[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Director Owens Announces New Air Quality Monitoring Site for Green Valley in Pima County

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Director Owens Announces New Air Quality Monitoring Site for Green
Valley in Pima County

PHOENIX (August 7, 2007) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ) Director Steve Owens announced today that ADEQ has established a
new site at the Green Valley Fire District to monitor for harmful
airborne dust particles. 

Director Owens said ADEQ made the decision to install the additional
site in Green Valley after air-quality violations occurred at the Phelps
Dodge Sierrita copper mine last fall.  ADEQ issued a Notice of Violation
to the company after airborne mine tailings dust infiltrated residents'
homes and yards, as well as settling on several neighborhood streets. 

"This new site will help us monitor air quality in Green Valley, as well
as track Phelps Dodge's compliance with its air quality permit,"
Director Owens said. 

The new monitoring site, selected by ADEQ and the Green Valley Community
Coordinating Council citizens group, is at the Green Valley Fire
District Administration Building, 1285 W. Camino Encanto.  The monitors
are housed on the roof of the Administration building.

The monitors site will report hourly concentrations of coarse
particulates, called PM10 (particles 10 micrometers in diameter), as
well as fine particulates, called PM 2.5 (particles 2.5 micro meters in
diameter), which are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency because inhaling them can damage the heart and lungs.

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News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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