Summer offers more than just pleasant weather and longer days. School is out, and family and friends are creating memories while enjoying our state’s natural beauty outdoors. Among these students are fresh graduates, newly educated and trained, eager to make their mark in the workforce. These graduates must now decide where to start the next chapter of their life. Will they choose to stay and build their careers locally, or will they prioritize seeking opportunities outside of Utah?
As a biomedical Ph.D. candidate in the final years of my training, I have deeply considered these questions. Originally from Wisconsin, I was drawn to pursue grad school in Salt Lake City by the state’s abundant outdoor recreation opportunities and impressive growth of the biotech sector. However, due to growing environmental quality concerns, I have seriously contemplated moving elsewhere after graduation.
From toxic dust storms to the harsh winter inversion smog, it’s well known that Salt Lake has some of the worst air quality in the nation. Just last December, our capital city ranked 26th in the world for worst air quality. But the visible “haze” of air pollution is only the beginning. The health consequences of Utah’s polluted air are especially alarming, putting both new and long-time residents at risk for severe health complications, including asthma, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. A recent study from Brigham Young University reports that Utah residents lose between 1.1 to 3.5 years of life due to poor air quality, with up to 23% of residents losing five years or more.
Acute exposure to air pollution has been shown to promote depression and mental illness, as well as increase the risk of suicide completion in Salt Lake County. Utah’s air pollution is also linked to a rise in health issues like spontaneous pregnancy loss and higher asthma prevalence. Unsurprisingly, emergency room visits in Utah can spike by up to 40% on days with poor air quality.
Yet, poor air quality is not only a major health problem in Utah, but also a serious economic issue as well. A recent study estimates that air pollution costs Utah taxpayers an average of $1.9 billion annually through direct costs, like healthcare expenses, and indirect costs, such as loss of tourism and decreased economic growth.
These studies become even more alarming when factoring in recent moves being made in the state. This includes stories of carbon-heavy coal-burning power plants abandoning early closure plans while plans for cleaner nuclear power options have been canceled. Further, while the EPA’s tightening carbon emission standards appear to be a major win for the state, our state governor recently made a controversial decision to sign a letter voicing opposition to updated air quality compliancy regulations, signaling opposition to clean air policy.
Given these serious health and economic implications, it is imperative that Utah policymakers prioritize addressing our unhealthy air quality. Instead of using energy to voice opposition to new air quality regulations, our state leaders need to work together, with intensity and efficiency, to identify the best strategies to improve our polluted air. State leaders must invest in new policy, such as HB279 Air Quality Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Clancy, which sought to mandate a 50% reduction in air pollutants by 2033 in the Wasatch Front, including harmful fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Unfortunately, this bill failed to move through the legislature.
Transportation is the biggest source of air pollution in Utah. To combat vehicular pollutants, our state must consider measures such as electric vehicle (EV) incentivization and stricter idling laws. The EV market is now accessible for families, though costs remain a barrier. Utah can enhance its EV incentives by modeling programs like Vermont’s, which offers up to $10,000 to low- and moderate-income residents for new EV purchases. Additionally, new legislation should require large multi-unit dwellings, like apartment complexes, to provide EV charging for at least 50% of their parking spaces by 2030. Policymakers can collaborate with power companies, such as Rocky Mountain Power, to extend current EV charger rebates and time-of-use incentives to owners of these large multi-unit dwellings.
While EV incentives will reduce gas-powered vehicle operations over the next decade, a transitional period will still see many gas-powered vehicles on Utah’s roads, contributing unnecessary emissions due to idling. Strengthening idle reduction laws can enlist citizens to help reduce idling. Concerned citizens could report improper idling and receive a portion of the fine as a reward, increasing public surveillance and generating funds that could be reinvested into EV incentivization projects.
A failure to invest in cleaner air is a failure to invest in Utahn’s health, a failure to invest in our future economy and a failure to prioritize retaining Utah talent local. State leaders must work to create a brighter, and cleaner, future for our state.
Lorenzo Smith is a PhD student studying oncological sciences at the University of Utah.
Lorenzo Smith is a PhD student studying oncological sciences at the University of Utah. Using his scientific critical thinking skills, Lorenzo has become strongly interested in advocating for the best policy initiatives for our state.
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