- March 30, 2007: BySynergy Drops Appeal of ADEQ Permit: Agrees to Comply with $600,000 Financial Assurance Requirement
- March 26, 2007: ADEQ Director Owens Announces $224,563 in Grants to Eight Arizona Communities for Household Hazardous Waste Projects
- March 20, 2007: ADEQ Director Steve Owens Announces Recycling Scholarship Recipients
- March 19, 2007: ADEQ Director Owens Announces Initiative to Prevent Contamination from Radiator Repair Shop Waste
- March 12, 2007: ADEQ to Hold Free Seminar on Arizona Performance Track
- March 8, 2007: ADEQ Director Owens Announces Xanterra South Rim as Newest Member of Arizona Performance Track
BySynergy Drops Appeal of ADEQ Permit: Agrees to Comply with $600,000 Financial Assurance Requirement
PHOENIX (March 30, 2007) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens today announced that BySynergy, LLC, has withdrawn its appeal of the groundwater protection permit issued by ADEQ for a wastewater treatment facility at the company's proposed Bella Terra on Oak Creek development near Sedona. BySynergy had objected to a provision in the permit that requires the company to demonstrate $600,000 in financial capability to protect water quality in the area.
BySynergy had filed an administrative appeal of the permit but last week notified ADEQ that it was dropping that appeal and would comply with the financial assurance requirement.
"This is the toughest water quality permit ever issued for a facility of this size," Director Owens said. "We are confident that this permit will protect Oak Creek and precious groundwater resources in the Sedona area to the highest level possible, but we included a significant financial assurance guarantee in the permit to make sure that adequate financial resources are available to address any impacts if they were to occur."
In 2006 the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors approved Bella Terra on Oak Creek as a new subdivision consisting of 106 lots on 53.5 acres partially bordering Oak Creek. The water quality permit, known as an Aquifer Protection Permit (APP),�regulates the operation of the wastewater treatment plant currently planned for the Bella Terra on Oak Creek development in Sedona. Based on the number of lots and occupancy figures at the subdivision, the treatment plant will generate less than 25,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day when operated at maximum capacity.
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PHOENIX (March 26, 2007) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens announced today that ADEQ has awarded $224,563 in grants to help clean up household hazardous waste (HHW) and electronics in eight communities throughout the state.
HHW includes certain paints, cleaners, stains and varnishes, car batteries, motor oil and pesticides. Electronic equipment includes computers, cell phones, pagers and other audio or video equipment. Collection projects may be continuous or one-day events.
"Household hazardous waste is a major environmental problem," Owens said. "Electronic equipment in particular poses a challenge as the life cycle of products decreases. These grant programs work hand in hand to help achieve important environmental and safety goals. We are glad to support these Arizona communities' efforts to recycle these materials, or otherwise properly dispose of them."
The grant winners:
- The Town of Carefree: $30,500 for a one-day HHW collection event.
- The City of El Mirage: $25,000 for a one-day HHW and electronics collection event.
- The Gila County Public Works Division: $20,000 for a one-day HHW collection event for residents of Southern Gila County, including Globe-Miami, San Carlos Indian Reservation, Roosevelt, Tonto Basin and the Hayden-Winkleman area.
- The Gila County Public Works Division: $22,863 for a one-day HHW collection event for residents of Northern Gila County, including Payson, Pine, Strawberry, Christopher Creek and Young.
- The Town of Gilbert: $30,360 for a one-day HHW and electronics waste collection event. Computer equipment collected at the event will be donated to the Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) at Gilbert High School.
- The Hopi Tribe: $36,140 for two one-day HHW and electronics collection events, including the collection of automotive waste.
- LaPaz County: $35,700 for seven one-day HHW and electronics collection events.
- The Lake Havasu City Fire Department: $24,000 for a one-day collection event for HHW as well as tires, batteries, motor oil and other automotive waste.
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PHOENIX (March 20, 2007) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens today announced that ADEQ has awarded scholarships under the department's Recycling Scholarship Program to eight Arizona high school seniors:
- Kathryn Anderson, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
- Erin Eppard, Thunderbird High School, Phoenix
- Rebecca Heathman, Peoria Transition Center, Peoria
- Reem Kamai, Cortez High School, Phoenix
- Noel Palmer, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
- Raymundo Reyes, Glendale High School, Glendale
- Rachel Rezer, Desert Christian High School, Tucson
- Eric Wannlund, Red Mountain High School, Mesa
Each of these students will receive a $1,000 scholarship to be used for expenses at a college or university in Arizona. The scholarship recipients were selected by ADEQ based on the proposals they submitted to ADEQ outlining a waste reduction or recycling project in their school or community that they will implement during this month.
"The purpose of this innovative scholarship program is to encourage Arizona students to think about ways to protect the environment while helping them meet the escalating costs of college," Director Owens said. "These eight high school seniors came up with some terrific ideas for recycling projects."
Owens said ADEQ developed the scholarship program to encourage school recycling activities throughout the state. The scholarship program is funded by the ADEQ Recycling Grant Program.
Information about the scholarship program is available on ADEQ's Web site.
