Lung Association’s grade for county ozone levels: F

By Cara McCoy (contact)

Friday, May 1, 2009 | 2:01 p.m.

The American Lung Association says ozone pollution in Clark County is at dangerous levels, prompting the organization to give the county a grade of F in an annual report this week.

The report said the biggest problem facing Clark County is the number of days that ozone levels exceed federal standards. The county did, however, earn passing grades for its levels of particle pollution, which is pollution caused by airborne matter.

Clark County had 87 days graded as orange, meaning there were unhealthy levels of ozone for sensitive populations, and three days that were denoted as red, or unhealthy for the general population, the report said. Clark was the only county in the state with red days.

Poor air quality can cause changes in lung function, coughing and lung cancer, among other health ailments, the association said. Those with asthma, emphysema or other lung problems are especially at risk.

The group formulated its rankings based on data reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency between 2005 and 2007. This is the 10th year the group has released the study.

Allison Newlon Moser, executive director for the American Lung Association in Nevada, said the valley’s weather and geography magnify ozone pollution’s adverse effects.

"One of the things that really exacerbates ozone is sunlight and heat. Obviously, living in the desert southwest, we've got a lot of sunlight and heat, especially in the summer," she said.

Ozone is the main ingredient of smog air pollution and, because it reacts chemically with lung tissue, it's harmful to breathe, she said.

Vehicles are a major cause of ozone pollution in Clark County. In addition to the desert heat, which causes gasoline to evaporate and pulls fumes into the air, pollution from the diesel fuel of semi-trucks also is to blame, Newlon Moser said.

She noted that in March 2008, the EPA adopted more stringent guidelines for ozone pollution and Clark County was one of many counties throughout the country that failed to meet the higher standards.

Brenda Williams, spokeswoman for the county’s Division of Air Quality and Environmental Management, said the county wasn't surprised by the report's F grade.

"We're working all the time to improve our air quality, of course, but with these more stringent guidelines, it was put out of reach for us (this year)," she said.

In addition, the county's air quality levels are affected by pollution that floats in from areas outside the state. For example, when there are wildfires in California, the pollution affects Nevada, she said.

"It might not be our pollution, but it becomes our problem," Williams said.

The Lung Association also studied short-term and year-round levels of particle pollution, which is made up of a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air. Clark County fared well in that component of the survey with a grade of B in the short-term category. In the annual category, the county passed.

Particle pollution comes from dust storms, construction and demolition, and mining operations. It also comes from burning fossil fuels, power plants and diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles, among other sources.

Those include sources the county regulates, Williams said.

“We do have enforcement officers that go out to the construction sites to make sure that folks who have disturbed the desert are doing things that will help to keep the dust down in that area,” she said. “Wind-blown dust is something that’s really hard to contain, and when we have a wind event, we go to great lengths to make the public aware of it.”

Newlon Moser said she found the particle pollution assessments encouraging.

"If you look at how much our valley has grown and we got a B grade on that -- being in the desert with all the winds -- we're doing fine, especially considering the challenges we face," she said.

The county’s air quality department sponsors programs like the lawnmower exchange, where residents can trade gas-powered mowers for electric ones, and a vehicle repair program, which assists those who have smoking vehicles with repairs.

The department also focuses on public education, she said.

"Small children and the elderly really need to be worried, but all of us need to be aware," Williams said. "We're trying to make the public more mindful of the health hazards that come with poor air quality."

Air pollution in almost every major city reaches unhealthy levels sometimes, affecting 186.1 million people in the United States at some point throughout the year, the Lung Association said.