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EPA FILES FAILURE NOTICE AGAINST CLARK COUNTY; DISTRICT AIR PLAN PULLED OFF EPA REVIEW TABLE

Release Date: 12/20/2000
Contact Information: Lisa Fasano, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1587

     SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today filed a "failure to submit" notice against the state of Nevada for Clark County's withdrawal of its federally required air quality plan.

     The state of Nevada, at the request of Clark County, on December 5 withdrew its particulate matter (or dust) plan for the Las Vegas Valley, which the EPA was proposing to disapprove this December.  The withdrawal triggers an 18-month mandatory air sanctions clock and a two-year federal air implementation plan clock.

     The sanctions clocks are fixed deadlines when air planning districts must submit plans that will significantly improve air quality.  If the deadlines are not met, the EPA prepares a federal air quality implementation plan that establishes improvement measures and monitors their implementation.

     "We need to clean up the air in the valley," said Amy Zimpfer the U.S. EPA's air director for the Pacific Southwest.  "Clark County officials are working hard to get us a better plan that will result in cleaner, more breathable air.  We are here to ensure that happens."

     The plan withdrawn by the state did not include adequate measures to improve air quality in the greater Las Vegas Valley.  A revised plan being developed by the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Office and the Health Department addresses all the requirements of the Clean Air Act, including newly developed and adopted dust rules.  The new plan will be submitted to the EPA in June of 2001 stopping both sanctions clocks upon the EPA's review and acceptance.

     More information about this notice will be available at: https://www.epa.gov/region09/air/vegaspm