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NEWS RELEASE
February 28, 2006
Contacts:
Rick Sprott, director of Utah Division of Air Quality,
(801) 536-0072
Bob Dalley, manager of Utah Air Monitoring Center,
(801) 887-0762
Grant Koford of Bear River Health Department,
(435) 792-6575
Donna Kemp Spangler, spokeswoman for DEQ,
(801) 536-4484
(Salt Lake City, Utah) – The 2005-06 Choose Clean Air “Red-Light Green Light” air quality program drew to an end today with only three “red” days where the Utah Department of Environmental Quality asked Salt Lake and Davis county residents not to use their wood burning stoves and to limit automobile use because of severe winter air pollution.
Even more remarkable, Cache County residents made it through the winter without a single “red” day called by the Bear River Health Department. Cache Valley’s topography, its bowl-shaped nature, makes the area particularly vulnerable to winter pollution. For instance, the valley experienced high enough fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution to warrant 17 red days last winter and 25 days in 2003-04. Another severe winter would have put Cache County at risk for noncompliance with the Environmental Protection Agency health standards.
“A mild winter helped ease the burden for Cache Valley,” noted Bob Dalley, manager of the Utah Air Monitoring Center. He, however, credited Bear River Health Department’s extensive public information campaign that encouraged people to drive less during winter inversions that helped keep Cache County residents breathing easier.
Beginning Nov. 1, 2005, the Utah Division of Air Quality called 21 “yellow” days in Salt Lake and Davis counties; one “red” day and 13 “yellow” days in Utah County; zero “red” days and 11 “yellow” days in Weber County; and eight “yellow” days in Cache County. (See accompanying chart 
)
“Broad public action has been the key success to minimizing winter pollution,” said Rick Sprott, director of the Utah Division of Air Quality. “Utahns understand the importance of adhering to the wood-burn advisories. We also saw incredible citizen actions in Cache County where residents curbed their use of driving just prior to and during inversions.”
“Red Light-Green Light” is targeted at small particle pollution (PM 10 and PM2.5) and carbon monoxide emissions along the Wasatch Front. Particulate pollution can pose serious health problems to people with respiratory problems as fine particles become lodged in lung tissue aggravating breathing problems like asthma and chronic bronchitis. The program is designed 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. “Yellow” means a voluntary no burn, and “green” means burning is allowed.
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