Dust from central Utah, too
Sevier Lake Bed by Paul Vanderwerf
The remains of Sevier Lake in Millard County are already one of Utah’s largest sources of dust pollution, but things may get worse. The BLM recently approved a massive, 118,000 acre, potash mining operation across the lakebed. Their plan is to extract sulfate of potash, a fertilizer used on crops like avocados and almonds.
This project will accelerate dust storms across the region, threatening both visibility and public health, from Millard County all the way to the Wasatch Front. As The Salt Lake Tribune reports, “Right now, Sevier Dry Lake is, we think, the biggest dust source in the state of Utah,” according to University of Utah atmospheric scientist Kevin Perry. Disturbing the fragile lakebed further will only make things worse.
This dust isn’t just a nuisance, it harms lungs, worsens asthma, increases heart attack risk, and lands on mountain snowpack, causing it to melt faster. Despite those risks, dust monitoring near Sevier Lake is almost nonexistent, and the company’s dust control plan only covers immediate, on-site activities, not the long-term impacts of drawing down groundwater or drying out the lake further.
Dust from Sevier Lake is already traveling more than 120 miles to the Wasatch Front, adding to the toxic cocktail of pollution Utahns breathe every day. With so much attention being paid to reducing Great Salt Lake dust (and not nearly enough progress) the last thing Utah needs is a new source of airborne pollution blowing in from the south.
It’s yet another example of how Utah’s land, air, and water are being sacrificed for short-term industry profits — while the rest of us pay the price in dirty air, degraded ecosystems, and a less stable climate.