From toxic winter inversions to wildfire smoke, Utah faces a considerable problem. It’s air quality. While local leaders and residents are stepping up with bold initiatives to combat the pollution, Utah State’s legislature has been slow to be bold as well.
In Springdale, a town just outside Zion National Park, Mayor Barbara Bruno is pushing for a “car-free” future, while residents like Jean Lown, a retired Utah State University professor of finance, consumer economics and leader of the St. George chapter of Citizen’s Climate Change Lobby, feel the financial burden of trying to keep their homes safe from pollution.
Meanwhile, political resistance to cleaner air solutions continues to stall progress, leaving Utah caught between economic interest and the health of residents and the environment.
While Utahans are in the crosshairs of what seems to be a field right for a political battleground, Springdale’s mayor has been fortunate enough to avoid the visible pollution seen in many areas of the state.
“The only air quality issue we have experienced in the Springdale/Zion National Park area has been caused by smoke from wildfires,” Bruno said. “We have been fortunate not to have visible pollution from automobiles and industry. Even so, we are in the beginning stages of working on a project called a car-free Springdale.'”
According to Bruno, this project is designed to encourage visitors to Springdale and Zion National Park to use alternative means of transportation. This would alleviate traffic on Zion Park Boulevard while promoting cleaner air.
“We are interested in reducing the number of automobiles in order to reduce traffic on Zion Park Boulevard,” Bruno said. “But we also have an idle-free ordinance and are concerned about air quality. Interestingly, the project came out of a workshop one of our staff members attended with representatives of Zion National Park, Washington County, the Zion Canyon Visitor Bureau and the National Parks Conservation Association called Balancing Nature and Commerce.”
While Springdale focuses on initiatives that benefit its locals and tourists, air quality still concerns residents across Utah. Lown, a part-time resident of Logan and St. George, emphasized the challenges that Utah faces because it is dependent on coal power.
“Utah relies on coal power, which is at the root of climate change,” Lown said. “While Utah is making some changes, like having wind farms in Spanish Fork and solar farms in Mona, there is nowhere to send that power outside of these places because there isn’t the infrastructure for it, like transmission lines.”
Lown’s worries go beyond Utah’s energy grid and include the pollution in Utah, which affects her own home.
“Because of the pollution and air quality, I have had to buy air purifiers for my house and a ceiling fan to move air up from my basement,” she said. “This results in higher electricity bills and more money out of my pocket just to keep the air clean inside my house.”
Lown also pointed out Utah’s notorious winter inversions, during which pollution gets trapped in the valleys, creating a toxic environment that has earned Utah top 15 for worst air quality in the United States.
“Our winter inversions are absolutely toxic. It’s one of the main reasons why we have had to split our time between Logan and St. George,” Lown said.
A Utah State employee who requested anonymity out of fear and repercussions also shared concerns about how Utah’s political climate isn’t conducive to air quality legislation.
“While the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] monitors air pollution, a lot of Utah politicians are against clean air legislation since it’s bad for big business,” the employee said. “That’s why they’re keeping private power companies that utilize coal open, even when there have been initiatives to move away from coal and use cleaner energy.”
As Utah moves forward with projects like the wind farms in Spanish Fork, the solar farm in Mona and the car-free Springdale initiative, the debate over energy sources and legislation for clean air will continue to shape the state’s future. But for now, residents like Lown and officials like Mayor Bruno remain among those advocating for change to protect Utah’s air and natural beauty.
