Utah Expands Air Quality Testing With New Monitors
Dec 10, 2018, 7:19 PM | Updated: Dec 11, 2018, 10:13 am
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has two new air quality monitors to help keep you and your families informed on conditions.
One was placed off Interstate 15 in Murray and the other was a replacement in Magna. These new monitors were expected to be on-line closer to January.
The Department of Environmental Quality uses air quality monitors to forecast the highest pollution level of the day in each county and its impact on us on an hourly basis.
These monitors join the 18 others already in use.
“People are paying attention. They care. They want to know what the air quality conditions are because it not only helps them make choices on how they’re going to plan their day – whether they are going to telecommute or take transit – but it also helps them figure out how to protect their health as well,” said Utah DEQ communications director Donna Kemp Spangler.
On a smaller scale, Tooele County School District was doing something similar for parents.
“Air quality is a concern for us, safety overall and well-being. We’ve got 17,000 kids, so there’s many facets of what safety means,” said Superintendent Scott Rogers.
The district has added 26 sensors to each of the buildings in their district.
“We’re in a county that is over 7,000 square miles and what’s happening out in Ibapah or down in Vernon or out in Wendover or out in Grantsville or Stansbury is different. The air quality can be different, and the conditions,” said Rogers.
Parents can check conditions at school on their website. Teachers may start integrating the data into homework. In addition, school principals in the district can use the monitors to determine whether kids will play outdoors.
“You don’t realize that these kids suffering from asthma or other respiratory issues can really be affected and their learning can be affected. For us, this is just part of safety,” said Rogers.
The sensors cost the school about $200 a piece.
While not as accurate as the massive air quality monitor the DEQ has, officials there said the smaller dev ices have made a difference.
Before you head to work, go for a run, or let the kids outside to play, log onto KSL.com to get a full look at those air quality monitors.
