Historical Utah environmental information, 1919-2016

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State environmental policy
U.S. environmental policy
Endangered species policy
State endangered species
Federal land policy
Environmental terms

The historical environmental information below applies to prior years. For more current information regarding environmental policy in Utah, see this article.

Land ownership

See also: Federal land policy and Federal land ownership by state

The federal government owned between 635 million and 640 million acres of land in 2012 (about 28 percent) of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Around 52 percent of federally owned acres were in 12 Western states—including Alaska, 61 percent of which was federally owned. In contrast, the federal government owned 4 percent of land in the other 38 states. Federal land policy is designed to manage minerals, oil and gas resources, timber, wildlife and fish, and other natural resources found on federal land. Land management policies are highly debated for their economic, environmental and social impacts. Additionally, the size of the federal estate and the acquisition of more federal land are major issues.

According to the Congressional Research Service, Utah spans 52.6 million acres. Of that total, 66.5 percent, or 35.03 million acres, belonged to the federal government as of 2012. More than 17 million acres in Utah are not owned by the federal government, or 6.09 non-federal acres per capita. From 1990 to 2010, the federal government's land ownership in Utah increased by 1.45 million acres.

The table below shows federal land ownership in Utah compared to its neighbor, Nevada, and a northeastern state, Maine, as a comparison.

Federal land ownership in Utah and other states by agency
State
Agency	Utah		Nevada		Maine
	Acres owned	Percentage owned	Acres owned	Percentage owned	Acres owned	Percentage owned
U.S. Forest Service	8,207,415	23.43%	5,764,262	10.12%	53,709	25.61%
U.S. National Park Service	2,097,106	5.99%	774,751	1.36%	66,898	31.90%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	107,855	0.31%	2,335,400	4.10%	65,987	31.46%
U.S. Bureau of Land Management	22,854,937	65.24%	47,805,923	83.93%	0	0.00%
U.S. Department of Defense	1,766,260	5.04%	281,442	0.49%	23,141	11.03%
Total federal land	35,033,603	100%	56,961,778	100%	209,735	100%
Source: Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data"

The following tables lists federal land ownership in Utah (left) and state land ownership (right).

Federal land ownership in Utah						State land ownership in Utah
Agency						Agency
Forest Service	National Park Service	Fish and Wildlife Service	Bureau of Land Management	Department of Defense		Parks and Recreation	Wildlife Reserve	State Trust Lands	Sovereign Lands
Acres					Total	Acres				Total
8,207,415	2,097,106	107,885	22,854,937	1,766,260	35,033,603	73,371	388,003	3,504,691	1,500,000	5,466,065
Percent of total federal land in Utah					Total	Percent of total state land in Utah				Total
23.43%	5.99%	0.31%	65.24%	5.04%	100%	1.34%	7.09%	64.11%	27.44%	100%

Land usage

Recreation

National parks in Utah

Utah has five National Park Service units, seven national monuments, seven national forests, 33 wilderness areas, one national recreation area, one national historic site, four national historic trails, two national conservation areas and 18 national recreation trails. Utah has 43 state parks managed by the Utah State Parks, a division of the Department of Natural Resources. A study by the U.S. National Park Service found that 8.9 million visitors attended Utah's national parks and monuments and generated $596.5 million in visitor spending in 2013.

The chart below lists Utah's five national parks. The parks below are some of the more famous national parks in the United States. Visitor spending, jobs and income data in the table below were collected by Headwaters Economics, an "independent, nonprofit research group."

Federal lands in Utah

Name	Image	Acreage	Established	Visitation (2013)	Visitor spending (2013)	Jobs (2013)	Income (2013)
Arches National Park		76,359	November 12, 1971	3,188,030	$381,763,000	5,300	$156,657,000
Bryce Canyon National Park		35,835	September 15, 1928	1,311,875	$105,746,000	1,442	$39,073,000
Canyonlands National Park		337,598	September 12, 1964	462,242	$26,316,000	350	$9,392,000
Capitol Reef National Park		241,904	December 18, 1971	663,670	$45,086,00	555	$15,178,000
Zion National Park		148,733	November 19, 1919	2,807,387	$147,052,000	1,763	$73,084,000

State recreation lands

The table below lists Utah's state parks along with 2013 visitor data.

