The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality says it will continue efforts to monitor water for PFAS contamination in six key sites around the state. The humanmade chemicals have been linked to health issues like cancer.
PFAS are widely used in industrial and commercial goods — but they don’t break naturally and exposure at certain levels pose health hazards.
ADEQ says it received $5 million from Gov. Katie Hobbs, part of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The money will be used to further existing efforts to investigate the prevalence of PFAS around the state.
Agency Director Karen Peters says groundwater will be sampled at six high priority sites found to contain PFAS in previous investigations. The team will also collect samples of surface water and fish tissue.
Last month, the EPA updated its list of PFAS that will be federally monitored in groundwater — dropping four of the six chemicals originally listed in 2024.
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Leadership clarified that non-members — including employees or residents, guests of tribal members, travelers on public roadways and vendors tied to the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise — may still travel freely “without any restrictions.” -
The reservoir, which straddles the Arizona-Nevada border, has suffered due to an imbalance between supply and demand for Colorado River water. -
Since last year, the Trump administration has awarded billions of dollars in construction contracts for its so-called Smart Wall, and work has been ongoing for months in various parts of Arizona. -
As officials turn to native trees to deal with urban heat, Sonora is hoping to create a "green lung" in the state capital. -
A conservation group is suing the Arizona Game and Fish Department over its rules surrounding mountain lion sport hunting.
