GateWay Community College’s Water Resources Job Fair

This FREE event is open to the public and features:

1. Guest presenters showcasing Water Resource Technology opportunities
2. Networking opportunities with representatives from the US Geological Survey, Valley municipalities, private water/wastewater companies, consulting firms and water resource technology students
3. Vendors with information about internships and job openings

When
Thursday, March 23, 2017
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Where
GateWay Community College
Room IE1302 (Copper Room)
108 N. 40th Street Phoenix, AZ 85034

Contact
To host a booth or for more information, contact:
Mary Jordan
P: 602-238-0060
E: beth.jordan@gatewaycc.edu

Arizona begins installation of state’s first Safety Corridors

PHOENIX — This week, Arizona motorists will see new signage designating segments of some state highways as Safety Corridors. By the end of December, motorists may also notice an increased law enforcement presence in these Safety Corridors.

Safety Corridors are highway segments that have more crashes, injuries and deaths than would ordinarily be expected. Over the next two months, the Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Governor’s Office of Highway Safety will implement four Safety Corridors in Arizona, aiming to reduce crashes, severe injuries and traffic fatalities.

“These segments were selected because they have higher-than-average instances of speeding, aggressive driving, impaired driving and lack of seat belt use,” said Brent Cain, director of ADOT’s Transportation Systems Management and Operations Division. “Those are the leading factors in traffic deaths, and decreasing their occurrence makes the roads safer for everyone.”

Motorists will see new signs signaling they are entering and leaving a Safety Corridor, as well as signs that alert drivers that there will be zero tolerance for violations in a corridor.

“There will be strict enforcement of driving laws with zero tolerance for violations,” said DPS Lt. Col. Daniel Lugo. “If drivers obey the speed limit and other laws, there will be fewer crashes.”

The Safety Corridors will launch in two phases, with each including an urban and rural segment. Sign installation in the first phase begins today, Monday, Dec. 12, and will be completed by Dec. 20. Work on the second phase is scheduled to begin and be completed in January 2017.

PHASE ONE

o Interstate 10 (urban): Four-miles from the I-17 Stack to SR 51/Loop 202 Red Mountain Mini-Stack (mileposts 143-147)
o Interstate 10 (rural): Twenty-three miles from Loop 202 Santan Freeway to State Route 187 (mileposts 162-185)

PHASE TWO

o US 60 (urban): Thirteen miles from Loop 101 Price Freeway to Loop 202 (mileposts 177-190)
o Interstate 40 (rural): Twenty-three miles from Kingman east to US 93 (mileposts 49-72)

A grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety helped support establishing these Safety Corridors.

“The Safety Corridors will make traveling safer for everyone,” said Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “If you already obey driving laws, you have nothing to worry about and can enjoy safer travel. If you speed, drive aggressively or break other driving laws, you will face the consequences of zero tolerance enforcement.”

Safety Corridor segments were selected by reviewing historic crash data related to driver behavior and input from law enforcement. This is a pilot program that will remain in place for at least one to two years. After that, the partner agencies will review their effectiveness and consider whether to add Safety Corridors.

State Route 77 to close for daytime blasting starting December 12

PHOENIX — To protect workers who are blasting potentially hazardous rocks along State Route 77 south of Globe, the Arizona Department of Transportation will close the road for five hours a day, Mondays through Thursdays, for the next four months.

Beginning Monday, December 12, SR 77 will be closed in both directions between mileposts 154-161 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closures will be in effect Mondays through Thursdays with no closures planned between Monday, December 26, and Tuesday, January 3.

In addition, lane closures are expected each work day from 7-10 a.m. and from 3-5 p.m. During those times, a pilot vehicle will guide motorists through the work zone. Drivers should expect delays of about 15 minutes.

The restrictions are expected to remain in place until March.

ADOT crews have been working at night to remove potentially dangerous rock that could have fallen along SR 77 near Dripping Springs. Work is switching to the safer daylight hours after an 18-foot limestone boulder fell 150 feet during previous nighttime blasting and landed on the roadway on November 30.

The incident underscored the risk for construction crews and the potential hazard to motorists. In addition to the instability of the rock face that is being removed, blasting creates flying rock that could be dangerous to workers, especially in the dark between sunset and sunrise.

During the closures, drivers can travel SR 177 and US 60 between Globe and Winkelman. That route will add about 20 miles to the trip.

As with any work zone, drivers are asked to drive slowly and cautiously in the work area and watch for construction workers and equipment.

State Route 89A near Slide Rock to be narrowed to one lane for cell tower installation

Motorists using State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff should allow extra travel time next week when the roadway is reduced to one lane near Slide Rock while a new cell tower is installed.

SR 89A will be narrowed to one lane between mileposts 381 and 384 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, December 13, and Wednesday, December 14. Flaggers will be on site to provide alternating north- and southbound travel through the work zone and delays are possible.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

When you see flashing lights, “Move Over”

Travel Arizona’s highways this week and you’ll see this message on overhead signs:

FLASHING LIGHTS?
GIVE ‘EM SPACE
MOVE OVER


We hope “Move Over” rings familiar. If not, let’s refresh your memory:

• “Move Over” is a state law that requires motorists to move over one lane—or slow down if it is not safe to change lanes—when approaching any vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of a road or highway.

• That includes first responder vehicles such as tow trucks, fire trucks, ambulances and police cruisers, as well as utility trucks and even passenger vehicles that have emergency flashers blinking. Click the graphic at right for this information.

Lives can be saved when vehicles “Move Over.” In June near Benson, a tow truck operator was killed when a vehicle struck him as he assisted a stranded motorist on the shoulder of Interstate 10.

Tragically, that’s not uncommon, as being a first responder to vehicle crashes and disabled motorists is dangerous work. Nationally, one tow truck operator is killed every six days. On average, about 23 highway workers and one law enforcement officer are killed every month and five fire fighters are killed every year in the United States.

Remember, when you see flashing lights on, give ’em space and “Move Over.”

Jaguar photograph taken by Fort Huachuca trail camera

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently received a photograph of a jaguar taken by a Fort Huachuca trail camera in the Huachuca Mountains. Fort Huachuca is a U.S. Army installation near Sierra Vista in southeastern Arizona.

“Preliminary indications are that the cat is a male jaguar and, potentially, an individual not previously seen in Arizona,” said Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, regional director for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We are working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to determine if this sighting represents a new individual jaguar.”

“While this is exciting news, we are examining photographic evidence to determine if we’re seeing a new cat here, or if this is an animal that has been seen in Arizona before,” said Jim DeVos, assistant director of the department’s Wildlife Management Division. “We look forward to partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and thoroughly vetting the evidence.”

AZGFD, USFWS and Fort Huachuca personnel will notify the public when the final determination is made.

AZGF Top 5 AZ fishing holes for this winter

fish-catch-background1In Arizona, winter doesn’t have to mean sending boats and rods and reels into hibernation. While outdoor recreation opportunities across many U.S. states shut down during the season of freeze, Arizona rolls on with trout stockings and water temperatures just warm enough to convince fish to bite during the holidays.

Although fishing tends to slow a tad this time of the year, there are some spots that are winter-friendly.

Here, then, are the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s top-5 fishing holes for this winter.

ADEQ comment period for Hayden Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Area State Implementation Plan

ADEQ welcomes comments on the proposed Hayden Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Area State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision.

The plan demonstrates that the Hayden nonattainment area will attain the 2010 Sulfur Dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The revision will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for incorporation in Arizona’s SIP as required by the Clean Air Act under Section 110.
View Public Notice/Related Documents here.

Public Comment Period:
Dec. 5, 2016 to Jan. 10, 2017

Public Hearing:
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at 2 p.m.
1110 W. Washington St., Rm. 3175
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Comments may be submitted as follows:
Email | Send Email
Mail: (Must be postmarked by Jan. 10, 2017)

Stakeholder Meeting for Ozone Air Quality Standards December 19

ADEQ welcomes interested parties to attend a stakeholder meeting regarding EPA’s proposed 2015 Ozone Implementation Rule. During the meeting, ADEQ will discuss key topics from the proposed rule in which the agency will most likely make comments.

When: December 19, 2016 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Where: Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
1110 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, Arizona, 85007
Room 145

View EPA’s proposed implementation rule here >

Johnson Utilities Drinking Water Problem Resolved

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is pleased to report that we are lifting the Johnson Utilities Drinking Water Advisory for nitrate. ADEQ notified Johnson Utilities (PWS 11182) customers on Dec. 2, 2016, to not provide water to infants under of the age of 6 months or use the water to make infant formula because of elevated nitrate levels. ADEQ has confirmed the problem has been resolved and tap water can be given to infants under the age of 6 months.

Today, ADEQ received confirmation from Johnson Utilities that their sample collected on Nov. 30, 2016, demonstrated the nitrate level met the federal drinking water standard (lower than the Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 mg/L at 7.15 mg/L). This sample was analyzed using certified analytical methods.

Contact Katherine Nierva with Johnson Utilities at 480-998-3300 if you have questions.

Please share this information with all people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.