News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beth Gorman (520) 740-3343
Tucson, Arizona (May 8, 2006) – Pima County Department
of Environmental Quality’s (PDEQ) outreach/education and
compliance programs are increasing efforts to reach land owners
regarding particulate matter (airborne dust). Disturbed lands
are a significant contributing factor to Pima County’s
airborne dust problem. Pima County violated the U.S. EPA health
standards for particulate matter in 1999 and last exceeded the
health standard in 2003. Reducing airborne dust from disturbed
land will improve air quality and public health.
The PDEQ new focus of the public outreach program will include
increased education via a new display for community events, mailings
to homeowners and horse associations, letters to businesses that
may have unpaved overflow parking lots, and writing articles
for newsletters. Currently, most of the dust compliance inspections
on disturbed lands have been from complaints or special project
surveillance. After an initial period of public outreach, PDEQ
dust inspectors will include disturbed open and vacant lands,
along with construction activity, as part of their routine surveillance
inspections. Disturbed open and vacant lands include properties
such as unpaved parking and overflow lots, special event lots,
turn-around points, road shoulders, driveways, horse arenas and
corrals, and off-road vehicle tracks in residential neighborhoods.
With these increased efforts, PDEQ hopes to address a significant
source of airborne dust effectively, and keep particulate levels
below national standards for clean air and a healthy community.
“Landowners and homeowners must take responsibility and
keep dust down on their property to protect human health and
the environment,” stated Karen Wilhelmsen, Program Coordinator
for PDEQ.
“Effective solutions may include: posting No Trespassing
signs on vacant land; barring access to open
lands with boulders, gates, or fences; paving or gravelling driveways
or open lots; maintaining gravel areas regularly; using an environmentally-friendly
dust suppressant; planting native, drought-tolerant vegetation;
spraying disturbed surfaces with water before, during, and/or
after use as necessary; and using windbreaks such as trees or
fences,” Wilhelmsen continued.
“Children, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory
disease such as asthma or emphysema are at highest risk from
breathing particulates,” said Beth Gorman, PDEQ Program
Manager. Exposure to particulates can cause breathing difficulties,
respiratory pain, reduced lung function, weakened immune system,
heart attack, stroke, and even premature death. As particulate
levels increase, so do visits to emergency rooms and admissions
to hospitals. In addition, increased levels of particulates can
also be a safety hazard on roads, and interferes with views of
the natural desert landscape.
Additional information on PDEQ’s
new focus for airborne dust control can be obtained by calling
Pima County at 740-3345 or by visiting www.deq.pima.gov. Current
air quality information can be found at www.AirInfoNow.org .
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