| Show A A FULLER PERSPECTIVE Air Pollution Masks Utah's Natural Beauty I I t r By Edward Edward Fuller Opinion Editor The Salt Lake Valley is a beautiful area The serrated mountain peaks that are arc apparent at the edges of the Salt Lake Valley seem to have carved a perfect niche for its inhabitants A watery blue expanse shimmers at the northwestern edge of the valley The valleys valley's weather and climate seem conducive to year-round year outdoor activity whether it be skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer If you stroll around some neighborhoods in inthe inthe inthe the valley it is likely that you will see health individuals biking hiking jogging or walking their pets The Salt L Lake e Valley seems almost enchanted as if there is magic in its air There is something in the air alright unfortunately its it's pollution breathe the most polluted air per capita in America according to they the y Population Reference Bureau a Washington research group The i national average amount of toxic air pollution is 59 pounds per person We inhale a whopping pounds of toxic air pollution per person in our industrious beehive state You might tiro I. I 0 f H r 0 N 1 0 jI N J.- J. 0 r f. f W 0 r i. i A t. t 1 I O 1 I 0 11 oJ f i r I 9 fI u t. t il woot woo woo- r Y 0 oW 1 f r IY k t J. J 0 0 OJ e. e J I I 11 I IJ t J. J I. I J a 0 t h i M il 0 I 0 r I I 0 e. 00 0 t z Photo courtesy of The Deseret News Industrial plants heavy traffic and the frequency of temperature inversions have dramatically reduced the quality of the air in Utah The Salt Lake County and Provo Orem areas are among the most adversely affected be surprised to find that 95 percent of air pollution is attributable to an industrial l plant that extracts magnesium magnesium magnesium magne magne- from the Great Salt Lake and not notto notto notto to your cars car's exhaust pipe According to an investigative article article arti article arti- arti cle by Micheal the white while and so not-so-delightsome clouds of chlorine gas that billow from Mag Corps smokestacks mark the presence of the single worst polluting facility in the entire United States of America In 1996 the Magnesium Corporation of America released 65 million pounds of chlorine gaS gas into theair the theair theair air surrounding its facility Dishonorable mention must go to Utah Copper for its contri contri- to the pollution build A recent edition of The Salt Lake Tribune listed the plant as the leading producer of toxic waste in our nation released million pounds of various various vari van ous t toxins in 1996 Let us be sure not to overlook the smog that accompanies our cars creep creep- ing along the current you the exit you now-you-don't freeway system and air inversions that trap the smog in our valley The combined result of the aforementioned factors is air so potent that Bill Clinton would probably refuse to inhale it on his wildest night While our scrappy Senator Orrin Hatch spars with the President on issues of morality and ethics he would do well to whether it is ethical of himself to allow his state to take a dive in the fight against toxic pollution Our governor has said that he intends to do something about the pollution pollution pollution pol pol- pol- pol lution in Utah but his actions seem to indicate that he has chosen to Leavitt alone The next time your allergies flare up or the next time you have to keep your kid at home from school because of asthma attacks caused by living in our noxious state call your family doctor and then call your local congressman congressman congressman con con- gressman or representative If we dont don't ask for stronger measures to clean up the toxic mess we live in our government officials wont won't tell teU big industrial polluters that deserve a better environment to live in |
