Lower fed dust rule proposed

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Standards for dust control are lower in a proposed new federal rule set for release this week.

The Las Vegas Valley is in "serious" violation of the current federal standard. Under the new proposal, however, the standard would be lowered to the point where the valley would only be in "moderate" violation.

Local crackdowns on Southern Nevada polluters won't change, however, said Michael Naylor, director of the Clark County Health District's air pollution control efforts.

"No matter what the EPA does, we will continue to respond to local dust," he said.

The current Environmental Protection Agency standard applies to visible dust particles in the air.

The new standards apply only to particles invisible to the naked eye. These particles together form the very visible haze that often plagues Las Vegas.

While the new standards are expected to call for a yearly average of 15 micrograms (a microgram is one-millionth of a gram) per cubic meter of air, Southern Nevada's average through October has been about 16 micrograms, Naylor said. This would put the area into the category of "moderate" violation.

The proposed standards say an area can ignore up to seven of the most-polluted days to reach an annual average. The current dust rule allows areas to toss out only the single worst day on record.

So far this year, Southern Nevada has experienced 19 days considered to be "unhealthful" under current federal dust standards.

Naylor said the proposal will undergo a lot of public discussion in the next few months as states assess its impact on their areas. He said the reverse effect could be felt in the East, with states now in the "moderate" category of violation falling to "serious."