The USU Bingham Research Center has issued an Ozone Alert for the Uinta Basin. Bingham Research Center Director Dr. Seth Lyman shares that the area is in danger of exceeding the EPA ozone standard over the next several days and as a result, all are encouraged to please reduce ozone-forming emissions where possible. The Ozone Alert is not intended as a public health alert but rather to inform the public before ozone reaches unhealthy levels. “The 1-hour average at our Castle Peak station is 62 ppb(parts per billion) right now, and Ouray, Myton, and Roosevelt are all at or above 52 ppb,” shares the announcement. “This is lower than that EPA standard of 70 ppb (which is for an 8-hour average), but it is above natural background levels for this time of year.” A weak storm front is expected to come through on Friday but it isn’t anticipated to be strong enough to break up the inversion that is starting to form. It appears that ozone concentrations will climb through the weekend and into next week. For suggestions on reducing emissions if you work in the oil and gas industry, visit www.usu.edu/binghamresearch/
