County fears dust standards won’t be met by deadline

Jeff Schweers

Friday, June 27, 1997 | 11:17 a.m.

Officials say Clark County cannot meet federal clean air standards for dust by 2001 and they are urging the County Commission to apply to the Environmental Protection Agency for a five-year extension.

A report to the commission, for which a public hearing is scheduled Tuesday, states that attaining the 24-hour national standard for dust levels (particulate matter) "is impracticable."

During the study period from 1993-95, there were eight days when the county violated the 24-hour standard. Construction activities were the largest source of the dust, accountable for 40 percent of all dust in the valley, the report said.

But officials said they could not demonstrate meeting the 24-hour standard by 2001 "because of wind-blown dust from disturbed vacant land, unpaved parking/staging areas, and unpaved roads."

Those dust emissions are significant, the report said, but have escaped regulatory attention.

"Although wind-blown dust from construction sites remains a problem, existing regulations governing construction activities constitute best available control measures for that source category," the report said.

According to the study model, construction activities could contribute up to 50 percent of the dust by 2001.

Nonetheless, the report said the Clark County Health District has improved its air pollution control program. More field enforcement officers have been hired and minimum penalties for violations of air pollution control regulations have been increased. The district's air pollution control measures also have been amended to accommodate new strategies for controlling the dust levels.

Some of the strategies include paving all roads in new developments, paving existing unpaved roads with high traffic counts, and requiring an approved dust control plan prior to and during construction activities.