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

-------
       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.
                                        Page 2

-------