After more than 10 years on the EPAâs watchlist, Cache Valley is meeting federal PM2.5 air pollution standards.
While the âattainmentâ designation wonât be official until a few more steps, including public comment periods, Cache Valley is the first nonattainment area in Utah to clear that bar.
âIt doesnât mean that all our problems are solved and that we donât have work still to do,â said Jeff Gilbert, transportation planner for the Cache Metropolitan Planning Organization. âBut itâs kind of a good sign, I think, something to celebrate, that weâve met the standard.â
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After Cache Valleyâs nonattainment designation is lifted, it is expected to enter a âmaintenanceâ regulatory phase. The EPA will still be watching PM2.5 levels in Cache and Franklin counties, Gilbert said, but bad air days wonât mean that local officials have to go all the way back to the drawing board.