It takes a team to get big results. This month we’re featuring Chevron, a long-time UCAIR partner.
On Saturday, October 12, at the Utah Royals game, Chevron awarded UCAIR, represented by UCAIR Executive Director Thom Carter and board chair Amanda Smith, a generous donation to continue the education and improvement of air quality in Utah.
Chevron has been instrumental in the development of Tier 3 fuels that reduce the sulfur content of gasoline by an average of 30 parts per million (ppm) down to 10 ppm and enable the more efficient operation of vehicles. The Wasatch Front Regional Council estimates that switching to Tier 3 fuels could reduce total mobile-source emissions by 9.5 percent of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 3.7 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Since UCAIR’s founding, Chevron has been a great partner, working on several different programs and exchanges. Each exchange helped Utahns identify ways they can be part of the Air Quality solution. In 2015 UCAIR, SureCan and Chevron exchanged over 4,500 gas cans. Since then, 7,088 gas cans were swapped out in Utah through this program. That’s equivalent to taking 816 cars off the road per day over the five-year lifespan of the gas can.
In 2017, Chevron and UCAIR (along with Marathon Oil and the Eccles Foundation) tackled the public health risk of wood burning with the Show UCAIR Wood Stove Exchange program. Cleaner, gas-powered stoves replaced wood-burning stoves. Exchanging 80 wood stoves for clean-burning gas appliances eliminates 3.77 tons—or 7,462 pounds of harmful emissions in a single year.
“In our efforts to clear the air, there are no perfect answers, but there are practical solutions,” UCAIR Executive Director Thom Carter said. “Chevron continues to work to clean our mobile sources through their TIER 3 FUEL project, has worked to use the best available control technology in their refinery, and has provided funding for projects that will help people have cleaner homes. They have a holistic view of assisting with cleaning our air. With the continuation of our partnership today, they are reaffirming their commitment to ensuring Utah is the best place to work, live, and play.”
