Monthly Archives: February 2016

ADEQ Issues Three New Fish Consumption Advisories

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800-adeq-fish-1The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), in association with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), has issued three new advisories that recommend fish consumption amounts to protect public health. These advisories are based on recent analysis of data from fish tissue samples taken from these lakes, which showed these fish have elevated levels of mercury.

ADEQ encourages residents and visitors to Arizona to continue to enjoy the wide variety of recreational activities at each of these lakes, such as fishing, bird watching, and swimming, which are not affected by this advisory.

Fish can be an important part of a healthy, diverse diet because they are an excellent source of protein and low in saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends eating two fish or seafood meals weekly as part of a healthy diet.

Any potential health risks from eating fish on ADEQ’s advisory list are based on long-term consumption, not eating fish occasionally.

RESOURCES:

ADEQ Fish Consumption Advisory Fact Sheet:

https://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/download/fca.pdf

Arizona Game and Fish Department – Arizona Fish Consumption Advisory List:

https://www.azgfd.com/fishing/fishconsumption/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration Guidance regarding Mercury and Fish Consumption:

http://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/metals/ucm393070.htm 

Information wanted regarding Clover fire on Williams Ranger District

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800-20160228-CloverFire

Clover Fire at 3:43 p.m. February 28

WILLIAMS — Fire managers from the Williams Ranger District responded to a suspicious human-caused fire on Sunday, Feb. 28, just west of Buckskinner Park after receiving a call from the Williams Police Department. The Clover fire, which was reported just after 1 p.m., was suppressed by fire personnel and will continue to be monitored.

Forest visitors are reminded to use extreme caution when camping with recent warm temperatures, lack of precipitation, and low humidity as it can create a situation for rapid fire growth. Visitors can help in reducing the number of preventable, human-caused fires by completely extinguishing campfires before leaving their camp site.

No fire restrictions are in effect on the Kaibab National Forest, though fire managers continuously monitor conditions and could increase fire danger levels at any time, as necessary. Regardless of whether or not restrictions are in place, abandoning a campfire is illegal.

The Clover fire is currently under investigation by Forest Service Law Enforcement and anyone who may have information regarding the cause of the fire, or observed anyone suspicious in the area near the time of the fire is encouraged to contact Kaibab National Forest Dispatch at 928-635-2601 or Fire Information at 928-635-5653.

More information on the Kaibab National Forest can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/Kaibab. Information on fire restrictions across the state can be viewed at http://firerestrictions.us/az/.

Safety improvement project on SR 169 will require impacts next week

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Drivers traveling on State Route 169 next week will need to allow additional time to reach their destination as crews continue work on the safety improvement project. Starting on Monday (Feb. 29) and Tuesday (March 1) crews will restripe the roadway and move temporary concrete barrier between milepost nine and 10.

Work hours are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Drivers will be guided through the work zone with a pilot car in alternating directions; delays of up to 15 minutes are expected.

ADOT advises drivers to proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and be alert for construction equipment and personnel. The speed limit through the work zone will be 45 mph.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but there is a possibility that unscheduled closures or restrictions may occur. Weather can also affect a project schedule. To stay up-to-date with the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 5-1-1.

This $1.6 million safety improvement project includes widening the existing roadway to provide new turn lanes, drainage improvements, signing and new striping.

Twice-weekly US 60 blasting closures east of Superior through April

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Having already cleared nearly 90,000 cubic yards of rock material from a mountainside, the Arizona Department of Transportation is entering its final stages of blasting work needed to build a passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior.

After having no travel restrictions this week, US 60 blasting operations will resume on Tuesday, March 1, and Thursday, March 3, and continue on a twice-weekly schedule until the end of the project in late April.

During that period, the closures for work between Devil’s Canyon and Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Motorists should plan ahead and consider alternate routes.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227), and traffic on westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235), until the blasting work is completed and debris is cleared.

