Santa Cruz, AZ

Moderate Risk (35/100)

Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology.

Environmental data for Santa Cruz in Arizona · Population: 48,209

TRI sites such as Hermosa; US Cbp Nogales Border Patrol Station & Range #AZ0047; Calportland Co Rio Rico Plant; SDWIS systems such as NOGALES CITY OF; PATAGONIA WATER DEPARTMENT; THE GRAND ACRES anchor Santa Cruz, AZ's EPA extract. Derived burden score 35/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.

Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Santa Cruz include NOGALES CITY OF; THE GRAND ACRES; KINO RANCH 2, while Hermosa leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 43 / peak 494 in 2024.

Burden score 35/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Santa Cruz -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.

Release-over-release change

What changed for Santa Cruz, AZ: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

+26.4%

2 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

+27.8%

69.3 thousand lb → 88.6 thousand lb, every facility that filed

Between the two reporting years, 1 facility filed for the first time and 0 stopped filing. Facilities entering or leaving the inventory are excluded from the same-facility comparison above.

  • Santa Cruz, AZ's total reported releases rose from 69.3 thousand lb in 2022 to 87.6 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Santa Cruz, AZ's off-site transfers rose from 0 lb in 2022 to 3.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Santa Cruz, AZ's water releases rose from 0 lb in 2022 to 752 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Santa Cruz, AZ's chemicals reported rose from 2 in 2022 to 4 in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
48,209
TRI Facilities
3
Water Systems
9
Superfund Sites
0
Total Releases
259.4K lbs

Air Quality History (2020–2024)

EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy (SG) Max AQI
2024 213 (59%) 139 8 494
2023 265 (74%) 92 1 145
2022 220 (62%) 136 1 138
2021 169 (47%) 189 1 171
2020 208 (58%) 147 4 170
2024 Good Air Quality: 59% of days
Unhealthy days: 9
Median AQI: 43

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)

For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Arizona, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.

Water Systems (9)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
NOGALES CITY OF 22,000 5
PATAGONIA WATER DEPARTMENT 819 0
THE GRAND ACRES 153 1
KINO RANCH 2 109 2
AVALON GARDENS WATER SYSTEM 100 2
MOUNTAIN VIEW RV RANCH 100 2
TRUJILLO TRAIL DWID 75 2
CASAS ARROYO ASSOCIATION INC 27 4
RED ROCK ACRES HOA 23 3

TRI Facilities (3)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Hermosa 252.8K lbs
2 US Cbp Nogales Border Patrol Station & Range #AZ0047 6.7K lbs
3 Calportland Co Rio Rico Plant 0 lbs

Cities in Santa Cruz (5)

Nogales
1 facilities · 4 water
Patagonia
1 facilities · 2 water
Rio Rico
1 facilities · 0 water
Tubac
0 facilities · 2 water
Sonoita
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Santa Cruz, Arizona?
Santa Cruz, AZ has an environmental risk score of 35/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 3 TRI facilities, 0 Superfund sites, and 9 water systems on record. 8 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Santa Cruz?
No Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites are currently registered in Santa Cruz, AZ in the EPA database.
How many toxic release facilities are in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz, AZ has 3 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 259.4K lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Santa Cruz?
In 2024, Santa Cruz, AZ recorded a median AQI of 43 and a peak AQI of 494. 59% of monitored days had "Good" air quality (AQI 0–50). Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County.
Is the drinking water safe in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz, AZ has 9 EPA-regulated water systems. 8 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Santa Cruz?
Environmental compliance in Santa Cruz, Arizona is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Arizona state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

What does this county environmental profile show?

This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.

Related

Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro