Salt Lake County to require fleet to fill up with Tier 3 gas only

SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 13, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Mayor Jenny Wilson announced Wednesday that Salt Lake County will only purchase Tier 3 gas for the its fleet in an effort to reduce air pollution and improve air quality.

Salt Lake County is the first entity of its kind in the state of Utah to require this from its fleet of vehicles operated by employees, according to a Wednesday news release.

“Purchasing Tier 3 gas is a simple way to reduce emissions and contribute to improving our air quality,” Wilson said. “Air quality is a top priority in my administration, and we’re putting action behind that. We challenge all other entities, businesses, and residents to make this same commitment to only purchase Tier 3 gas moving forward.”

Vehicles operating with Tier 3 gas are known to significantly reduce harmful emissions by as much as 80% if they were made after 2017 with Tier 3 efficiency standards, and by 13% per week if the vehicles are older, due to EPA regulations in Tier 3 gas that minimize the sulfur content, the news release said.

“Many in the public might not be aware that Tier 3 gas is an easy way to contribute to improving our air quality, an issue that consistently ranks among Utahns’ top concerns,” according to the release. “These reductions in vehicle emissions, the largest contributing source to the region’s total emissions, can make a critical impact in reducing ozone and particulate pollution.”

While several gas station retailers across Utah purchase from refineries that have made the switch to producing Tier 3 gas, not all refineries have embraced this EPA standard, which is why it’s important for consumers to know which gas station retailers consistently provide Tier 3 gas, regardless of the grade. Shell, Speedway, Sinclair, Exxon, Chevron, and Texaco provide Tier 3 gas at all their pump locations. Other retailers might differ in the type of gas available based on location at any given time.

To make it easier to identify where to fill up with Tier 3 gas near you, Rep. Suzanne Harrison spearheaded the innovative creation of a website and map for residents to use that was launched in 2020.

“At times our air quality issues can seem insurmountable,” said Harrison, “But doing your part to clean our air can be as simple as changing where you fill up your car. Tier3Gas.org lists the stations near you that stock low-sulfur gas, which dramatically reduces particulate pollution. It’s a simple way to protect our air and our health.”

To identify stations near your home and work, click here.

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