Sandy, UT


Sandy, UT

The City of Sandy is home to an estimated 96,145 residents, and it’s located in Salt Lake County, UT.

This report will help you become better acquainted with Sandy and the surrounding area by addressing the following questions:

  • Are there any hazardous sites in Salt Lake County, UT?
  • How clean is the air in Salt Lake County, UT?
  • What’s the average radon level for homes in Salt Lake County, UT?
  • Is the water in Salt Lake County, UT safe to drink?

Hazardous Sites near Sandy, UT

There are four Superfund sites in Salt Lake County, UT. Superfund sites, like Portland Cement (Kiln Dust 2 & 3) in Salt Lake City, UT, are areas that have been contaminated with hazardous substances. If not for the cleanup efforts orchestrated by the EPA, these sites could endanger people living in nearby communities.

The EPA uses the Hazardous Ranking System (HRS) to quantify the risk a contaminated site poses to human health and the environment. Sites assigned HRS scores of 28.5 or greater qualify for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL), and are eligible to receive federal funding for cleanup efforts.

Before the EPA deletes a site from the NPL, it conducts reviews to ensure the cleanup was sufficient. As a result, some sites remain on the active site list long after cleanup activities are complete.

For more information about the Superfund sites located in the Sandy, UT area, be sure to review the map and background information provided below:


Map Legend:

49035

A. Portland Cement (Kiln Dust 2 & 3) (HRS Score: 54)

The Portland Cement (Kiln Dust 2 & 3) site is located in Salt Lake City, UT.

Contaminants found at the Portland Cement (Kiln Dust 2 & 3) site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Cadmium
  • Chromium
  • Lead
  • Cement Kiln Dust
49035

B. 700 South 1600 East PCE Plume (HRS Score: 50)

The 700 South 1600 East PCE Plume site is located in Salt Lake City, UT.

49035

C. Wasatch Chemical Co. (Lot 6) (HRS Score: 50)

The Wasatch Chemical Co. (Lot 6) site is located in Salt Lake City, UT.

Contaminants found at the Wasatch Chemical Co. (Lot 6) site include:

  • Gamma-Chlordane
  • Pentachlorophenol
  • P,P'-DDT
  • P,P'-DDE
  • Hexachlorobenzene
49035

D. Utah Power & Light/American Barrel Co. (HRS Score: 38)

The Utah Power & Light/American Barrel Co. site is located in Salt Lake City, UT.

Contaminants found at the Utah Power & Light/American Barrel Co. site include:

  • Antimony
  • Benzene
  • Cyanide
  • Lead
  • Benzo[a]pyrene

Air Quality in the Sandy, UT Area

The two most widespread forms of air pollution are ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot). Exposure to these harmful pollutants, for even just a short period, can have adverse effects on your health.

Thanks to data collected by air monitoring equipment located across the country, the American Lung Association (ALA) is able to assess and track our air quality using three metrics:

  • Ozone
  • Short-term Particle Pollution
  • Year-round Particle Pollution

In their 2019 annual report, the ALA rated the air quality in Salt Lake County, UT as follows:

Ground-Level
Ozone Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Short-Term
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Year-Round
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: Pass/Fail

Radon Levels in Sandy, UT Area

Air quality inside your home can be impacted by a number of factors, including the presence of hazardous substances in building materials (asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, etc.) and local radon levels.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas you cannot see or smell. It can build up inside your home and negatively impact your indoor air quality as well as your health.

To provide a guideline, the EPA assigned one of three zones to each U.S. county and county equivalent:

  • Zone 1 (higher radon levels)
  • Zone 2 (moderate levels)
  • Zone 3 (lower levels)

Indoor radon readings in Salt Lake County, UT are expected to average from 2 to 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), so the county has been assigned EPA Radon Zone 2.

EPA Radon Zone

According to the EPA, you should consider acting to reduce your home's radon level if it measures between 2 and 4 pCi/L, so if you're contemplating buying a home in Sandy, UT, you should have a radon test performed.

Water Quality in Sandy, UT Area

In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA sets regulatory limits for drinking water contaminants known to cause adverse health effects.

Using data from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), we found no violations for regulated contaminants reported for Salt Lake County, UT, as of the third quarter of 2019.

In addition to setting enforceable standards for harmful contaminants, the EPA also established guidelines to assist public water providers in managing the taste, odor and color of their drinking water.

To find out more about what’s in your drinking water, contact your utility company and request a copy of the latest Consumer Confidence Report.


Sources and Methods

Hazardous Sites: Identified using a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous sites detailed on trendingtowns.com represent sites contained on the National Priorities List (NPL) as of November 25, 2019.  The NPL is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories.  All site-related data was sourced from the EPA.

Air Quality: Grades for ozone, short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution were obtained from State of the Air 2019, a report compiled by the American Lung Association.

Radon Zones: Radon zone designations were obtained using a public use dataset provided by the EPA (September 11, 2019).

Water Quality: Drinking water violation data was sourced from the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), a public use database provided by the EPA.  The dataset included violations submitted to the database as of the third quarter of 2019.

Paul

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