Utah sets first no-burn day under new air quality rules

Utah officials have declared the first no-burn day of the season despite pollution levels remaining under federal standards, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The Division of Air Quality mandated emission restrictions last week across the Salt Lake Valley, as part of new rules designed to reduce air pollution in the region. The no-burn rule comes amid the season’s first inversion, in which Utah’s valleys experience a pooling of cold air. As the cold air settles, it traps airborne pollutants with it.

Motorists were asked to limit their driving, and the burning of solid fuels have been banned until the end of the inversion. A spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Quality stated that the inversion is not expected to break in the near future.