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Old 07-04-2017, 08:32 AM
 
8,081 posts, read 6,976,131 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DougStark View Post
I don't have the exact specifics, but it goes something like this: The region not meeting air quality standards is listed as "non-attainment" for a particular pollutant. The region then tells EPA what it will do to reduce the pollutant. If EPA agrees with the plan, the region avoids enforcement while it takes steps to meet the standard. Currently Metro Phoenix is not meeting the particulate matter standard or the ozone standard so is a "non-attainment" area for air pollution.
The only stick the EPA has is to withdraw federal highway funding and politically I don't foresee a strong arm EPA. We haven't been in compliance in years. A lot of metros are in non-attainment areas.

https://www3.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/mapnpoll.html

The process you're describing (FIPS) is politically a nightmare and used only when it is absolutely necessary.
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Old 07-04-2017, 08:35 AM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
2,653 posts, read 3,056,993 times
Reputation: 2871
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhxBarb View Post
What got my goat when I lived in Chandler were those fireplaces sending up smoke on "no burn" days. It was impossible to tell who it was because of so many chimneys.
hey PhxBarb, I hope you reported your observations to the County Air division. They supposedly have inspectors out looking for that. I'd love to see those homeowners BUSTED.

Just me, but I consider a fireplace in Phoenix one of the last things I'd choose as an option when buying a new home. How about a top of the line electronic air cleaner to keep the household dust lower?
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Old 07-04-2017, 09:29 AM
 
656 posts, read 815,454 times
Reputation: 1421
Thousands arrive monthly. I am reminded of LA in the 70s...
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Old 07-04-2017, 12:21 PM
 
2,390 posts, read 2,725,147 times
Reputation: 2772
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG CATS View Post
PHX is so spread out, that public transportation to most places isn't feasible for most. And adding 88 people per day here is adding a lot more cars on the road. So yes, I think its safe to say a major part of the problem is new arrivals.
Public transportation isn't considered "feasible" because it doesn't exist in any meaningful way, and because residents refuse to cut back on their cars. You're absolutely right that Phoenix is spread out, to much so, in my opinion. Still, it seems to me that most people live "feasibly" close to their work. People could walk a little, but don't. People could car-pool, but don't. Most people I know have never even been on a bus. It's very much a matter of mind-set.
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Old 07-04-2017, 01:15 PM
 
Location: prescott az
6,957 posts, read 12,081,929 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DougStark View Post
hey PhxBarb, I hope you reported your observations to the County Air division. They supposedly have inspectors out looking for that. I'd love to see those homeowners BUSTED.

Just me, but I consider a fireplace in Phoenix one of the last things I'd choose as an option when buying a new home. How about a top of the line electronic air cleaner to keep the household dust lower?
Doug: Um, have you ever tried to determine just WHICH house is burning the wood??? Not so easy. And no, I never reported anyone, since I didn't really know who it was.
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Old 07-04-2017, 02:32 PM
 
Location: Scottsdale
2,075 posts, read 1,650,452 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG CATS View Post
In June, yes, its gross normally, but I said "this year". That's from 1/1/17 til' present. Even in the winter it was awful. I cant remember the last time I hiked the entire year and had crystal clear views. Its been a grotesque, hazy mess all year. We are the next LA.
It was already bad certain times of the year in the early 1990s. I lived in Glendale back then. In 1993 noticed around late October my eyes started getting kind of irritated and the air quality was annoying. This was not too far from Grand Ave. Then as the weeks went by it got gradually worse. It felt like it was "building up". Then the snowbirds started coming and by December there was a thermal inversion effect. With all the holiday traffic, seasonal residents, etc., the air quality got exponentially worse in a matter of days. I left around mid December and took off to Gila County. As I was driving out of Phoenix my eyes were irritated really bad and remember it was hard to breath. When I got to Gila County I finally felt better. For those who don't know, Gila County is a rural part of AZ about 100 miles east of Phoenix.

