On May 1st, the Environmental Protection Agency announced areas of nonattainment for ozone pollution including parts of the Uintah Basin in Duchesne and Uintah County. Director of the USU Bingham Research Center Seth Lyman explains that “the designation made was Marginal which is the lowest and least onerous of the possible nonattainment classifications. This means that the offset requirements are less and that DAQ and EPA don’t have to make an official, rigid plan about how to achieve attainment. Instead, marginal allows more flexibility in dealing with the issue.” The EPA allows for a three year window to come into attainment. If that doesn’t happen, then the areas in nonattainment will be bumped up to the moderate level. Additional air emission regulations for the oil and gas industry can be expected in the next 1 to 3 years, says Dr. Lyman. Large new emission sources will also now be required to offset their emissions before they can begin operation. Dr. Lyman says this means they will have to find a way to reduce emissions from other sources so that after the new facility comes on line, the net emissions into the Basin are a little bit less than before.
