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Notes and Sources for Worst Polluters in Utah

Sources from an upcoming story on the industrial polluters who are making us sick along the Wasatch Front.

by

Richard Markosian

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Here is the state website if you click on “About Pollutants” it explains what is in the air and where it comes from and how it affects you.

http://www.airquality.utah.gov/clean_air/archive/inversion.htm

Here is the SLC site. They have a chart that shows which sources contribute to the problem – they blame the biggest portion on cars.

http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/winter-inversions-what-are-they-and-what-we-can-all-do-help

Here is 2012 Deseret News article:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865560535/Clearing-the-air-That-air-youre-breathing-may-be-slowly-killing-you.html?pg=all

This is the site for Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. They are pushing to stop expansion of the Holly Refinery and point to it as a major polluter.

http://www.uphe.org/

Facts About Chlorine

Chlorine gas is heavier than air and will typically remain in low lying areas.

Mag Corp Research:

For many years, according to the EPA, this plant was the nation’s worst air polluter, releasing hundreds of tons of chlorine per day from its stack, which was around 90% of the chlorine emitted into the atmosphere from all sources nationwide. After a federal lawsuit was filed against the company in the late 1990’s, claiming nearly $1 billion for environmental infractions, the company that owned the plant, MagCorp, filed for bankruptcy protection. A new company, called U.S. Magnesium, now operates the plant, and has cleaned up much of its emissions, releasing a few tons of chlorine per day, as opposed to a few hundred tons, as it did in the 1980s

US Magnesium as a superfund cite: http://www2.epa.gov/region8/us-magnesium

toxicology report filed on U.S. Magnesium

Information about reaction and effects of dioxin exposure: http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/HHRA06Feb07.pdf

More on Renco (who owns US Magnesium)

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/26145/the_renco_group_completes_acquisition_of_delphis_global_interiors_and_closures_businesses.aspx

Renco boasts over $5 billion in annual revenue

http://www.rencogroup.net/

Richard Markosian

I am a story teller and journalist. I have a passion for farmers, local craftspeople, and folks who aspire to create, build and grow their business in the local marketplace. Why local? By supporting locally-owned businesses we create more opportunity for entrepreneurs, and we claim our sovereignty to shape our communities how we want to see them. I aspire to build Utah Stories Magazine into a household Utah name, and assist Utah businesses and makers with marketing. On the journalism side of things my passion is investigative journalism that offers true insight into issues. I believe strongly in the forth estate: strong, meaningful, insightful journalism is essential to a free market Democracy.

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