Due to expected high winds, Clark County Department of Air Quality (DAQ) officials are advising residents and operators of local construction sites of the possibility of blowing dust Friday afternoon and evening.

At this time, unhealthy levels of dust are not occurring. As part of the county’s dust-control program, air quality 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. Air Quality officials will continue to monitor conditions and will post an alert on the forecast page of the DAQ website if unhealthy levels actually occur. A link to the forecast page is located at http://redrock.clarkcountynv.gov/forecast/.

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, which aggravates respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. It may be best for children, the elderly, and people with respiratory diseases to stay indoors during dust storms. If you are experiencing breathing difficulties or medical conditions that you think are related to air quality, see your doctor. Detailed air quality conditions are posted in the monitoring section of the DAQ website. You can receive free air quality forecasts and advisories via e-mail or text message through Enviroflash service. Subscription information is available at www.enviroflash.org. Residents are encouraged to call Air Quality’s dust-complaint hotline at (702) 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 in approved areas outside the urban Las Vegas Valley.

• Fence off barren property or cover it with gravel, rock, or desert-friendly landscaping.