[ADEQ Media] San Manuel Area Officially Designated as Meeting Federal Clean Air Requirement for Sulfur Dioxide

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

San Manuel Area Officially Designated as Meeting Federal Clean Air
Requirement for Sulfur Dioxide  

PHOENIX (Dec. 24, 2007) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has officially determined that the San Manuel area in
Pinal County northeast of Tucson has met federal health standard for
sulfur dioxide and has re-designated the area as being in "attainment"
with the standard.

"This is great news for the San Manuel area," Director Owens said.
"It's important to recognize the real progress that has been made in
improving air quality in rural Arizona."

The San Manuel area had been designated as being nonattainment for
sulfur dioxide in 1979 because of emissions from the BHP copper smelter,
which operated for many years.  The smelter was closed in 1999 and was
dismantled earlier this year by BHP. The San Manuel area had not
recorded any exceedances for sulfur dioxide since 1985. 

Owens said that since becoming ADEQ Director in January 2003, he has
made it a top priority to get EPA to officially redesignate areas in
Arizona as being in attainment with federal air quality requirements.

"We are committed to getting communities out from under the stigma of
non-attainment wherever we can," Owens said. Since Owens has been ADEQ
Director, a number of areas in Arizona in addition to San Manuel, have
been redesignated by EPA as being in attainment.   Earlier this year,
the Miami area in Gila County was redesignated as being in attainment
with the sulfur dioxide standard.  The Douglas area was redesignated as
attainment for sulfur dioxide in 2006, as was the Morenci area of
Greenlee County in 2004.

The Ajo area of Pima County was found to be in compliance with the
federal air quality standard for coarse particulate matter (known as
PM10) in 2006 and in compliance for sulfur dioxide emissions in 2004.

The Phoenix area attained the federal 1-hour health standard for ozone
in 2005 and the federal health standard for carbon monoxide in 2004.

-30-

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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