Comments on H.B. 355 to the House Natural Resources Committee
Our board president and cofounder, Dr. Brian Moench, spoke on behalf of the 450 physicians who are members of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment:
“The DAQ director tells us that by far, the most common air quality complaint they get from the public is about fugitive dust from gravel pits. Here’s a quote from a Davis County official highlighted in the legislature’s own DOGM study mentioned by Rep. Snyder.
“[Our] citizens complain about fugitive dust that is always present in the air, settling on property, vehicles, outdoor furniture, patios, and windows. During even the mildest storm events, rain leaves a muddy film on windows and vehicles. Residents with asthma or other respiratory illnesses complain of complications related to air quality and are not able to be outside for extended periods of time. [The city has videos that show] “the dust clouds produced by a local quarry on a clear, non-windy summer day, in which the roads were completely obscured by dust, much like a fog.”
“Just as we are all worried about the health hazards of dust from Great Salt Lake, many residents on the Wasatch Front are already plagued 24/7 with essentially their own mini dried-up lake right in their community
“Your own study concluded that because local jurisdictions are impacted the most by these operations, they should have more influence over citing and regulations, not less. But this bill does the opposite. The study also concluded that the DAQ did not have the resources to provide adequate supervision of the 250 existing quarries. The study also showed there will be an adequate supply of aggregate for 10-20 years, even in our most populated counties, so there is no need to allow even more harm to public health or quality of life to address an aggregate shortage that doesn’t exist. We urge you vote against the bill in its current form.”
