The Department of Environmental Quality will start to provide regular updates about ozone levels in the Upper Green River Basin on January 2. The region is designated by the EPA as a non-attainment area because of its high ozone levels in past years. The long term goal is to reduce local industry’s emissions and improve air quality, but for now the DEQ wants to warn residents when elevated ozone levels might occur.
“They’re looking for certain conditions, they’re looking for little to no wind, sunlight, snow accumulation, and from there if that perfect storm looks like it may happen they can come to a better idea that there may be elevated ozone," said DEQ spokesman Keith Guille. "From there, a 24-hour notice can go out to the industry to implement their short term contingency plans.”
The contingency plans will be imple
mented on Ozone Action Days, when residents and industry will be asked to reduce emissions by not idling vehicles or doing any unnecessary travel. Daily ozone reports will be available in local papers and radio stations, and on winterozone.org, where people can sign up for email updates.
