ARIZONA

State boosts efforts to protect people from extreme heat

TEMPE — Arizona’s new heat officer said on May 3 that he is working with local governments and nonprofit groups to open more cooling centers and ensure homes have working air conditioners this summer in a more unified effort to prevent another ghastly toll of heat-related deaths, which topped 900 statewide last year.

“We don’t want to see that happen again,” Dr. Eugene Livar said of last year’s deaths. “We cannot control it, even though we can control our preparation in response.”

Livar, a physician with the Arizona State Department of Health Services, was named to his post by Gov. Katie Hobbs earlier this year, making him the first heat officer of a U.S. state in the nation. The new position recognizes the serious public health risks posed by climate-fueled extreme heat, which has increased in recent years.

Last summer, Phoenix experienced the hottest three months since record-keeping began in 1895, including the hottest July and the second-hottest August. The daily average temperature of 97 F in June, July and August passed the previous record of 96.7 F set in 2020. Phoenix also set a record in July with a 31-day streak of highs at or above 110 F.

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Among the new measures the state is introducing are at least a half dozen mobile cooling centers made with shipping containers that are solar powered and can be moved to wherever they may be needed.

The City of Phoenix for the first time this summer is opening two 24-hour cooling centers, one in a downtown public library and the other in a senior center.

Maricopa County has set aside nearly $4 million to expand evening and weekend hours of cooling and respite centers where people can escape the outdoor heat, rest in an air-conditioned space and drink plenty of water. It is also working to help people with limited resources to get help paying their utilities and to have their air conditioners repaired or replaced.

UTAH

Transgender activists flood tip line with hoax reports

SALT LAKE CITY — Transgender activists have flooded a Utah tip line created to alert state officials to possible violations of a new bathroom law with thousands of hoax reports in an effort to shield trans residents and their allies from any legitimate complaints that could lead to an investigation.

The onslaught has led the state official tasked by law with managing the tip line, Utah Auditor John Dougall, to bemoan getting stuck with the cumbersome task of filtering through fake complaints while also facing backlash for enforcing a law he had no role in passing.

In the week since it launched, the online tip line already received more than 10,000 submissions, none of which seem legitimate, he said. The form asks people to report public school employees who knowingly allow someone to use a facility designated for the opposite sex.

Utah residents and visitors are required by law to use bathrooms and changing rooms in government-owned buildings that correspond with their birth sex. As of May 1, schools and agencies found not enforcing the new restrictions can be fined up to $10,000 per day for each violation.

Within hours of its publication, trans activists and community members from across the U.S. already had spread the Utah tip line widely on social media. Many shared the spam they had submitted and encouraged others to follow suit.

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The auditor’s office has encountered many reports that Dougall described as “total nonsense,” and others that he said appear credible at first glance and take much longer to filter out.

Despite efforts to clog the enforcement tool they had outlined in the bill, the sponsors, Rep. Kera Birkeland and Sen. Dan McCay, said they remain confident in the tip line and the auditor’s ability to filter out fake complaints.

“It’s not surprising that activists are taking the time to send false reports,” Birkeland said. “But that isn’t a distraction from the importance of the legislation and the protection it provides women across Utah.”

NEW MEXICO

Feds take over investigation of fiery train derailment

MANUELITO — The Federal Railroad Administration is now leading the investigation of a recent fiery train derailment in New Mexico.

National Transportation Safety Board officials said on May 16 that the FRA will determine the probable cause of the April 26 derailment.

NTSB investigators have examined the track and derailed tank cars and will focus on the performance of the tank cars and emergency response actions.

The derailment of an BNSF Railway freight train forced a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 40 to close and led to two days of precautionary evacuations for 52 Manuelito residents who lived within a two-mile radius of the derailment site.

No injuries were reported, McKinley County officials said.

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The train had left Belen, New Mexico, and was headed to Phoenix and was traveling about 53 mph at the time of the derailment, well below the maximum authorized speed of 70 mph near the derailment site, NTSB investigators said.

Of the 35 cars that derailed, six tank cars were carrying non-odorous propane, the NTSB said.

Four of the six tank cars were breached and released their contents, which ignited, investigators said.

Each derailed tank car was carrying about 30,000 gallons of liquefied petroleum gas, according to investigators.

Top water official to retire as Rio Grande decision nears

ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico’s top water official will be stepping down in June, wrapping up a four-decade career that has included work on water projects from New Mexico and Colorado to Texas.

Mike Hamman has served as the state engineer for the past two years and previously led an irrigation district that spans thousands of acres in New Mexico’s most populated area. He also worked with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, managing federal water projects from the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado to Fort Quitman in Texas.

Hamman most recently was among those involved in negotiations that led to a three-state consent decree aimed at settling a long-running dispute with Texas over management of the Rio Grande. That case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hamman said in a statement issued on May 8 that he will continue to support efforts to improve New Mexico’s water security while giving more attention to his family’s small farm in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.

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The state engineer is charged with administering New Mexico’s water resources and has authority over the measurement and distribution of all surface and groundwater — a task that has become increasingly challenging as the arid state grapples with ongoing drought and the effects of climate change.

New Mexico earlier this year rolled out its latest water plan, which expanded on recommendations developed by a water policy task force that Hamman chaired in 2022. The water plan noted that some systems in New Mexico are losing anywhere from 40% to 70% of all treated drinking water because of breaks and leaks in old infrastructure.

WYOMING

Radon data available online in interactive map

The Wyoming State Geological Survey has added new layers to its interactive Wyoming Geologic Hazards Map that make it easier to visualize radon potential throughout the state.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that can build up to hazardous concentrations in enclosed spaces. Exposure to radon over time can cause lung cancer and is the second leading cause of the disease in the United States.

Radon gas comes from the natural decay of uranium, and it can emit from rock, soil and groundwater. The radon layers displayed on the WSGS online map show locations, such as Casper, where radon occurrence may be elevated due to geologic conditions. These layers were created using data from a previous WSGS publication and observation statistics provided by the Wyoming Department of Health.

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Test results have shown elevated radon levels in all 23 of Wyoming’s counties, though radon concentration can vary widely from building to building due to local and non-geologic factors. Areas not depicted on these map layers may have high potential for radon, and not all portions of depicted areas will have high radon levels. The only definitive way to evaluate radon exposure is to have site-specific testing done in the building.

The Wyoming Department of Health offers free and discounted at-home radon test kits for Wyoming residents at health.wyo.gov/radon for more information.

The Wyoming Geologic Hazards Map also features layers about earthquakes, landslides, faults, expansive soils, and windblown deposits. To view the map, visit https://tinyurl.com/4k6sf8c6.

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