The move comes as a relief to the state’s air quality managers, who have scrambled to find ways to reduce emissions or risk losing federal funding for transportation projects.
Utah officials and other policy leaders have argued that only a fraction of the emissions that form ozone smog in the region are generated within the state. Most of it, state leaders assert, blows in from other countries or forms naturally.
The Trump administration’s EPA apparently agrees.
“This proposal would prevent burdensome regulations that are beyond Utah’s control, saving time and money while ensuring Americans have clean air,” EPA regional administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release.
The proposal to keep Utah at “moderate” nonattainment status for ozone pollution, instead of moving it to “serious” status, will undergo a 30-day public comment period before it is finalized.
Read the full article by Leia Larsen and Jose Davila IV at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.