SALT LAKE CITY — With Thursday’s air quality rated as moderate, the thin layer of smog hanging above the valley was visible from the state Capitol. Yet state Rep. Suzanne Harrison, D-Sandy, remained optimistic as she unveiled a new website that shows Utahns where to find the new, cleaner burning Tier 3 gas.
“It’s a great day for clean air,” Harrison declared.
In January, five gas station companies — Speedway, Chevron, Exxon, Texaco and Shell — began offering Tier 3 gas in Utah. Referring to a designation established by the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency, Tier 3 set new standards for vehicle emissions and substantially cut sulfur levels in gasoline. According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the new gas reduces emissions by up to 80% for cars made after 2017, and 12% for older models.
It sounds great. But where can drivers find Tier 3 gas?
Harrison’s new website, tier3gas.org, will answer the question many Utahns have been asking. Launched Thursday, the website shows a map with all gas stations offering Tier 3 gas and gives a brief overview of the EPA program and how it will impact Utah.
Harrison said above all, her constituents are concerned with air pollution.
“As a mom and practicing medical doctor, I share those concerns,” she said. “Today we have an additional tool in our toolkit to combat air pollution.”
Tier 3 compliance measures the average sulfur content in gasoline over one year, which means sulfur levels in Tier 3 gas will fluctuate.
“Not every single gallon is guaranteed,” Harrison said. “But if you’re consistent about going to these gas stations ... you can make a huge difference on our air pollution.”
According to Ben Abbott, assistant professor at BYU’s College of Life Sciences, air pollution kills more people in Utah than smoking or car accidents.
“We need to treat this like the crisis it is,” said Abbott, who took the stage shortly after Harrison.
Abbott and BYU senior Isabella Errigo released a report this month detailing the grim reality of air pollution, which shortens Utahns’ average life expectancy by two years and costs the state’s economy around $1.8 billion. Errigo called this estimate “conservative.”
Harrison hopes that access to Tier 3 gas will cut back on vehicle emissions, which is the cause for around half of Utah’s air pollution, according to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality. However, she acknowledges that using Tier 3 gas alone won’t stop the smog on the Wasatch Front.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” Harrison told Deseret News. “We need to approach this on multiple fronts.”
But for now, she wants to focus on this small but important step.
“What’s important is we get out and share this with our friends, family and community.”