This is your daily news rundown for Thursday, Oct. 3.
Colorado oil and gas producer to pay $16M over clean air violations in Utah
A Colorado-based oil and natural gas producer has been ordered to pay over $16 million in a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice to resolve Clean Air Act violations stemming from the company's oil and gas production facilities on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah.
The settlement requires Ovintiv to pay the U.S. and Utah a civil penalty of $5.5 million, along with implementing "extensive compliance measures" to reduce pollution emitted from 139 of its facilities across the state.
The settlement also resolves a civil suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Utah, alleging Ovintiv failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions and comply with inspection, monitoring and record-keeping requirements from 22 of its oil and gas production facilities in the Uinta Basin.
In addition to the $5.5-million civil penalty, the settlement will require Ovintiv to take "corrective action" and start mitigation projects that carry an estimated cost of over $10 million across all 139 Utah facilities.
Doing so will eliminate over 2,000 tons of volatile organic compounds every year and eliminate methane emissions equivalent to a reduction of over 50,000 tons of annual CO2 emissions or "a reduction similar to taking nearly 13,000 gas-powered cars off the road each year."
Government report says one in 12 Utahns has long COVID
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services released a report on Wednesday saying long COVID is significantly impacting many Utahns. The report is designed to provide information to medical providers, patients and others to help all Utahns have similar opportunities for living healthy lives.
About one out of every 12 Utahns is experiencing long COVID and facing the physical, mental, emotional and financial impacts that can arise, according to the report which states there is a significant unmet need to acknowledge and support these patients and their caregivers.
The report says 57% of Utahns with long COVID surveyed in 2022 reported severe symptoms, or symptoms that had a significant daily impact, while 43% reported mild symptoms. Those with severe long COVID are twice as likely as the average person to have symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The report stresses the need for increased recognition and support for these individuals and their caregivers, highlighting that vaccination is the best prevention method.
