Tag Archives: ADEQ

ADEQ Reimbursement Programs for Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

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adeq-1PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) now offers two new programs to reimburse eligible underground storage tank (UST) owners, operators, and others who incurred environmental cleanup costs for leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs).

UST Time-Barred Claims Program – Application Deadline is 12/31/2016

If you were “time-barred” from submitting costs for reimbursement after the sunset of the former state assurance fund (SAF) on June 30, 2010, you now can seek repayment of up to 90 percent of approved cleanup costs incurred after June 30, 2010. Submit your “time-barred” claim application now.

Deadline for Time-Barred Claim Applications is 12/31/2016

Learn more about the UST Time-Barred Program: www.azdeq.gov/ust/time-barred.

UST Preapproval Program – Accepting Applications

UST owners, operators or landowners may also be eligible for ADEQ’s UST Preapproval Program, which provides financial assistance for corrective action costs not covered by a financial assurance mechanism. ADEQ will work closely with applicants to develop a cleanup plan and path to closure for their USTs.

Learn more about the UST Preapproval Program: http://azdeq.gov/ust/preapproval.

Comments Summary and Response for the Draft 2016 Clean Water Act Assessment

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The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) received public comments for the
Draft 2016 Clean Water Act Assessment during the public comment period that began June 13, 2016 and ended July 28, 2016.

View the ADEQ Public Notice for the Comments Summary and Response for the Draft 2016 Clean Water Act Assessment

ADEQ’s response to comments has been issued in the Arizona Administrative Register and may be viewed at http://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/register/2016/40/22_public_information.pdf

ADEQ appreciates your interest and participation in improving Arizona’s surface water quality.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Aiko Condon
Water Quality Division
P: (602) 771-4448
E: condon.aiko@azdeq.gov

Governor’s Regulatory Review Council Allows Obsolete Rules to Expire

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Effective September 15, 2016, the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council allowed six Waste Program rules and one Air Quality rule ADEQ identified as obsolete to expire per ARS § 41-1056(J). The list of expired rules follows:

  • R18-2-306.02 (Establishment of an Emissions Cap)
  • R18-8-201 (Hazardous Waste Fees for Fiscal Year 2011)
  • R18-12-802 (Transition)
  • R18-13-902 (Regional Boundaries)
  • R18-13-2701 (Special Waste Management Fees for Fiscal Year 2011)
  • R18-13-2702 (Increased Landfill Registration Fees for Fiscal Year 2011)
  • R18-13-2703 (Solid Waste Facility Plan Review Fees for Fiscal Year 2011)

A notice about the expiration of these rules will appear in the Arizona Administrative Register.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Mark Lewandowski
Waste Programs Division
P: 602-771-2230

Governor Ducey Proclaims Arizona Pollution Prevention Week Sept. 18 – 24, 2016

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that Governor Douglas A. Ducey has designated the week of September 18 – 24 by proclamation as Arizona Pollution Prevention (P2) Week. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the ADEQ P2 Program encourages the general public, schools, local governments and businesses to be a part of Arizona P2 Week and learn about steps we all can incorporate in our daily routines to prevent and reduce waste, improve the health of our communities and environment, and elevate our standard of living.

Governor Ducey noted that “National Pollution Prevention Week” is an opportunity for government and the private sector to focus attention on how P2 saves businesses and taxpayers money and conserves Arizona’s natural resources for future generations.

“As one of our nation’s first Pollution Prevention Programs, ADEQ’s P2 Program benefits both our participants and our state by supporting production processes that improve environmental quality and economic competitiveness,” ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera said. “Now in our 25th year, we’re demonstrating that ADEQ’s P2 Program in Arizona is creating an environment in which new processes and technologies are helping industry to reduce pollution while also enhancing operational efficiency and business productivity.”

To celebrate and increase public awareness, each weekday during P2 Week, ADEQ will share valuable information, tools and resources via Facebook, Twitter and our website, focusing each day on one P2 source reduction theme including trash, transportation, food, energy and water, and air.

ADEQ also will host two free webinars that showcase real-world examples of how ADEQ P2 Program participants have reduced waste and pollution, increased efficiency and saved money. Arizona businesses meeting any one of three P2 thresholds (http://www.azdeq.gov/p2_thresholds) are required to create and implement a plan to minimize the use of toxic substances and/or generation of hazardous waste. P2 webinar topics will include P2 Program facilities’ environmental achievements in the areas of reducing solid and hazardous waste generation, toxic substance use substitution and reduction, reducing energy and water consumption, and industry best management practices. In addition, ADEQ will provide an overview of its Voluntary Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP), including participant benefits.

