Clean Air Challenge touted as success

Environmentally conscious Utahns were able to reduce 1.7 million pounds of harmful emissions from the air in six weeks.

In June, Salt Lake City and County officials put Utahns up to a test: change your habits to improve air quality, lessen traffic congestion and conserve energy. The coordinators called it the Clean Air Challenge, and as far as they're concerned, it worked.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s energy adviser, Dianne Nielson, touted the challenge as a success in eliminating an estimated 1 million miles from the daily commute.

"If every driver along the Wasatch Front parked their car for one day a week, harmful emissions would decrease by 86 tons," Becker said. "Every trip counts."

An awards ceremony Saturday marked the end of the challenge and also honored the individual persons and participating companies that produced the most effective results. For instance, Zions Bank employees saved the most trips to and from work. Tami Jannelli reduced the most pounds of emissions — almost 13,000 — by taking alternative transportation several hundred times. It saved her about $4,000 in gas, according to the Clean Air Challenge.

"It is our hope that this is not the end of the community's efforts," Nielson said. "It is up to each of us to continue meeting the challenge to keep our air clear."

Salt Lake Solutions Air Quality Partners Team, a collaboration of more than 20 government, business, community and faith-based organizations coordinated the six-week long challenge.

— Michael R. McFall