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PHOENIX (March 19, 2007) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Director Steve Owens today announced that ADEQ has launched an initiative to ensure that radiator repair shops in Arizona comply with hazardous waste rules and prevent contamination from repair shop wastes.
"This initiative will prevent future contamination by stopping releases of hazardous materials from radiator shops," Owens said. "It also will help shop owners save time and money by ensuring that they follow appropriate pollution-control, pollution-prevention and recycling practices."
ADEQ estimates that there are about 150 radiator repair shops in Arizona. The major contaminant from radiator shops is lead, which can threaten the health and safety of shop employees and the public. Other common pollutants from radiator shops include caustic solutions, sludge and sandblasting media. Owens noted that many radiator shops inspected recently by ADEQ were not in compliance with the law due to lead contamination from poor waste management.
As part of the initiative, ADEQ is sending a questionnaire to radiator repair shops to make sure they are complying with hazardous waste rules. Shops that complete the questionnaire in a timely fashion and respond to any necessary follow-up questions will not be subject to hazardous waste enforcement action by ADEQ.
ADEQ is also inviting radiator shop operators to participate in free workshops in Phoenix and Tucson that will provide information on how to handle hazardous waste:
- March 22, 9 a.m.-noon; April 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; April 20, 9 a.m.-noon at ADEQ, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix
- April 23, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at ADEQ's Southern Regional Office, Room 44, 400 West Congress, Tucson
More information on the workshops is available from ADEQ, (602) 771-4849, toll free (800) 234-5677 Ext. 771-4849.
"This initiative is modeled after a successful similar effort ADEQ conducted for the boat manufacturing industry," Owens said. "We want to give radiator shop owners the information they need to prevent contamination from hazardous materials at their shops and ensure that employees, the public and the environment are protected. It is a win-win for everybody."
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PHOENIX (March 12, 2007) -- A free seminar on Arizona Performance Track and environmental management systems (EMS) will be held April 3, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn, Scottsdale.
Arizona Performance Track is a voluntary partnership between ADEQ, businesses and other regulated entities that recognizes and rewards environmental leadership for going above and beyond the minimum requirements of the law.
"This seminar is a wonderful opportunity to get the most up-to-date information available about the Arizona Performance Track program," said ADEQ Director Steve Owens, who is scheduled to speak at the event. "The program provides benefits to participants in recognition of their commitment to environmental protection, while enabling ADEQ to more effectively focus our resources on facilities and entities that need the most attention. I encourage any interested regulated entity, as well as the public, to attend this event."
Agenda topics include reasons to join Performance Track; benefits of and criteria for membership; Performance Track for small businesses and agricultural enterprises; advice from members and environmental regulators; how to establish an EMS; EMS and the bottom line; EMS and small business, and the future of Performance Track.
Other speakers scheduled include Wayne Nastri, U.S. EPA Region 9 Administrator; Frances Schultz, deputy director, EPA Region 9's communities and ecosystems division; Henry Darwin, ADEQ's Administrative Counsel; and representatives from three Arizona Performance Track member organizations: Jim Larsen, manager of environmental health and safety, Intel Corporation, Chandler; Rob Barnett, director of environmental systems, Ping, Phoenix; and Larry Person, senior environmental coordinator, City of Scottsdale.
The seminar is sponsored by ADEQ, the National Environmental Performance Track and the Arizona Environmental Strategic Alliance.
More information on the seminar is available here  .
More information about Arizona Performance Track is available on ADEQ's Web site.
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PHOENIX (March 8, 2007) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens today announced that Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. has joined Arizona Performance Track, a voluntary partnership between ADEQ, businesses and other regulated entities that recognizes and rewards environmental leadership for going above and beyond the minimum requirements of the law.
Xanterra, which operates lodging and food services for the National Park Service at the Grand Canyon, South Rim was selected to join Arizona Performance Track for reducing water used, solid waste sent to landfill, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increasing the amount of recycled content in products it uses and sells. Xanterra has also committed to a 50 percent waste diversion from landfills and zero hazardous waste generation by 2015, and to a preferred "green" vendor program.
"We are very pleased to welcome Xanterra to the Arizona Performance Track program, which provides benefits to participants in recognition of their commitment to environmental protection," Owens said. "The program not only encourages companies to be good environmental stewards, it also allows ADEQ to protect public health and the environment more effectively by focusing our resources on facilities and entities that need the most attention."
The Arizona Performance Track is modeled after a national EPA program. Benefits of participating in the Arizona Performance Track include reduced inspection frequency, flexibility of permit conditions and consolidation of reporting requirements. Companies eligible for the program must demonstrate a history of compliance, a comprehensive environmental management system (EMS) and a pollution prevention program in addition to performing two past and four future projects with quantifiable environmental benefits.
A free seminar on Performance Track and EMS will be held April 3, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn, Scottsdale. Sponsored by ADEQ, the National Environmental Performance Track, and the Arizona Environmental Strategic Alliance, the seminar will cover the future of Performance Track, how to establish an EMS, and advice from members and environmental regulators. Information on the seminar is now available .
More information about Arizona Performance Track is available on ADEQ's web site.
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