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.

December 30, 2013

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/

Utah Stories

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.