Editorial: Dust abatement rules are necessary

Wednesday, July 5, 2000 | 9:53 a.m.

A study that links airborne dust with higher death rates and medical problems represents further proof that the Clark County District Board of Health acted reasonably by approving new dust abatement regulations for owners of vacant land, unpaved roads and other property. The study also should encourage the federal Bureau of Land Management, which owns the largest share of vacant land in the Las Vegas Valley, to find the money necessary to perform its share of dust abatement.

As reported by the Sun's Launce Rake, the Health Effects Institute in Boston, a research organization supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, identified "particulate matter" under 10 microns in diameter as the cause for higher mortality rates. The institute found that the death rate increases by 1 percent for every 20 micrograms of dust per cubic meter over a 24-hour period.

That is cause for concern because there are times the valley has accumulated dust concentrations of more than 150 micrograms per cubic meter.

What this tells us is that individuals with breathing disorders or other lung problems must stay indoors as much as possible and turn on their air conditioning whenever there are high dust warnings. If you have a relative, friend or neighbor who suffers from breathing disorders, see to it that they reach a safe haven.