EPA grants Utah with $112 million to improve air quality

The average cost for a rental unit in Salt Lake County has doubled from $720 per month in 2010 to $1,301 in 2021. Photo: Courtesy of Salt Lake City Government

SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah $112 million to help reduce air pollution in Salt Lake City.

Most of the money — $110 million — will go to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. The Utah Inland Port Authority will receive $2.4 million. Both grants are part of the EPA’s Clean Ports Program.

The DEQ grant, the largest environmental grant in Utah’s history, will fund new electric vehicles and equipment at the Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal. This includes terminal tractors, trucks, locomotives and charging stations.

The port authority will use its funding to study emissions, develop reduction strategies and work with nearby communities on air quality improvements.

The Utah Division of Air Quality originally asked for about $150 million to help replace older diesel-powered equipment. The proposal offered to cover 75% of costs for new vehicles, with an extra 15% for fleet owners who retire older diesel models.

The grants are part of nearly $3 billion the EPA distributed nationwide through its Clean Ports program. The agency says these projects will eliminate “more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution, equivalent to 391,220 homes’ energy use for one year.”

The program will fund 55 projects across the country, providing zero-emission port equipment, infrastructure and planning resources to states.