[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Director Owens Launches New ADEQ Web Page to Provide Air Quality Data to Communities Affected by Pollution from Prescribed Burns

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Director Owens Launches New ADEQ Web Page to Provide Air Quality
Data to Communities Affected by Pollution from Prescribed Burns

PHOENIX (Dec. 24, 2008) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that ADEQ has created a Web page to
provide communities affected by smoke and other particulate matter (PM)
pollution from prescribed forest burns and other fires with data on air
quality in their area.  The new ADEQ web site will give the public
access to current data recorded by ADEQ's portable air quality
monitoring network located in seven rural communities throughout the
state. 

The network records hourly average concentrations of PM pollution in
Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Green Valley, Prescott, Sedona, Show Low and
Springerville.  The page is online at www.phoenixvis.net/PPMmain.aspx .


ADEQ has placed portable air quality monitors in these communities to
provide a better picture of PM air pollution in areas with frequent
prescribed forest burns.  People with respiratory problems living in
these communities can be affected by smoke and other particulate
pollution from the burns.  The air monitoring network will help ADEQ
assess the impact of the prescribed burns as well as that of
wood-burning fireplaces and stoves. The availability of air-quality
information from the monitors should also encourage people who burn wood
to switch to EPA-approved lower-emission devices.

"This is another part of our effort to provide the people of Arizona
with as much information as possible about air quality in their
communities," Director Owens said.  "This information will be especially
helpful to people with asthma and other respiratory problems who now
will be able to check our new Web page every day to plan their
activities and manage their health.  Anybody with access to the Web can
track the air quality conditions from their home, office, or school."

The Web page shows a map of the network, plus numeric and color-coded
hourly PM averages. Clicking on the location shows a chart of hourly
changes, and gives users the option of viewing previous data from that
site.  The Web page also includes photos of the devices themselves as
well as definitions and information about the health effects of PM air
pollution. 

Exposure to unhealthy levels of PM can cause an array of lung and heart
problems. Small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the
greatest problems since they can get deep into the lungs or even the
bloodstream.  

In addition to the portable monitors, ADEQ provides information about
open burning and  prescribed burns and wildfires at
www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html .

-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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