The Maricopa County Air Quality Department announces its 24th air monitoring site in the county located in the Agua Fria Riverbed near 115th Ave. & Union Hills. The Coyote Lakes Monitor is operated by the department’s Air Monitoring Division and measures specifically for particulate matter (PM-10). The monitor is a source-oriented unit, downwind of several sources such as open fields, mines and construction. The new site will operate for two years which will give the department a working guideline on this region’s particulate matter pollution levels.
Supervisor Max Wilson, District 4, says, “We have listened to the community’s longstanding concerns about needing more monitors in the West Valley and are responding with the addition of the new Coyote Lakes air monitoring site.”
The Air Quality Department also recently received approval from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for funding to build a new mobile air monitoring program. With this new air monitoring program, the county will be able to conduct spot-testing of the ambient air and specific sources throughout the county which will also aid in reducing air pollution and improving human health. “We are happy about the direction this department is headed with the new air monitoring site and the upcoming air monitoring program,” says Director Bob Kard with the Maricopa County Air Quality Department. “Thanks to the Board of Supervisors, this department will continue to move forward with efforts to help clean the air in our county.”
Information about Maricopa County’s 24 air monitoring sites is available on the department’s website at the following location: http://aqwww.maricopa.gov/AirMonitoring/SitePollutionMap.aspx. Data from these sites are used in a variety of ways, including the ability to determine the attainment status with the Clean Air Act, modeling for new sources and providing data to air quality forecasts. Individuals may click on any of these 24 air monitoring sites and check the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings which are updated every hour.
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department is a regulatory agency whose goal is to ensure federal clean air standards are achieved and maintained for the residents and visitors of Maricopa County. The department is governed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and follows air quality standards set forth by the federal Clean Air Act.