FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2004
Contacts:
Cheryl Heying, Division of Air Quality Planning Manager, 801.536.4015
Bob Dalley, Air Monitoring Center Manager, 801.887.0762
(Salt Lake City, Utah) - The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announces the end of this season's "Red Light, Green Light" air quality program, which curtails wood burning along the Wasatch Front and Cache County during winter inversions, on Sunday, March 14. The program normally ends March 1, but because of continuing winter conditions and the possibility of more inversions, DEQ decided to extend this winter's program by two weeks.
During the season, which began Nov. 1, 2003, the Division of Air Quality called 23 "red" days and four "yellow" days in Salt Lake and Davis counties; 15 "red" days and three "yellow" days in Utah County; and nine "red" days and 12 "yellow" days in Weber County.
Furthermore, in January 2003, the Bear River Health Department implemented a mandatory wood-burn program for Cache County as a measure to improve air quality. The local health department called 25 "red" days and four "yellow" days in Cache County.
"The good news is that even though we had a challenging winter, especially in Cache County, we are still in compliance with the federal health standards," Division of Air Quality Director Rick Sprott said.
"We were impressed with the voluntary actions taken by individual citizens, local businesses and community leaders on behalf of our air quality," he said. "The individual actions each of us took collectively made a difference. I encourage the public to keep up the good work."
Wood-burning conditions are identified as "Red, Yellow, Green" - similar to traffic lights. The program is used to notify citizens when they can burn wood in a fireplace, depending upon pollution levels. "Red" means burning is prohibited and people are asked to reduce vehicle trips, use mass transit and conserve energy. Likewise, industries are asked to minimize their release of air pollutants and ensure that air pollution control equipment is functioning properly. "Yellow" means a voluntary no burn, and "green" means burning is allowed.
Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) is the primary winter pollutant. Wood burning produces soot and dust that are components of particulate, as are emissions from vehicles and other engines. Fine particles can become lodged in delicate lung tissue, decreasing lung function, especially for people with respiratory and cardiovascular ailments.