With a harsh heat wave engulfing most of the country, especially in the South with record setting high temperatures, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego all spoke out to address the situation.
Governor Hobbs issues Directive to help Workers Avoid Harsh Heat Exposure.
Governor Hobbs, worried about workers who have to labor in this extreme heat, signed off on a directive through the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health that would develop a State Emphasis Program to promote worker safety and health during very hot temperatures.
According to the director, state Inspectors would go out to work sites to ensure employers are providing opportunities for workers to have an adequate supply of water, rest, and shade.
In the directive, the Governor stated:
“In the middle of a devastating heat wave, Arizona’s workers need relief. I’m proud to take action to protect Arizonans from the heat and help keep our workplaces safe. This commonsense emphasis plan is a critical step in building an Arizona for everyone, where working people can go to their jobs every day knowing we have a plan to keep them safe.”
The Governor also posted on social media:
Mayor Romero makes the Rounds on CNN and ABC News. She also Addressed the Extreme Heat Situation during a meeting of the Tucson City Council.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, a long time advocate in combatting extreme heat and climate change, went on the airwaves this week to address the extreme heat situation plaguing Arizona, including Tucson that set a record in the last week for the longest heat warning.
On CNN, she focused on the climate change initiatives Tucson has passed and will implement, saying:
“Tucson and Phoenix are two of the fastest warming cities in this country. Extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather related hazards in the nation…heat is in the silent killer…We passed a climate action and implementation plan..focused on the most vulnerable communities because the effects of climate change (affect) seniors on limited incomes, children, low income communities, and those people who work outside…We’re already implementing climate resiliency strategies…The City of Tucson…we’ve invested $49.8 million dollars (of Biden/Harris Inflation Reduction Act proceeds)…to completely change our diesel buses from our transit system to either electric buses or CNG low emission buses…We’re creating cooling centers and providing this service, connecting with non profit organizations to help our unsheltered residents as well…The most vulnerable folks in Tucson are the ones at the front line and so the cooling centers that we’ve partnered with our transit system to pick up our seniors if they call us and take them to the cooling centers, to senior centers where there’s activities they can do all day long. With children we have a summer program where children can be taken from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to stay in a cool place in partnership with our schools. Also, long term , our/my goal is to plant a million trees by 2030. That is a nature based solution to the heart island effect we feel in urban centers like Tucson and Phoenix.”
Yesterday (July 18, 2023,) the Mayor appeared on ABC News and repeated many of the themes she relayed on CNN, telling the viewers that:
“…What we’re seeing throughout the nation is climate change. It’s tangible climate change in front of us and here in Arizona, we’re living through 22 years of drought, excessive heat, and cities have to adapt…”
The Mayor also advised that people could make use of the Tucson’s free city pools and splash pads.
Mayor Romero also commented on the climate resiliency program at the Tucson City Council Meeting on July 18, 2023 (scroll to 2:59.)
During some brief comments, the Mayor thanked the Biden/Harris Administration for “really pushing The Inflation Reduction Act.” She continued to praise the Administration for investing record amounts for climate funding that is going toward Tucson’s “implementation of the City of Tucson’s climate goals…” She again cited the transition to a clean energy bus fleet, noting that Tucson has the largest electric vehicle bus fleet in the Southwest. As a result, according to the Mayor, Tucson should remove thirty percent of the cause for green house emissions in the local area.
At the end of her remarks, Mayor Romero emphasized the need to prioritize heat resiliency programs, stating:
“For me, prioritizing heat resiliency in the face of a warming planet at the temperatures with the heat that we are feeling now is super important… I will prioritize increased funding in heat resiliency. I am really happy that our climate action team is working on a heat mitigation and resiliency strategy as we’re experiencing the hottest days on Earth. We need to invest in resiliency hubs, cooling corridors, cool roofs, shaded bus stops, improving cooling centers, and we also need a strong education campaign to prevent heat fatalities…”
Mayor Gallego repeats her call for FEMA to declare Extreme Heat a Federal Disaster Emergency.
Last week, (July 11, 2023,) Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, another leading proponent for combatting extreme heat and climate change, repeated an earlier request for FEMA to include extreme heat among its categories for qualifying for federal disaster relief aid.
Later in the week, she also reposted a social media advisory for what Phoenix residents can do to seek assistance from the extreme hot temperatures at heat relief cooling centers.
The Mayor also issued a statement that offered:
“While the summertime heat isn’t unfamiliar to us in Phoenix, climate change is making the heat more intense. That’s why I led the effort to create the city’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation so that we could not only provide city-funded heat relief programs throughout the summer but also work on long-term ways to cool down our city. Through initiatives like Cool Corridors, increasing tree planting, changing our building standards to be more heat resilient, and mandating additional shade cover near transit and high pedestrian areas, we are making progress on effective ways to make our community more comfortable. I’ve also called on the administration and Congress to add extreme heat to FEMA’s declared disasters list so that we can unlock and leverage federal resources to save lives. Here in Phoenix and across Maricopa County, we will continue equipping our residents with resources like our Heat Relief Network and concentrated outreach to keep them safe.”
UPDATE: On July 23, 2023, the Mayor appeared on CBS Face the Nation and described some steps the city was doing to combat extreme heat and counsel Gallego has offered other local leaders facing similar circumstances.
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