The Utah Department of Environmental Quality' Ramp up mandatory trip reduction programs in several northern and western counties on Monday, June 22, as air quality levels reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups. The agency issued advisories for Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Box Elder, and Tooele counties, requiring employers to activate reduction protocols.
Mandatory trip reduction protocols
In a media forecast updated June 20, 2026, the Division of Air Quality announced that mandatory actions are in effect for multiple regions. Under these mandates, employers must activate trip reduction programs, and individuals are encouraged to use TravelWise strategies by consolidating trips and selecting cleaner transportation options.
Reducing VOC emissions
The agency also specifically advised residents to limit volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to help mitigate the declining air quality.
Wildfire smoke health warnings
The Department of Environmental Quality warned that smoke from wildfires could lead to high concentrations of particulates in populated areas. The agency noted that if wildfire smoke becomes thick, individuals with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce their physical exertion and limit outdoor activities.
Voluntary recommendations for other counties
While certain counties face mandatory restrictions, others remain under different levels of alert. Cache, Wasatch, and Uintah counties were listed with moderate air quality forecasts, carrying voluntary TravelWise recommendations rather than mandates.
Forecast data and regional patterns
The forecast data for the period spanning Saturday, June 20, through Monday, June 22, shows a consistent pattern of unhealthy air for sensitive groups in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Box Elder, and Tooele counties. These regions are subject to the highest level of required action.
Transitioning to moderate air quality
In contrast, Carbon, Grand, and Duchesne counties transitioned from unhealthy levels on Saturday to moderate levels by Monday. In these areas, the agency issued voluntary rather than mandatory advisories, suggesting that residents still consider consolidating trips and reducing VOC emissions.
The Division of Air Quality provided specific health benchmarks for monitoring air quality index (AQI) levels. According to the agency's technical data, an AQI of 35.5 to 55.4 µg/m3 for PM 2.5 or 0.071 to 0.085 ppm for Ozone constitutes the 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups' threshold.
Other levels defined by the agency include Good (0 - 9.0 µg/m3 PM 2.5), Moderate (9.1 - 35.4 µg/m3 PM 2.5), and more severe categories such as Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous, which involves concentrations above 225.5 µg/m3.
For residents in Washington and Iron counties, the forecast remained at moderate levels with unrestricted action status. The agency continues to monitor wildfire outlooks as a potential contributor to particulate matter increases across the state.