State parks in Utah
State park name	Yearly visits (2013)
Anasazi State Park Museum	19,166
Antelope Island State Park	307,239
Bear Lake State Park	185,113
Camp Floyd State Park Museum	12,527
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park	64,429
Dead Horse Point State Park	266,264
Deer Creek State Park	225,873
East Canyon State Park	64,410
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum	9,655
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park	53,314
Flight Park State Recreation Area	70,959
Fremont Indian State Park and Museum	N/A
Frontier Homestead State Park Museum	12,827
Goblin Valley State Park	94,222
Goosenecks State Park	28,891
Great Salt Lake State Park	136,530
Green River State Park	35,481
Gunlock State Park	36,474
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail	N/A
Huntington State Park	38,048
Hyrum State Park	83,525
Jordan River OHV Center	13,968
Jordanelle State Park	261,572
Kodachrome Basin State Park	66,858
Millsite State Park	20,614
Otter Creek State Park	36,654
Palisade State Park	135,272
Piute State Park	7,983
Quail Creek State Park	58,555
Red Fleet State Park	28,647
Rockport State Park	105,716
Sand Hollow State Park	225,849
Scofield State Park	36,561
Snow Canyon State Park	292,333
Starvation State Park	79,966
Steinaker State Park	27,733
Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum	14,784
This Is The Place Heritage Park	N/A
Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum	48,680
Utah Lake State Park	234,032
Wasatch Mountain State Park	358,095
Willard Bay State Park	144,007
Yuba State Park	112,218
Source: Utah State Parks, "Division of Parks and Recreation 2013 Visitation Data"

Economic impact of state lands

The Utah State Parks division released its data on the economic impact of Utah's state parks. The division highlighted the economic activity and tax revenue generated by state and local park tourism, such as the following:

“	Generating $9.85 in local economic impact for every $1 of general fund appropriation Generating $67 million in state economic benefit through day-use, camping and golf Paying $11.2 million to individual counties in 2010 property tax for off-highway vehicles and boats Collecting and paying more than $1 million in state and local taxes to counties and communities	”
—Utah State Parks Division

Impact of sagebrush recreation

According to a 2013 study published by the Western Values Project and Pew Charitable Trusts, there were 5.3 million visitors to BLM-controlled sagebrush lands in Utah in 2013, which generated around $39.2 million in economic activity at local communities within 50 miles of recreation sites on sagebrush lands. A total of $59.6 million in economic activity was generated in 2013 from recreation on Utah sagebrush lands. The study defined recreation spending as "expenditures on food, fuel, and other goods and services" within 50 miles of recreation sites. The study did not include the administrative costs of managing sagebrush land.

Economic activity on federal lands

Oil and gas activity

See also: BLM oil and gas leases by state

Private mining companies, including oil and natural gas companies, can apply for leases from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to explore and produce energy on federal land. The company seeking a lease must nominate the land for oil and gas exploration to the BLM, which evaluates and approves the lease. The BLM State Offices make leasing decisions based on its land use plans, which contain information on the land's resources and the potential environmental impact of oil or gas exploration. If federal lands are approved for leasing, the BLM requires an application from the company containing information on how the exploration, drilling and production will be conducted. Afterward, the BLM will produce an environmental analysis and a list of requirements before work on the land can begin. The agency also inspects the companies' drilling and producing on the leased lands.

In 2013, there were 47,427 active oil and gas leases covering 36.09 million acres of land. Of that total, 3,574 leases (7.5 percent of all leases), covering 3.821 million acres (10.5 percent of all leased land in 2013), were in Utah. In 2013, out of 3,770 new drilling leases approved nationwide by the BLM for oil and gas exploration, 965 leases (25.59 percent) were in Utah.

The table below shows how Utah compared to neighboring states in oil and gas permits on BLM-managed lands in 2013. Utah had more active leases than Arizona and Nevada but fewer than Colorado.

