Federal regulators on Thursday announced tougher limits on sooty air pollution.
But the new limits on yearly levels of PM2.5 pollution are not expected to affect Utah, according to the state Division of Air Quality.
Utah does have problems with fine soot — but only with spikes recorded on a daily basis and not steady high levels that persist year-round.
In winter, when upper-layers of warm air traps cold air and pollution in mountain basins for days and weeks at a time, the state does have difficulty meeting what are called the "8-hour" federal standards. The state is working on a long-term plan to reduce the spikes. Salt Lake Tribune
