Pickin’ Up In The Pines. Sunday, August 18th, 2019: We will meet at Forest Service Road 237 along the 89A just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. Look for event signage at the 237 turn-off as we will meet and have volunteers park about 1000 ft. down the road. Please strive
to arrive by 12:45 in order to check-in and fill out volunteer waivers.
Once everyone is checked in, we will learn more equipment (PPE) requirements. We will split up into groups to pick-up along Forest Service Roads 237 and 535. PPE, cleaning
supplies, and all other equipment will be provided. Please carpool (if possible), wear proper warm weather hiking clothes, snacks to fuel your work in protecting the Oak Creek Watershed!
After our hard work, REI Co-Op will hold a raffle with special edition REI Stewardship Tshirts, bandanas, and other sweet gear that is open to all ages! And, a local favorite, Dark Sky Brewing Company will be handing out $2 drink tickets to volunteers Who are over 21 years old. And again, be sure to register beforehand as space is limited!
It’s going to take us all to remove the waste left behind from summer campers so we can promote the scenic beauty of our forests and to protect our precious waterways. A cleaner forest encourages future visitors to leave it that way. We are very grateful for our partners and we really hope to see you there! Please do not hesitate to contact OCWC Executive Director, Kalai Kollus with any questions at kalai@oakcreekwatershed.org
2. Solid and Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention Workshop in Flagstaff
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Waste Programs Division invites interested community members and business and government personnel to participate in our free workshop. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the latest requirements and best practices and to earn Professional Development Hours.
Wednesday, Sep. 25
Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Coconino County Community Services and Health Services District, Ponderosa Conference Room – 2625 N King St, Flagstaff Learn more and register at azdeq.gov
3. Getting Rid of Traditional Ladders
We know how people misuse ladders, so we can add safety features to prevent the accidents from happening—even when they are misused.
By Dave Francis
People have been using ladders for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found cave paintings in Spain showing people using ladders that date earlier than the invention of the wheel. Unfortunately, the basic design of ladders hasn’t changed much in all that time. Ladders are built to ANSI standards and to meet OSHA requirements, but their design is very simple, and they can be easily misused.
Many industrial companies have started removing all ladders from the job site in an effort to reduce the risk of ladder-related accidents. Instead of focusing on getting rid of ladders, however, companies should focus on replacing traditional ladders with better, safer ladders. Here are some common problems with ladders that cause most ladder accidents:
Ladders Are Too Heavy
In some service industries, almost half of ladder-related injuries and strains from handling a heavy ladder. Some workers are doing 8-12 visits a day with a 28-foot extension ladder weighing more than 70 pounds.
The solution to this problem is to make lighter ladders. New fiberglass materials are available and can reduce the weight of your ladder by 20 percent. Most ladder companies now offer a lighter-weight version of their ordinary extension ladders.
Stepping off the Ladder Early
This one sounds crazy but it happens, injuring people every day. Workers climbing down their ladders in a hurry thinking they are at the bottom, and they step off from the second or third rung. This common mistake causes a lot of sprained or broken ankles and blown knees but also has been responsible for some very serious injuries where the person fell on his back or neck.
We have heard a lot of ideas on how to prevent this problem, everything from color-coding the side rails to laser-activated buzzers at the bottom. The best solution by far has been the “Ground Cue.” This device makes the bottom step both feel and sound different than all of the other steps on the ladder. You don’t need a sticker or a training class; you just have to use it a few times. The user becomes conditioned to know he or she has reached the bottom rung when he or she hears and feels the Ground Cue.
People Use the Wrong Ladder for the Job
Often, workers think the right ladder for the job is too heavy. If I have the choice to carry a 4-foot stepladder or a 6-foot stepladder, I’ll probably carry the 4-footer and try to make it work by climbing on the top step or top cap of the ladder to get the job done. The top step of a stepladder has a sticker on it that essentially says, “This is not a rung. Don’t stand here.” If the only purpose for the top step is to hold the sticker telling you not to use it, why is it there in the first place? If it’s not there, you can’t use it, and hopefully this will discourage you from trying to stand on the top of the ladder.
Another mistake ladder users make is leaning an ordinary stepladder against a wall when they need to get close to their work. If you need a leaning ladder, choose a ladder that has been designed to work that way so you can work close to your job without risking your safety.
Leveling a Ladder
When I ask people how they level their ladders, the common response is “bricks and boards.” It is recommended that you dig out the high side instead of trying to build up the low side to properly level a ladder. You also can purchase a ladder leveler to add to your ladder or choose a ladder with a leveler integrated into the ladder.
Over-Reaching
Improper leveling and over-reaching are the major causes of tip-and-fall accidents. These accidents cause thousands of disabling injuries and hundreds of fatalities every year.
We train people to keep their bodies between the side rails of the ladder, but we know that doesn’t always happen. One solution to this problem is adding wide-stance levelers to the bottom of an extension ladder to increase the footprint. If the climber can’t get outside the footprint of the ladder, they won’t be able to tip it over. Those widestance levelers also easily adapt to changing and unlevel ground, giving the ladder a wide, level base. Adding a caged platform at the top of a stepladder is another way to keep the user centered inside.
