Officials unveil summer clean-air campaign

Thursday, June 2, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

Air Quality and Environmental Management officials unveiled a new public relations campaign Tuesday they hope will help reduce this summer's ozone pollution levels.

The media blitz includes television and radio commercials, newspaper advertisements and billboards, county officials said Tuesday. It comes as air quality officials are working to meet a federal health standard for ozone, a key ingredient of smog.

The Environmental Protection Agency in September placed Clark County on a federal list of "nonattainment areas" for ozone and required county engineers to develop an interim plan with the federal government.

If approved by the government, the plan could be fully implemented by 2007, county engineers have said.

Ozone -- a naturally occurring gas that occurs in the upper atmosphere and protects the Earth from ultraviolet rays -- builds at ground level in the afternoons during hot summer months and can irritate those with respiratory illnesses.

Air Quality officials have also launched a program to issue advisories to local media, schools and government jurisdictions if poor air quality appears likely. Information is available on the Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management forecast link at www.accessclarkcounty.com.

The county last month outlined the following steps to control ozone and smog: