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Breathing Salt Lake’s West Side Air

Salt Lake City Smog
Delaney Plant
/
KUER
Salt Lake City Smog

If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, you know a thing or two about air pollution. There are days when you can see it. But if you live on the west side it’s even worse.

The science is in: west side residents have poorer health outcomes because of bad air. And it’s not just because they live in the lowest part of the valley where pollution naturally settles; if you live in Rose Park, West Valley, Kearns or Magna, you live a lot closer to air-polluting industries than Salt Lakers on the east bench. The reporters Alixel Cabrera and Saige Miller teamed up to listen to the stories of the people who call Salt Lake’s west side home, collecting dozens of first-hand accounts. Their project is called “Reaching for Air,” and we’re talking about it on RadioWest.

Reaching for Air is a collaboration between The Salt Lake Tribune, KUER and the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, which explores air quality along the Salt Lake Valley’s west side.

Hear the voices of west-side residents on Reaching for Air’s interactive presentation. Plus, check out the west side’s air quality in real-time on our map.

You can also watch our RadioWest Film Another Body here.

GUESTS

Saige Miller | Politics Reporter for KUER

Alixel Cabrera | Reporter at Utah News Dispatch