Dust Control Training

Because the Phoenix metro is a federal dust (PM-10) nonattainment area, Maricopa County Air Quality requires certain construction site staff to hold dust control training, a certification under Rule 310, the county's fugitive-dust rule. The rule exists so site staff are trained in how to keep dust out of the air during earthwork. You take the training through the county's online learning system. All dust control certifications are valid for three years from the date they are issued.

Who needs it depends on the role and the size of the site. All water truck and water-pull drivers, including subcontractors, must complete at least basic training. On sites with more than one acre but less than five acres of disturbed surface, the site superintendent must complete Rule 310 Basic training. On sites with five or more acres of disturbed surface, the rule goes further. The site must keep a dust control coordinator on site at all times during dust-generating operations. That coordinator must complete 310 Comprehensive training. A separate rule, Rule 316, sets its own training tiers for sources like sand and gravel operations.

For a custom-home owner, the takeaway is simple. The training duty rides with whoever is responsible for dust on the lot. That is usually your builder or grading contractor. If you act as your own general contractor on a large lot, the duty can land on you. The training pairs with the dust control permit , which is required once you disturb 0.10 acre. It also fits the broader pre-construction permit layer of dust, stormwater, and grading approvals.

For example, a builder grading a six-acre Cave Creek lot must keep a 310-Comprehensive coordinator on site whenever dirt is moving. The water-truck driver wetting the soil must hold at least basic certification.

Because training tiers, the acreage breakpoints, and certification rules can change, confirm the current Rule 310 training requirements with Maricopa County Air Quality before you mobilize.