Clean air advocates say Governor Herbert's air quality initiative doesn't go far enough

SALT LAKE CITY — Clean air advocates say they're glad Gov. Gary Herbert is making an issue out of Utah's pollution problem, but they find his air quality initiative to be unveiled next week falls flat by being voluntary.

A draft of the initiative obtained by the Deseret News describes the Utah Clean Air Partnership, or U-CAIR, as a nonregulatory campaign that builds on existing partnerships between government and business.

"State agencies and private entities are acting aggressively to meet regulatory requirements," the draft states. "This campaign, however, is a nonregulatory complement to those efforts, focusing on public education and voluntary actions which will help us achieve our goals."

U-CAIR includes a voluntary registration on a state website where people and businesses can pledge and disclose the changes they plan to make to help the state track emissions reductions.

Dan Mayhew, Utah's conservation chairman for the Sierra Club, said it appears the pledges — at least in the initiative's draft form — may be the thrust of Herbert's campaign, rather than anything substantive that might impact major industry polluters.

In the draft copy, U-CAIR urges individual initiative and doesn't speak to any concrete mandates for business.

"Because we each contribute to the air quality problem, each individual and business should take some ownership of the problem and commit to do something to help clean our air," the draft copy reads.

In his monthly KUED news conference Thursday, Herbert hinted at the initiative to be unveiled, which is reportedly scheduled to happen Tuesday.

"I think you'll see more of an emphasis on we people having to do our part along with what industry has already done," he said.

Herbert said industry has "dramatically" reduced pollution in recent years, and now it's time for residents to do their part.

Herbert also references his 10-year-energy plan, which includes the directive that the state expand its energy portfolio to include more renewable energy resources.

Some advocates concede there may be essential tenets of the initiative that are a good step in the right direction and there may be more substance than what they're privy to.