Ak-Chin Indian Community’s Air Quality Program

The Ak-Chin Indian Community’s Air Quality Program began in 2006, when the Community received GAP funding to hire an Air Quality Specialist. In 2008, the Community received grant funding under US EPA’s Clean Air Act Section 103 grant to begin developing the air program including monitoring air quality. Currently, the Community’s Air Quality Program monitors ambient air quality and meteorological data.  The Ak-Chin Indian Community operates one monitoring site located at the Water Reclamation Facility.  The Ak-Chin Indian Community operates two Ecotech Beta Attenuation Monitor (BAM) air samplers. These samplers display real-time data for particulate matter, ozone and meteorological data. More specifically, the BAM samples for particulate matter 10 microns (PM₁₀) and 2.5 microns (PM_2.5) in diameter or smaller, ozone (O₃), wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, relative humidity, and precipitation.

The Community has an Open Burning Ordinance and issues Open Burn Permits and is in the process of enacting an Air Quality Ordinance. Program activities include monitoring agricultural dust generating activities; road dust and construction activities that affect air quality; indoor air quality issues such as mold, asbestos, lead-based paint and radon. The Air Quality Program is beginning an Air Quality Flag Program, which will use brightly colored flags based on the local Air Quality Index (AQI) to notify Community residents about outdoor air quality conditions by having local Departments participate by raising a flag each day that corresponds to the local air quality forecast. These colored flags will help Community members and residents know when outdoor air quality issues may impact the health of individuals with respiratory issues as well as signifying good air quality days when open burning may be permitted.