Environmental pollution and cleanup efforts in Arizona

Pollution in Arizona

The state of Arizona used to be internationally known for its clean air and dry climate. It was an ideal place for someone suffering from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory diseases to reside. Now, Arizona has some of the U.S.'s most polluted skies, ground, and water. This change has occurred over then past century and is due to many factors including unmitigated growth, mining, and agricultural operations within the state. Each of these factors has worked independently, sometimes silently, to spoil the pristine soils and air of the region. All hope is not lost though, and in a place where there are multiple Superfund sites still being cleaned up, and where cities spring from the desert like the oases of the Mojave, there lies the possibility, and the potential for positive environmental changes to occur (UPI, 2009).

There's Something in the Water

Arizona's Development of Environmental Quality, or ADEQ, has a water pollution-monitoring program that measures the water quality of many of Arizona's major water sources and reservoirs. ADEQ's (2009) website has a wealth of information regarding the environmental health of the state's water resources and does much to show how the state has been able to clean up its act since the 1970's. The Clean Water Act passed by Congress to help clean up the waters of the U.S. While Arizona was not at the top of the list of the most polluted states, there were many rivers and lakes where harmful bacteria was growing due to the discharges of wastewater plants in the vicinity (ADEQ, 2009). Many of the septic systems were sub-standard, and in the 1960's, Arizona had a major problem with failing septic systems leaking into the state's water supply.

This act of Congress helped Arizona become a cleaner state by limiting the amount of waste that can be discharged from the wastewater plants, and requiring businesses and individuals to obtain permits for activities that could potential be hazardous to the water supply. Strict enforcement of these regulations has given Arizona a new lease on water cleanliness. The state's water supply is far cleaner now than it was in the 1970's, according to many contemporary surveys performed by ADEQ and other private and governmental agencies. Over 85% of the streams, lakes, and rivers surveyed meet or exceed Arizona's standards for clean water, up from only about 40% in the late 1970's (ADEQ, 2009). The new permit system has shown real promise in keeping the water supply clean and free from harmful bacteria that thrive in man-made pollution.

Another area that Arizona has struggled with in the past has been the mining industry. Mines that use toxic substances like mercury, lead, and arsenic to process their ores, have been shut down or strictly regulated over the past two decades (ADEQ, 2009). Before the widespread regulation of the state's mining industry, there were many lakes and streams that produced inedible fish. These fish had high levels of mercury, and were unfit to eat. The populations of these mercury-infested fish have been slowly declining, and while there are still a few lakes and bodies of water that contain toxic wildlife, the numbers have been slowly declining (ADEQ, 2009). It will likely take many generations for substances like mercury, which is toxic to humans and other mammals, to filter out of the food supply and area wildlife.

Arizona's water supply has also been negatively affected by agricultural operations, and the run-off from herds of grazing animals and the chemicals and toxic substances used in the growing of fruits and vegetables. Substances like phosphorous, nitrogen, pesticides, and heavy metals have all been found around sites of major agricultural importance (ADEQ, 2009). The levels of these compounds in nearby lakes and rivers have been decreasing steadily since Arizona began regulating the use of certain chemicals and pesticides, and the future shows promise, according to the ADEQ (2009) site literature.

Air Pollution

The skies over Arizona have certainly been much clearer. Though they have also been less clear, as in the 1970's when Phoenix even had a nickname for the perpetual brown haze that lingered over the city on warm summer days. The "Brown Spot," as it is called, is largely due to the state's number one energy source- coal (McKinnon, 2009). The spot also has some of its roots in the huge amount of growth that Arizona has seen over the past three decades. In fact, the state saw some of the highest population growth levels during the 1980's and 1990's, and has also unfortunately seen some of the highest levels of air pollution growth as well (McKinnon, UPI, 2009). Arizona currently ranks number 26 on the list of the U.S. states with the worst air pollution. It's nearly exactly in the middle. Since Arizona's cars and trucks account for nearly 40% of the pollution problem, it is little wonder that a state that has had a major population boom would be slow to catch up to the huge numbers of new vehicles through regulatory measures (McKinnon, 2009).

Arizona's carbon dioxide pollution levels have risen an astonishing 61% over the past two decades. Nationally, there has been an average rise of only 19% (McKinnon, 2009). It is easy to see that Arizona, with its high population growth rate and economic and strategic reliance on coal power, has a real problem at hand. Polluted skies result in more and more people developing long-term respiratory conditions, and even to birth defects. The number of people with asthma and chronic respiratory illnesses in Arizona has risen by nearly 50% in the past ten years (Pima, 2009). This rise is largely attributed to the same factors that caused such a large rise in the state's carbon dioxide pollution levels. With a little bit of innovation and perseverance, the state of Arizona could immediately act to reduce the air pollution levels through further regulations and permitting. The concept of turning coal waste into biofuels, as mentioned earlier, also shows much promise for reducing airborne toxins statewide (McKinnon, 2009).

Effects on Humans and Animals and What Can Be Done

The long-term effects of water, soil, and air pollution on the human and animal populations can be quite severe. All animals need water and air to live, and the pollutants that exist in them often do not leave the tissues of the consuming animal. Compounds like mercury and lead are absorbed by animals further down on the food chain and are collected in higher and higher levels as each animal is consumed on its way up the food chain (ADEQ, 2009). With humans on the top of this food chain, it is easy to see how all of the aggregate mercury contamination in Arizona's fish and cattle populations would end up pooling in the human population. Soil contamination affects everyone for generations to come, since homes and businesses will likely be built on mine tailings and other polluted areas of land in the future. These soil contaminants have to be removed from the soil manually, which is very expensive and time-consuming.

There is much evidence that Arizona has started to reverse the effects of a century of mining, farming, ranching, and coal-powered energy production. But the state still has quite a ways to go if it is to become a model for clean energy and industry standards. The infrastructure and technology is in place for the state to begin to see some real positive results, and the permitting and waste clean up that has begun to occur has certainly put a positive dent in this very negative situation. Public transportation and other community-based projects will likely become part of Arizona's future, and help the pollution problem in the state as well (UPI, 2009).