Moms for Clean Air expanding to Davis

LAYTON — A Salt Lake City-based organization is heading north to try to help clean up the air in Davis County.

Utah Moms for Clean Air is hoping to raise awareness and get people to do what they can to reduce air pollution in the state.

"We are hoping to expand it to hundreds of groups," said Cherise Udell, founder and president of Utah Moms For Clean Air.

The alliance will lobby for legislation in the 2008 session to make more people aware of Utah's air quality and the health problems it can cause. Moms for Clean Air promotes conservation, renewable energy sources and the use of public transit.

So far, 16 groups from the Salt Lake City-Park City area have joined the alliance, which is looking for more partners in Davis County.

Stephanie Colquitt, a Bountiful resident and member of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said residents in the valley can no longer see the mountains because of the air pollution.

"The young families are moving from the area," Colquitt said. "I think it is bad for business here."

Woods Cross and North Salt Lake reported 16.2 percent of children 17 and younger in those cities have asthma, according to 2003-06 data released by the State Department of Health in May. The state average is 8.5 percent, with asthma affecting about 36,000 Utah children, the report states.

Udell said even small steps people take to lower pollution would be progress.

"We're just trying to build awareness. We're not asking people to go back and live in the dark ages," Udell said. "We are trying to come up with creative, workable solutions for improving air quality."