Oil and gas leasing on BLM lands by state
State	Active permits on BLM lands (FY 2013)	Total acres under lease (FY 2013)	State percentage of total permits	State percentage of total acres
Utah	3,574	3,821,792	7.54%	10.59%
Arizona	27	39,562	0.06%	0.11%
Colorado	4,963	3,915,506	10.46%	10.85%
Nevada	1,881	3,732,390	3.97%	10.34%
Total United States	47,427 permits	36,092,482 acres	-	-
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Statistics"

Grazing permits

See also: Grazing permits on federal land

Sheep grazing on BLM lands in Worland, Wyoming in 1940

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages livestock grazing on 155 million acres of its public lands. Nationally, the BLM oversees about 18,000 permits and leases that allow ranchers to graze their livestock, mostly sheep and cows, on BLM-managed lands. The permits and leases overseen by the BLM are valid for 10 years and the fees are based on the number of animals the rancher has on the land. To track these animals the BLM created what are called Animal Unit Months (AUMs), or "the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow, five sheep, or five goats for a month." Since 1954, grazing on public lands has declined, from 18.2 million AUMs to 7.9 million AUMs in 2013. Holding a grazing permit requires the applicant to own or control the property used for grazing. The applicant may also offer other privately owned property used for grazing by submitting a separate application. The terms and conditions in a grazing permit control how livestock must be used on BLM lands.

The table compares the grazing permits in the 10 states where permits are issued.

Grazing on BLM lands (March 2011)
State	BLM land (acres)	Grazing allotments	Grazing permits	Animal unit months (AUMs) of livestock use
Utah	22,854,937	1,410	1,462	1,300,000
Arizona	12,203,495	824	759	659,990
Alaska	72,958,757	15	N/A	N/A
California	15,306,243	699	572	525,000
Colorado	8,332,001	2,500	1,500	N/A
Idaho	11,610,111	N/A	199	832,000
Nevada	47,805,923	745	635	1,100,000
Oregon	16,134,191	N/A	753	960,288
South Dakota	274,437	504	N/A	73,800
Washington	429,156	N/A	266 (leases)	32,976
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Fact Sheet on the BLM's Management of Livestock Grazing"

Payments in lieu of taxes

See also: Payments in lieu of taxes

Since local governments cannot collect taxes on federally owned property, the U.S. Department of the Interior issues payments to local governments to replace lost property tax revenue from federal land. The payments, known as "Payments in Lieu of Taxes" (PILTs), are typically used for funding services such as fire departments, police protection, school construction and roads.

The table below shows PILTs for Utah compared to neighboring states between 2011 and 2013. Utah received more PILTs than neighboring states in 2013.

Total PILTs for Utah and neighboring states
State	FY 2011	FY 2012	FY 2013	State's percentage of 2013 total
Utah	$34,659,277	$36,038,626	$35,391,052	8.81%
Arizona	$31,546,890	$32,886,575	$32,203,852	8.02%
Colorado	$27,022,334	$27,724,576	$31,986,266	7.96%
Nevada	$22,942,298	$23,917,845	$23,331,913	5.81%
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, "PILT"

State trust lands

State trust lands are highlighted in blue

The School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration raises revenue from Utah trust lands to fund endowments for state educational institutions. The largest beneficiary is the Utah public school system, with 96 percent of all trust lands held for its benefit. The administration raises the revenue from oil, mineral and gas leases, as well as rents and royalties. Revenue also comes from real estate development and sales, leases, and easements. The Utah State Treasurer invests individual trust funds from the trust lands administration and distributes the income to the program's beneficiaries.

Other beneficiaries of the program include the following:

• Public buildings
• Miners Hospital at the University of Utah
• Reservoirs
• School of Mines
• Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
• State Hospital
• University of Utah
• Utah State University
• Juvenile Justice Services

Legislation and regulation

Federal laws

Clean Air Act

The federal Clean Air Act requires each state to meet federal standards for air pollution. Under the act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversees national air quality standards aimed at limiting pollutants from chemical plants, steel mills, utilities, and industrial factories. Individual states can enact stricter air standards if they choose, though each state must adhere to the EPA's minimum pollution standards. States implement federal air standards through a state implementation plan (SIP), which must be approved by the EPA.

