This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
The town of Wright will have its air quality monitored for the next year or so. This comes after a national group gave the air a failing grade.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Air Quality Division (AQD) put a mobile testing unit at the Cottonwood Elementary School soccer field, which is downwind of oil and gas operations.
“This placement enables AQD to evaluate pollutant levels and better understand the environmental impact on Wright and its surrounding communities,” according to a DEQ press release.
Wright is in the northeast corner of Wyoming in Campbell County and is in the heart of the area’s oil and gas infrastructure. The county recently received an ‘F’ air quality grade from the American Lung Association. The national group based it on the area’s number of high ozone and particle pollution days.
“If you live in Campbell County, the air you breathe may put your health at risk,” according to the American Lung Association.
The DEQ’s daily air quality data will be available in real time on their website. It’ll show levels for nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and methane/non-methane hydrocarbons.
DEQ’s mobile testing units are rotated periodically around the state and typically stay in place for a year.
