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Jed Boal Reporting This weather system continues to trap more pollution in our valleys each day. This is the 12th red air quality day on the Wasatch Front this year. But, air quality officials say the clean air message is sinking in.
The state tells me the air quality is getting better. However, we'll start to see more red air days than ever before. New standards will force us all to be more proactive to reduce pollution.
The inversion affects the air we breathe today, and until the next storm sweeps it away.
Cheryl Heying, Utah Division of Air Quality: "We're going to see twice as many red air quality days as we've seen in the past."
In December, the US Environmental Protection Agency lowered the allowable daily average of fine pollution particles, known as PM 2.5. The level dropped from 65 micrograms per cubic meter to 35. Those fine particles lodge deeply in our lungs.
Cheryl Heying, Utah Division of Air Quality: "As we find out more about these small particles, they're finding out that they have a health impact, at much lower levels than we had assumed before."
We will have more red air quality days. But, from an environmental stand-point, that's actually a good thing. That red alert will encourage all of us to do more in our lives to choose clean air.
The Red Light-Green Light Choose Clean Air program is an updated version of what we used to call Red Burn and Green Burn days. The biggest polluters today are cars, not wood burning stoves. We need to reduce our driving and stop burning wood on red air quality days. But the Division of Air Quality and media continue to hone the message.
When pollution levels are low, we will have a green light. When pollution builds, a yellow light signals a voluntary reduction in driving and wood burning. A red light means we all need to reduce driving and stop burning wood.
Cheryl Heying, Utah Division of Air Quality: "We'll be looking at industry, individuals, choices in terms of getting people to drive less, turning down the thermostat, those kinds of things. It's going to have to all add up."
The Division of Air Quality says our communities have all done a lot to reduce pollution. With tougher standards we'll all need to do even more.
For a list of things you can do to choose clean air click on the link to the right.
