The project was initiated by Governor Symington in 1993 in order to determine the State's most serious environmental problems. According to the Governor "The Arizona Environmental Risk Project was conceived and initiated to develop a baseline of the best available data on environmental risks facing Arizona and the public's perception and values regarding the relative importance of these risks."
The study was completed in May of 1995, but the Governor has yet to sign the report he initiated so that the results and the ranking of the top 14 problems can be published.
The top two concerns of the 800 individuals polled were air pollution and the contamination of underground drinking water. Another concern often mentioned was development, including livestock grazing, mining, and the strain of a booming population.
It is possible that the concerns about development and its effect on ecosystems and landscapes are the reason the Governor and the Legislature do not want the report widely circulated. It appears that the legislature's recent actions on ground water and pollution, as well as their tendency to encourage development, run counter to the wishes of the electorate as revealed by the study.
The text of the ACERP Report is available on-line, even though the printed report has not yet been released.
For more information, contact:
Diann E. Peart, Ph.D.
Center for Environmental Studies
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287-3211
Telephone (602) 965-3266
FAX: (602) 965-8087
e-mail: aodep@asuvm.inre.asu.edu
You may also contact Dr. Peart at EarthVision on the campus of Arizona State University.