Recently, I eagerly opened your story on “How to stay safe when Utah’s air gets smoky.” As if. What a ludicrous fantasy! In addition to staying inside and driving less, the article suggests, “People with medical problems or children who are sensitive to bad air ... consider leaving the area for a while.” As if we could simply hit pause on our lives and beam ourselves to the coast.
It’s time to face facts and enact policies that target the role industry plays in our pollution problems. While we reduce driving, how about those refineries in North Salt Lake stop polluting when the air’s unhealthy? While we cower indoors, how about our legislators figure out how to use something other than coal to make electricity? And rather than telling us to leave, how about eliminating the sale of high-polluting Tier 1 gas in our fragile valley?
There are a couple of easy things we can do to protect ourselves from bad air. First, I was surprised the article didn’t mention masks. If it can keep out a virus, surely a well-fitting mask can reduce the particulates that get into our lungs.
Second, we can choose our gas wisely. A year and a half ago then-Gov. Gary Herbert advised us to shop for low-sulfur Tier 3 gas. (“Herbert Urges Utahns to buy only less-polluting Tier 3 gas,” Jan. 10, 2020.) It doesn’t show up at the pump, but we can ask what kind of gas we’re putting in our tanks and let the vendors know that we won’t buy it if it’s not Tier 3. Speedway and Chevron have cleaned up their act. It’s time for the rest of the crowd to follow their example.
Amanda Barusch, Salt Lake City
