Next Monday is the deadline for weighing in on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plans to clamp down even harder on ozone pollution, and the Sierra Club of Utah participated in a national event Tuesday to bring attention to the issue.

"We want the EPA to set the standard as low as possible to protect public health and the environment," said the Sierra Club's Clair Jones, who organized an education forum at the University of Utah on Tuesday to discuss EPA's proposal.

Among the speakers were Patti White and two of her sixth-grade students from Morningside Elementary, who talked about their anti-idling campaign, which culminated earlier this month with the passage of Rep. Carol Spackman Moss' HJR 5 on clean air. The non-binding measure urges Utahns "to eliminate unnecessary idling of their motor vehicles to protect public health and the environment, reduce air pollution, conserve fuel, and protect vehicle performance."

The Bush administration announced new smog regulations two years ago. But 11 states and environmental groups sued, saying its proposed standard of 75 parts per billion did not properly account for the harm ozone causes. Based on health effects, the EPA's own science panel had suggested limits between 60 and 70 ppb.

In January, Lisa Jackson, the EPA administrator under President Barack Obama, said her agency is reconsidering the smog limits after re-examining more than 1,700 scientific studies and public comments from the 2008 decision. If the limit winds up close to 60 ppm, virtually every county in the West would potentially face federal ozone controls.

Comments are being accepted by the EPA through Monday.

While the state of Utah is expected to submit comments as part of a regional air-quality association, its concerns are more about logistics than what smog level EPA should choose.

The Morningside Elementary students also might be among those to weigh in -- reminding EPA their program is one strategy for reducing emissions from transportation sources.

"There's a lot we can do voluntarily," said Moss.

"Transportation is the main source of ozone," added Jones. "It's a first step but it's a really good first step."

fahys@sltrib.com