From media@lists.azdeq.gov Tue Mar 2 12:02:03 2010 From: media@lists.azdeq.gov (media@lists.azdeq.gov) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 12:02:03 -0700 Subject: [ADEQ Media] ADEQ Director Grumbles Announces Public Comment Period for Cleanup Activities at West Van Buren State Superfund Site Message-ID: <0D291498573F4E438642B9C7FDA7408B04143C@ev-exch-be.adeq.lcl> PHOENIX (March 2, 2010) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Benjamin Grumbles announced today that a 30-day public comment period will begin March 8 concerning groundwater cleanup activities at ADEQ's West Van Buren state superfund site. The decision was made following Roosevelt Irrigation District's request to have its water wells located within the state superfund site area cleaned up more rapidly for the district's future use. The state superfund location, known as the West Van Buren Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF) site, is bounded by Interstate 10 to the north, Buckeye Road to the south, 7th Avenue to the east and 75th Avenue to the west. Contaminants in the water include tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and chromium. The public comment period will end April 6. ADEQ will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. on March 23 at Room 3175 in its central Phoenix location, 1110 W. Washington Street. Those wanting to provide comments may attend the pubic meeting and submit oral comments or may make such submittals in writing to ADEQ, Attention: Jennifer Edwards Thies, WQARF Unit Manager, 1110 W. Washington Street, 4415B-1, Phoenix, AZ 85007. -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 ms15@azdeq.gov." To receive press releases by email: http://www.azdeq.gov/subscribe.html Follow ADEQ on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ArizonaDEQ ********************************************************************** NOTICE: This e-mail (and any attachments) may contain PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL information and is intended only for the use of the specific individual(s) to whom it is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged and confidential under state and federal law. This information may be used or disclosed only in accordance with law, and you may be subject to penalties under law for improper use or further disclosure of the information in this e-mail and its attachments. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the person named above by reply e-mail, and then delete the original e-mail. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From media@lists.azdeq.gov Tue Mar 2 14:08:57 2010 From: media@lists.azdeq.gov (media@lists.azdeq.gov) Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 14:08:57 -0700 Subject: [ADEQ Media] ADEQ Announces Free Electronics Waste Recycling Event for Saturday, March 13 on Florence Boulevard in Casa Grande Message-ID: <0D291498573F4E438642B9C7FDA7408B041449@ev-exch-be.adeq.lcl> PHOENIX - (March 2, 2010) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today that a free regional electronics waste recycling event will be held Saturday, March 13 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Casa Grande at 1325 E. Florence Blvd., the large parking lot next to the northwest corner of the Fry's Shopping Plaza. ADEQ and its partners -- City of Casa Grande, Casa Grande Police, Keep Casa Grande Beautiful, Cartridge World and Westech Recyclers -- anticipate collecting tons of unwanted televisions, computer equipment, monitors, batteries, chargers, cell phones, VCRs, CD and DVD players, printers, small appliances, fax machines, stereos, cables and cords during the event. "E-waste is hi-tech litter that's becoming one of Arizona's fastest growing environmental threats," said ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles. "We can all make a difference by pitching in to the recycle bin and turn a potentially toxic stream of waste into useful products and green profits. This is our latest large regional e-waste recycling event that we have sponsored in the state during the past six months and we are expecting an excellent turnout from Casa Grande and the nearby area." Kevin Louis, City of Casa Grande public works director, said he was excited about the electronics recycling event and the impact it will have on keeping electronic products from filling up valuable landfill space. Louis also invited residents of Arizona City, Eloy, Coolidge and Florence to bring their recyclable electronics materials. "The City of Casa Grande is pleased to partner with ADEQ and neighboring communities as part of the City's ongoing effort to promote the collection and recycling of electronic waste," Louis said. Companies and individuals donating e-waste will receive a certificate of disposal for their records from Westech Recyclers if they want the document. Westech Recyclers recycles all material in accordance with state and federal regulations and will erase all hard drives received with state of the art software. Westech has been recycling the state's electronic material for more than 14 years and is the primary recycling partner of most of Arizona's towns and cities. ADEQ has sponsored e-recycling events in Show Low, Williams, Payson, Globe/Miami, Superior, Nogales, Tucson, Sun City West, Lake Havasu City and the Phoenix metropolitan area and collected more than 100 tons of recyclable material. -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 ms15@azdeq.gov." To receive press releases by email: http://www.azdeq.gov/subscribe.html Follow ADEQ on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ArizonaDEQ ********************************************************************** NOTICE: This e-mail (and any attachments) may contain PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL information and is intended only for the use of the specific individual(s) to whom it is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged and confidential under state and federal law. This information may be used or disclosed only in accordance with law, and you may be subject to penalties under law for improper use or further disclosure of the information in this e-mail and its attachments. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the person named above by reply e-mail, and then delete the original e-mail. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From media@lists.azdeq.gov Thu Mar 18 11:21:43 2010 From: media@lists.azdeq.gov (media@lists.azdeq.gov) Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:21:43 -0700 Subject: [ADEQ Media] LiquidTitan of Parker to Pay $55, 000 Penalty to Resolve Air Quality, Waste Violations in La Paz County Message-ID: <0D291498573F4E438642B9C7FDA7408B041528@ev-exch-be.adeq.lcl> PHOENIX (March 18, 2010) - The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Arizona Attorney General's Office announced today that LiquidTitan, LLC of Parker has agreed to pay a $55,000 penalty under a consent judgment for air quality and waste violations at its used oil and petroleum facility in La Paz County. ADEQ inspections over a four-year period revealed a host of violations at the refinery, which produces gasoline, diesel fuel and used oil fuels and is located at 31645 Industrial Lane in Parker. The air violations included failing to stop releases of volatile organic compounds because vapor leaks and blockages in the vent lines to the refinery flare kept emissions from being controlled; burning of used oil fuel without an air quality permit revision; and failure to comply with self-inspection, sampling, testing, record keeping and reporting requirements. The waste violations included failing to stop releases of used fuel oil to the soil from tanks and leaking valves; constructing and operating used oil storage and processing tanks without required backup containment; failure to label, properly store and dispose of used oil sludge containing elevated concentrations of lead and chlorine without a hazardous waste permit; and failure to properly screen or sample used oil for a variety of contaminants. LiquidTitan has hired environmental management firms and spent about $900,000 since 2006 to return to and maintain compliance. "Environmental stewardship is always good business because it saves money over the long run and reduces risk to public health. In this case, the company has stepped forward to fix air and waste violations and invest in long term compliance and that's good news for the environment and economy of Arizona," ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles said. "Any company handling used oil products needs to rigorously comply with state standards to protect the health of our citizens and our environment," Attorney General Terry Goddard said. The consent judgment is subject to court approval. -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 ms15@azdeq.gov." To receive press releases by email: http://www.azdeq.gov/subscribe.html Follow ADEQ on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ArizonaDEQ ********************************************************************** NOTICE: This e-mail (and any attachments) may contain PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL information and is intended only for the use of the specific individual(s) to whom it is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged and confidential under state and federal law. This information may be used or disclosed only in accordance with law, and you may be subject to penalties under law for improper use or further disclosure of the information in this e-mail and its attachments. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the person named above by reply e-mail, and then delete the original e-mail. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From media@lists.azdeq.gov Fri Mar 19 12:38:28 2010 From: media@lists.azdeq.gov (media@lists.azdeq.gov) Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:38:28 -0700 Subject: [ADEQ Media] ADEQ Announces that Aquifer Protection Permit Workshops will begin next Thursday at Agency's Central Phoenix Offices Message-ID: <0D291498573F4E438642B9C7FDA7408B04154F@ev-exch-be.adeq.lcl> PHOENIX (March 19, 2010) - Officials from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced today that a series of workshops will be conducted starting next week to review the Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) program and listen to ideas from the public about improving the permitting process. The first workshop will be held Thursday, March 25 to give a general overview of APPs and the permitting process and the second workshop, scheduled for April 15, will repeat the same material. Each of the upcoming workshops will be conducted at ADEQ's central Phoenix location, located at 1110 W. Washington Street. The March 25 and April 15 meetings will be from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. in Room 3175 A and B and prior registration is required. For more information, visit ADEQ's web site at www.azdeq.gov . Future workshops for APP applicants, their consultants and the general public will be scheduled every three weeks after the April 15 meeting and will address the following subject matter: * General permit requirements * Individual permit requirements * Technical components of APPs including best available demonstrated control technology, hydrogeologic study, monitoring well design and alert levels/aquifer quality limits * Monitoring and reporting * Closure and post-posture strategies * Financial assurance * How to read and understand permits * Clean closures and permit releases "Our listening and learning sessions will help the public understand, and the agency improve, the permitting process to protect ground water, Arizona's most precious, yet hidden natural resource. It's another example of an ADEQ collaboration with citizens and businesses to increase environmental and economic progress," ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles said. Grumbles also said that ADEQ will be more timely in issuing permits and licenses in the future along with making greater use of general permits and relying on more use of the private sector for consulting to speed up the process. For more information or to reserve a space in an upcoming workshop contact Carrolette Winstead at cw6@azdeq.gov. -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 ms15@azdeq.gov." To receive press releases by email: http://www.azdeq.gov/subscribe.html Follow ADEQ on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ArizonaDEQ ********************************************************************** NOTICE: This e-mail (and any attachments) may contain PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL information and is intended only for the use of the specific individual(s) to whom it is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged and confidential under state and federal law. This information may be used or disclosed only in accordance with law, and you may be subject to penalties under law for improper use or further disclosure of the information in this e-mail and its attachments. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the person named above by reply e-mail, and then delete the original e-mail. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From media@lists.azdeq.gov Wed Mar 31 14:54:57 2010 From: media@lists.azdeq.gov (media@lists.azdeq.gov) Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:54:57 -0700 Subject: [ADEQ Media] Valley 'ozone season' begins April 1 as EPA considers stricter standards Message-ID: <0D291498573F4E438642B9C7FDA7408B041601@ev-exch-be.adeq.lcl> PHOENIX (March 31, 2010) - As the Valley officially enters its six-month "ozone season" April 1, the effects of anticipated stricter federal pollutant limits are being closely watched. Ozone pollution - which pervades the air each April through September - caused 31 health watches and six High Pollution Advisories (HPAs) last year, a marked improvement from 2008 when the Valley experienced 44 ozone health watches and 11 ozone HPAs. But this year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering the level of the ozone standard because the medical evidence shows that the standard set in 2007 of .075 parts per million may not adequately protect public health. A decision is expected by EPA by the end of August. That decision may lead to not only more HPA and health watch designations but more areas of the state being out of compliance with the standard. Ground level ozone pollution is a direct irritant to lung tissue in addition to triggering asthma and other respiratory symptoms and can damage the lungs from exposure over long periods of time. It can also damage plants and crops and tarnish paint and other items outdoors. Valley air is monitored daily by the Air Quality Division of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. "Ozone pollution is a serious threat to public health for people in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The year 2009 was better for clean air and public health than 2008 but it was still unacceptable. The good news is we can accelerate the pace of environmental progress if we continue to increase opportunities for smart transportation and pollution reduction," said ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles. "The health impacts from ozone pollution are a serious motivator for all of us to practice pollution prevention in our daily routines," states Max Porter, acting director for the Maricopa County Air Quality Department. "By taking small, simple action every day, we all can make a difference." "Making a contribution to the quality of our air is based on our individual actions. Commuters in the Valley are choosing to be more green by carpooling, riding transit and teleworking," said David Boggs, Valley Metro executive director. "Based on trips that commuters logged in the Valley Metro online ridematching system, about 4,000 individuals kept 551,000 pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air in the past year." Ozone pollution prevention tips: * Drive less. When possible, carpool, van pool or use public transportation * Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants or banks. Park your car and go inside * Refuel your vehicle after dark or during cooler evening hours * Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers * Delay big painting projects until high-pollution advisories or health watches have passed * Make sure containers of household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals and other solvents are sealed properly to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air * Conserve electricity To track how much pollution your commute generates, visit www.ValleyMetro.org and select ShareTheRide. Sign up to receive air quality updates by email or text message at www.CleanAirMakeMore.com OZONE BACKGROUND: Ground level ozone is formed by a chemical reaction that needs heat from sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds [VOCs] to form. The months of April through September make up our Valley's longer-than-normal "ozone season." WHO'S WHO? The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) provides a daily forecast for air quality. When conditions exist, ADEQ will issue high pollution advisories, health watches and alerts. Daily air quality forecasts are on ADEQ's Web site at www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/ozone/ensemble.pdf or by calling (602)771-2367. Those interested in receiving the air quality forecast via email and/or text alerts.can subscribe to ADEQ's Air Quality Forecasts and Advisories list at www.azdeq.gov/subscribe.html The Maricopa County Air Quality Department issues No Burn Day restrictions based on a high pollution advisory or health watch. These No Burn Day restrictions typically occur during the winter months. To find out if any burn restrictions are in place, call 602-506-6400 or visit www.cleanairmakemore.com Information is given in both English and Spanish. To learn more about the Maricopa County residential woodburning restriction ordinance, view a copy on our website www.maricopa.gov/aq Click on the direct link to the residential woodburning restriction ordinance: http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/planning_analysis/rules/docs/rwro99 11.pdf Valley Metro/RPTA provides eco-friendly public transit options to residents of greater Phoenix and Maricopa County, including a clean-fuel bus fleet, low-emissions light rail, online carpool matching and bus trip mapping, and bicycle and telework assistance. Funding is provided by local, state and federal revenues and administered by a board of 15 governments working to improve and regionalize the public transit system. www.ValleyMetro.org Media contacts: Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Mark Shaffer - (602) 771-2215 desk / (480) 433-9551 mobile Maricopa County Air Quality Department Holly Ward - (602) 506-6713 desk / (602) 526-7307 mobile Valley Metro Susan Tierney - (602) 262-4668 desk / (602) 292-4093 mobile ### ********************************************************************** NOTICE: This e-mail (and any attachments) may contain PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL information and is intended only for the use of the specific individual(s) to whom it is addressed. It may contain information that is privileged and confidential under state and federal law. This information may be used or disclosed only in accordance with law, and you may be subject to penalties under law for improper use or further disclosure of the information in this e-mail and its attachments. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the person named above by reply e-mail, and then delete the original e-mail. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: