Dust fills the air as a farmer plows a field near Selma Highway in Maricopa, an area included in an area of Pinal County cited for particulate pollution. (Photo: Pat Shannahan/The Republic)
Two environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency, claiming it failed to enforce air-quality standards in parts of Arizona.
The Center for Biological Diversity, which is joining the Center for Environmental Health in the lawsuit, released a statement Tuesday, arguing that the EPA's inaction could harm more than 7 million people in the state.
The lawsuit, which was filed in a U.S. District court in California, claims the federal agency did not enforce programs created by the Clean Air Act intended to regulate and improve air quality. That negligence, the group says, could be leading to further degraded air quality in west-central Pinal County.
In particular, the group claims the levels of "fine particulate matter," dust particles smaller than the width of a strand of hair, are higher than previously reported. These particles can pass through the barriers of a person's lungs, enter the bloodstream and cause disease or even death.
Robert Ukeiley, a lawyer for the center, said the lawsuit comes almost 10 years after the EPA determined that air quality in that part of Pinal County did not meet federal standards. The complaint is asking EPA Director Andrew Wheeler to "do his job," Ukeiley said, and direct the agency determine whether or not the state has fixed the issue.
"Sadly, when it comes to protecting people and places, (the EPA's) default is to miss deadlines," Ukeiley said, adding that the EPA has an "abysmal" track record for meeting them, a problem that predates President Donald Trump's administration.
