There is a known area of the I-10 stretch in Pinal County between Phoenix and Tucson that often terrorizes drivers. Gusty winds over the open desert creates dust storms that are extremely dangerous for drivers due to the quickly reduction in visibility.

However, the environmentally-friendly soil stabilizer may be the solution to this consistent problem.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has recently approved the measure to apply the concept and treat up to 100 acres of dirt along the interstate.

“The intent is to put a crust on top of the soil to prevent blowing dust,” said ADEQ Acting Air Quality Division Director Daniel Czecholinski.

The stabilizer uses a unique concept to protect the soil. “The soil stabilizer forms a crust on top of the upper layer of the desert that prevents or reduces the amount of blowing dust during high wind events,” Czecholinski said.

“Also, as it rains throughout the year it reactivates the stabilizer to reform the crust to prevent blowing dust in future years.”

In addition, researchers from the University of Arizona are being funded by ADEQ to test the effectiveness of the soil stabilizer. They will also test a second treatment, which will use mulch created from recycled landscape materials. The tests will be conducted over the course of a year on a 3-acre piece of land.