The EPA Targeted Airshed Grant Program provides competitive grants aimed at reducing air pollution in nonattainment areas that are ranked as the top five polluted areas relative to ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS. Idaho received targeted airshed grants for the West Silver Valley and Cache Valley.
With funding from EPA, we are partnering with West Silver Valley (WSV) communities to improve air quality and save residents money by supporting a variety of air quality improvement projects with the community. The funding for these projects is limited and only available through December 2021.
For more information about these projects or DEQ’s work in the WSV, contact the West Silver Valley Targeted Airshed Analyst at our Kellogg satellite office.
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A majority of the woodstoves used in the WSV do not meet EPA or industry standards. We will replace over 188 noncompliant woodstoves with EPA-certified woodstoves, gas stoves, pellet stoves, or electric heat pumps. This program allows WSV residents to update their woodstoves to cleaner-burning devices with little or no out-of-pocket costs. Homeowners work with their choice of a DEQ-approved vendor to determine which heating device will meet their needs. See if you qualify.
As of June 2020, we have replaced 157 older stoves with cleaner-burning appliances. See what your neighbors have to say about this program.
We are partnering with the Community Action Partnership (CAP) to weatherize 20 homes within the WSV and provide 15 tons of fire logs to low-income residents for emergency fuel. CAP provides 100% funding for home weatherization projected for qualified homeowners. For more information about the home weatherization program, visit CAP weatherization services. The CAP Energy Assistance website provides information on how to qualify for emergency fuel.
As of June 2020, we have helped to weatherize 18 homes in the West Silver Valley and provided 14.5 tons of fire logs for emergency fuel in the winter.
We are providing 75 simple woodsheds at no cost to residents in the WSV to help ensure dry wood is available during the heating season. Learn the Best Burning Practices for woodstoves. If you would like to apply for a woodshed, contact the West Silver Valley Targeted Airshed Analyst at our Kellogg satellite office.
As of June 2020, we have provided 60 woodshed to 30 residents within the valley.
We are working with the WSV community to provide a covered and secure area for citizens to cut and store wood to ensure it is properly seasoned. For residents lacking the space, this wood yard would provide an area to adequately store and dry their wood. We are also working with local church groups to potentially offer space to store and season firewood to distribute to elderly or low-income residents.
In partnership with the University of Montana, we are working with the Kellogg School District to integrate air quality curriculum into their science classrooms. We are working with students on citizen science and science communication, with a focus on PM2.5, cardiovascular health, and population health. The students conduct a research project based on the curriculum and then have the opportunity to present their findings to members of the WSV community as well as the science community.
We contracted with the University of Montana to solicit community participation to develop an outreach plan specific to the WSV. We have been implementing that outreach plan throughout the community. Below are a few examples of outreach that we have conducted in the valley.
- Participated in the 2017 and 2018 Pinehurst Days
with a booth that provided information about the woodstove changeout program. - Providing free moisture meters to WSV residents as a tool to encourage only using dry wood in woodstoves. The moisture meters are available at our Kellogg satellite office, the Forest Service – Smelterville Office, and the Cataldo State Lands Office.
- Participated in an episode on the Shoshone New-Press Podcast (SNP NOW) to discuss the woodstove changeout program. Listen to the episode.
We partnered with Shoshone Medical Center to purchase and install a large LED display to promote the Air Quality Index and burning requirements during open burning and woodstove seasons.
The AIR Idaho app features air quality information relative to your location, as well as an interactive real-time map that displays data from over 30 monitoring stations across the state. It also provides a three-day forecast detailing whether the air quality is expected to deteriorate or get better.
The app also features real-time information related to open burning restrictions, a list of regional and statewide air quality resources, tips to stay safe during a smoke or inversion event, and information on how you can help protect our air.
Users can download the app for free at the App Store for iPhone or Google Play and select a location to receive information for a specific area. Enable notifications to receive information on local air quality advisories and burn restrictions. Use your phone’s location services to obtain data for your site, or select a default county if you do not use your phone’s location.
To submit questions or feedback concerning the app, email aqmobileapp@deq.idaho.gov.
Download the app:
Via mobile device: Click on the links to access the app in your app store.
Google Play Store | Apple App Store
Via computer: Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to open the app store:
DEQ is partnering with Cache Valley communities to improve air quality and save residents money. The Logan UT/ID Community Airshed Project supports a variety of projects to reduce emissions from transportation, road dust, and woodstoves while increase outreach and education in the valley. The funding for these projects is limited and only available through February 2022.
For information about these projects or DEQ’s work in the Cache Valley, contact our Cache Valley Targeted Airshed Analyst at our Pocatello Regional Office.
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We worked with communities in Preston, Logan, and the Cache Valley to replace older buses and vans with more efficient vehicles. The grant paid 100% for three new buses and one accessible van to be used within the Cache Valley. Read the Preston Citizen article.
We are developing a program to fully fund the installation of control equipment on gasoline tanks within Franklin County, Idaho, at no cost to the gas station owners. This control would capture vapors that are expelled from underground storage tanks at gas stations when they are being filled. These vapors are the gasoline smell you may notice when a truck is delivering gasoline to a gas station. This program will reduce air pollution and protect the public health of those living in the Valley.
We are working with Franklin County to provide funds to help purchase the infrastructure needed for a salt system to be used for the county’s winter road maintenance. This system will allow the county to store the salt on-site and use less sand. When sand is used on icy roads during the winter it gets crushed into very fine particles that are then kicked up into the air we breathe. The county purchased a belly-dump trailer and built a shed to store the salt.
Through collaboration with the Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG) in Utah and Southeastern Idaho Community Action Agency (SEICCA) in Idaho, we are funding weatherization projects for homes located with the Logan UT/ID nonattainment area for both Idaho and Utah residents. For more information or to see if you qualify, visit BRAG or SEICCA.
As of June 2020 we have helped to weatherize 47 homes in Cache Valley.
Many woodstoves used in the Cache Valley do not meet EPA or industry standards. We will replace noncompliant woodstoves with EPA-certified woodstoves, gas stoves, pellet stoves, or electric heat pumps. This program allows Idaho residents living within the Logan ID/ID nonattainment area to update their woodstoves to cleaner-burning devices with little or no out-of-pocket costs. Homeowners work with their choice of a DEQ-approved vendor to determine which heating device will meet their needs. See if you qualify.
As of June 2020 we have replaced 52 older stoves with cleaner-burning appliances.
We are creating a mobile phone application to communicate air quality information with residents in Cache County, Utah, and Franklin County, Idaho. Advisories will encourage citizens to use alternative forms of transportation, reduce or eliminate woodstove or fireplace use, and avoid outdoor burning when AQI forecasts hit or exceed the PM2.5 NAAQS.
Coming soon mobile application download link.
In partnership with the University of Montana, we are working with high school and junior high school students in the Cache Valley to integrate an air quality curriculum into their science classrooms. Students are learning about citizen science and science communication with a focus on PM2.5 cardiovascular health, and population health. The students conduct a research project based on the curriculum and then have the opportunity to present their findings to members of the Cache Valley community as well as the science community.
In partnership with Utah State University, we encouraged high schools to participate in Utah’s Clean Air Poster Contest. The contest encourages students to recognize the local air pollution problems and understand the air quality issues associated with their driving. See the Contest website for the past winners and more information about the contest. More information is also found in the Herald Journal article. Below are posters created by Idaho students.