SLC Smog So Bad That Utah Leg Advancing Programs To Pay People To Replace Cars, Woodstoves

Fewer than one-fifth of the cars and trucks motoring along the Wasatch Front account for more than three-fifths of the vehicle emissions that are blamed for a large share of the air quality problems looming over the urban corridor where 90 percent of Utahns live.

This is because an older Tier 1 car emits 30 times more pollution than a new Tier 3 model, according to Glade Sowards, a policy analyst with the Utah Division of Air Quality. “Getting rid of one Tier 1 vehicle makes room for 30 Tier 3 vehicles,” he said. “If you can get [drivers] into a properly functioning Tier 2 or 3 car, it might be money better spent than getting a dirty vehicle to limp along for another few years.”

On a $100 million raft of bills rolling through Utah’s legislative session with bipartisan backing is HB295, which aims to usher model year cars 2003 or older off the streets and into the wrecking yard. The bill would provide $5.2 million to help lower-income residents replace older, dirtier cars with a newer ride. “A lot of these cars are just going to die off anyway,” sponsoring Rep. Jeffrey Stenquist, R-Draper, told the House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee on Monday. “This program just helps push that process along a little bit faster and help a few people make that decision.”

The committee, which advanced that bill in an 8-4 vote, heard two other measures Wednesday that offer incentives to Wasatch Front residents to adjust their behavior in ways that reduce emissions. Unanimously advanced were Salt Lake City Democratic Rep. Joel Briscoe’s HB353, which sets aside $1.2 million to cover 17 free-fare days on public transit for three years, and a $14 million subsidy to encourage residents to replace wood-burning stoves.

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https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2019/02/27/lawmakers-consider-bills/