Blasting operations are expected to be completed by the end of April. ADOT needs to excavate an additional 40,000-50,000 cubic yards of earth. Following the blasting work, ADOT will pave the widened roadway before opening the additional travel lane to traffic this summer.

ADOT started the $8.8 million project in August 2015 to provide the westbound passing lane, shoulder widening in Devil’s Canyon (mileposts 233-234), bridge work at Waterfall Canyon (milepost 229) and drainage improvements (milepost 242) west of Miami.

Approximately 30 minutes prior to each blast, motorists should be prepared for possible delays and lane closures as crews set concrete barrier prior to each scheduled closure.

Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260.

Drivers should use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time.

Engineers Week highlights people, projects that keep Arizona moving

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PHOENIX — Whether it’s adding travel lanes to relieve congestion on a Phoenix-area freeway, building a new interstate bridge outside Tucson or reconstructing a landslide-damaged northern Arizona highway, engineers stamp their mark on the state’s transportation system each and every day.

With National Engineers Week at hand, the vision and handiwork of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s professional engineers shows in more than 100 highway improvement projects underway around the state at any given time. That’s in addition to dozens of local roadway projects ADOT develops in partnership with Arizona communities.

“Engineers are on the front lines of meeting the goals Governor Ducey has set for Arizona,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Whether boosting the economy, making Arizona safer or improving the overall quality of life, our 21st-century engineers must be relationship builders, team players and partners in working with many diverse people and organizations to deliver the transportation systems of today and tomorrow.”

“The challenges are large and the days are often long, but an engineer’s job includes the reward of seeing improvements that save travel time and bolster highway safety,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “We know people appreciate these advances, and we want to take time to thank our staff of engineers for their contributions.”

ADOT is nearing completion of a $109 million widening project along a 20-mile stretch of the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway between Loop 101 and Broadway Road in Mesa. The project, which has added new freeway lanes as well as other features such as overhead message signs and closed-circuit traffic cameras, presented its share of challenges.

“It’s never easy to manage construction while also working to keep existing lanes open as much as possible,” said District Engineer Madhu Reddy of ADOT’s Central Construction District. “Our project team worked with the community to limit restrictions while adding the new lanes. That’s also part of the role of the engineer.”

When a 2013 landslide severely damaged US 89 south of Page, ADOT engineers mobilized to get the closed highway realigned, repaired and reopened as soon as possible, while also quickly paving a temporary route to Page in collaboration with the Navajo Nation. US 89 reopened last year following an accelerated reconstruction project.

Audra Merrick, district engineer for ADOT’s North Central District, called the US 89 project an enormous engineering feat.

“We had to remove about a million cubic yards of rock from the area, but our success was even more dependent on maintaining communication at all levels,” said Merrick, one of 34 women currently serving among ADOT’s 250 professional engineers. “Engineering goes beyond drawings on a plan sheet. I can’t say enough about the teamwork involved in re-establishing the primary highway between Flagstaff and Page.”

One of ADOT’s largest southern Arizona projects is upgrading 17 miles of Interstate 10 pavement between Tucson and Benson while also replacing a large bridge crossing Davidson Canyon, approximately 20 miles east of downtown Tucson.

“Our engineering staff had to take heavier interstate traffic, including commercial trucks, into account when designing and building what we call the Quad Project,” said Rod Lane, ADOT’s district engineer for the agency’s South Central District. “It’s actually four separate projects being delivered as one. The engineering and planning include working in stages and scheduling shifts in traffic when needed. We’re looking forward to completing a modern, even safer Davidson Canyon bridge for generations to come.”

The $15.1 million Quad Project is scheduled for completion this summer.

Halikowski said National Engineers Week provides a great opportunity to highlight how engineers are working to advance Arizona’s transportation network.

“Governor Ducey wants us to ‘think big,’ and our engineers will work across all disciplines to bring innovative ideas to reality,” Halikowski said.

Hopi Tribe and Kaibab National Forest recognized for partnership on springs restoration work

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hopi-1WILLIAMS — The Hopi Tribe and Kaibab National Forest were recently honored with a national-level Forest Service award for their partnership on important springs restoration work on the North Kaibab Ranger District.

