Withdraw the Proposed Seasonal Burn Ban (R307-302)

Pile of parts

Well-Known Member
Location
South Jordan
Thanks! I've been looking for information on how to get involved in the fight against this ban. I'm OK with the voluntary no burn policy and try to not burn on days with poor air quality but I'm tired of the little guy (or contributor) being targeted. I guess when it comes to generating revenue from the tax base, big industry, which equals big polluter, also equals big dollars. They have even gone as far as to say, restaurants that burn wood for cooking will be exempt from the ban. Apparently our property tax doesn't account for anything - as we'll just have to pay it anyway. I think the next step is to contact local political leaders to see how they will be voting on this so we will know how to vote when it comes time for re-election.
 

maxterra

New Member
Location
West Haven, UT
SLC is all about going green, hence no fireworks last New Years celebration, or probably any further city sponsored events in the future...
Was going to install a newly purchased woodburner in the house a couple of yrs ago, but have held off after hearing about this proposal. Was going to install in the shop instead, but worried about that now as well.

All my Mom's family is from SLC since it was settled, and according to them, the inversion has been here since people have been, and MUCH worse (black snow from all the coal burning).

All these people running around complaining that it's getting worse, I clearly remember in the 70's, over two months of inversion with no sunshine in the valley a few winters.
 

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
I completely agree that wood burning to heat homes is not the big contributor to our inversions but I disagree that it has always been like this.

I grew up in Utah Valley and last year was the worst air quality I have ever seen. But I digress. Banning wood burning stoves won't fix our problem, I wish I knew what would.
 

DAA

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Banning wood burning stoves won't fix our problem, I wish I knew what would.

My fix is to move away from here as soon as I can... Which sounds great. Except I can't move. For a long time. If ever. But, if I could, I would and the air is the biggest reason. I get to escape it often, coming back and seeing the spooge just oozing there on the horizon, waiting for me, is always very depressing.

There has always been inversion in the Salt Lake valley. The valley is a natural collector for gunk in the air from all over the place, gunk from hundreds, even thousands of miles away sometimes. The Indians called it Smokey Valley, way back when. I remember how happy everyone was when Kennecott built the big smoke stack and we all figured it was high enough that our bad air would go to Wyoming. And I too remember some winters in the 80's that were worse than we have now - weeks and weeks at a time without seeing the sun at all down in the valley.

But I also remember when it was pretty much confined to the Salt Lake, Utah and Cache valleys. Now it's spreading like a cancer. When you drive west and turn around, you can see it spilling over and filling in Tooele and even Skull valley, some days it spreads clear out to Knolls.

I'm personally just beyond sick and tired of it though. Seriously...

- DAA
 

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I'm personally just beyond sick and tired of it though. Seriously...
- DAA

X2 - January and February are brutal months to live on the Wasatch front. I loved living in Huntsville and working at Snowbasin for the eight years I was able to.
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
I miss Wyoming myself. Except there was nothing to do there in the winter. We never have any smog. But that's because the wind is always blowing. Snow never sticks because it gets blown east.

The inversion sucks. I've heard stories that the original settlers of the area reported this same inversion in the winter months. They called it something different though. I don't remember what. I live up in Layton and from where I live, it seems like it comes from the desert and then settles into the valley until there is a storm or lots of wind.

The air doesn't affect me. but it does look gross.
 

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
^ x2. There's mornings I step outside and can taste it. It's disgusting.

My neighbor says "It's not fair, those guys don't HAVE to burn wood to heat their houses". I told her the day that everyone that doesn't HAVE to drive a car is forced to ride an electric bus to work, then her argument will make sense.
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
We really don't get much of it in Layton. But I can see the whole valley engulfed in it. Its perfectly clear up here today. I should take a picture.

Atleast I work from home and can't be blamed for killing the environment. I hardly drive anywhere anymore. If everyone worked from home, it might clean up the air more. But I realize not everyone can do that.
 
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