Clean Water Act

The federal Clean Water Act is meant to address and maintain the physical, chemical, and biological status of the waters of the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates water pollution sources and provides financial assistance to states and municipalities for water quality programs.

According to research done by The New York Times using annual averages from 2004 to 2007, Utah had 119.8 facilities that were regulated annually by the Clean Water Act. An average of 53.5 facilities violated the act annually from 2004 to 2007 in Utah, and the EPA enforced the act an average of 3.3 times a year in the state. This information, published by the Times in 2009, was the most recent information on the subject as of October 2014.

The table below shows how Utah compared to neighboring states in The New York Times study, including the number of regulated facilities, facility violations, and the annual average of enforcement actions against regulated facilities between 2004 and 2007.

New York Times Clean Water Act study, 2004-2007
State	Number of facilities regulated	Facility violations	Annual average enforcement actions
Utah	119.8	53.5	3.3
Arizona	158	61.1	1.2
Colorado	351.8	232.7	6.5
Nevada	91.3	5.2	5.2
Source: The New York Times, "Clean Water Act Violations: The Enforcement Record"

Endangered Species Act

In 1971, two years before Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, the Utah State Legislature passed the Wildlife Resources Code, which created the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to conserve, manage and protect wildlife in the state. The federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 provides for the identification, listing, and protection of both threatened and endangered species and their habitats. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the law was designed to prevent the extinction of vulnerable plant and animal species through the development of recovery plans and the protection of critical habitats. ESA administration and enforcement are the responsibility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Federally listed species in Utah

There were 43 endangered and threatened animal and plant species believed to or known to occur in Utah as of July 2015.

The table below lists the 18 endangered and threatened animal species believed to or known to occur in the state. When an animal species has the word "Entire" after its name, that species will be found all throughout the state.

Endangered animal species in Utah
Status	Species
Endangered	Ambersnail, Kanab (Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis)
Endangered	Chub, bonytail (Gila elegans)
Endangered	Chub, humpback (Gila cypha)
Endangered	Chub, Virgin River (Gila seminuda (=robusta))
Threatened	Cuckoo, yellow-billed (Coccyzus americanus)
Endangered	Ferret, black-footed (Mustela nigripes)
Endangered	Flycatcher, southwestern willow (Empidonax traillii extimus)
Threatened	Lynx, Canada (Lynx canadensis)
Threatened	Owl, Mexican spotted (Strix occidentalis lucida)
Endangered	Pikeminnow (=squawfish), Colorado (Ptychocheilus lucius)
Threatened	Prairie dog, Utah (Cynomys parvidens)
Threatened	sage-grouse, Gunnison (Centrocercus minimus)
Endangered	Sucker, June (Chasmistes liorus)
Endangered	Sucker, razorback (Xyrauchen texanus)
Threatened	Tortoise, desert (Gopherus agassizii)
Threatened	trout, Greenback Cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki stomias)
Threatened	Trout, Lahontan cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi)
Endangered	Woundfin (Plagopterus argentissimus)
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Endangered and threatened species in Utah"

The table below lists the 25 endangered and threatened plant species believed to or known to occur in the state.

Endangered plant species in Utah
Status	Species
Endangered	Bear-poppy, Dwarf (Arctomecon humilis)
Endangered	Bladderpod, kodachrome (Lesquerella tumulosa)
Endangered	Buttercup, autumn (Ranunculus aestivalis (=acriformis))
Threatened	cactus, Pariette (Sclerocactus brevispinus)
Endangered	Cactus, San Rafael (Pediocactus despainii)
Threatened	Cactus, Siler pincushion (Pediocactus (=Echinocactus,=Utahia) sileri)
Threatened	cactus, Uinta Basin hookless (Sclerocactus wetlandicus)
Threatened	Cactus, Winkler (Pediocactus winkleri)
Endangered	Cactus, Wright fishhook (Sclerocactus wrightiae)
Threatened	Cycladenia, Jones (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii)
Threatened	Ladies'-tresses, Ute (Spiranthes diluvialis)
Endangered	mallow, Gierisch (Sphaeralcea gierischii)
Threatened	Milk-vetch, Deseret (Astragalus desereticus)
Threatened	Milk-vetch, heliotrope (Astragalus montii)
Endangered	Milk-vetch, Holmgren (Astragalus holmgreniorum)
Endangered	Milk-vetch, Shivwits (Astragalus ampullarioides)
Threatened	Milkweed, Welsh's (Asclepias welshii)
Endangered	Phacelia, clay (Phacelia argillacea)
Threatened	Primrose, Maguire (Primula maguirei)
Endangered	Reed-mustard, Barneby (Schoenocrambe barnebyi)
Threatened	Reed-mustard, clay (Schoenocrambe argillacea)
Endangered	Reed-mustard, shrubby (Schoenocrambe suffrutescens)
Endangered	Ridge-cress, Barneby (Lepidium barnebyanum)
Threatened	Sedge, Navajo (Carex specuicola)
Threatened	Townsendia, Last Chance (Townsendia aprica)
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Endangered and threatened species in Utah"

