Utah Moms for Clean Air

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Summit County Library Auditorium

(Sheldon Richins Building – Kimball Junction)

Park City

Though the mountains are now visible, the Red Air Quality Alert remains in effect in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, and Utah Counties Sunday evening. Cache County has a “moderate” air quality alert in place

A HEALTH ADVISORY statement also remains in effect for Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah Counties. Sensitive people, (those with respiratory disease or heart disease, the elderly, and children) should avoid prolonged outdoor exposure during this dusty episode.

The red air quality alert is expected by the Utah Division of Environmental Quality to end by Monday morning.

Have you looked outside? Where are the mountains, my children asked. Have you heard the dust particles against your windows? Now ask whether you and your children want to breathe this particulate matter into your lungs. “Particulate matter (PM) has been linked to a range of serious respiratory and cardiovascular health problems,” says the EPA. These health problems include “premature mortality.”

In Utah today:

Air quality conditions have deteriorated significantly as persistent, strong south/southwest winds have elevated the blowing dust concentrations.

The Utah Division of Environmental Quality has “upgraded” the previous Yellow Air Quality Action to a Red Air Quality Alert. (Why would this be an upgrade rather than a downgrade?)

Please note that blowing dust does make the air unhealthy for sensitive groups. DEQ recommends “that people take action to avoid dust and dusty situations by remaining indoors.”

Read more:

• Particulate Matter, Environmental Protection Agency
• Particulate Matter Research, EPA
• Particle Pollution (PM10) and (PM2.5), Air Now
• Particle Pollution and Your Health (printable pamphlet), EPA
• Basic information on why Particulate Matter can cause such damage in your lungs and bloodstream, EPA

Dust. You’ve seen it. You can probably taste it or feel it on your teeth. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Yellow air quality action day for Saturday, April 19 because of it.

The “YELLOW” condition means people should take action to avoid dust and dusty situations by remaining indoors. Industry also is advised to minimize the release of air pollution

A “Moderate” air quality alert has been issued by the Bear River Health Department for Cache County for tomorrow, April 19, 2008.

The pollution forecast calls for improving conditions late Saturday and Sunday in pollution levels.

‘Granite district opposes Mountain View Corridor route’: By Jennifer Toomer-Cook and Nicole Warburton
Deseret Morning News, Published: Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008.

‘Revised smog rules put six Utah counties in air pollution spotlight’: By Judy Fahys, The Salt Lake Tribune 03/13/2008.

‘Air standards violated’, Utah County is among 6 that could lose fed funds: By Stephen Speckman, Deseret Morning News, Published: Thursday, March 13, 2008.

‘Moms’ new mission is clean air Group worries about grimy inversions in the Park City area’: by Jay Hamburger OF THE RECORD STAFF, 04/01/2008.

Woohoo!!  Salt Lake City’s City Weekly recognized us in its “Best Of” issue (on stands this week) as the “Best Grassroots” Group of the year.

“BEST GRASS ROOTS
Utah Moms for Clean Air
You know that the problem’s serious when it invokes the wrath of Utah moms, first with drunken driving and now with global warming. Seriously, these suburban moms are sick of pollution in our fair state in every form it takes. Whether it’s lobbying for school buses to stop choking school kids out with their idling exhausts or rallying against the proposed Mountain View Corridor running next to school playgrounds—we salute these Utah moms for kicking ass and taking names, and we hope to see more of it to come!”

Read about us and more of the “Best Of” here.

Utah Moms for Clean Air has started a Park City Chapter. Please join us tonight for the inaugural meeting.

Park City Library (1255 Park Avenue) on Wednesday April 2nd from 6 - 7:30 PM.