Ground-level ozone is of concern to policymakers because of public health risks. Breathing ground-level ozone can cause respiratory problems, especially for vulnerable groups including children, older people, people who work outdoors, and those with preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma.1
One source of ground-level ozone is from methane gas. The difference in methane emissions across Utah counties helps explain why Uintah and Duchesne counties have ground-level ozone concentrations of about 40% and 30% higher, respectively, than the Utah average.2 Emissions from the oil and gas industry in the Uinta Basin cause higher concentrations of methane and other precursors to ground-level ozone.3
Methane also poses significant climate risks, accounting for an estimated 30% of global temperature increases.4 Because of methane’s intense effects on climate change and ozone levels, addressing methane pollution is a priority for some advocates and policymakers in Utah and at the federal level.
Watch for an upcoming Utah Foundation brief research report on methane in Utah.
Written by Ella Sjoblom.
1 Environmental Protection Agency, “Health Effects of Ozone Pollution,” 2024, https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution/health-effects-ozone-pollution
2 Environmental Protection Agency, “Air Quality Statistics by County, 2023,” 2024, https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-cities-and-counties
3 Utah State University, Fact Sheet: Air Quality in the Uintah Basin, October 2023, p. 1 https://www.usu.edu/binghamresearch/files/2-pagehandoutUBairquality.pdf
4 Note: Methane has a global warming potential 28 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period – though it breaks down at a far faster rate than carbon dioxide. Source: European Commission, “Methane emissions,” 2024, https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/carbon-management-and-fossil-fuels/methane-emissions_en#:~:text=On%20a%20100%2Dyear%20timescale,on%20a%2020%2Dyear%20timescale. And International Energy Agency, “Methane and climate change,” 2022, https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2022/methane-and-climate-change
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