Pima County Department of Environmental Quality to hold public meetings June 27 and June 28

Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) will hold an Open House on Wednesday, June 27, and a Public Hearing on Thursday, June 28, for an air quality permit for Oracle Ridge Mining, LLC. Oracle Ridge Mining is seeking a permit to reopen an inactive existing underground copper mine in Pima County approximately seven miles north of the Summerhaven community on Mt. Lemmon.

The meetings will be held at the Coronado K-8 School gymnasium at 3401 E. Wilds Road in Catalina. The Open House will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27. PDEQ staff will be available to answer questions from the public regarding aspects of the proposed air quality permit, including permit requirements and PDEQ enforcement of proposed permit provisions.

The Public Hearing will be at the Coronado K-8 School gymnasium on Thursday, June 28, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The public will have an opportunity to speak about the proposed Oracle Ridge Mine air quality permit or to drop off written comments about the permit at the hearing.

The draft air quality permit requires Oracle Ridge Mining to control emissions of particulate matter from above ground material processing, unpaved roads and tailings storage operations as per federal and Pima County standards. Particulate matter, tiny particles suspended in the air we breathe, is one of the most significant air pollutants in Pima County and has serious impacts on human health and the environment. Oracle Ridge Mining is also required to submit a Tailings and Dust Management Plan for approval by PDEQ.

The official public comment period for the proposed permit began on May 16 and will end on June 29, 2012. Copies of the permit application and relevant background material may be reviewed at www.deq.pima.gov or during normal business hours at the PDEQ offices, 33 N. Stone Ave., Suite 700, in Tucson. For additional information, please call (520) 243-7400.

The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) is issuing a smoke advisory due to smoke from wildfires burning in New Mexico. People living in the area who are sensitive to smoke are urged to take appropriate precautions if they smell smoke.

Individuals with respiratory or heart disease and the elderly may experience respiratory symptoms.  If individuals are sensitive to particulate pollution, they may want to reduce their exposure to outside air.

This advisory will be in effect while current conditions persist.

Typical symptoms related to short-term smoke exposure can include itchy eyes, coughing, and upper-airway irritation. Other possible health effects are headache, dizziness and nausea.

People with conditions such as asthma or other respiratory problems should:

• avoid exposure to smoke
• reduce level of exertion when in smoky areas
• close doors and windows
• use air conditioning rather than evaporative cooling

PDEQ monitors air pollution in our region at 18 air-quality monitoring sites. Up-to-the-hour air pollution levels are available online at the PDEQ website www.airinfonow.org or by calling the PDEQ hotline at (520) 882-4AIR.

Pima County, Ariz. (April 2, 2012) – The 2011-12 winter air-pollution season – October through March – has ended uneventfully, according to the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, which monitors air quality.

Several air-quality advisories were issued over the winter by PDEQ to warn sensitive individuals of potential particulate problems on windy days. But there were no official unhealthy days recorded this winter for any of the six air pollutants that PDEQ monitors.

However, the approaching hot, stagnant days that will occur during the warmer months favor the formation of a pollutant called “ground-level ozone.”  This human-caused pollutant is different from the ozone layer that occurs naturally in the atmosphere above us and protects us from the sun.

Ground-level ozone can cause short-term health effects including chest pain, coughing, and nose and throat irritation. It is also linked to increased symptoms for those with respiratory disease such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.

Up-to-the-hour air pollution information is available on PDEQ’s website at www.AirInfoNow.org or by calling (520) 882-4AIR.  The Air Info Now website also creates real-time “ozone maps” to show where ozone is forming over our community.

Residents can sign up to receive emails to let them know when air pollution levels are forecasted to cause health concerns for sensitive individuals. Contact PDEQ at (520) 243-7446 for more information or sign up on the PDEQ website.

Since motor-vehicle use causes most of the air pollution in Pima County, a special effort is beingmade to remind everyone to maintain their vehicles; check and properly inflate their tires monthly; avoid extended engine idling at locations such as schools and drive-through lanes and try to carpool, bike, ride Sun Tran or walk at least one day a week.

Pima County, Ariz.(Nov. 21, 2011) – Why does the early morning sky look hazy, now that cooler weather is here?

Meteorologists call this phenomenon a temperature inversion. It’s what happens when early morning temperatures fall, trapping pollutants in the chilly air. Warm air above the cool air traps the cooler air below, and keeps it from rising.

That’s what causes the haze, as airborne pollutants hang closer to ground level. But as the sun rises and the cool air warms, the hazy air begins to rise, carrying airborne pollutants with it. The hazy air moves higher and higher, dispersing as it goes, and improving visibility.

