This afternoon roughly 25 people came out for the “Clean Air, No Excuses” rally at Dixie State University hosted by the DSU Sustainability Club. The small crowd consisted of some DSU faculty, students, and local residents. The event was spear-headed by Trevor Anderson, the DSU Sustainability Club president who was contacted by Utah Moms for Clean Air to host the event.
The St. George rally is a sister rally to the large rally in Salt Lake City that took place today at the same time. The event in Salt Lake City was sponsored by Utah Moms for Clean Air, Utah Physicians for the Healthy Environment, and Clean Air Now. Last year they had 4,000 people show up and were hoping to get 10,000 this year.
“The purpose of the rally today,” said Anderson, “Is to get SB 87 passed.”
SB 87, or the Environmental Protection Amendment bill, was introduced last year by Sen. Gene Davis (D) last year but did not make it past the senate floor. Sen. Davis is running the exact same bill again this year.
According to Utah Political Capitol, “The legislation would allow the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to create environmental quality standards that go above and beyond federal minimums regarding air quality standards.”
Dorothy Engelman, former Washington County Democratic Chair and candidate for House District 74 said, “SB 87 goes back to states rights. We should be able to determine what our standards are in our own state.”
It may come as a surprise that the Utah DEQ cannot by law implement stiffer air quality standards. What Utah Moms for Air Quality and other organizations state is that the national standards do not go far enough and that Utah needs regulations that take into account the unique topography of the state.
When asked if he’d like to see Dixie State University step up and take the lead in the community for sustainability Anderson said yes. “There is a sustainability initiative on campus that is entirely faculty,” Anderson said. “It’s all over campus. The adviser for the Sustainability Club was the faculty member who started the initiative so I got in touch with her and that’s when we started the club.”
Anderson went on to say that it is the club goal for Dixie to be the sustainability leader in the community. “Right now there are two buildings that pick up their own recycling. All the other buildings have recycling but the club picks it up. The club gets service hours for picking up the recycling, but ultimately it would be great if the University would just pick it up themselves.”
With Mayor Pike pushing for curbside recycling in St. George it was suggested that the club should reach out to him. “[Mayor Pike] came to one of our events last semester,” said Anderson. “It was the ‘Don’t Waste Dixie Day’ and he came.”
When asked if Mayor Pike had been invited to the Clean Air rally today Anderson said he didn’t think so but that they should have. Anderson went on to say that his goal is to push solar power as well, but that you’ve got to start somewhere and recycling is a good starting place.