The recipients of the 2015 “Rise to the Future” awards for excellence and leadership in fisheries, hydrology, soil science and air programs were announced this month and included recognition of the Hopi Tribe and Kaibab National Forest for “Tribal Accomplishment” related to the Big Springs and Castle Springs Restoration Project, which highlighted the ecological importance of natural springs as well as their cultural significance to tribes.

“I feel humbled and grateful that the partnership would be recognized for its merits and acknowledge that it is but a starting point for continued collaborative efforts in the future,” said Everett Gomez, Reed/Bamboo Clan, Paaqavi Village, and a case manager for the Hopi Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program.

The Big Springs and Castle Springs Restoration Project was the first tribal-Forest Service collaborative project to be implemented after the 2014 publication of the new Land and Resources Management Plan for the Kaibab National Forest. This was significant because the project put into action two important goals of the newly revised forest plan.

First, it implemented desired conditions for seeps and springs that had been developed collaboratively and identified in the plan. Second, it provided a setting for exchanging information between tribal elders and youth about land stewardship and offered an opportunity for the sharing of traditional ecological knowledge between the tribe and forest, which will contribute to future management actions on seeps and springs.

Over the course of a week in 2014, Hopi elders and cultural advisors [Hopi Cultural Resource Advisory Task Team] worked with 18 tribal youth from the Hopi Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, Hopi cultural and natural resources staff, Kaibab National Forest leadership, and representatives from a variety of other organizations and programs to conduct key restoration actions at two natural springs sites on the North Kaibab Ranger District. Since then, additional phased restoration work has been accomplished, and annual projects are planned for the coming years.

Partners have removed graffiti at Castle Springs and eliminated a decaying corral, rusted barbed wire fence and trash in the area. They have also removed invasive vegetation encroaching in an adjacent meadow, constructed water catchments using traditional techniques for both wildlife and cattle, and built a fence to protect the spring. At Big Springs, a more visible path has been constructed in order to deter visitors from making their own paths, alleviating the spider web effect of footpaths that was damaging fragile soils. And, throughout the project area, Hopi ancestral sites have been restored and protected against potential impacts from recreation and public use.

“This work is important in many ways such as bringing our youth and elders together to promote teaching and understanding; cultural identity and survival; preserving our environment encompassing land, air and water; strong partnerships and sharing of resources between the entities involved; education and employment pathways for our youth; and, understanding better the importance of the spiritual value surrounding all these things,” Gomez said.

Prior to the implementation of the restoration treatments, technical specialists from the Kaibab National Forest, Hopi Tribe and Springs Stewardship Institute collected baseline data at both springs locations. They plan to conduct long-term monitoring at the sites to assess the potential ecological benefits of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge and techniques into other restoration efforts on the forest.

“The Hopi Tribe and the Kaibab National Forest have been working together for over 20 years, but I feel the work that’s taking place through this partnership sets a new precedent for collaborative management of the forest,” said Mike Lyndon, tribal liaison for the Kaibab. “These projects are greatly increasing the exchange of technical and traditional knowledge between the forest and the tribe while accomplishing critical restoration projects in places that are culturally important to native people. This has been, and continues to be, a valuable learning process for all of us.”

Representatives of the Hopi Tribe and Kaibab National Forest will be presented with their “Rise to the Future” award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in May.

View project photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaibabnationalforest/albums/72157648171820197. The Kaibab National Forest and Hopi Tribe worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Communications to collaboratively produce a short video about the project, which will soon be released.

Law enforcement seeking information on suspicious fires

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Coconino_MobileForest Service law enforcement and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is seeking any information on a string of suspicious human-caused fires that have occurred over the last two days in Oak Creek Canyon.

