basin in order to track and share up to date air quality information, and finally they are working with Rocky Mountain Power to explore ways that expanding access to electric power could reduce emissions. Get up to date air quality info at www.UBair.usu.edu.
