This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fixing the Wasatch Front air pollution problem should be priority number one for Rep. Chris Stewart. Sixty percent of the voters in his district breathe air pollution that exceeds our health standards. For several days this year, cities in his district were ranked as having the worst air in the country.
Stewart has an opportunity to share his vision to address our air pollution problem. He is holding a public town hall meeting on March 31 at West High School in Salt Lake City at 7 p.m.
The congressman faces some major challenges. To improve air quality in Utah, Stewart will need to vote against the president's budget and his changes in air pollution requirements. Utah's Division of Air Quality and the current EPA are counting on the new round of vehicle emission improvements which President Donald Trump has promised to thwart.
The Division of Air Quality is doing all it can but, by edict from our Legislature, cannot recommend pollution reductions beyond what EPA recommends. If Trump weakens the EPA, he weakens state efforts.
Stewart has a chance to put Utah first. He can ask the president to advocate for cleaner cars and fully fund the EPA for clean air in Utah.
Jim Catlin
Salt Lake City