FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2004
Contacts:
Rick Sprott, Air Quality Division Director, (801) 536-4000
Bryce Bird, Air Standards Branch Manager, (801) 536-4000
(Salt Lake City, Utah) - Utah Division of Air Quality Director Rick Sprott has named Bryce Bird as the new manager of the Air Standards Branch. Bird replaces Marv Maxell, who retired in March after 30 years with the State of Utah. Bird has been serving as the manager of the branch's Hazardous Air Pollutants Section.
"Bryce is the right person to step into this job," Sprott said. "He has provided outstanding leadership to a staff that has accomplished great work. And just as important, he is committed to doing the right thing for the environment and improving Utah's quality of life."
As manager of the Air Standards Branch, Bird will ensure that citizens have the best available information about the air they breathe, assist companies in maintaining compliance with air quality regulations and fairly resolve violations of air quality regulations. Furthermore, he will ensure that generators of air pollution apply all required practices to reduce the amount of pollutants they release into the air.
"We have a proven track record at doing our job of protecting the health and environment of the citizens of Utah," Bird said. "I'm looking forward to building on our successes and continuing to move our work forward in a positive direction."
Bird earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Utah in 1991. He began his career with the State of Utah in DEQ's Division of Environmental Response and Remediation in 1991 as an environmental technician, moving to the Division of Air Quality in 1992 to work as an environmental scientist. In 1999, he became manager of the Division of Air Quality's Hazardous Air Pollutants Section.