OSHA has great ladder safety training on its website. The American Ladder Institute offers free online ladder safety training at its website www.laddersafetytraining.org, but training alone is not enough. We know how people misuse ladders, so we can add safety features to prevent the accidents from happening—even when they are misused. This is safety through design, not just safety training.
4. New Sampling System Unveiled To Test Storm Water In Pima County. PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. — The Pima Department of Environmental Quality has a new system that helps detect what is in the water after monsoon storms.
The Monsoon can cause heavy downpours and flooding, which could wash whatever is on the ground into the aquifer or washes. Some of these materials can be trash, animal waste, automotive fluids, and more.
Traditionally, the department would head out every 15
minutes, to collect stormwater manually. However, the new system automatically collects the water and keeps workers safe during storms. “If there is lightning, inclement weather, or if it’s just unsafe for personnel to be out in the field, we can’t collect our samples. So we just have to let them go by,” Jackie Ronstadt with the Department of Environmental Quality said. “But with these automatic samplers, they will collect the samples for us and actually allow us to get the data that we need, see the pollutants in the water, and keep us safe.”
There are three samplers installed across Tucson, and two more are expected to be installed later this year.
In the past, the department has found higher than acceptable levels of contamination in stormwater, such as E. Coli and copper. Department officials are urging the public to pick up after their pets, fix your vehicle if it is leaking fluid, and let the department know if you see any kind of illegal dumping of materials. Source: KVOA Tucson
5. Taking Liquid Stock: Peoria Officials Reflect On Diverse Water Portfolio. The city of Peoria is taking stock in the diversity of its water portfolio and recognizing those who have made it possible over the years.
Water Services Director Cape Powers said extensive planning over many years has resulted in a city with 5% of its water portfolio consisting of groundwater, which the city does not use. By stark contrast, the city was using 100% groundwater in 1998 and prior years, which was not sustainable. Mr. Powers said today the city puts more water into the ground than it takes out on a yearly basis.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources’ designation of assured water supply allows Peoria to use groundwater for 5% of its supply. The rest comes from Salt River Project, Central Arizona Project and reclaimed water.
A tremendous amount of effort has been expended over the years to ensure Peoria has an assured water supply for existing and future residents, Mr. Powers said.
Former Mayors John Keegan and Bob Barrett, who were recently honored at a city council meeting for their water practices, served 18 combined years as mayors before Mayor Cathy Carlat took over in 2015. During those years City Managers Carl Swenson and Terry Ellis were Peoria’s top administrators.
Ms. Carlat said the city now has a 5.5 year supply of long-term water storage credits that makes up a robust and resilient water supply system.
“Peoria has been blessed with strong water leadership which resulted in impactful decisions, diversification and foresight,” Ms. Carlat said. “Because of the prudent and wise investment decisions by the leaders that proceeded us, this elected body and this administration and City Manager Jeff Tyne have the ability to further protect our resources and transform our infrastructure to take us into the future.”
The passage of the Groundwater Management Act of 1980 provided rules for how water supply would be used in the future and proved extremely significant in sustaining the state’s future water supply.
The law required proof of an assured water supply capable of sustaining its residents for at least 100 years and weened municipalities off using groundwater. The act also established Arizona Department of Water Resources to enforce the regulations and to carry out planning and research mandates.
Mr. Powers said the act of 1980, in practice, provided a phasing aspect that allowed water users to prepare for the implementation of the rules.
Arizona Assured Water Supply Rules went into effect in1995, which essentially required Peoria to prove how it was going to supply customers with water, and that’s when the groundwater act really came home to roost, Mr. Powers said. [The Assured and Adequate Water Supply Program is implemented under the Arizona Administrative Code Title 12, Chapter 15. Specifically, please refer to Article 7 of the following document to find a list of applicable rules}:
At that time everybody could see the groundwater levels dropping, indicating that groundwater was leaving faster than nature was putting it back in, so it was a time to act — the amount of leadership demonstrated at that time was pretty incredible, Mr. Powers said.
Since that time, Peoria has drastically changed how water is sourced, he said.“It was a call to act at that point in time,” he said. “That’s when Peoria started strategic diversification efforts to remove ourselves from groundwater and put ourselves on renewable water supplies that we could rely on.”
Mr. Keegan and Mr. Barrett helped approve infrastructure and water rights over previous decades to help ensure water sustainability. This includes construction of the Beardsley and Butler wastewater treatment facilities, which recharged water for long term storage credits, and the expansion of the Pyramid Peak Water Treatment Facility’s water processing capacity, creating nearly an equal ownership share of the plant with Glendale.
“As we look to strengthen our secure water future for the residents of Peoria, we stand on the shoulders of the leaders who came before us, creating the strong foundation upon which we build,” Ms Carlat said.
“Water is the most critical thing in Arizona. If you don’t have water, you can’t grow. Cities don’t stay stagnant. They move forward or they fall back,” Mr. Barrett said. “You have to have the water to move forward and I’m really glad we understand that and we are taking steps to continue that.”
6. The “heat dome” that brought record temperatures to Europe last week moves on to Greenland, which loses 11 billion tons of ice on July 31 alone. August 1 is forecast to be Greenland’s biggest single-day melting event ever.
The less ice, the less cooling, the hotter it is going to become in the U.S.
