This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, celebrating the conclusion of its 20th year, has released the latest State of the Environment report detailing trends in air, land and water.
"I'm pleased with the achievements outlined in this report," said Gov. Gary Herbert in a news release. "A healthy environment in conjunction with energy development is crucial to Utah's economy and quality of life."
DEQ Director Amanda Smith said statistics in latest annual report show that Utah's environment continues to improve.
"Finding ways to work more efficiently and produce better results is critical to businesses and industries subject to our oversight," she said in a news release. "It is also critical to enhancing the quality of Utah's environment."
To streamline its operations last year, Smith applied the "Lean Six Sigma" business management strategy, a process that involved the public and stakeholders to fully review the administrative process.
The efficiency review process, used by companies like Kennecott Utah Copper, is aimed at improving the handling of permits in the Divisions of Air Quality and Radiation Control. It also has been applied to better coordinate emergency response in the Division of Environmental Response and Remediation and will be used to address high wintertime ozone in the Uintah Basin.
With Smith serving as energy adviser to Herbert and overseeing the state's new Energy Development Office, this year's report also includes a section in the latest report that is devoted to energy.
See the Web-based report at: http://1.usa.gov/flxQjl.