EPA trouble with county’s proposed dust plan expected

Monday, Aug. 16, 1999 | 10:49 a.m.

The region should have a plan to deal with carbon monoxide in place by January, a county official told the Regional Transportation Commission Thursday.

Meanwhile, local officials expect the Environmental Protection Agency this year to send them back to the drawing board on a plan to control dust in the valley.

The carbon monoxide plan, required by the EPA to deal with carbon monoxide gases in excess of federally allowed limits, was originally due in May, but gaps in the plan caused its delay, county air quality planner Russell Roberts said.

He said information was missing on carbon monoxide emissions from McCarran International Airport. Early estimates put emissions from the airport at 10 tons of carbon monoxide a day, but later estimates found 37 tons a day, or about 10 percent of the total carbon monoxide released in the Las Vegas Valley.

As they are putting the finishing touches on the carbon monoxide plan, local officials also are starting work on a new plan to deal with the region's dust. Roberts said the EPA is likely to soon find the region's plan for dealing with dust -- or particulate matter -- inadequate, and the county wants to be ready.

If the federal agency finds the local dust plan inadequate, it could put curbs on the commission and county's use of federal funds for clean air and transportation projects. Those curbs could kick in as early as January.

Most carbon monoxide comes from cars and trucks. Most dust comes from graded open lots and construction, Roberts said. Both air pollutants can have serious health effects, especially for people with respiratory problems.

A technical adviser to a group representing people with disabilities reminded county officials and the transportation commission that air pollution can be a very serious problem for people with health difficulties.

"Air quality is not an abstraction for many people," Ronald Ray Smith, an adviser to the Disabled Rights Action Committee, said. "It is a reality."

Roberts said he is confident that the region can get workable plans in place and avoid federal sanctions.

"We think we'll be OK," agreed Bruce Woodbury, who is chairman of both the Regional Transportation Commission and the Clark County Commission. "We have to get an overall plan that will work on paper, get it off paper and make it work."

Roberts and Woodbury said the Regional Transportation Commission alone cannot tackle the valley's air pollution problems but that a solution must come as a coordinated effort among county, city and regional authorities.

Roberts warned that the expected doubling of the valley's population, to 2.5 million by 2020, is likely to further challenge the region's ability to deal with air quality issues.

"It's a manageable issue, but a lot of tough decisions have to be made," Woodbury said.

The carbon monoxide plan should be ready for public hearings in September or October, county officials told the commission.