As the Great Salt Lake’s waters recede, the risk of dust storms carrying dangerous arsenic are upon us. Luckily, much of the lake bed has a crust that makes it tougher for the dust to blow. That is, until an off-road vehicle drives over it. Please, please, we must ban the use of off road vehicles over this delicate crust.
The dust and arsenic will cause untold suffering to millions of people. It will have a dangerous effect on our air quality and health.
The dust also can blow onto the snow on the mountains, causing it to melt much faster, increasing our problems. This is a major choice we can make now.
Ban the use of off road vehicles!
It may take the fun away from a couple dozen folks but it will protect the air, the health of millions, the ski industry, and the livability of northern Utah.
Once the crust has been run over, there will be little we can do to stop dust storms, no matter how much money we put into it. Act now and prevent this horrific scenario.
Tracy Wilcox, Salt Lake City
