SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to extend the boundary of non-attainment for air pollution to include a portion of Tooele County that includes U.S. Magnesium.
"Utah has made significant strides in improving air quality over the past 10 years, but as our state continues to grow, we need to begin to look more strategically at opportunities to continue this trajectory," Gov. Cox said Monday in a statement. "This intentional approach gives us a focused range of tools that align with the outcome we all want - cleaner air and a better quality of life for Utahns."
The request follows a study that blamed the company for as much as 25% of northern Utah's air pollution problems. U.S. Magnesium has disputed the study's findings and told FOX 13 News on Monday it did not think the EPA would find it unfounded.
"U.S. Magnesium’s emissions have been zero for the last six months and nearly zero for the past year," said Tom Tripp, the company's director of technical services, adding that PM 2.5 has not changed since then. "We think the emissions that have been reported recently have been erroneous."
The maneuver by the governor will allow Utah's Department of Environmental Quality to impose emission reduction measures. That is what a bill in the Utah State Legislature sought to do before it was watered down. House Bill 220, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, now studies the impacts of certain chemical emissions along the Wasatch Front.
"I am encouraged by this move. Including a major polluter that is just outside of the already established lines into the nonattainment area just makes sense," Rep. Stoddard said in a text message to FOX 13 News. "While I am excited by this important news I also want to see action taken to address bromine emissions from US Magnesium which are not currently regulated by the EPA but contribute to almost 1/4 of our winter inversion issue."
Eliza Cowie with O2 Utah, which supported Rep. Stoddard's bill, also supported the governor's request.
"We are encouraged by this move—it makes sense to bring this major polluter into the nonattainment area. But the fact that the governor has to ask permission of EPA to clean Utah’s air shows why it would be better for the Legislature to take charge and limit bromine pollution from this company. Bromine alone can drive close to one quarter of our winter inversion problem," she said.
Deeda Seed with the Center for Biological Diversity had mixed reaction to the idea.
"It’s alarming that Gov. Cox is saying we can’t reduce emissions any further (I find that hard to believe) - so let’s add in a point source that wasn’t counted before and use reductions there to meet the requirement. It seems like they’re treating this as a game," she said in a text message. "Having said that - new data shows U.S. Magnesium is a major polluter- so getting them to reduce emissions is a good thing."
Read the governor's letter below:
