SALT LAKE CITY — The year 2011 brought the 20th anniversary of the state's establishment of an environmental regulation department, and a number of milestones were achieved this year aimed at cleaning up Utah's air, water and land.

Even the little things — like recycling old tires — add up in big ways. The state Department of Environmental Quality reports that nearly 100 percent of all tires collected in Utah were recycled or reused, amounting to 43,000 tons or 2.6 million tires that escaped the fate of landfills or dumping grounds.

In its annual "State of the Environment Report," the regulatory agency also noted an increased public awareness over the dangers of radon during 2011, with an uptick in both the number of tests performed and the number of radon mitigation systems installed in homes.

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