Salt Lake County leaders band together to clean up air

Salt Lake County leaders are banding together to clean up the county's air quality.

On Thursday, a council made up of all the valley's mayors and a member of the Salt Lake County Council unanimously approved 11 recommendations to start the cleanup process. The Salt Lake County Council of Governments Air Quality Subcommittee's recommendations are just the beginning of a massive push to turn things around, air quality-wise, in Salt Lake County, Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said.

"This is basic, common-sense stuff, and I think collectively we really could move a lot on this and make a difference," said Wilson, who proposed the idea of starting the subcommittee. "This is just the beginning."

The state's air quality was so bad this winter that residents had to breathe unhealthy air and were asked to limit their driving and wood burning for an all-time high of 28 days, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

Utah and Weber counties also saw a record number of "red" or poor air-quality days during the annual Winter Air Quality Alert program, which started in 1992 and runs from Nov. 1 to March 1 every year, according to a report released in March by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

The subcommittee recommended that local leaders work with the Utah Transit Authority to provide free or reduced fares on red quality air days, as well as post one-day advance notification of red air quality days on electronic message boards on Utah's highways.

"I want to know what's happening tomorrow so I can plan better," said Wilson, who also is running for Salt Lake City mayor. "Planning in the community will really make the difference."

Leaders also want to work with local weather broadcasters to not only inform the public if there is a red air-quality day, but also educate people on how to minimize pollution.

West Valley City government has tried to reduce its vehicle emissions by cutting down to a four-day work week, City Councilman Russ Brooks said.

"It's the right thing to do, as stewards of our planet Earth," West Valley City Mayor Dennis Nordfelt said of the recommendations.

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said the county is currently working on several solutions to reduce air pollution in the valley: downsizing the county fleet, using hybrid vehicles, and using zoning laws to plan new communities where people can live, work and play without driving as much.

"There is not one magic bullet to solve our air pollution problems," Corroon said. "There are a lot of different little things, and they all add up to a big difference."

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Recommendations on Utah air quality

• Encouraging county municipalities to adopt "green" building standards.

• Research the ability to offer incentives for residents and companies to convert white-colored roofs and green-colored roofs.

• Discuss the possibility of securing grant funding to sponsor a countywide expo promoting public awareness on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Encouraging Salt Lake County cities to use flex schedules to reduce vehicle emissions.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com