News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beth Gorman (520) 740-3343
Tucson, Arizona (April 24, 2006) - The United States
Environmental Protection Agency has presented the Pima County
Department of Environmental Quality with an award for outstanding
achievement for developing the “Got Dust” TV commercial
to help educate the public regarding problems associated with
airborne dust. The U.S. EPA Regional Administrator, Wayne Nastri,
presented the award to PDEQ staff in San Francisco. PDEQ was
one of 39 organizations and individuals from California, Arizona,
Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands to receive an award. The
39 award winners were selected from more than 160 nominees received
this year from businesses, media, governmental officials, tribes,
environmental organizations, and citizen activists.
“We're honored to have been nominated by EPA staff to
receive this award and excited to have been chosen as a winner
from the many worthwhile and inspiring environmental projects
in place around Region 9,” Ursula Kramer, PDEQ Director
said. “Our department works very hard to protect public
health and the environment by providing information that's useful,
informative, and as in the case of this TV commercial, entertaining,” Kramer
continued.
Now in its eighth year, the U.S. EPA Region 9's Environmental
Achievement Awards program seeks to recognize those working throughout
several western states to protect and preserve the environment.
Award winners were selected based on numerous criteria, including
their innovativeness, ability to work with others, and the replicability
of the project. The PDEQ TV commercial depicts various sources
of fugitive dust that a young boy passes through on his way to
school one morning. The tag line at the end of the commercial
is “Got Dust? Keep it Down!” and the department’s
phone number is given for those seeking additional information.
Pima County violated the EPA health standard for airborne dust
in 1999 and has since implemented a plan to reduce fugitive dust
through education, outreach, inspections, and enforcement. Airborne
dust is also called particulate matter (PM) pollution. PM is
made up of tiny solid particles or liquid droplets suspended
in the air we breathe. PM is one of the most significant air
pollutants in Pima County, and in elevated amounts, has serious
impacts on human health including: breathing difficulties, respiratory
pain, reduced lung function, weakened immune system, increased
severity of acute bronchitis and asthma, heart attacks, and premature
death (1-8 years). The TV commercial is used to increase awareness
of the issue of airborne dust in our community.
The commercial was produced by West End Studio in Tucson and
is available for viewing on the PDEQ website at www.deq.pima.gov.
For additional information on the PDEQ Fugitive Dust Program,
contact 740-3340 or click on www.deq.pima.gov.
###
