Thursday, we continue our series on Utah's air quality with a conversation about the role of government. After a month of horrible smog along the Wasatch Front, Utah's Capitol Hill is abuzz with debate about ways to clean up our bad air. Governor Gary Herbert says the state is working diligently to address the problem. Democratic legislators have put forth a handful of bills they say will help, and the Republicans have some bills in the works. So what can our local government do to help improve conditions? What should it do? And is there the political will to act now?
Thursday morning on KUER 90.1, news director Terry Gildea produced a report on legislative efforts to address Utah's bad air.
Clarification: Utah H. B. 23 High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Amendments would limit the number of clean air vehicles in the state's high occupancy vehicle lanes to 6,000. According to an article in the Standard-Examiner, the Utah Department of Transportation has issued 4,600 clean vehicle decals, which grant qualifying vehicles access to the HOV lane.
GUESTS
- Ryan Evans is the vice president of business and community relations for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. He also leads the Chamber's air quality working group.
- Karen Hevel-Mingo is the executive director of Breathe Utah, a public advocacy group focused on Utah's air quality problems
- Terry Gildea is KUER's news director.
