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Environmental Health
County health departments are responsible for assuring food safety and sanitation. Parts of Arizona exceed the federal Environmental Protection agency’s health standards for airborne particulate and ozone pollution. Drinking water supplies in some parts of the state are contaminated with unhealthy levels of arsenic and industrial chemicals, leading to closure of some wells and investment in expensive remediation programs.1 According to the Arizona Public Health Association’s 2006 Hazardous Air Pollutants Fact Sheet, 34 businesses in the state, emit hazardous air pollutants at 10-10,000 times above health-based standards. Until 2006, there were no regulations in place to require remediation. The Department of Environmental Quality and several urban county public health departments monitor and enforce environmental standards. Despite the rapid growth in the state, budget and staff cuts in DEQ over the past decade have left the agency under-funded and sometimes unable to carry out some of its mandates in a timely manner. For the health and safety of the state, more resources must be allocated to this agency.
Environmental health also encompasses other issues that have direct impact on individuals and their quality of life. Breathing secondhand smoke, too much exposure to the sun, a close encounter with poison ivy, mold in schools - these are just a few examples.
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Links to Arizona Websites
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Links to National Websites
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