2025 Summary

Request for Appriations

• Addressing Critical Dust Concerns. Requested: $651,000 ongoing.  The Division of Air Quality and the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner identified key priorities in addressing the urgent issue of dust pollution from sources of dust such as the exposed lake bed of the Great Salt Lake. This appropriation would create an ongoing research opportunity and hiring a dedicated full time employee and allow the Department of Environmental Quality to effectively investigate dust composition and health impacts, dust-borne disease, and air quality impacts of a changing Great Salt Lake and statewide aridity.
  • Funded: $150,000 ongoing.

Passed Bills 

 

HB 119 - Solar Panels in HOAs Amendments: Rep. Owens and Sen. Weiler. Stops a homeowners association from prohibiting a solar panel installation.

HB 420 - Halogen Emissions Amendments: Rep. Stoddard and Sen. Cullimore. This bill was the next steps after HB 220 from 2023. From the HB 220 required study of halogen emissions, the Division of Air Quality identified a significant source of halogen emissions at the US Magnesium plant. The original form of this bill before it was substituted would have required specific control technology be installed at the US Magnesium plant, which had been identified by the company as cost effective, relying on existing scrubber technology onsite and adding duct work to properly route emissions when eqiupment was being repaired. The substitute bill, which was the final version that passed this session allows the Division of Air Quality to complete a plan to reduce these emissions from this particular source if it becomes operational in the future. Currently, US Magnesium is not operating. We are pleased to see continued efforts to address this significant source of halogen emissions that contribute to poor air quality in the Salt Lake Valley.

HB 85 - Environmental Permitting Modifications: Rep. Clancy and Sen. Winterton. The substitute requires the Division of Air Quallity to develop and publish guidance and rules related to federal plantwide applicability limitations and make rules to include at least five new categories of sources in the division's permit by rule program and report the results of the review to Natural Resources interim committee. 

HB 313 - Construction Industry Amendments: Rep. Peterson and Sen. Musselman. In the final hours of the session a 4th substitute to HB 313 was adopted on the Senate floor, which included changes to the Ultra Low NOx water heater rule. Adopted after the 2016 legislative session, this important air quality rule is responsible for significantly reducing NOx emissions from gas-fired water heaters, accounting for ~300 tons per year reduced in the PM2.5 Serious State Implementation Plan. The rule applied statewide at the request of industry stakeholders for ease of distribution and supply. This bill changes the rule to apply to only the non-attainment areas of Utah for both Ozone and PM2.5. Though the Division of Air Quality feels comfortable with the change with minimal impact to the SIP credits accounted for by the rule, we opposed this change as it inevitably will lead to installation of water heaters that emit far more pollution. Ultra Low NOx water heaters burn 75% cleaner than the previous "Low NOx" models. There is no benefit to a consumer to purchase a water heater that emits more pollution. The cost difference today between models is insignificant. We are also concerned with the language as written, in the event that a non-attainment area is reclassified as attaining the standard, or in a maintenance phase. This rule has been under assault by conservative lawmakers for the past several years. 

HB 355 - Mining and Critical Infrastructure Amendments: Rep. Snider and Sen. Sandall. This bill makes it easier for certain gravel pits to expand to land that a company already owns or controls, and to new, contiguous land later acquired, while greatly limiting a local government’s ability to deny the expansion. Repeals requirements for a person claiming a vested critical infrastructure materials, like a gravel pit, to prove the use, and instead requires a person challenging the use to disprove the use. Although this bill is still troublesome, there were some changes that made this legislation better. 

HB 412 - Boards and Commissions Revisions: Rep. Burton and Sen. Musselman . This bill removes the political party "balancing" requirement for many boards and commissions in Utah, like the Air Quality Board. The legislature has been trying to do this for many years and has been successful with some boards and commissions. Their argument is that it is too hard to fill these boards and comissions with this requirement. For example, the Air Quality Board requirement was "no more than 5 members of the same political party". That requirement is now removed. 

