Salt Lake City Faces Toxic Dust Storms Amid Declining Water Levels

Salt Lake City, Utah, was already in trouble. Between vast open-pit mining operations in the surrounding areas, oil refineries, and a unique mountain range that traps pollution in a winter 'inversion layer,' the cities surrounding the Great Salt Lake have grappled with air quality issues for years.
"We have 2.5 million residents along the edges of the lake," said Kevin Perry, a University of Utah atmospheric scientist researching the Great Salt Lake dust. "These dust plumes come off and make the air unhealthy regardless of what’s in it."
declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake have created new challenges as dust laden with toxic metals threaten the region.