At a recent meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, the board heard a presentation about how the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has embarked on a comprehensive project for drinking water system testing, particularly for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Which is a substance that has been associated with exacerbating certain types of cancers. Under the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) program, drinking water systems with more than 3,300 customers are mandated to test for PFAS. Complementing this, ADEQ has initiated sampling for systems serving fewer customers. The project aims to ensure the testing of all Arizona drinking water systems.
For this endeavor, $3 million has been allocated from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act funds. The focus is on community and non-transient drinking water systems catering to less than 3,300 customers. It’s worth noting that out of 32 systems tested in Navajo County, two detected traces of PFAS. However, these concentrations were within the EPA’s proposed limits.
Aside from water testing, ADEQ sampled wastewater and biosolids at various state locations, though none within the county. Moreover, in efforts to combat the adverse effects of PFAS in firefighting aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), the ADEQ has collaborated with several fire departments in the county, including Winslow Fire Department and Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department, to replace and safely dispose of AFFF. A total of 685 gallons of AFFF was replaced in the county without incurring any cost to the departments.
Another presentation was given to the board that unveiled an insightful health assessment; pinpointing key health challenges faced by the community. The presentation by the public health department gave startling statistics as well as goals on how to improve these conditions for residents. Traveling vast distances for healthcare has emerged as a pressing concern, with over 70% of Navajo County’s residents often covering more than 40 miles to access medical services. These logistical challenges are further compounded by financial constraints: 33.9% of residents reported an inability to afford healthcare, and 38.9% have abstained from necessary treatments due to costs. In light of these figures, the county’s goals includes an initiative to decrease the homelessness rate by 5% by 2029 reflects a broader push for health equity.
The county’s battle with substance abuse is evident, particularly concerning opioids, with deaths pegged at 27.8 per 100,000 individuals. Recognizing the depth of this crisis, there’s a concerted effort to curb drug-induced fatalities by 5% over the next six years.
Simultaneously, mental health provisions remain a significant concern. The scarcity of professionals is acute, with a single provider available for every 2,806 residents, a rate more than double that of the state’s average. Moreover, the alarming statistic of intentional self-harm being the second leading cause of death in 2020 among Arizona adolescents aged 15-19 underscores the urgency of the situation. Consequently, there’s a drive to reduce the suicide death rate from the current rate of 35.9 to at least 34.1 per 100,000 people by 2029.
Further complicating the county’s health landscape is its battle with sexually transmitted infections, especially congenital syphilis. Currently, the county grapples with the state’s highest rate – a staggering 886 cases per 100,000, which significantly exceeds both state and national averages. The national average is 57 and the state average is 150 per 100,000 people. This calls for an enhanced focus on community-level identification and treatment methodologies.
Lastly, the specter of chronic diseases looms large, with conditions like obesity, heart disease, chronic pain, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases prevalent among residents. To address this, a goal has been set to reduce hospital admissions due to these chronic conditions by 1% within six years, emphasizing early prevention and treatment. Navajo County Public Health Director Janelle Linn gave the presentation and addressed the fact that these numbers may seem low to some but a 1% decrease in hospital admission is a pretty significant amount of visits each year.
The board also heard a presentation from the Navajo County Attorney’s Office. Deputy County Attorney Robert “Rob” Edwards was honored with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Prosecutor Award by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council. Edwards, with over 25 years of service, prosecuted nearly 2,000 cases, Edwards’s commendable tenacity in seeking justice in complex cases has been remarkable. County Attorney Brad Carlyon said that throughout the time he has worked with Edwards he has been able to give him the worst cases any attorney can work on: child abuse cases. Carlyon furthered by saying that telling a victim that they can’t move forward with prosecution because there is not enough evidence can be heartbreaking but he knows that putting Edwards on those cases he will do everything there is to do to make sure justice is served and that he is impressed with Edwards on this incredible achievement.
In other business the board:
* Approved name for existing unnamed road in the Claysprings area as Fruit Forest Lane and a road in the Lakeside area as Bull Moose Crossing.
*Approved purging of taxes for two mobile homes that have been deemed abandoned, unlivable dilapidated state, unable to locate owner and/or is no longer at the address due to being salvaged.
* Renewed James Bruzzi’s membership to the Local Workforce Development Board.
* Authorized acceptance of grants totaling $246,731 from United States Department of Justice and Arizona Criminal Justice Commission to pay portions salaries and other expenses associated with the Major Crimes Apprehension Team.
* Approved an equitable sharing agreement and certification that found the county appropriated funds correctly from Justice and Treasury department grants from last fiscal year.
* Approved a nearly $300,000 purchase of a VirTra Firearms Training Simulator, funded in full using monies appropriated by 2023 Senate Bill 1720, section 117.
* Approved processing fiscal year-end transfers that were included in the fiscal year budget for the fund reconciliations.
* Approved requests for redemption of waivers for widows, widowers or disabled people for three residents.
* Approved a request for consideration to expedite permitting approval for the county’s middle mile broadband project.
* Approved an appropriation of county funds for the Cooperative Extension Program for $23,000.
* Approved an intergovernmental agreement between the county and Arizona Department of Health Services to continue family planning services and injury prevention education, at no additional cost to the county.
* Approved a contract with Northern Arizona Radiology to provide x-ray services for residents in Navajo and Apache counties who are reasonably at risk of having tuberculosis. Funding for the program will be provided by a grant from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
* Approved a contract with Desert Mountain Corporation to deliver and apply a magnesium chloride and lignin blend to some unpaved roads in the county. Funds for which have already been appropriated in the 2024 fiscal year budget.
* Amended a zoning ordinance regarding light pollution to make the language clearer and to allow for enforcement against complaints of light trespassing which has become more common over the years.
* Approved a special use permit to allow for the construction of a 105-foot self-supported lattice communication tower approximately 12 miles east of Snowflake.
* Approved special use permit from Hashknife Energy Center II, LLC to expand the previously approved permit for the building and operation of a solar generation and storage facility from approximately 5,240 acres to approximately 5,840 acres.
The next meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 12, in the board chambers located at 100 E. Code Talkers Drive.
