Oracle would have breathed easier in Boise

POSTED: 10:59 MDT Thursday, May 1, 2008

by Rick Carpenter

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Tags - BVEP, Paul Hiller

Paul Hiller and the Boise Valley Economic Partnership should call Oracle back and report how bad the air is in Logan and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Both were in the top 10 most polluted U.S. cities as reported by the American Lung Association. Logan ranked sixth and Salt Lake seventh as the most polluted cities in terms of short-term particle pollution.

The report, issued today, said the category includes a “deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that can spike dangerously for hours to weeks on end.”

The results can cause asthma, heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer.

Oracle had planned to build a new facility near Meridian but decided to locate it in the Salt Lake area because of cheaper land near Salt Lake.

Boise certainly has its challenges with clean air. In fact, on Monday, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality even asked residents to consider not using gas-powered lawnmowers during potentially high pollution days.

Boise’s natural environment and quality of life coupled with a strong business environment have made the city one of the most attractive places to do business. Oracle: clear the air and think about the soaring health costs your employees and your company will endure.

5 Comments

Gimme a break...this is all you got to hang your hat on? Go back to kindergarten.
Comment By Hector
Thursday, May 1, 2008 @ 2:05 PM

This is a very good argument. Pollution is a major factor in everyday life and is an issue everybody needs to concern themselves with. There is always a haze hanging over the Wasatch cities and is noticable while driving down I-15 into Utah.
Comment By Divine
Thursday, May 1, 2008 @ 2:08 PM

I am in Salt Lake City right now. Its cold, snow showers, gloomy not to mention down right depressing. Who would want to work hee?
Comment By steven
Thursday, May 1, 2008 @ 2:50 PM

Come on are you people seriously contending that "quality of life" was given a heavier weighing on Oracle scorecard over $ cost?
They decided to go to SLC because of $'s not the average daily particulate matter in the air. Greed killed this one.
Comment By Kent
Monday, May 5, 2008 @ 12:31 PM

Idahoan's keep thinking the excessive pollution is not a problem and it will bite you in the ass over an over, it is a big issue to business and there employees health. Not to mention the worker pool in Salt Lake is much larger and much better educated.
Idaho needs to get its act together if you think moving to Pleasntville blind to real life issues and seeing that Pleasntville refuses to to deal with serious health concerns, infrastructure and especially education, it makes everyone question Idahoans commitment to the future.
Good luck.
Comment By J.B.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 @ 10:31 AM

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