This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
During the month of July, the Salt Lake Valley is a hot spot for ozone. Ozone forms when extreme summer heat and sunlight mix with car, truck and machine equipment emissions. The result is a mushroom soup cloud of smog that sits over the Salt Lake Valley.
From the valley floor the ozone smog is less apparent, but when you approach the valley on I-15 from Tremonton in the north or Spanish Fork in the south, a thick cloud of ozone smog is visibly choking off our valley. Ozone enters our lungs and literally clogs them up.
Let's do something about it. We can't do anything about the heat or the sunlight, but we can reduce our emissions - walk, take transit and ride your bike. Put off mowing your lawn for a low ozone day. Check out www.cleanair.utah.gov to find out what you can do to reduce your emissions.
Courtney Henley, M.D.
Utah Moms for Clean Air
Salt Lake City
