While the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to escalate the ozone nonattainment status for the Uintah Basin and Wasatch Front will come with serious costs, it is unlikely to reduce ozone, according to an assessment from the Utah Petroleum Association. The latest Utah Petroleum newsletter outlines the efforts being made to reduce ozone and the resulting data. “Our industry is comprised of people who live, work and play here, so it’s only natural that we would all have an interest in remedying this issue,” shares the report. “That’s why our refineries have made multimillion-dollar investments resulting in double digit reductions in air emissions within their fencelines and delivered on their commitment to produce Tier 3 fuels that drive down the amount of pollutants emitted by our vehicles. That’s also why we’ve worked with the team at Bingham Research Center for a little more than three years to help with air quality issues using an alert system for ozone levels that includes forecasting.” The Latch the Hatch is another program that reduces emissions. Still, the EPA issued their “parting gifts”, shares President of the Utah Petroleum Association Rikki Hrenko-Browning, without public comment.
