In 1996, ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy began asking residents and leaders in Greater Phoenix, “What does quality of life mean to you, and how do you measure it?” After an 18-month process, the first volume of What Matters was published in September 1997, creating a baseline of opinion and data about “quality of life” and what it means to the people who live here. The report was quickly recognized both within the region and nationally among indicator projects for its simple, yet unique presentation of public perception (survey) data and regional statistical, or indicator, data.

Bullying and violence in K-12 schools have been in the policy spotlight in Arizona for almost a decade. However, current indicators and recent traumatic events show that a range of anti-social behaviors on school campuses remain a major threat to student well-being and learning. This briefing was distributed at panel discussion on bullying and safe school environments, focusing on such issues.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has asked the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health, to conduct a health assessment for the off-site residential area located adjacent to the Tucson Industrial Center, also known as the 3 Hangars site, within the larger Tucson International Airport Area Superfund site, in Tucson, Arizona. Previous investigations found that elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the drainage areas at the TIC site had migrated off-site into residential areas presenting a health threat to residents. The purpose of this Public Health Assessment is to evaluate if a public health hazard still exists since the remediation activities have been conducted at the off-site El Vado residential area. ADHS concludes that no current public health hazard exists as a result of ingestion, dermal, or inhalation exposures by residents, children, or transients to the post remediated soil in the residential areas on El Vado Road. Replacement of the top soil with certified clean soil has removed all contact with the soil containing PCBs eliminating any future public health hazard.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency asked the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health, to provide an evaluation of the health hazards that may result from exposure to soil and soil gas contaminants present on the West-Cap site, located just north of the Tucson International Airport. Improper waste disposal practices from previous industrial activities at the site have resulted in contamination of on-site soil and soil gas. The objective of this health assessment is to assess the potential adverse health impact to on-site workers from exposure to the on-site contaminated soil and soil gas. Community exposures are not presented in this public health assessment.

This public health assessment evaluates the potential public health hazard from exposure to contaminated groundwater in the vicinity of the Tucson International Airport. The Tucson International Airport Area superfund site consists of a main plume of contaminated groundwater and three smaller areas of groundwater contamination east of the main plume. This report focuses on one of these areas of contamination called Plume B and evaluates the public health hazard posed by Plume B to residents of the area of south Tucson bounded by Valencia Road, Campbell Avenue, Irvington Road, and 6th Avenue.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality asked the Arizona Department of Health Services to evaluate the health threat to residents from exposures to ash fallout from a fire at an asphalt plant located on the Salt River Indian Reservation in Mesa, Arizona. The facility has recently been bought by Vulcan, Inc. The site is located just north of the Salt River between Dobson and Alma School Roads. April 13, 1999.

The Arizona Department of Health Services prepared this report to evaluate whether a public health hazard exists as a result of potential environmental exposures from the contamination at the Phoenix Goodyear Airport North site. Another objective of this report was to investigate and address the health concerns of the residents in the Goodyear area, including former Unidynamics workers. This report uses available environmental data from the site and information collected from members of the community regarding their health concerns. There were many concerns, including health concerns, of residents and former Unidynamics workers that were related to living near the PGA North site or previous employment at the former Unidynamics facility. These community concerns are identified and addressed in the public
health assessment.

For a century, Arizona has pursued prosperity through outward expansion of its urban areas. In metropolitan Phoenix and elsewhere, “growth” has meant developing raw land with new houses, new shopping centers, and new industrial parks--and the metropolitan “frontier” has moved farther outward from downtown every year. This has not been uniformly true, of course. Some cities--Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale especially--have been grappling with the question of revitalizing older urban neighborhoods for many years. But the “outside game” has been the predominant development pattern in the Valley of Sun for many decades. And the Phoenix region has played this game better than one might think, creating many high-quality master-planned communities, protecting lots of open space, using impact fees to build good infrastructure. In other words, Phoenix has used the “outside game” to create a region so attractive it continues to be one of the fastest-growing metropolises in America. But in order for cities to play a good inside game, Arizona must get serious about urban revitalization. And that will require big changes.

Many Arizona street-level police officers and sheriff’s deputies report that they are skeptical of the ability of Arizona’s “pro-arrest” policy to reduce domestic violence, frustrated by a perceived lack of follow-up from prosecutors, and often at odds with victims whose predicaments they may not fully understand.

Domestic violence is a major social problem throughout Arizona, and a major daily challenge for law enforcement officers. Every day in Arizona, domestic violence injures victims, damages property, destroys families, breeds further crime and anti-social behavior, and perpetuates itself in younger generations. Like most states, Arizona has "criminalized" domestic violence (DV) by adopting laws and policies that bolster law enforcement officers’ arrest powers and require them to arrest suspects under certain circumstances.