FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Contact: Ron Smolinski, Public Information Officer
Phone: (702) 455-1618
Cell: (702) 280-5592
E-mail: smolinski@co.clark.nv.us
Dust Advisory Issued For This Afternoon, Evening
Strong Winds May Cause Elevated Levels Of Dust
With high winds expected in Southern Nevada, Clark County Air Quality officials are advising residents and operators of local construction sites of the possibility for blowing dust this afternoon through the evening.
At this time, unhealthy levels of dust are not occurring. Air Quality officials will continue to monitor the situation and will post an alert on the forecast page of the Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management’s website section if unhealthy levels of dust actually occur. A link to the forecast page is located on the front page of Clark County’s website at www.accessclarkcounty.com.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Under windy conditions, localized or valley-wide areas of blowing dust are likely to occur. Airborne dust is a form of inhalable air pollution called particulate matter, or PM-10, which aggravates respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. Children, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases are urged to stay indoors during dust storms.
Detailed air quality conditions are posted in the monitoring section of Air Quality’s website. You can receive air quality advisories via your pager or e-mail through the county’s free Direct Connect service. Subscription information is available on the Public Communications pages of the county’s website.
Residents are encouraged to call Air Quality’s dust-complaint hotline at 385-DUST to report excessive amounts of blowing dust. Officials also recommend the following tips to keep dust down:
• Drive slowly on unpaved roads.
• Don’t take short cuts across vacant lots.
• Ride off-road vehicles outside the urban areas of the Las Vegas Valley.
• Fence off barren property or cover it with gravel, rock or desert-friendly landscaping.
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