This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This morning, when I went out to fetch The Tribune from my porch, the air tasted worse than I can remember since the London smog of 1962. Then I read the editorial "Olympics 2026: Time to get started" (Our View, Dec. 7).
What makes the paper's editorial board think that Salt Lake City will be acceptable as an Olympic host by then? That is 14 years away, by which time there will be many more people, more cars, more refineries, more Kennecott — and much more smog.
Why should the International Olympic Committee consider bringing world-class athletes to a venue where the air is frequently unfit to breathe?
Perhaps the prospect of the prestige and money attached to the Games will encourage our legislators to take serious action to clean up the air, and in the process (as an accidental byproduct), benefit all our residents. I hope so.
Richard Middleton
Salt Lake City