On PM-10 High Pollution Advisory (HPA) Days (Not ozone HPA days) the use of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) is restricted to official roads and right-of-ways in the space known as Area A. The Area includes all of the Phoenix Metro area, parts of Pinal and Yavapai Counties.

Resources and Information

All OHV users need to know this information as dust issues are beginning to become a problem in other areas of the state, outside of Maricopa County. In some instances it's merely a matter of time before new regulations like those listed in the fact sheet go into effect in your community or neighborhood.

The reasoning behind the new laws is in part safety of residents and part the threat to human health.

Below is a quick time-line history on the Clean Air Act as well as how the new laws came into place, including why OHVs can't be used on HPA days.

1990 - The Clean Air Act (CAA) was established to address the nation’s problems with air pollutants. The Act set primary and secondary standards for the amounts of any pollutant that can be in the air anywhere in the United States.

2006 - Area A (The greater Phoenix metropolitan area, a portion of Pinal and a portion of Yavapai County) failed to reach attainment of the federal Particulate Matter at 10 microns or PM-10 health standards.

2007 - The Arizona State Senate passed SB1552 to help reduce PM-10 emissions and reduce the "brown cloud" over the Valley of the Sun. SB 1552 requires all municipalities and counties within Area A to pass very specific ordinances dealing with dust abatement. Several of these municipal ordinances include monitoring and/or ending the use of leaf blowers and restricting to officials roads and right-of-ways  the use of OHVs within all communities in Area A.

June 2009, The Maricopa County nonattainment area is classified as basic and is required to reach attainment of the standard at all ozone monitors

2010 - Some of the state measures to combat PM-10 include a Dust-Free Certification program; paving or stabilizing dirt roads, alleys and shoulders; and banning the use of leaf blowers and restricting the use of OHVs to official roads and right-of-ways on PM-10 High Pollution Advisory (HPA) Days.