State-listed species in Utah

Under Utah law, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources manages a list of the state's "sensitive species." Species that may qualify include all federally listed species, all candidates for federal listing and all species with federal conservation agreements with private landowners. Another type of species qualified for listing, "species of concern," includes all wildlife for which there is evidence of a threat to their population's survival. A list of Utah's sensitive species as of March 2011 can be found here.

Enforcement

See also: Enforcement at the EPA

Utah is part of the EPA's Region 8, which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

The EPA enforces federal standards on air, water and hazardous chemicals. The EPA takes administrative action against violators of environmental laws, or brings civil and/or criminal lawsuits, often with the goal of collecting penalties/fines and demanding compliance with laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. In 2013, the EPA estimated that 9.2 million pounds of pollution, which includes air pollution, water contaminants, and hazardous chemicals, were "reduced, treated or eliminated" and 7.04 million cubic yards of soil and water were treated in Region 8. Additionally, 152 enforcement cases were initiated, and 161 enforcement cases were concluded in fiscal year 2013. In fiscal year 2012, the EPA collected $252 million in criminal fines and civil penalties from the private sector nationwide. In fiscal year 2013, the EPA collected $1.1 billion in criminal fines and civil penalties from the private sector nationwide, primarily due to the $1 billion settlement from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill along the Gulf Coast in 2010. The EPA only publishes nationwide data and does not provide state or region-specific information on the amount of fines and penalties it collects during a fiscal year.

Mercury and air toxics standards

See also: Mercury and air toxics standards

The EPA on mercury capture systems

The EPA enforces mercury and air toxics standards (MATS), which are national limits on mercury, chromium, nickel, arsenic and acidic gases from coal- and oil-fired power plants. Power plants are required to have certain technologies to limit these pollutants. In December 2011, the EPA issued greater restrictions on the amount of mercury and other toxic pollutants produced by power plants. As of 2014, approximately 580 power plants, including 1,400 oil- and coal-fired electric-generating units, fell under the federal rule. The EPA has claimed that power plants account for 50 percent of mercury emissions, 75 percent of acidic gases and around 20 to 60 percent of toxic metal emissions in the United States. All coal- and oil-fired power plants with a capacity of 25 megawatts or greater are subject to the standards. The EPA has claimed that the standards will "prevent up to 22 premature deaths in Utah while creating up to $180 million in health benefits in 2016."

In 2014, the EPA released a study examining the economic, environmental, and health impacts of the MATS standards nationwide. Other organizations have released their own analyses about the effects of the MATS standards. Below is a summary of the studies on MATS and their effects as of November 2014.

EPA study
In 2014, the EPA reported that its MATS rule would prevent roughly 11,000 premature deaths and 130,000 asthma attacks nationwide. The agency also anticipated between $37 billion and $90 billion in "improved air quality benefits" annually. For the rule's cost, the EPA estimated that annual compliance fees for coal- and oil-fired power plants would reach $9.6 billion.

NERA study
A 2012 study published by NERA Economic Consulting, a global consultancy group, reported that annual compliance costs in the electricity sector would total $10 billion in 2015 and nearly $100 billion cumulatively up through 2034. The same study found that the net impact of the MATS rule in 2015 would be the income equivalent of 180,000 fewer jobs. This net impact took into account the job gains associated with the building and refitting of power plants with new technology.

Superfund sites

The EPA established the Superfund program as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980.The Superfund program focuses on uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites nationwide. The EPA inspects waste sites and establishes cleanup plans for them. The federal government can compel the private entities responsible for a waste site to clean the site or face penalties. If the federal government cleans a waste site, it can force the responsible party to reimburse the EPA or other federal agencies for the cleanup's cost. Superfund sites include oil refineries, smelting facilities, mines and other industrial areas. As of October 2014, there were 1,322 Superfund sites nationwide. A total of 54 Superfund sites reside in Region 8, with an average of 9 sites per state. There were 16 Superfund sites in Utah as of October 2014.

Economic impact

EPA studies
The Environmental Protection Agency publishes studies to evaluate the impact and benefits of its policies. Other studies may dispute the agency's findings or state the costs of its policies.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent federal agency, the Superfund program received an average of almost $1.2 billion annually in appropriated funds between the years 1981 and 2009, adjusted for inflation. The GAO estimated that the trust fund of the Superfund program decreased from $5 billion in 1997 to $137 million in 2009. The Superfund program received an additional $600 million in federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus bill.

In March 2011, the EPA claimed that the Superfund program produced economic benefits nationwide. Because Superfund sites are added and removed from a prioritized list on a regular basis, the total number of Superfund sites since the program's inception in 1980 is unknown. Based on a selective study of 373 Superfund sites cleaned up since the program's inception, the EPA estimated the following economic benefits as a result of the program:

• 2,240 private businesses,
• $32.6 billion in annual sales from new businesses
• 70,144 jobs
• $4.9 billion in annual employment income.

Other studies were published detailing the costs associated with the Superfund program. According to the Property and Environment Research Center, a free market-oriented policy group based in Montana, the EPA spent over $35 billion on the Superfund program between 1980 and 2005.

Environmental impact

In a March 2011 study, the EPA claimed that the Superfund program results in healthier environments surrounding former waste sites. The study analyzed the program's health and ecological benefits and focused on former landfills, mining areas and abandoned dumps that were cleaned up and renovated. As of January 2009, out of the approximately 500 former Superfund sites used for the study, roughly 10 percent became recreational or commercial sites. Other former Superfund sites in the study became wetlands, meadows, streams, scenic trails, parks, and habitats for plants and animals.

Carbon emissions

See also: Climate change, Greenhouse gas and Greenhouse gas emissions by state

In 2011, Utah ranked 31st nationwide in carbon emissions. Carbon emissions have steadily increased in Utah since 1990. Emissions peaked in 2007 when 70 million metric tons of CO₂ were released. The electric power sector emitted just over half of the state's CO₂ in 2011. Transportation accounted for around one-quarter of emissions. The industrial, residential and commercial sectors accounted for the remainder.

Carbon dioxide emissions in Utah (in million metric tons). Data was compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Carbon dioxide emissions in Utah by sector

Pollution from energy use

Pollution from energy use includes three common air pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. These and other pollutants are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are federal standards limiting pollutants that can harm human health in significant concentrations. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is also regulated by the EPA, but it is excluded here since it is not one of the pollutants originally regulated under the Clean Air Act for its harm to human health.

Industries and motor vehicles emit carbon monoxide directly when they use energy. Nitrogen dioxide forms from the emissions of automobiles, power plants and other sources. Ground level ozone (also known as tropospheric ozone) is not emitted but is the product of chemical reactions between nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic chemicals. The EPA tracks these and other pollutants from monitoring sites across the United States. The data below shows nationwide and regional trends for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone between 2000 and 2014. States with consistent climates and weather patterns were grouped together by the EPA to make up each region.

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas produced from combustion processes, e.g., when gasoline reacts rapidly with oxygen and releases exhaust; the majority of national CO emissions come from mobile sources like automobiles. CO can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and at very high levels can cause death. CO concentrations are measured in parts per million (ppm). Since 1994, federal law prohibits CO concentrations from exceeding 9 ppm during an eight-hour period more than once per year.

