By Abbey Olsen
For the first time this year, the Bear River Health Department issued a red alert for dangerous air quality conditions in Cache Valley.
The snow and cold temperatures in Cache County contribute to the air pollution conditions, said Grant Koford, an environmental health scientist for the Bear River Health Department. ?Then we get a high pressure system setting over us that puts a lid on our whole bowl-shaped valley.?
The Utah Air Monitoring Center issued a health advisory statement for Cache, Salt Lake and Davis counties for sensitive individuals, such as those who have respiratory disease or heart disease, the elderly, and children to reduce prolonged exertion out doors in.
Arden Pope, an economics professor at BYU has done research on air quality along the Wasatch Front and Cache Valley. Pope said temperature inversions trap pollutants, causing them to build up, and results in high air pollution.
Koford said the red alert will remain until the high pressure leaves or a storm front comes in. ?From what weather meteorologists tell me, the high pressure will be with us until the end of the week,? he said.
?Ideally, when we see the high-pressure systems coming, we try to get out ahead of it so we have a chance to make preparations,? Koford said.
?We?re trying to get the information out to encourage people to drive less,? Koford said. ?If people can drive less?we feel like we can get a handle on this and cut our concentrations down to the point where it will be a better situation.?
Koford suggests that residents carpool and drive only when they have to. Ideally, residents should try and cut their driving by 50 percent, he said.
?What?s happened in Cache County is it has continued to grow and there has been more and more automobiles,? Pope said. The combination of automobile and industry emissions contribute to the air pollution situation in Cache Valley, he said.
Pope said air quality conditions have improved in Utah County. ?We had relatively high air pollution quite often. Then we made steps to try and improve our air quality.?
Pope suggested several tips for residents to improve air quality. ?Drive cleaner automobiles,? he said. ?Try to drive less. Try to keep your cars tuned-up. Try to be responsible with regards to how you use these fossil fuels.?
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality issued the following wood and coal burning conditions for counties: Utah ? green, Weber ? green, Davis ? yellow, Salt Lake ? yellow, and Cache ? red.