Clark County in for long ozone summer

Wednesday, April 14, 1999 | 11:04 a.m.

Clark County already exceeds federal standards for two air pollutants. Now a county official expects the federal government to cite Southern Nevada on a third pollutant, ozone, after this summer.

Clark County principal planner Will Cates expects that the federal Environmental Protection Agency will declare in 2000 that Southern Nevada is in serious nonattainment for ozone, a pollutant problem from vehicle exhaust in warm summer months.

An EPA spokeswoman would not speculate on whether the federal agency expected to declare Clark County in violation of ozone anytime in the future.

That would place Southern Nevada in violation of clean air standards for carbon monoxide, dust and ozone.

The invisible gas carbon monoxide occurs in winter when colder air is trapped in the valley for long periods. Dust occurs year round, and environmental officials are concerned about the effects of particles inhaled by people. Ozone is a chemical mix of vehicle exhaust chemicals cooked by sunlight that forms a brown haze in the valley.

The county is asking the EPA to extend its deadline five years for meeting air quality standards for dust, Cates said. That would give Southern Nevada until 2006 to meet standards.

Southern Nevada became a serious dust violator, according to the EPA, in 1993. In order to meet the dust standard, the Las Vegas Valley would have to go two years in a row without more than one day violating a 24-hour national standard for particulates.

Clark County officials hope to discuss the dust problem with federal officials soon.

The Las Vegas Valley is not the only area asking for an extension on dust, Cates said.

The San Joaquin Valley in Southern California and areas in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico are also asking for more time to deal with dust problems, he said.

Western states are naturally dusty, Cates said, and it takes time to plan for controlling particles blowing in frequent desert winds. Construction occurring in the rapidly growing areas aggravates the problem.

"In the West there is a more severe dust problem," EPA spokeswoman Lois Grunwald said from the Region 9 office in San Francisco.

She would not speculate whether the deadline will be extended, although all Western states are under review for the summer pollutant.

"It's too soon to say, since everything is still under review," Grunwald said.