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Cache AirTrack presents the most recent PM2.5 and temperature data from the Cache Valley and is color coded to the AQI scale. Click on the graphic for current air quality trends.
Because of concerns with air quality in the Cache Valley and the desire to take a proactive approach to the problem, the Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ), local elected officials, scientists from Utah State University (USU), and the Bear River Health Department have begun working together to develop strategies for solving the air quality problems. UDAQ maintains a PM2.5 monitor in downtown Logan. Monitored values from this site indicate that the ambient concentrations of PM2.5 in Logan are often elevated during the winter months. The elevated concentrations of PM2.5 during the winter months occur when strong inversions develop in the valley, keeping air pollution from escaping.
The Cache Valley has some unique topographical and meteorological conditions that contribute to highly polluted air. The bottom of the Cache Valley is approximately 4500 feet above sea level, and is almost entirely surrounded with steep mountains reaching over 9000 feet above sea level, forming a bowl around the valley. During the winter, sub-freezing temperatures, snow-covered ground, and stagnant high-pressure systems result in dense fog formation and a strong temperature inversion over the valley.
PM2.5 in the Cache Valley is made up of both primary and secondary particles. Primary PM2.5 is emitted directly into the atmosphere from sources such as wood-burning and vehicle emissions, while secondary PM2.5 is formed in the atmosphere when other gaseous pollutants combine under the right conditions. The vast majority of PM2.5 in the Cache Valley consists of secondary particles.
Logan City, the Bear River Health Department and USU have taken proactive measures in the past three years to reduce both primary and secondary PM2.5 pollution. For example, the health department established a red-yellow-green wood-burning control program and a smoking vehicle program with police enforcement and a hotline. During the red and yellow burn periods, citizens are also encouraged to utilize the free Logan Rapid Transit Bus system more frequently. Logan City synchronized traffic lights on Main Street to reduce congestion. The city also converted the municipal power plant from diesel to natural gas. USU replaced its coal-fired heating plant with a modern natural gas plant and uses natural gas buses for on-campus shuttles.