On Monday (Feb. 22), from approximately 7:30 to 8 p.m., four fires—named the Briar, Snake, Rock and Switchback fires—were started in Oak Creek Canyon along Highway 89A and grew to only a tenth of an acre before they were reported and fire personnel extinguished them. The Briar fire was located on the west side of the highway, about 1.4 miles north of Midgley Bridge, near Leo Schnur Lane. The Snake fire was about a quarter of a mile south of the Encinoso Picnic Area on the east side of the highway. The Rock fire was just north of Slide Rock State Park and on the east side of Highway 89A. The Switchback fire was located near the southwest corner of the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks on the east side of the highway.

On Tuesday (Feb. 23), at about 4 p.m. the Halfway fire was reported just south of the Halfway Picnic Area on the east side of the highway. Later that evening at about 5:20 p.m. the Creek fire was reported just below the Halfway Picnic Area on the west side of the highway.

These fires are under investigation, and anyone that may have information regarding the cause of these fires or may have observed anyone suspicious in the area at the time of the fire is encouraged to contact Forest Service Law Enforcement at 928-527-3511 or the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523. The public may also call the Coconino Silent Witness number at 928-774-6111, and if your information leads to an arrest, you will be offered a reward of up to $1,000.

ADEQ Achieves Landmark Judgement of $1.3 Million in Civil Penalties and Direct Costs for Underground Storage Tank Noncompliance

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today the first Superior Court judicial judgment related to state leaking underground storage tank (UST) non-compliance, since the state’s UST laws were overhauled in 1997. William W. Arnett will pay $1.3 million in civil penalties and direct costs for UST law violations beginning in the late 1980s at his property, 411 N. 5th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona, where a UST used for storing and dispensing gasoline was located. The judgment concludes a September 2010 lawsuit filed by ADEQ and the attorney general’s office against Arnett in Maricopa County Superior Court following many years of effort to work cooperatively with him to clean up soil and groundwater contaminated with gasoline at his Tucson property.

Three reasons this judgment is significant:

  • It is the first leaking UST case to result in a Superior Court judicial judgment since the state’s UST laws were overhauled in 1997;
  • It establishes, as a matter of law, that defendants in civil actions brought by ADEQ for violations of state environmental laws are not entitled to a trial by jury; and
  • It establishes that defendants cannot misrepresent the true owner of a UST to block ADEQ from seeking sanctions against that owner at a later date.

“Our mission is to protect and enhance Arizona’s public health, air, water, and soil, and support environmentally responsible economic growth,” said ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera. “Each and every day, we work cooperatively with our customers to adhere to environmental requirements and best practices to prevent issues from occurring.” Director Cabrera added, “Our next line of defense is to take proper actions, including enforcement, to address threats to our environment when they are found.”

Because the UST owner and operator were uncooperative, ADEQ stepped in and performed the necessary cleanup of Arnett’s gasoline leak to subsurface soil and groundwater to protect public health and the City of Tucson’s drinking water supply. ADEQ’s cleanup work began in October 2012, and was completed in April 2014.

“ADEQ proactively strives to educate and assist our customers to avoid time consuming and costly litigation,” ADEQ Waste Programs Division Director Laura Malone commented. “While we ultimately achieved environmental protection, had Arnett cooperated with ADEQ from the beginning, a positive outcome would have been achieved years sooner and at a fraction of the cost incurred by the state and its taxpayers.”

About ADEQ UST Program
ADEQ has three active programs to support state laws regarding statewide UST operations and associated environmental investigations and cleanups. These programs work in concert to ensure proper operation and maintenance of USTs, to protect public health and natural resources through requiring UST owners and operators to undertake timely investigations and cleanups of contamination resulting from UST releases, and to provide funds for these actions when needed. To find out more about these programs, please visit:

http://azdeq.gov/environ/waste/ust/index.html

Governor Ducey appoints two new members to State Transportation Board

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PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey has appointed Arlando Teller, a veteran transportation official from the Navajo Nation, and Steve Stratton, a longtime city and county leader from Globe, to serve on the State Transportation Board.