SB 52 - Vehicle Registration Modifications: Sen. Brammer and Rep. Kyle. This bill allows the tax commission to look for vehicles that are registered out of state but insured in the state of Utah as a means to prevent tax evasion. This could be helpful for those vehicle owners using other addresses for registration purpose to avoid emissions inspections. 

SB 195 - Transportation Amendments: Sen. Harper and Rep. Christofferson. This bill makes many changes to transporation issues in the state. The first version of the bill removed the extra registration fees for hybrid vehicles, but that was taken out in a subsequent version. Those extra fees for hybrids will remain. For the most comprehensive summary of this bill, please visit our friends over at the Wasatch Front Regional Council. We have linked their summary in our tracker. 

Failed Bills 

HB 185 - Railroad Modifications: Rep. Clancy. Attempted to address emissions from rail locomotives. Required the Division of Air Quality to conduct a railyard emissions inventory in certain yards and propose a plan to reduce those emissions and require the Division to recommend state action to implement the plan. This would have been a terrific win for air quality as we know from many years of working on rail emissions that this is a significant source of pollution impacting our air. Was not considered this session.

HB 427 - Used Electric Vehicle Battery Disclosure Amendments: Rep. Owens and Sen. Winterton. This bill would have required sellers of used electric vehicles to disclose information regarding the status of the battery. Was not considered this session. 

HB 499 - Department of Environmental Quality Amendments: Rep. Snider and Sen. Stratton. The first version of this bill made drastic and detrimental changes to rulemaking for all of the Department of Environmental Quality's policy making boards, including the Air Quality Board. In the second substitute, the rulemaking changes was removed, and changes to the Ultra Low NOx water heater rule was added in. It also made a few changes to the member requirements of the Air Quality Board, but those requirements align with how the Air Qulality Board is currently. This bill moved quickly through the House and Senate committee, however was not prioritized back onto the reading calendar for final passage. The sponsor sent the water heater rule changes to the 4th substitute of HB 313, which passed in the final hours. 

HB 523 - Rio Grande Plan Amendments: Rep. Dailey-Provost. Would have required a study of returning rail service to the Rio Grande Depot. Was not considered. 

HB 525 - Clean Truck Amendments: Rep. Cutler and Sen. Cullimore. This bill attempted to address emissions from heavy duty vehicles. It was released in late February, and was not considered. 

HB 554 - Bicycle Rack Amendments: Rep. Mauga. Would have created a grant program to fund installing and maintaining public bike racks. Was not considered. 

SB 103 - Fireworks Revisions: Sen. Plumb. This bill would have prohibited the sale of fireworks in restricted discharge areas. Was not considered. 

SB 124 - Landscaping Procurement Amendments: Sen. Pitcher and Rep. Loubet. The 4th substitute of this bill attempted to address emissions from landscaping equipment at government owned facilities only by requiring when new equipment is purchased and older equipment is retired it would be replaced with electric.  This bill was 4th on the reading calendar at sine die and unfortunately did not get a vote for final passage. 

SB 184 - Diesel Emissions Reductions Amendments: Sen. Escamilla. This was Sen. Escamilla's next step in her ongoing efforts to reduce diesel emissions. This bill would have created a voluntary registry through the Division of Air Quality for certain non-road diesel engines, such as mining trucks, and limits replacement incentives to non-road diesel engines that are not registered. Registration fees will be deposited into the Environmental Mitigation and Response Fund. Registration fees would be capped at $50. Sen. Escamilla decided to hold her bill and work over the interim. Was not considered. 

SB 222 - Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program: Sen. Pitcher and Rep. Okerlund. Ths bill would have improved the Motor Vehicle Division's ability to investigate whether an individual avoided a required emissions inspection and allows the Division to revoke vehicle registrations when a violation occurs. This bill passed the Senate and unfortunately ran out of time in the House and was not considered. 

We hope to see some of these bills that failed be studied over the interim and brought back next session in 2026. We encourage you to reach out to your legislators and let them know that air quality is important to you! Find out who represents you by following this LINK.