This often yellowish-brownish haze occurs mostly in winter, when nights are longer and the air stays cool until the sun rises in the sky.

Tucson is surrounded by mountains, and they contribute to the winter inversions. The mountains cause an overnight downward flow of cold air onto the desert floor and that cold air can increase the strength and duration of these morning temperature inversions.

What this means is that air quality can be poorer in winter as pollutants from motor vehicles, industry and fireplaces remain trapped longer in the air we breathe.

People can help reduce winter air pollution levels by driving less often, limiting idling our vehicles to a minute or less, and reducing our use of fireplaces.

Fireplaces are inefficient sources of heat. When you have the option, choose natural gas, electric or solar-powered heat or a wood stove certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

To reduce the use of polluting fossil fuels, carpool or take the bus if you can, and do more than one errand while you’re out, to reduce the number of trips you make. And, if you can, drive a vehicle powered by an alternate energy source, such as electricity.

For more on local air pollution levels in Tucson, including particulates, ozone and carbon monoxide readings, go to www.AirInfoNow.org.  Also, call Pima County’s Department of Environmental Quality air pollution hotline: (520) 882-4AIR or (520) 882-4347.

Beth Gorman

Pima County, Ariz. (Nov. 7, 2011) – The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality will hold a  public hearing in Green Valley Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, on the request by ASARCO for a revision to its ASARCO Mission Complex air quality permit.

The open pit copper mine operates along I-19, in Sahuarita.

 The hearing will be at the Joyner Green Valley Branch Library, 601 N. La Canada Drive, Green Valley, Ariz. from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This is an opportunity for the public to speak about a proposed revision to the current ASARCO air quality permit, or to drop off written comments about the permit revision request.

ASARCO has applied for a revision to the air quality permit. The company seeks to increase the Ball Mill capacity at the South Mill, as well as to upgrade and/or add pollution-control equipment. As a result of the capacity increase, ASARCO has proposed an emission limitation of 12,500,000 tons per year on the South Mill Crusher, which is below the currently allowed capacity.

In addition to limiting emissions, the draft air-quality permit revision would require ASARCO to test the new pollution-control equipment in order to demonstrate compliance with the emission limitation.

The draft revised ASARCO permit also has additional monitoring and recordkeeping provisions that would require ASARCO to demonstrate compliance with the emission limitation.

Copies of the permit application, the draft revised air-quality permit and relevant background material may be reviewed during normal business hours at the PDEQ office. These materials may also be viewed online at www.deq.pima.gov. For more information, please contact Beth Gorman at DEQ at (520) 243-7446.

Pima County, Ariz. (Nov. 4, 2011) – The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Friday for particulate matter pollution, due to forecasted high winds.

Dry conditions and wind gusts forecasted at up to 50 miles per hour will likely cause high levels of airborne particulate matter later in the day.

Particulate matter readings from PDED monitoring sites were elevated late Friday morning and as wind speeds continue to increase throughout the day, the particulate levels will get higher. Particulate matter is tiny specks of soot, dust, and aerosols that are suspended in the air.

Individuals with heart disease and respiratory sensitivities may wish to reduce their exposure to outside air this afternoon and tonight. And, if you need to go outside, it is suggested you reduce your level of exertion to decrease the amount of particulates you breathe into your lungs.

The advisory will remain in effect as long as current weather conditions continue.

PDEQ monitors air pollution in our region at 18 different air quality monitoring sites. Up-to-the-hour air pollution levels are available online at the PDEQ website www.AirInfoNow.org or by calling the PDEQ hotline at (520) 882-4AIR.

Pima County,  Ariz. (August 9, 2011) – Pima County Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Air Program efforts in fiscal 2010-2011 are paying off.

Tucson, Ariz. – The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality issued an advisory for ground-level ozone air pollution for the Tucson metropolitan area Tuesday.
Individuals who are especially sensitive to air pollution may experience shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation, wheezing and breathing discomfort.
It’s possible that ozone levels may be elevated Wednesday, too, if weather conditions are similar.
Anyone especially sensitive to ozone may want to limit his or her level of exertion outdoors between noon and 6 p.m. That is when elevated levels of ozone pollution are more likely to occur.
Intense physical outdoor activity causes faster and deeper breathing. That allows ozone to penetrate into the parts of the lungs that are more likely to be injured.
Those most likely to be sensitive to ozone include children, adults who are active outdoors, people with respiratory diseases, and certain individuals who have an unusual sensitivity to this pollutant.
There are many types of emissions that contribute to the creation of ground-level ozone. Motor vehicle exhaust, industrial and power plant emissions, gasoline vapors, chemical solvents and natural sources emit oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds that form ozone in the presence of intense solar radiation.