In his 2014 State of the State speech, Governor Gary Herbert stated he would push the Utah legislature for a bill to ban wood burning during the winter inversion season. It never happened. Because of heavy industry pressure from the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), who flew lobbyists into Salt Lake City to rally against the ban, the Utah legislature actually passed legislation making it easier for wood burners, not harder, contributing more not less to Utah’s bad air.
In recent years, the HPBA has been pushing government entities at every level to embrace change-out programs which retrofit old stoves with “pollution control devices” sold by HPBA vendors. However, tests show that homes and communities who have participated in these programs do not show less pollution. Furthermore, pollution control devices on wood stoves degrade very quickly, so any reduction is short-lived.
Read more about: Utah’s Air Quality | A Recipe for Inversion | Villains with Dirty Faces | A Driving Force for The Better | Down with Pizza Ovens
Listen to Salt Lake Speaks’ podcast: The Forecast for Utah’s Future Winters Looks Bleak.
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