Teller will represent Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties, while Stratton will represent Pinal, Gila and Graham counties.

The State Transportation Board’s seven members serve six-year terms, prioritizing transportation needs, projects and funding on behalf of communities throughout Arizona.

Teller, born and raised in Chinle, is the airport program manager for the Navajo Division of Transportation in Window Rock. During his six years there, he has also worked as a senior transportation planner.

One of his accomplishments with Navajo DOT was working with Arizona legislators on a law allowing tribal airports to get state and federal aid for improvement projects. His diverse transportation background includes work at the California Department of Transportation, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Falcon Field in Mesa.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve on the State Transportation Board in order to support not only Navajo Nation projects, but to fully advocate for projects within all of northern Arizona and its rural communities,” Teller said.

Stratton has been engaged in transportation issues and with the State Transportation Board through long service in public works and city management. Born and raised in Globe, he served as that city’s public works director and city manager. He then was public works director and acting manager for Gila County. Now retired from public service, Stratton works for WestLand Resources, an environmental and engineering company.

“I am extremely appreciative of the appointment,” Stratton said. “I am concerned about the transportation needs of the state as a whole and the available funding associated with meeting those needs. I want to make a positive contribution as a new board member.”

About the State Transportation Board

The seven-member State Transportation Board has policy powers and duties, in addition to advising the director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. Members of the board are appointed by the governor and serve six-year terms. The board has broad authority to plan and develop Arizona’s highways, airports and other state transportation facilities. In addition to these general policy duties, the board is responsible for development and oversight of the state’s Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program. More information on the State Transportation Board is available at aztransportationboard.gov.

Motor-vehicle crash fatalities rose in 2015, preliminary data show

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PHOENIX — The figures remain preliminary, but it’s already clear that motor-vehicle crash fatalities on Arizona roadways increased in 2015 – and that speeding, impaired driving and failure to use seat belts and other restraints contributed significantly.

At present, the Arizona Department of Transportation is reporting 891 motor-vehicle crash fatalities for 2015. That number, which is incomplete while ADOT collects reports from law enforcement entities around the state, surpasses the 773 fatalities in motor-vehicle crashes during 2014.

Data through September 2015 show that speeding, impaired driving and failure to use seat belts and other restraints were each factors in more than a third of motor-vehicle crash fatalities.

The increase in fatalities has leaders of state agencies that look after the safety of motorists calling for Arizonans to reflect on how they act in the driver’s seat.

“We often talk about the E’s of traffic safety, including engineering, education and enforcement,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “But another E is equally important, and that is everyone. For Arizona to move toward our goal of zero fatalities, everyone must think about their responsibility to others when they get behind the wheel.”

ADOT collaborates with stakeholder groups and other agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Health Services, to set and work toward goals in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (azdot.gov/shsp), a comprehensive framework for reducing fatalities and serious injuries on all public roadways. Emphasis areas include speeding and aggressive driving, impaired driving, occupant protection and motorcycle safety.

“A significant cause of fatal crashes in Arizona, in addition to impairment and failing to use seat belts, is speed, unsafe lane changes and following too close,” said Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. “Aggressive driving is a crime and puts everyone on the road at risk. If you see it, report it.”

Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said it’s especially important for drivers to understand how poor decisions can end in tragedy.

“Alcohol is involved in more than a third of the fatal crashes across the state,” Gutier said. “Everyone should be aware of just how devastating impaired driving is in this state, and those who put innocent lives at risk by doing so should be prepared to face the consequences.”

“It’s important to securely buckle up all of your passengers,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “Creating a healthy environment inside your vehicle includes the use of seat belts and zero distractions. That email or text can wait.”

A final number for 2015 fatalities will be available when ADOT publishes its annual Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report later this year.

The highest annual number of motor-vehicle crash fatalities in Arizona occurred in 2006, with 1,301 on highways and local roads. In the five years preceding 2015, the toll was 773 in 2014, 844 in 2013, 831 in 2012, 754 in 2011 and 762 in 2010.