How Bad Is SLC's Air Pollution? Utah's GOP Gov Proposing Spending $100 Million To Try & Improve It

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Gov. Gary Herbert is urging Utah lawmakers to make an unprecedented investment in air quality, advising them to budget $100 million this year on projects to clean up the skies. The budget recommendation rolled out earlier this month states that the one-time funding could, for instance, support efforts to replace wood-burning stoves or add more electric car charging stations.

"This is significantly more than we've had in the past," Kristen Cox, executive director of the state's management and budget office, said. "We really thought we didn't want to sprinkle around our resources. This is such a top priority."

For comparison, Cox said, the state’s budget plan last year included about $850,000 for air quality projects. The governor’s budget book doesn’t give an exact breakdown for spending the $100 million but does list a few ideas. For instance, some money could fuel a wood stove exchange program that helps people pay for cleaner-burning fireplaces.

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Rep. Stewart Barlow, who heads the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, said he agrees with investing in air-quality research. But lawmakers should exercise caution in spending surplus money this year, said Barlow, who believes the economy is headed toward a slowdown. “I’m not sure, for the risk of an economic downturn, that I would commit a lot of significant monies to new projects at this time,” Barlow, R-Fruit Heights, said.

Ed. - Of course, because MUH MONNNEEEE!!!!

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https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/12/27/gov-herbert-wants-take/

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1. So out of curiosity, what are they doing with the new tax

on electric and hybrid car licence renewal they implemented this year? Just curious because it couldn't be hypocrisy.