Utah State environmental officials are proposing a seasonal wood burning ban in seven Utah Counties, in an effort to reduce particle polution during Utah’s winter inversions. If implemented, the proposal could become the strictest wood burning ban in the country. Residents in the affected counties (Cache, Box Elder, Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber) have all been invited to attend public meetings held by the Utah Division of Air Quality, to offer input on how the proposed ban can affect their winters and impact the health of Utah's citizens.
Utah Public Radio reporter Jennifer Pemberton attended the Cache County meeting on Wednesday night, and summed up the debate as “the right to burn versus the right to be breathe.”
Today on Access Utah, Pemberton joins us to discuss the community's heated opinions about the proposal and Director of the Utah Division of Air Quality Bryce Bird joins us to explain the reasons for proposing the burn ban and the process of collecting public comment.
Written public comments on the proposed burn ban are being accepted by the Utah Division of Air Quality through February 9.
Tell Utah Public Radio how a wood burning ban would affect you and see what your community thinks here.
