Tag Archives: ADEQ

PUBLIC NOTICE – Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) renewal

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PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) RENEWAL PERMIT

Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-A907, the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to issue an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant, subject to certain effluent limitations and special conditions:

Public Notice No. 15-24

Published on November 12, 2014
Published in the Copper Basin News

AZPDES Permit No. AZ00000350

ASARCO LLC

P.O. Box 640

Kearney, Arizona, 85317

ASARCO LLC applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the discharge of stormwater associated with mining activities and groundwater seepage into the Mineral Creek Diversion Tunnel from the Ray Operations to Mineral Creek in the Middle Gila River Basin in Township 3S, Range 13E, Sections 24 and 36, in Pinal County, Arizona. The Ray Operations is a commercial open pit copper mine.

The permit and fact sheet may be viewed online at http://www.azdeq.gov/cgi-bin/vertical.pl by typing the permit number in the box left of “Search Event”. The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Chiou Chen, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-908(B).

**MEETING NOTICE** : Governor’s Agricultural Best Management Practices Committee

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Governor’s Agricultural Best Management Practices Committee
Thursday, November 13, 2014; 1:30 p.m.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Conference Rm 3175
1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Call-in Number: 1-877-820-7829, participant code 228497#

The general public is welcome to participate in this meeting by calling the number provided above or attending the meeting in Conference Room 3175 at ADEQ, for directions and parking go to http://www.azdeq.gov/function/about/contact.html.

I. Welcome, Review of Agenda & Past Meeting Minutes
II. Discussion & Possible Action on Revisions to the Proposed Best Management Practices Rule
III. Discussion & Possible Action on the Annual Report/Third Year Survey Report Forms: Crop Operations, Animal Productions, and Irrigation Districts
IV. Discussion & Possible Action on Language for the Three Year Survey; R18-2-610.03(g)
V. Discussion on Appointment of County Representative: “person who is employed by a county air quality department or agency” (49-457-(B)(15)
VI. Call to the Public
VII. Adjournment

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.02, notice is hereby given that the above-referenced conference call is open to the public. Order of agenda items is subject to change. For additional information regarding the conference call, please contact Lisa Tomczak, ADEQ Air Quality Division, at (602) 771-4450 or 1-800-234-5677, Ext. 771-4450. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting Alicia Pollard, (602) 771-4791, via email pollard.alicia@azdeq.gov TDD line for hearing impaired individuals, (602) 771-4829. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.

Free Biohazardous Medical Waste Workshop Scheduled To be Held in Show Low on Wednesday, Nov. 12

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ADEQ-2PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today that a free bio-hazardous medical waste compliance seminar will be held for interested parties in the White Mountains region in Show Low on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the Frontier Conference Room of the Navajo County Public Health Services District, 600 N. 9th Place, and is sponsored by ADEQ’s Waste Programs Division Solid Waste Inspection and Compliance staff.

The workshop will offer an overview of bio-hazardous medical waste rules in Arizona and help attendees understand those rules. In addition, tattoo parlor regulations will be discussed along with recent changes in ADEQ rules and regulations. There also will be a question and answer session with seminar attendees.

“The material from these workshops is important for health-care providers in understanding how to protect the human health and environment of our state,” said ADEQ Director Henry Darwin.

Space for the workshop is limited and all those interested in attending should RSVP by 5 p.m. on Nov. 11 with ADEQ’s Daniel Salzler at (602) 771-4119 or ds2@azdeq.gov.

ADEQ proposes rulemaking for the Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

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ADEQ has published the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking  for the Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System – Disposal, Use, and Transportation of Biosolids (18 A.A.C.  9, Article 10). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available here: http://www.azdeq.gov/function/laws/draft.html#water”

 ADEQ’s Biosolids/Sewage Sludge Management Program implements Section 405 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1345), A.R.S. § 49-255.03 and 18 A.A.C. 9, Article 10. ADEQ’s biosolids rules require that any person applying, generating or transporting biosolids/sewage sludge in Arizona must register that activity. The rules are self-implementing by the person who uses, transports, applies biosolids to land, or places biosolids on a surface disposal site. Incineration of biosolids has been prohibited under R18-9-1002(G), since 2001. ADEQ is proposing to repeal the prohibition on incineration of biosolids, thereby allowing incineration as a means of disposal.

 As a federally-delegated program, ADEQ’s laws, rules, and program must comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) requirements. EPA’s rules on biosolids are in 40 CFR, Part 503 and include Subpart E on Incineration. With the repeal on the prohibition of incineration, ADEQ proposes to incorporate by reference Subpart E of the federal rules in order to properly regulate biosolids incinerators. An owner of an incinerator would have to comply with both Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act requirements, but the Clean Air Act rules are much more extensive and contain more restrictions.

ADEQ Awards Oak Creek Watershed Council $120,040 Grant to Reduce Pollution in Oak Creek

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ADEQ logo resizedPHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today that a $120,040 grant has been awarded to the Oak Creek Watershed Council to assist in controlling polluted runoff into Oak Creek from primarily the Settler’s Rest neighborhood in West Sedona.

The neighborhood is located near the top of Carrol Canyon, a popular spot near the Sedona Airport for hiking, people walking their dogs and horseback riding. The Carrol Canyon drainage typically moves runoff with elevated levels of nutrients, sediment and E. coli bacteria and shortly thereafter empties the stormwater into Oak Creek.

The grant is one of eight in Arizona this year administered by ADEQ’s Water Quality Improvement Grant program (WQIG) to address polluted runoff from many different sources. Oak Creek, from its headwaters to its confluence with Spring Creek in Oak Creek Canyon, is listed as impaired for E. coli.

The funding will be used to develop best management practices in the Settler’s Rest area like a series of retention basins and armored spillways and planting of native plants for soil retention and bioremediation. Outreach efforts will be made to encourage other residents and homeowner associations throughout Sedona to adopt similar practices. Erosion control work also will be performed and maintenance of dog waste stations to the extent that funding allows.

“This grant money will help restore water quality in one of the most beautiful and heavily visited tourist areas in the state,” ADEQ Director Henry Darwin said.

Scottsdale BASIS Fifth-Grade Student Selected Winner Of Nationwide No Burn Day Video Contest

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PHOENIX – Piper Sehman, a fifth-grade student at BASIS School in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills resident, has been selected winner of the nationwide No Burn Day Video Contest, sponsored by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Maricopa County Air Quality Department.

Piper’s 30-second video, which used animated Lego characters, was selected by a panel of judges as best overall and most creative. It delivered the message of why Phoenix metropolitan residents should not burn wood in fireplaces, outdoor fire pits and chimineas on high pollution advisory days during the winter, especially during the holiday season, because of the negative effects of soot on public health.

“Piper’s innovative video succinctly delivered a message about the benefits of cleaner air during our holiday season in a way that really engages the viewer,” said ADEQ Air Quality Division Director Eric Massey.

Nick Sehman, Piper’s father, said she worked on the video for dozens of hours after learning the animation style from her brother, and “our whole family is very excited about this since this is the first time Piper has entered a contest.” Piper received a certificate of achievement from the central figure in the video contest part of this year’s campaign, the super hero No Burn Man, at a BASIS School assembly today.


Stephanie Zlateva of Mountain View, California, received an honorable mention from the judges for a video she created on her iPad using cut-away images to deliver a strong message about refraining from generating wood smoke on No Burn days.

Both of the videos will be used in this year’s “No Burn Day? Don’t Burn Wood!” winter outreach campaign. The campaign is intended to raise public awareness of the harmful health impacts of wood burning on wintertime No Burn Days in Maricopa County. The campaign asks county residents and businesses to refrain from burning wood on days when a stagnant air inversion traps smoke in the Valley, resulting in a high pollution advisory or health watch designation.

First Free ADEQ Electronic Waste Recycling Event for Navajo Capitol of Window Rock

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ADEQ-2PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today that the Navajo Nation community of Window Rock will host its first free electronic waste recycling event Saturday, Oct. 25 from 8 a.m. until noon Daylight Savings Time at the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds with entrance from Highway 264 next to Basha’s Supermarket.

ADEQ will be sponsoring the event along with the Navajo Nation Solid Waste Management Program, Navajo Nation EPA and E-Waste Harvesters of Phoenix.

Organizers expect tons of unwanted TV s, computers, monitors, printers, batteries, chargers, cell phones, VCRs, CD and DVD players, fax machines, small appliances, cables and cords to be collected at the event. There will be a limit of two televisions
accepted per vehicle.

Event volunteers will not be accepting large appliances or air conditioners for disposal.
For more information, contact the Navajo Nation EPA office at (928) 871-7816 or the Navajo Nation Solid Waste Management Program office at (928) 871-6309.

E-Waste Harvesters will erase all hard drives with state of the art technology and will recycle all materials in compliance with state and federal regulations. Attendees may receive a certificate of disposal from E-Waste Harvesters if they want the document for
their records.

“We are very excited about sponsoring our first E-waste event in the Navajo Nation capitol of Window Rock and welcome everyone living in Window Rock, Fort Defiance and the surrounding area to bring their recyclable items,” said ADEQ Director Henry Darwin. “This is a great opportunity for people to dispose of all the unwanted electronics they have collected over the years while at the same time ensuring that this potentially toxic stream of waste is disposed of responsibly and does not take up valuable landfill space.”

ADEQ has sponsored 98 events statewide since the e-waste program’s inception in August 2009 and collected more than 2.5 million pounds of electronics for recycling.