SALT LAKE CITY – An area of downtown Salt Lake City has been added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of superfund sites. Once listed, the federal government can apply funds to clean up the area.

The area is a 300-acre plot near 700 South and 1600 East. The EPA says a carcinogen known as PCE has contaminated groundwater there, reaching levels 64 times the acceptable limit.

They don’t believe PCE is in the drinking water, but left unchecked, they think it could threaten the supply.

The public has 60 days to comment.

By Alexandria Autrey

SALT LAKE CITY – The Northern Utah Chapter of Women’s Transportation met with almost 50 middle school girls Wednesday to encourage them to study science, technology, engineering, and math, which are also known as STEM subjects.

Students from the Northwest Middle School and Salt Lake Center for Science Education were able to learn about the planning, funding, designing and engineering of the new Sugar House street car line.

Tracy Harty, Northern Utah Chapter of Women’s Transportation president, said preparation should begin before high school.

“Think about the classes you’re taking in high school,” she said. “Look at all of these women who have successful careers, and they took science and they took math. They’re really good at their jobs, and they’re moms, and they’re married or single or whatever, but we want to show them that they can do it.”

By Alexandria Autrey

SALT LAKE CITY – In a maximum time of four hours a fleet of doctors, firefighters, engineers, canines, searchers and heavy rescuers from a Utah task force can be deployed to anywhere in the country and beyond.

The Utah task force includes firefighters from Unified, Salt Lake and Park City Fire Departments.

There are currently 28 task forces around the country available to go to work immediately when a disaster strikes.

A task force Captain from Utah was in Oklahoma when the tornadoes hit, and he got the ball rolling quickly on the local team.

“They’ll send out a recon unit that will go out with canines to evaluate structures and the guys will go out with their cameras and locate where people are and as soon as they confirm they found a person the heavy rescue come in and take the building apart around the person,” said Captain Ryan Mellor of Utah Task Force 1.