EPA rejects county plan on dust

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Tuesday, June 6, 2000 | 10:28 a.m.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officially informed Clark County that its existing plan to control dust will not be approved and denied the county's request for a five-year extension to meet the public health standard.

The plan rejected on Monday will not trigger any immediate sanctions, EPA Regional Administrator Felicia Marcus said. EPA will publish a final disapproval notice before any sanctions begin in January 2001.

The Clark County Department of Comprehensive Planning and the Clark County Health District have been developing new particulate plans for the Las Vegas Valley. The new plan would include measures to allow the county to move quickly toward meeting the national health standards for dust.

While there has always been wind-blown dust from the Las Vegas Valley's desert environment, increasing urban growth is now the major source of particulate air pollution, according to the EPA.

Unpaved roads, disturbed soil in vacant lots and construction activities all add to the valley's air quality problem.