County Issues Dust Advisory Today
High Winds May Raise Dust Today Throughout Evening
Due to expected high winds, Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management (DAQEM) officials are advising residents and operators of local construction sites of the possibility of blowing dust today and throughout the evening.
At this time, unhealthy levels of dust are not occurring. As part of the county's dust-control program, officials are sending notices to construction sites in the Las Vegas Valley and other outlying areas in the County, asking them to take precautions to prevent blowing dust. DAQEM 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 DAQEM’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 page of the county’s website.
Residents are encouraged to call DAQEM’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.