Utah’s Air Quality Issues

Problems and Solutions

By Hal Crimmel

Although Utah is a land of outdoor wonders, the state has a distressing air pollution problem. In some areas like Salt Lake City, geography exacerbates the issue; air quality in the Wasatch Front metropolitan region often ranks among the worst in the nation.

Utah’s Air Quality Issues: Problems and Solutions is the first book to tackle the subject. Written by scholars in a variety of fields, including chemical engineering, economics, atmospheric science, health care, law, parks and recreation and public policy, the book provides a one-stop resource on the causes, impacts, and possible solutions to the state’s air quality dilemma. This volume is a must read for anyone wanting to understand Utah’s air pollution problem and what can be done about it.

Hal Crimmel is Rodney H. Brady Distinguished Professor and chair of the English department at Weber State University. A founding co-chair of WSU’s Environmental Issues Committee, he teaches environmental and sustainability issues. Crimmel has published five books, including Dinosaur: Four Seasons on the Green and Yampa Rivers and Desert Water: The Future of Utah’s WaterResources. He is co-producer of the documentary film The Rights of Nature: A Global Movement.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures
List of Tables
Introduction – Hal Crimmel
1. Breathing in Utah’s Parks and Protected Areas: Air Quality and the Visitor Experience – Chris Zajchowski
2. What’s in the Inversion?: Particulate Matter Pollution in Northern Utah – Kerry E. Kelly
3. Ozone, Dust and Climate Change: Air Quality in Rural Utah – Seth Arens
4. Air Pollution and Its Impacts on Human Health – Brian Moench
5. Air Pollution Control in Utah: The Legal Framework – James A. Holtkamp
6. The Economics of Air Quality in Utah – Therese C. Grijalva and Matthew Gnagey
7. Mobile Source Pollution and the Role of New Vehicle Technologies in Cleaning the Air – Will Speigle
8. Environmental Justice and Advocacy – Mark A. Stevenson and Denni Cawley
9. Designed for Clean Air: The Role of Urban Planning and Transit in Solving Wasatch Front Air Quality Issues – Eric C. Ewert
10. Carbon Pollution and the Impacts of Climate Disruption on Utah – Robert Davies
Appendix: Air Quality Resources for Readers
Contributors
Index

Praise and Reviews:

“This collection is a reference for anyone entering into or acting within air quality 'space.' Readers will find rigorously researched background information that can help provide the scientific and social grounding to solve air quality issues. They also can learn important vocabulary for interacting with people from different sectors. The potential service provided by this collection is enormous.”
—Deborah Burney-Sigman, executive director of Breathe Utah

“Utah’s Air Quality Issues is aimed at those seeking an understandable overview of the major issues. Its ten chapters cover air quality science, economics, public policy, environmental justice, and other germane topics. Each chapter provides unique information needed to better understand the complexities surrounding air quality.”
—Arnold Reitze, professor of environmental law, University of Utah