ADEQ announces major research initiative to address rising ozone levels in Maricopa and Pinal counties

Published: 01/23/2025

PHOENIX (Jan. 23, 2025) — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that it is bringing together leading air quality experts in Arizona and across the nation to address rising ground-level ozone concentrations in Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County. ADEQ has partnered with the Arizona State University (ASU) Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory to coordinate this crucial scientific effort. Increasing ozone concentrations pose significant health risks to residents in the region, threatening both economic stability and regulatory compliance.

Under ADEQ’s leadership, the Ground Level Ozone Research (GLOR) Project includes a team of distinguished air quality experts and scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Region 9 and Office of Research and Development), National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Maricopa County, Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), ASU and the University of Arizona.

Maricopa County and portions of Pinal County face designation as a “Serious Nonattainment Area” for ground-level ozone — with potential escalation to “Severe Nonattainment” status in 2027.

“Arizona isn’t waiting for solutions to come from somewhere else — we’re bringing together air quality experts to tackle our ozone challenges head-on and gain a deeper understanding of ozone formation in our unique environment,” said ADEQ Deputy Director Karen Peters. “Through the GLOR Project, we’re creating a scientific framework that can inform air quality management strategies here in Arizona and across the nation.”

Following its comprehensive assessment of existing data and models, the research team has identified eight key hypotheses and developed a detailed research plan to investigate local atmospheric transport, precursor emission rates, and chemical transformations. This enhanced understanding will directly inform the development of effective mitigation measures in the Phoenix Ozone State Implementation Plan.

“Over the last 20 years, the MAG region has made significant progress in reducing local emissions that cause air pollution. Even so, we have recently seen increases in ozone pollution,” said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke, chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments. “As the lead air quality planning agency, MAG has made it a priority to understand the disconnect between decreasing emissions and rising ozone levels. This collaborative effort among the public, private, and university sectors comes at a critical time as MAG is required by the EPA to develop a new plan that will demonstrate how the region can meet the latest stringent ozone standard.”

“This highly skilled team of experts will deliver actionable, policy-relevant information to address the urgent issue of ozone pollution in our communities. This important work has the potential to greatly help the region achieve federal air quality standards and avoid greater economic impacts and sanctions,” said Peter Schlosser, Vice President and Vice Provost of the ASU Global Futures Laboratory. “The Global Futures Laboratory is designed to address complex environmental and societal challenges such as this, and we are prepared to help shape a future where all can thrive on a healthy planet.”

The GLOR Project recently reached its $5.4 million funding goal, with $4 million provided by the state. The remaining $1.4 million came from multiple sources including Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, MAG, and several contractors. The project will begin this spring and is expected to take one year to complete.

“Greater Phoenix excels at creating impactful partnerships to address complex challenges that deeply impact our communities, as illustrated by the GLOR Project,” said Chris Camacho, President and CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “By bringing together leading experts and leveraging cutting-edge research, we are making strides in creating actionable strategies to build a sustainable future in benefit of communities across our region.”

Background & Resources

When a region fails to meet federal air quality standards, it is designated as being in nonattainment, with classifications that range from marginal to moderate, serious and severe. As the classification becomes more stringent, regulatory requirements increase, leading to greater impacts on residents, motorists and businesses.

Get more information from the Ozone Fact Sheet.