Builders offer dust measures

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Southern Nevada home builders have proposed a six-part plan to help decrease dust clouds rising from construction sites in the Las Vegas Valley, including tripling fees to grade lots.

The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association presented the plan to Clark County Health District representatives on Monday.

The fee increase would raise current grading rates from $27 to $81 per acre with proceeds earmarked for researching cost-effective methods to reduce dust at construction sites.

The plan also calls for a program to train and certify workers on how to decrease dust during construction.

Southern Nevada has violated the dust pollution standard on 19 days so far this year.

"Our plan is currently under consideration by the health district," said Irene Porter, executive director of the home builders group. "We are in the early discussion stages with the district and the Associated General Contractors in hopes that we can quickly report back to our builders on the best methods in which they can proceed to reduce dust."

Home builders propose requiring job site supervisors to stabilize dust during commuting times on the ground and the streets.

The association is also offering to provide signs at the edge of the site identifying who the builder or subcontractor is to aid the public in reporting specific dust problems.

Workers could be instructed and tested on how they can reduce or eliminate dust emissions, AGC dust abatement specialist Terri Barber said.

"One method we're volunteering to do as part of the solution is to require some of the dustier areas of construction sites -- street entrances and exits and adjacent streets -- to be cleaned daily by the builder," Barber said.

In addition to certification, each job site would maintain logs of their dust-control efforts, which could be used to determine fines if someone violates dust regulations.