PRESS RELEASE | ADEQ continues to invest in dust mitigation projects to reduce blowing dust and improve air quality in Pinal County
PHOENIX (September 25, 2020) –Work is underway in Coolidge to reduce dust and improve air quality with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) grant funding to Pinal County Air Quality for road improvements in the area.
The $88,250 grant is being used to install chip seal on unstable road surfaces at the Pinal County Housing Property at Eleven Mile Corner Road, home to 67 residents. It is also adjacent to the Mary C O’Brian Elementary school, with an enrollment of around 125 students. Once complete, levels of particulate matter (PM10) should be greatly reduced, benefiting residents and students alike.
The site has been home to a State and Local Air Monitoring Station (SLAMS PM10) since 2002, where levels of PM10 periodically exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) due to high winds blowing dust as well as stagnation conditions.
Pinal County Public Works is installing the new road surface as well as a gate that will prevent unauthorized traffic from accessing the western side of the property and prevent off-road travel, which creates unstable surfaces. Work is expected to take around two weeks to complete.
“The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is pleased to fund this targeted dust mitigation project in Pinal County — the fifth since 2017,” said Daniel Czecholinski, ADEQ Air Quality Division Director. “Our ongoing partnership with Pinal County Air Quality to address dust control is improving the health and safety of both Pinal County residents and travelers. With the completion of this project at Eleven Mile corner, people and students who live, work and learn in the area can expect better local air quality.”
Pinal County Air Quality Director Mike Sundblom said, “Pinal County Air Quality anticipates significant reductions in locally generated dust as a result of the paving work, and we are grateful to ADEQ for the opportunity to partner on this important project.”
Since 2017, ADEQ has been leading a collaborative effort among Arizona state and county agencies, as well as tribes and neighboring state agencies, to address potential source areas for blowing dust along I-10 in Pinal County. To date, ADEQ has funded about $500,000 in dust mitigation projects to help reduce the hazard of windblown dust for drivers, prevent dust-related accidents and improve local air quality.
Learn More: Dust Stabilization Project >
Contact
ADEQ Public Information Officer | 602-540-8072 (cell) | E-mail >