On January 25, Pinal County announced that the west side of the county will implement new, stricter dust control rules in June, based on Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
In 2012, the EPA determined that the area did not meet national air quality standards for PM-10 (airborne dust and smoke particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter). This has designated the West Pinal area as a PM-10 “unfinished” area. In 2020, EPA reclassified it as a “significant underachievement.”
Arizona has missed a deadline and must prove that West Pinal County is reducing PM-10 emissions by 5% each year.
This situation is similar to what Maricopa County experienced several years ago. If the 5% reduction is not achieved in western Pinal County, the government could freeze federal transportation funding, putting new projects on hold until a new dust control plan is submitted and approved by the EPA. There is a nature.