I left Phoenix in 2002 for a job. I lived in Florida from 2002-2017 and returned. I chose to live on the outskirts in the hope pollution would not be as bad. I live in far North Scottsdale and work there as well. I had a chance for a great job in Central Phoenix but was concerned about the air quality due to that experience in 1993. I imagine it's worse now.

This morning was great though. I hiked up Piestewa Peak and got down before the temperature hit 95. The view north is always great. It's just that looking down town it gets hazy.

When I was in Florida I studied public health in graduate school. We had a class analysis on research publications regarding pollution patterns in Phoenix. The data showed that Central Phoenix - particularly along Grand Ave. - is the worse part. It's also a low income neighborhood with socioeconomic issues.
This article touches upon a sensitive topic that Conservative Arizonans may not like to talk about. Just keep in mind that it touches on the period of urban development in the 1900s with the sociological issues of that era that impacted the modern pollution pattern. It was part of our class project in public health.
http://www.humanecologyreview.org/pa...skicollins.pdf
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Old 07-04-2017, 09:24 PM
HDL
 
Location: Seek Jesus while He can still be found!
3,216 posts, read 6,792,916 times
Reputation: 8667
I just got back from a week in Palm Desert. I remembering coming down a hill on the I-10 into the Coachella Valley and seeing a lot of haze and pollution. Hate it! It was a great reminder of some of the things that I don't like about life in Southern CA. Then this past Sunday I came back to Phoenix and saw what seemed like the exact same thing - haze and pollution here in the west valley area of Phoenix. Not sure all the things that cause it, but I'm sure that high temps, no rain, and lots of car and truck emissions don't help it at all .
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Old 07-05-2017, 10:34 PM
 
Location: Avondale and Tempe, Arizona
2,852 posts, read 4,508,616 times
Reputation: 2562
Quote:
Originally Posted by HDL View Post
I just got back from a week in Palm Desert. I remembering coming down a hill on the I-10 into the Coachella Valley and seeing a lot of haze and pollution. Hate it! It was a great reminder of some of the things that I don't like about life in Southern CA. Then this past Sunday I came back to Phoenix and saw what seemed like the exact same thing - haze and pollution here in the west valley area of Phoenix. Not sure all the things that cause it, but I'm sure that high temps, no rain, and lots of car and truck emissions don't help it at all .
It seems the more storms there are the better the air quality is.

This is why I look forward to the summer monsoon and the wintertime, they are the two rainy seasons and the air is always so much cleaner after a good rainstorm.

What I don't like about the monsoon is the duststorms that often precede thunderstorms and the humidity added to the existing heat.
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Old 07-06-2017, 12:23 AM
HDL
 
Location: Seek Jesus while He can still be found!
3,216 posts, read 6,792,916 times
Reputation: 8667
This is just my 2nd summer here and although there are a lot of positives to the east valley, I know that last year, I didn't really experience dust storms or flooding rains where I live in the west valley, so that is a huge positive to living on this side of Phoenix. But I am praying for some rainfall soon to clean up our air and skies !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Java Jolt View Post
It seems the more storms there are the better the air quality is.

This is why I look forward to the summer monsoon and the wintertime, they are the two rainy seasons and the air is always so much cleaner after a good rainstorm.

What I don't like about the monsoon is the duststorms that often precede thunderstorms and the humidity added to the existing heat.
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:58 PM
 
Location: San Antonio
4,468 posts, read 10,627,829 times
Reputation: 4245
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valley Native View Post
Phoenix's poor air quality is a combination of vehicle exhaust, industrial pollution, and dust. It used to be said that L.A. has the smog, and Phoenix has the "smust". Add one more factor to the current air quality: smoke from distant fires (to paraphrase an old 1970s song). All the wildfires are making the air hazy, and it's not just in the Phoenix area. Flagstaff has had some very hazy skies for a few weeks due to smoke from all the fires.
We're having air issues here in ABQ from the AZ wildfires. Not blaming anyone, just pointing out how far the pollution from wildfires can spread.
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