U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - REGION 9
FACT SHEET
FINAL APPROVAL OF CLARK COUNTY
SERIOUS AREA CO PLAN FOR
THE LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN
NONATTAINMENT AREA
June 2004
Today's Action
• D EPA approved the Clark County Serious Nonattainment Area Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Plan as meeting the applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act.
• D As part of this action, we've approved Nevada's Inspection and Maintenance (I/M)
program under section 187(a)(6) of the CAA, Clark County's Cleaner Burning Gasoline
(CBG) program under section 21 l(c)(4)(C) of the CAA, and Nevada's wintertime
specifications related to Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) for gasoline sold in Clark County.
These three programs are the major control measures, other than the oxygenated fuels
program that we approved in a prior, separate action and the federal motor vehicle
control program, that are relied on in the CO plan to demonstrate attainment of the
health-based standard.
Background
• There are two federal ambient health-based standards for CO: a 8-hour standard of 9 ppm
and a 1-hour standard of 35 ppm. Clark County is currently classified as a serious
nonattainment area for the 9 ppm standard. The area has never exceeded the 1 hour
standard of 35 ppm. Clark County is currently classified as in serious nonattainment of
the 8-hour CO standard. The Las Vegas area's deadline for attaining the CO standard was
December 31,2000.
Las Vegas Air Quality
• There are presently no monitored exceedances of the CO health-based standard, which is
9 ppm averaged over 8 hours. Clark County has experienced no exceedances from 1999
to the present. The number of exceedances of the CO NAAQS has decreased from over
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40 per year in the 1980's to less than 3 per year in late 1990's. The severity of violations
has decreased, from a high value of 21 ppm in 1981 to a high value of 7.3 ppm in 2000.
The last exceedances of the eight hour CO NAAQS, 10.3 ppm and 10.1 ppm occurred in
1998 at the Sunrise Avenue site in Las Vegas.
The improved air quality is the direct result of Nevada's implementation of controls to
reduce CO levels, as well as tighter federal motor vehicle emission standards. The key
controls adopted by Nevada to improve air quality in the Las Vegas area include cleaner
burning gasoline, a vehicle inspection and maintenance program, a alternative fuel
vehicle program and voluntary rideshare programs. Numerous pollution reduction
measures are also in place for industrial and commercial sources. Nevada will need to
continue to implement these controls in order to maintain clean air.
Impact of CO on Public Health
• CO is a pollutant generated primarily by mobile sources, cars and trucks. Major sources
of combustion, like power plants, can also generate CO. CO affects people's health by
entering the bloodstream and reducing oxygen delivery to the body's organs and tissues.
Exposure to elevated levels of CO may cause loss of visual perception and manual
dexterity, as well as fatigue, chest pains, and breathing difficulties. Extreme exposures
can cause loss of consciousness and even death.
• Young children, senior citizens, pregnant women and people with asthma or heart and
lung problems are especially susceptible to the effects of CO pollution.
Additional Information
• For more information, please call Amy Zimpfer, Associate Director, Air Division, U.S.
EPA Region 9 at (415) 947-8715 or Karina O'Connor, Air Quality Planner, Air Division,
U.S. EPA Region 9 at (775) 833-1276. Additional information can be found on our
website at www.epa.gov/region09/air.
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