Air Quality/Inversions (Salt Lake City, North Salt Lake: home, employment, to buy)

[movingonagain777]

The particles which are the culprits are the Sulfur dioxide ones. They smell bad and are irritating for some people, hence the bad taste people get from it. They are also the most visible ones ! Those particles are not mainly produced by cars or fireplaces, but more by industrial processes.

Yes!! All of us doing our part is very important but it is in a larger part do to industrial production. The inversions will happen but how wonderful would it be if it were not a mix of toxic waste. It doesn't really matter about the past as much as we need to make changes for the future. I belong to Moms for Clean Air and can't believe some of the stories that I read.....that some still heat with coal here??? Didn't know coal still existed as a source of heat??? I am all for supporting a tax system that will improve the quality of life and I am all for doing my part in signing petitions and speaking out.

I am in the bottom of the bowl (Daybreak) and have never seen pollution like this in my entire life. My husband grew up in Long Beach and said the smog was bad but this has a chemical essence that he never experienced there.

If I can help to make a change....sign me up! I love Utah and would like to help her in anyway possible! I have never been this toxic and sick in my life. I didn't even know I could be this sick. I thought it was allergies until they never went away. I love winter but this is my first winter that I will be glad to see fade into Spring.

[irman]

I know it will be hard to *help* and for some people, it may be easier than for others.
Our case. We have two cars, one small sedan and one van.
Both SULEV rated, I can show you the test results from that paper work you get each time you need to renew your license.
We only use the small one (37 mpg) most of the time and only use the van 27 mpg when we have all the grand-kids.
When it is cold, and people should drive less, because of our age (both retired for a long time) we do not even go anywhere, because we do not like to be in the cold.
More, we just can not do ...

For most other people, there is actually not much they can do, simply because it is the only way to *get around* for them.

[dcisive]

Yeah Jasper, at least the West Coast towns and cities have the added advantage of being near the ocean currents of air and not all are fish bowls like the Wasatch Front is. I know it won't make me a popular guy, but I'd ban those black smoke belching diesel trucks I see all over the place, and that's to say nothing of the older (pre 90's) pickups I sit behind inhaling their horrible excessive emissions. I'd tax the crud out of those to get them off the road sooner and if possible crush them, don't resell them. I think that could go a LONG way to cleaning up the air. There is just so many vehicles like those out there. Perhaps they need to reverse the car taxes and charge MORE for the older cars and less for the newer ones. I can be a bit more tongue in cheek here. We just became a ONE car family and in addition I drive a 2012 hybrid that has next to NO emissions and gets great gas mileage (43mpg no matter where I go). Yeah I know you'll all whine you can't afford new cars but that is a reality when it comes to the pollution output of vehicles. There are also WAY too many soccer moms hauling their broods all across town adding to the toxic mix in the air. But that's not a popular view around these parts.

[SLCPUNK]

Are there any places on the bench that are out of the inversion? What about Herriman?

[hilgi]

Originally Posted by SLCPUNK

Are there any places on the bench that are out of the inversion? What about Herriman?

It depends on which way the wind is blowing and how many days the inversion has gone on. The first few days I never notice much, after 3-4 days it gets worse.

[movingonagain777]

I just read that we are supposed to have another week of the mucky inversion.

Is this typical? Should I expect that the next couple of months will be more of the same?

[11thHour]

Originally Posted by SLCPUNK

Are there any places on the bench that are out of the inversion? What about Herriman?

Nope. Not even close. I'm at about 5100 ft in Herriman. I went up the canyon a few days ago, it looked the tops were about 6500-7000 ft. Maybe Suncrest might be. However, it isn't as bad here as it is lower in the valley, especially up north. I work in the airport area. Between being the lowest point in the valley (next to the lake basically), so the coldest air pools there, all the pollution from the airport vehicles and planes just sits and stagnates, interstates, industrial areas, and nearby refineries makes that area toxic. I swear to god, it has to be toxic. Plus it's been getting foggy at night in some of those areas.

[SLCPUNK]

Such a huge bummer to read.

I'll be using a mask for inversion days when I come back. Although the inversions do give us pause 3.5 months away from departing from FL to UT, they really do. I absolutely am not interested in breathing that toxic waste. I can not imagine the long term health effects of breathing it either.

Do you think they have become worse over the last ten years or so? Very curious. I vaguely remember them from 2000-2004 (when I lived there) but obviously not enough to leave an big impression on me. What I'm reading does though.

[movingonagain777]

I purchased carbon filitered NOIS masks for my family. We wear them all the time if we have to venture out. I get curious looks from folks but it helps a lot. If I don't wear a mask my eyes, nose and throat burn. My chest feels constricted as well. I am looking forward to clearer days!!

[irman]

Originally Posted by movingonagain777

I just read that we are supposed to have another week of the mucky inversion. Is this typical? Should I expect that the next couple of months will be more of the same?

Yes and no ...

I should have become a weather forecaster ! I could then lie thru my teeth and still not be canned for being dead wrong sometimes....

Just a few hours ago, my wife asked what it was going to be tonite (bloody cold again), and I told her that darkness was upon us ...