ADEQ encourages Arizona businesses and the interested public to register for the following P2 Week free webinars:

Tues, Sept. 20, 2016 – 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (MST)
P2 Webinar Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4940255654047033347
Presenters: Ping, Inc., Grand Canyon Railway and United Dairymen of Arizona

Wed, Sept. 21, 2016 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (MST)
P2 Webinar Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2264067441784591874
Presenters: Boeing Mesa, Intel Ocotillo and ADEQ VESP

View the Arizona Pollution Prevention Week proclamation and learn more about the ADEQ P2 Program and National Pollution Prevention Week by visiting:

http://azdeq.gov/p2_proclamation_2016
http://www.azdeq.gov/programs/waste-programs/pollution-prevention-p2-planning-program
http://www2.epa.gov/p2week

ADEQ, ADOT and Keep Arizona Beautiful Host Free Environmental Resources Roadshows in Flagstaff & Sedona

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Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Keep Arizona Beautiful (KAZB) staff will conduct two “Environmental Resources Roadshows,” where attendees will learn about ways to improve their local environment.

FLAGSTAFF
Wed., August 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Coconino County Health Services District
Coconino County Community Services
2625 N King Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86004

SEDONA
Thurs., August 25, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
City of Sedona City Hall Complex
Vultee Conference Room
102 Roadrunner Drive
Sedona, AZ 86336

The Environmental Resources Roadshow partnership encourages community members, Tribes, business people, elected officials, government agencies and school representatives in Flagstaff and Sedona and the surrounding area to attend one of the no-cost, two-hour events. Following brief presentations, attendees can engage in open dialogue and participate in a question and answer session.

Topics

ADEQ: successful recycling programs such as electronic waste and food recovery
ADEQ: how communities can benefit from ADEQ’s brownfields grants and technical expertise
ADOT: volunteer process for adopting sections of Arizona highways for litter cleanup
KAZB: statewide litter prevention, recycling and beautification programs

ADEQ Awards $1.9 Million in Grants to Improve Arizona’s Water Quality

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today seven Water Quality Improvement Grant (WQIG) awards totaling more than $1.9 million to fund field projects aimed at reducing E. coli, excess nutrients and sediment caused by runoff from non-regulated sources in four state waterways the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates as impaired.

Located in ADEQ water protection plan areas, these waterways include the popular and highly recreated Oak Creek and San Francisco River, as well as the San Pedro River and Granite Creek. Each of these waterways is impaired because rainfall, snowmelt and/or irrigation pick up pollutant-containing sediments and deposit them into the waterway.

Polluted runoff from non-regulated sources, such as agriculture, forestry, grazing and septic systems, threatens public health and the environment and can have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries and wildlife. Common pollutants include nutrients and microbes, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia Shigella, for which E. coli tests are used to indicate their presence. Water with high levels of E. coli can cause gastrointestinal problems if unintentionally swallowed while swimming.

“ADEQ’s Water Quality Improvement Grant Program arms qualifying parties with funds to support important projects to prevent and address pollution from non-regulated sources,” said ADEQ Water Quality Division Director, Trevor Baggiore. “We vet each application using a stringent evaluation process to ensure awarded funds achieve the most impactful environmental benefits and outcomes for impaired waters in Arizona.”
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ADEQ Grants First Brownfields Project Funds to Tribal Nation

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today the first state brownfields grant award to a tribal nation for $5,500. ADEQ’s grant will provide the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) with funds to conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment on property known as “Mosquito Flats” in La Paz County.

Mosquito Flats is approximately 11 acres of low-lying tribal land located south of the Main Canal, immediately south of Blue Water Lagoon Resort/Park, in Parker, on an entire watershed of roughly 75 acres. Stormwater has created the potential for petroleum contamination on the site, and another environmental concern involves ponding water creating a mosquito breeding habitat.

ADEQ is currently collaborating with CRIT and a comprehensive group of stakeholders to address the issues. The first step is the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, and with the official state brownfield designation for Mosquito Flats, the community will have the opportunity to apply for other crucial funding sources that further revitalize, enhance and protect public health and the environment for this community.

“We are pleased to have the ability to expand this opportunity to tribes, and we hope that they will reach out to us and find out how to apply,” said Ian Bingham, Ombudsman and Tribal Liaison at ADEQ. CRIT and 14 other tribes in Arizona are eligible for brownfields funding.

Redeveloping brownfields has the potential to reduce environmental hazards, mitigate public health threats, create new business opportunities, increase tax revenue, and restore habitats and blighted areas to productive use. Program funds are limited and available to eligible applicants in the order that they apply and qualify.

ADEQ Recommends Limiting Consumption of Largemouth Bass Caught in Scott Reservoir, Navajo County

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largemouth-bass_originalPHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, in association with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, has issued a fish consumption advisory recommending that people limit consumption of largemouth bass caught from Scott Reservoir in Navajo County. ADEQ is issuing this advisory because recent analysis of data from fish tissue samples taken from Scott Reservoir contained elevated levels of mercury.

ADEQ recommends that adults limit consumption of largemouth bass to 2.4 ounces (uncooked weight) per week and children 12 years of age and younger limit consumption to two ounces per month (uncooked weight).

This advisory does not limit the use of this waterbody for fishing, bird watching, swimming, or other recreational uses. In general, the level of contaminants in fish is several folds higher than levels found in water.

Any health risks associated with eating fish from this advisory area are based on long-term consumption and not from eating fish occasionally. Fish are an excellent source of protein and can be an important part of a healthy, diverse diet as they are low in saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends that individuals eat at least two fish or seafood meals weekly.

ADEQ Launches Reimbursement Programs for Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

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PHOENIX— Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today the launch of two programs designed to reimburse eligible underground storage tank (UST) owners and operators who incurred environmental cleanup costs for leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs).

In 2015, the Arizona legislature enacted HB 2636, which modified the ways the penny-per-gallon UST tax can be used. The penny-per-gallon tax provides funding to clean up environmental hazards created by LUSTs.

UST owners and operators who were ‘time-barred’ from submitting costs for reimbursement after the sunset of the former state assurance fund (SAF) on June 30, 2010, now have the opportunity to seek repayment by submitting a ‘UST time-barred claim’ application. Legislation allows ADEQ to provide reimbursement for eligible owners and operators of up to 90 percent of the approved cleanup costs incurred after June 30, 2010.

To be considered, all ‘time-barred’ applications must be submitted to ADEQ by Dec. 31, 2016. ADEQ urges eligible parties to act now and submit their applications before the deadline.

UST owners, operators or landowners also may be eligible for ADEQ’s UST Preapproval Program, which provides financial assistance for corrective action costs that are not being covered by a financial assurance mechanism. ADEQ will work closely with applicants to develop a cleanup plan and path to closure for their USTs.

“These two reimbursement programs provide opportunities for qualifying UST owners and operators (and, in some cases, landowners) to get part or all of their cleanup costs covered,” ADEQ Waste Programs Division Director Laura Malone said. “It is a win-win for our customers and the environment. We are encouraging those who believe they qualify for either program to review information on our website to see if they are eligible.”

To find out more about the UST Time-Barred Program, visit azdeq.gov/ust/time-barred

To find out more about the UST Preapproval Program, visit azdeq.gov/ust/preapproval

ADEQ to host waste material compliance workshop if Flagstaff

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Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Waste Programs staff will conduct a Waste Compliance Workshop where attendees will learn about Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulations and ADEQ’s Pollution Prevention Program. ADEQ encourages community members, businesses and government agencies to attend this no-cost workshop.

The seminar will be held in Flagstaff at the Arizona Game and Fish office at 3500 Lake Mary Road. The seminar will be Tuesday, July 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Topics include

Solid Waste:

  • Proper handling of Used Oil
  • Petroleum Contaminated Soil Disposal
  • Biohazardous Medical Waste (including tattoo needles)
  • Prescription and Non-prescription drug disposal
  • Used and Waste Tires
  • Illegal Dumping

Hazardous Waste:

  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and hazardous waste regulations
  • Hazardous waste generator classes (LQG, SQG, CESQG)
  • Common hazardous wastes by industry
  • What to expect when you’re inspected
  • Top 10 most common hazardous waste violations
  • New ADEQ hazardous waste inspection checklist.
  • myDEQ RCRQA EPA ID Registration

Hazardous Waste Manifest and Reporting:

  • Preparing the Perfect Manifest – Instructions on how to submit a hazardous waste manifest, including: Timeliness; Which manifest copy to submit; Common omissions and errors; And readability.
  • Submitting a Biennial Hazardous Waste Facility Annual Report – This will take you through the steps of using the free BRSW software from Florida to submit an LQG FAR; How to download and set up the software; The advantages to using the software over hardcopy versions; Tricks to compiling data; And how to zip and submit the report.

Pollution Prevention:

  • What’s new in Pollution Prevention including a review of the program statutes, thresholds and plan requirements
  • Examples on successful goals
  • The improved P2 plan forms.

Underground Storage Tanks:
Tired of getting two different stories regarding your USTs? Get the facts in this informative 1 hour session on UST rule updates and requirements for keeping your UST systems in compliance.