Progress on air pollution reduction plan among Utah's environmental highlights in 2012

In the remediation arena, the state and Salt Lake City are likely to see federal help to clean up a contaminated plume of groundwater on the east side near 700 South and 1600 East. The proposed Superfund designation that came in 2012 means an accelerated cleanup schedule to remove the contamination, which could grow larger over time if left alone.

Earlier this year, the department was called on to remove contaminated soil found when the city's Sugar House Streetcar Project was launched. More than 900 cubic yards of soil was cleared for the line, which is anticipated to be operational next year.

And in one of the department's most successful outreach efforts, this year saw nearly twice the number of radon tests it performed on potentially impacted homes — 8,467 to 2011's number at 4,236. Radon is an odorless gas and the second leading cause of lung cancer. The department said 30 percent of the homes it tested had levels higher than federal health standards.

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