Starting this month, the Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management (DAQEM) will resume its seasonal ground-level outreach campaign. TV commercials, billboards and other materials are aimed at educating residents about actions they can take at the gas pump and during commutes to eliminate the formation of ozone. In 2004 the USEPA designated Clark County as being in nonattainment for the new eight-hour standard for ground-level ozone. Clark County is required to meet the new ground-level ozone standard by 2009. 

Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere and protects the earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. At ground level, however, ozone tends to build up during the summertime afternoon hours in Southern Nevada due to a combination of several factors, including strong sunlight, hot temperatures and pollutants from cars and other sources.  Exposure to ozone can induce coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, nasal congestion and itchy eyes.  

Air Quality officials estimate that close to 50 percent of the valley’s locally produced ground-level ozone pollution comes from vehicles. Campaign materials focus on three actions that can help reduce the problem:

• Refuel your gas tank after sunset. This prevents fumes from reacting with sunlight to create ground-level ozone.
  
  

• Don’t top off when filling up your gas tank. Topping off releases fumes into the air, canceling the benefits of a gas pump’s anti-pollution control devices.
  
  

• Combine trips so you reduce the number of miles you travel.

The Department of Air Quality & Environmental Management issues advisories to local media, schools, doctors’ offices and government jurisdictions if weather conditions and other factors are likely to trigger the formation of ozone, dust or carbon monoxide – the three main air pollutants of concern in the valley. Residents can sign up for advisories through Clark County ’s free Direct Connect service via www.accessclarkcounty.com. The public can monitor the status of advisories by visiting the DAQEM’s online air quality forecast page. Alerts are posted on the forecast page if any of the department’s 21 monitoring stations detect unhealthy levels of the pollutant at a single site in the valley over a specific period of time set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Several other suggested actions to reduce ground-level ozone pollution also are vehicle or transit related. They include:

• Keep your car well maintained. Regular tune-ups, oil changes and other maintenance extend your car’s life and cut emissions by more than half.  
  
  

• Use mass transit or carpool. Call 228-7433 for CLUB-RIDE information.  
  
  

• Limit engine idling. Pollutants from vehicle exhaust form ground-level ozone.

More tips to reduce the formation of ground-level ozone pollution are posted on Air Quality’s website. Go to Clark County ’s website at  www.accessclarkcounty.com and then go to the Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management.