Report links air pollution in Nevada to child development, learning

Brendan Riley

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000 | 8:54 a.m.

CARSON CITY - An environmental study says million of pounds of chemicals released into Nevada's air could affect the way a child's body and brain develop.

The study by the National Environmental Trust and other organizations lists Clark County, followed in order by Washoe, Lander and Humboldt counties, as Nevada's worst when it comes to chemical releases that could cause development and learning problems.

Clark had 928,578 pounds of such emissions in 1998, followed by Washoe's 585,258 pounds, Lander's 569,993 pounds, and Humboldt's 508,623 pounds.

Emissions by weight from other counties - all from mining - include Elko at 171,850 pounds, Eureka at 171,240 pounds, Pershing at 141,271 pounds, Lyon at 100,668 pounds, White Pine at 68,748 pounds, and Nye at 65,311 pounds.

Dan Geary, a Nevada spokesman for the National Environmental Trust, said the heaviest polluter is R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Reno, followed by Tomkins Industries Lasco Bathware Division in Moapa, Southern California Edison's Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin and Coastal Chem Inc. in Battle Mountain.

Geary said the Donnelley printing operation accounted for all but about 30,000 pounds of Washoe County's 585,258-pound total, while most of Clark County's toxic releases were split between Tomkins at 436,630 pounds and Mohave Generating at 419,093 pounds.

Coastal Chem accounted for 383,400 pounds, or two-thirds of the toxic releases in Lander County.

They're followed by Hycroft Resources and Development in Winnemucca, Glamis Marigold Mining in Valmy, Newmont Gold mines in Carlin and Golconda, Cortez Gold in Beowawe and Florida Canyon Mining in Imlay.

The miners' emissions range from Hycroft's 160,400 pounds to Newmont-Golconda's 81,411 pounds.

The emissions were reported by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and 1998 is the most recent year for which information is available.

The toxic releases were mostly to the air in Nevada, with a small amount of surface water discharge. Nevada's 3.4 million pounds of emissions in 1998 compares with 1.2 billion pounds nationally.

More than half of all toxic chemical emissions reported to the EPA are known or suspected developmental or neurological toxins. The document says the reported releases probably are only 5 percent of actual chemical releases around the country.

The study concludes that more than 360,000 children nationwide suffer from developmental or neurological disabilities caused by a range of toxins. There was no state-by-state estimate of children with such disabilities.

The National Academy of Sciences estimates 3 percent of developmental and neurological defects in children are caused by exposure to known toxic substances.

In this country, the Census Bureau estimates there are 12 million children with developmental, learning or behavioral disabilities. Three percent of that total is 360,000.

Besides the National Environmental Trust, others involved in the report included Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Learning Disabilities Association of America.