HB 70: What is the Utah Legislature doing about the air quality in the Salt Lake Valley? By: Enrique Jimenez

HB 70 will create an Air Quality Task Force. These efforts will suggest changes to state laws and regulations that could improve air quality in Utah.

"Air quality is an issue that impacts all Utahns," said sponsoring Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Holladay, who had told members of the committee she’s receiving many calls about Utah’s air pollution problems these days. "But this issue has never been an issue before the Legislature before," she said.

The bill will create a 13 member task force made up of five senators and eight House members, both Republicans and Democrats. The job will be to look what’s already being done to improve air quality with an eye on finding ways to make Utah a better place to live and work.

With a budget of $45,900, the bill passed 9-1, with Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, casting the "no" vote.

Rep. Noel, who came late to the meeting, missed some of the testimony from the Salt Lake Chamber, the city-chartered body that attracts new business to Utah, in which they expressed their support for the bill.

Rep. Fred C. Cox, Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox just to name a few, felt it is important to support the business community, including the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, and a long list of environmental and health advocacy groups, such as the Utah Moms for Clean Air and the Audubon Society, as well as become better educated on air quality issues.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we’re just sick of it, and we need to take more action to get the air quality better,” said Utah resident John Boyd.

I agree with the bill because Salt Lake County has horrible air quality and it needs to be fixed to meet the EPA standards of air quality. The urban areas along Utah's Wasatch Front often have the worst or near the worst air quality in the nation. Not only is the Salt Lake Valley affected but rural counties such as Box Elder, Cache, Carbon and Uinta experience air pollution problems too.

What I’ve done in my community is help encourage more carpooling and using more efficient ways to get to places as needed.

HB 70 is intended to give the legislature an opportunity to become better educated on air quality issues, but if they can support the task force they can help pass bills to help regulate the air in Utah.