The chart below compares the annual average concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) in the Southern and Southwestern regions of the United States between 2000 and 2014. Carbon monoxide concentrations are measured in parts per million (ppm). States with consistent climates and weather patterns were grouped together by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which collects these data, to make up each region. Each line represents the annual average of all the data collected from pollution monitoring sites in each region. In the South, there were 18 monitoring sites throughout six states. In the Southwest, there were 24 monitoring sites throughout four states. In 2000, the average concentration of carbon monoxide was 3.84 ppm in the South, compared to 4.05 ppm in the Southwest. In 2014, the average concentration of carbon monoxide was 1.28 ppm in the South, a decrease of 66.6 percent from 2000, compared to 1.63 ppm in the Southwest, a decrease of 59.9 percent from 2000.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is one of a group of gasses known as nitrogen oxides (NO_x). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) measures NO₂ as a representative for the larger group of nitrogen oxides. NO₂ forms from the emissions of cars, buses, trucks, power plants, and off-road equipment. It helps form ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution, and has been linked to respiratory problems. Since 1971, federal law prohibits NO₂ concentrations from exceeding a daily one-hour average of 100 parts per billion (ppb) and an annual average of 53 parts per billion (ppb).

The chart below compares the annual one-hour average concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the Southern and Southwestern regions of the United States between 2000 and 2014. In the South, there were 34 monitoring sites throughout six states, compared to 10 monitoring sites throughout four states in the Southwest. In 2000, the one-hour daily average concentration of NO₂ was 50.24 ppb in the South, compared to 71.5 ppb in the Southwest. In 2014, the one-hour daily average concentration of NO₂ was 36.77 ppb in the South, a decrease of 26.8 percent since 2000, compared to 49.35 ppb in the Southwest, a decrease of 30.9 percent since 2000.

Ground-level ozone

Ground-level ozone is created by chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sunlight. Major sources of NO_x and VOCs include industrial facilities, electric utilities, automobiles, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents. Ground-level ozone can produce health problems for children, the elderly, and asthmatics. Since 2008, federal law has prohibited ozone concentrations from exceeding a daily eight-hour average of 75 parts per billion (ppb). Beginning in 2025, federal law will prohibit ground-level ozone concentrations from exceeding a daily eight-hour average of 70 ppb.

The chart below compares the daily eight-hour average concentration of ground-level ozone in the Southern and Southwestern regions of the United States between 2000 and 2014. In the chart below, ozone concentrations are measured in parts per million (ppm), which can be converted to parts per billion (ppb). In the South, there were 110 monitoring sites throughout six states, compared to 63 monitoring sites throughout four states in the Southeast. In 2000, the daily eight-hour average concentration of ozone was 0.0873 ppm, or 87.3 ppb in the South, compared to 0.0773 ppm, or 77.3 ppb in the Southwest. In 2014, the daily eight-hour average concentration of ozone was 0.0661 ppm, or 66.1 ppb in the South, a decrease of 24.2 percent since 2000, compared to 0.0692 ppm, or 69.2 ppb in the Southwest, a decrease of 10.5 percent since 2000.

State laws

• Air Conservation Act (1976)

The Air Conservation Act established the Utah Air Quality Board, a subset of the Department of Air Quality, to enact air quality rules. Thee rules govern factory emissions, industry permits, asbestos and lead abatement, the testing and monitoring of air quality, and compliance.

• Environmental Institutional Control Act (2003)

The Environmental Institutional Control Act, passed in 2003 and revised in 2006, created environmental institutional controls (IC). An institutional control is used by the state government to measure and minimize human and environmental exposure to pollution. An IC helps the state government assess environmental risks at various sites.

• Environmental Self-Evaluation Act

The Environmental Self-Evaluation Act provides incentives to individuals and businesses to comply with state environmental laws voluntarily. Private individuals and businesses may identify and remedy environmental compliance problems on their own. The Utah state government may waive civil penalties for noncompliance if private actors disclose themselves to the agency, though private actors must comply in a timely fashion and submit to the agency a plan for preventing further noncompliance.

