News

Actions

SATURDAY: ADEQ to finish work on I-10 dust issue

Posted at 2:09 PM, May 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-20 19:34:13-04

The state of Arizona will finish adding a chemical stabilizer to a farm that's caused several dust storms that have shut down Interstate 10 recently.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality says it'll likely complete layering one half of the farm -- that's 320 acres -- on Saturday.

The department is spending about $200,000 on the treatment.

A liquid substance called Gorilla-Snot, created by a Scottsdale company, is being applied to reduce the dust.

Chemists developed the plastic liquid that helps build a crust on the soil to hold down the dust.

Officials have shut the highway down at least seven times in the past few weeks as dust storms have created low visibility on I-10 near the New Mexico border.

Spokeswoman Caroline Oppleman said the landowner will take over applying the stabilizer to the other half of the farm on Sunday.

The department said last week that it would likely seek fines against the landowner because he didn't act fast enough in controlling the situation.