Mic Check! Utah Division of Air Quality hears our grievances and demands

[box title=”DAQ Mic Check Script” color=”#C97E2C”]Division of Air Quality Board –
we breath the poison you permit.
We envision a cleaner community
but you actively prevent it.
Our government must represent us
It must protect our health
But you do not represent us.
Like many government institutions,
You are failing.
You are failing us.

We recognize the improvements on Sulfur Dioxide.
Air quality controls have worked.
But we need so much more protection
to live healthy lives.
More people go to emergency rooms
When our air is filled with poison
More kids are too sick for school
When toxic particles fill the air.
Air pollution causes suffering and death.
You must help us STOP this.

You approved Kennecott’s expansion.
You approved more death and more disease.
You approved Kennecott’s expansion
You approved more greed.
You put corporate profits
ahead of our families’ health.
ahead of YOUR families’ health!
Jobs in dirty industry
can not justify
poison in our air
and destruction of the earth.

We demand incentives
for responsible businesses
to create a green energy future.
We demand that this board
set stricter standards
for pollution permit approvals.
Government must serve the people
to create healthy communities
and sustainable futures
and environmental justice for all.

This past July,
the youth in our community demanded
that you take action on climate change
and defend a livable future
But you shut them down
And showed blatant disregard
For protecting future generations.

You are accountable to the the 99 percent
but you serve the greed of the 1 percent.
This must change.
This WILL change.
The people will not be silent.
We demand that you make better decisions
And we demand that our future
be cleaner
and healthier
and more sustainable.
You are not protecting human health
and quality of life.
You are not protecting and enhancing
our environment.
That is your mission.
You are failing.
That’s no surprise.
Since half of this board represents
the Trucking Industry
the Fuels Industry
the Mining Industry
and manufacturing.
Resolve to serve your mission better.
Change your industries
or resign from this board.[/box]

Nearly 30 people from Peaceful Uprising and Occupy Salt Lake organized a community action at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality board meeting today. The mission of the Department of Environmental Quality is “to safeguard human health and quality of life by protecting and enhancing the environment.” But unfortunately, it seems that the actual mission has been “to permit pollution and environmental degradation in order to protect business interests and corporate profits.”

[media url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FBwypQY_aI” width=”330″ height=”260″]

Because our previous attempts to petition this board for cleaner air have been utterly ineffective, and the cozy relationship between industry and government is as close as ever, we felt taking disruptive action was necessary to express our grievances and make further demands. We also felt that the act of publicly shaming this board and drawing public attention to its failure to achieve its mission (especially during the Wasatch Front’s infamous inversion season) would increase the public’s pressure toward them and lead to greater accountability.

Some specific examples we seek to hold the DAQ accountable for include:

The Salt Lake Tribune was present and wrote an article about the event here, along with this short video of pieces of the mic check:

[media url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFdZKR6DL9Q” width=”330″ height=”260″]

Check back here soon for a full video of the mic check, a video interview, and a video of the police and security’s response to us afterward.