Salt Lake City, Utah, including the state capitol building

• Radiation Control Act

The Radiation Control Act created the Utah Radiation Control Board, which sets the maximum permissible doses and concentrations of radiation in various industries. The board must limit radiation levels to "the lowest level that can reasonably be achieved."

• Safe Drinking Water Act

The Utah Safe Drinking Water Act created the Utah Drinking Water Board, which oversees public water systems.

• Solid and Hazardous Waste Act

The Solid and Hazardous Waste Act created the Solid and Hazardous Waste Control Board, which regulates solid waste, hazardous waste and the recycling of used oil.

• Water Quality Act

The Utah Water Quality Act created the Water Quality Board, which issues water quality standards.

• Voluntary Cleanup Program

The Utah State Legislature created the Voluntary Cleanup Program in 1997. The program encourages the cleanup of contaminated sites that may pose health or environmental risks. The sites include suspected and confirmed waste sites.

• Western Interstate Energy Compact

Utah is part of the Western Interstate Energy Board, which includes 12 states and three Canadian provinces. The compact encourages states to monitor, regulate and cooperate on nuclear, electrical and climate-related issues. The compact's purpose is to "enhance the economy of the West and contribute to the well-being of the region's people." Governors from each state appoint a member to the Board while the President of the United States can appoint an ex-officio member.

Enforcement

Utah's Department of Environmental Quality implements environmental policy in its major divisions:

• The Division of Air Quality regulates and maintains air quality throughout the state. The division contains three branches: the Permitting Branch, Planning Branch, and Compliance Branch.

• The Division of Drinking Water establishes drinking water standards and governs public drinking water systems.

• The Division of Water Quality establishes rules for surface water, wetlands, ground water, storm water, and waste water and issues permits for facilities that produce, treat, dispose of waste water.

• The Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste regulates for hazardous wastes, solid wastes and used oil recycling.

• The Division of Radiation Control monitors and regulates radiation use in sites around the state and issues permits requiring how radioactive materials must be processed and disposed of at generator sites.

Historical budget information

The table below shows state budget figures for Utah's environmental and natural resource departments compared to neighboring states.

Total state natural resource expenditures by state
State	Departments/Divisions	FY 2013	FY 2012	FY 2011
Utah	Environmental Quality; Natural Resources; School Trust Lands	$242,464,000	$257,089,400	$256,874,300
Arizona	Environmental Quality; Game and Fish	$195,584,100	$190,718,700	$96,082,900
Colorado	Natural Resources; Public Health and Environment	$692,333,194	$691,028,112	$660,252,429
Nevada	Conservation and Natural Resources	$108,179,079	$110,190,488	$109,356,174
Sources: Utah Governor's Office of Management and Budget, Arizona Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting, Colorado State Legislature, Nevada State Legislature - Fiscal Analysis Division

Major groups

Kodachrome Basin State Park in Cannonville, Utah.

Below is a list of environmental advocacy organizations in Utah. A complete list of environmental groups by state can be accessed on the website Eco-USA.

• Bridgerland Audubon Society
• Friends of Great Salt Lake
• Great Salt Lake Audubon
• Nature Conservancy of Utah
• Save Our Canyons
• Sierra Club - Utah Chapter
• Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
• Utah Open Lands
• Utah Rivers Council
• Utah Society for Environmental Education
• Utah Wilderness Coalition

Ballot measures

Voting on the Environment
Ballot Measures
By state
By year
Not on ballot
Local Local environment Local GMO Local fracking

Below are a list of ballot measures relating to environmental issues in Utah.

• Utah Constitutional Amendment D, Municipal Water Resources Amendment (2020)
• Utah Initiative A, Prohibit Fluoridation of Public Water Without Voter-Approved Initiative Measure (1976)

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Utah environmental policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Historical Utah environmental information, 1919-2016 - Google News

See also

• 

  Environmental policy in the U.S.

• 

  Energy policy in the U.S.

• 

  Endangered species policy in the U.S.

• Endangered species in Utah
• Energy policy in Utah
• Federal land ownership by state
• Payments in lieu of taxes

External links

• Utah Department of Environmental Quality
• Utah Department of Natural Resources
• Utah Division of Air Quality
• Utah Division of Water Quality
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Footnotes

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