Air Quality Improvement on Fast Track with Gov's Budget Request

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) On certain days of the year, Utah's air quality is among the worst in the nation. And Governor Jon Huntsman says it's time to fix that. He's allocated two-point-five million dollars to tackle the problem, pending legislative approval. State Air Quality Director Cheryl Heying  says that money will buy more air monitors and a plan for improvement:

"We need to put together a plan working with the different sources of pollution in the state, get some better monitoring data and equipment and figure out some control strategies," says Heying.

The plan will be implemented in phases over the next five years, along with public awareness programs, says Heying. For example, she says the state will soon launch an aggressive campaign to get people to stop idling their cars for long periods of time. The new funding is a good first step, but Dr. Brian Moench of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment says the solution is up to all Utahns:

"We need to figure out every single way possible to get people to get out of their cars, drive less, drive slower, carpool, take mass transit," says Moench. "Individuals need to be willing to adopt a different lifestyle if they want to be able to breathe."

Motor vehicles contribute more than half of Utah's air pollution. And Heying says the state is under additional pressure to clear the air because it does not meet strict new guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency. Along with the health concerns of poor air quality, Heying says the state could eventually face sanctions on federal highway money.

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