The Indicator Brief is a publication of the Clark County Monitoring
Program. The Monitoring Program was developed to provide a foundation
for on-going policy discussions and a baseline from which economic, fiscal
or social changes could be monitored over time.
As a briefing document, the Indicator Brief is not intended to be
comprehensive. Rather, this summary is intended to highlight the salient
findings of the research conducted during the first quarter of 2010. It is
subdivided into the program's five core study areas:
economic,
fiscal,
public health and safety,
environmental and
demographic. |
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Summary Overview: Environmental
In February, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) outlined plans to preserve a swath of the north Las Vegas Valley that was home to mammoths and other ice-age era mega-fauna. Six proposals are outlined in a recent draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), preserving from 1,500 to 13,000 acres. The option preferred by the BLM, Alternative B, would preserve more than 11,000 acres (a little more than 17 square miles) in the Upper Las Vegas Wash in a “conservation transfer area.” While smaller than the 25,000 to 30,000 acres that advocates for an “ice age park” or “fossil beds national monument” had called for in October, Lynn Davis, manager of the Nevada Field Office of the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association has stated, “We’re very happy with the EIS…”
At 436 fossil sites in the area, researchers have discovered fossils ranging from mammoths, jaguars and ground sloths to horses and camels. The boundaries of the fossil bearing area have not been clearly defined, which means there is the potential for this area to become a paleontological research destination in the future. The plan would also have the benefit of protecting sensitive species currently found in the area, including Las Vegas Buckwheat and California Bearpoppy plants.
With regard to Yucca Mountain, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a ruling reversing the previous decision by the NRC’s Construction Authorization Board (CAB) to suspend all decisions regarding the licensing proceeding pending the outcome of DC Circuit Court of Appeals decisions. There are currently two cases in that court attempting to prevent the Department of Energy (DOE) from withdrawing the license application. One combines various filings into one action and includes the State of South Carolina, Aiken County, SC, and Ferguson et al., suing DOE and the President for the decision to cease the Yucca Mountain Project. The State of Nevada is an intervener in the case. Clark County is not participating as a party in these legal actions due to the restriction in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which prohibits the use of federal oversight funds for litigation. All licensing related activities within the Clark County oversight program are covered by federal oversight funds.
The NRC’s ruling requires the CAB to render a decision on the DOE’s motion to withdraw the license application by June 1. It is very likely that the CAB’s ruling will be appealed to the NRC commissioners, and that any subsequent NRC ruling will be taken up in the courts. Clark County, as an intervener in the licensing proceeding, will actively participate in all hearing preparation and hearings before the NRC. Any appeals filed will likely carry a final decision surrounding the withdrawal of the licensing application into the next fiscal year.
Since inception of the Water Smart Landscape Rebate Program by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), more than 144 million square feet of lawn have been replaced, translating into nearly 8 billion gallons per year in savings with a cumulative reduction of 41 billion gallons. First quarter efforts alone have resulted in 673 projects completed, resulting in an annual water use reduction of 88 million gallons and $2.09 million in consumer rebates.
In light of drought conditions and the responsibility to provide the community with a safe and reliable water supply, the SNWA continues the development of two critical projects: construction of Lake Mead Intake No.3 and permitting for the proposed Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project (Groundwater Project). Construction of Intake No. 3 is well underway with an expected completion date of 2013; the new intake will preserve capacity and protect water quality if Intake No. 1 becomes inoperable due to low lake elevations. Lake Mead elevation at the end of first quarter of 2010 was 1,100.7 feet above sea level; about 111 feet lower than during same time in 2000.
Monitors deployed by the Clark County Department of Air Quality at 18 sites across the county monitor four indicators including particulate matter of 10 microns (PM-10), particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM 2.5), Ozone (the main component of smog at the ground level), and Carbon Monoxide on an hourly basis. Each pollutant is measured using the Air Quality Index, with an AQI rating of 100 corresponding to the concentration of the Federal standard for that pollutant. Finally, for ease of monitoring, all AQI values are normalized over a five point scale of ‘Good, ‘Moderate’, ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’, ‘Unhealthy’, ‘Very Unhealthy’ and ‘Hazardous’. PM-10, Ozone, PM-2.5, and Carbon Monoxide levels stayed in the ‘Good’ to ‘Moderate’ range throughout the first quarter of 2010. |
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CURRENT QUARTER
INDICATOR BRIEF: |
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ENVIRONMENTAL
HIGHLIGHTS: |
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1. |
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The Bureau of Land Management outlined plans to preserve a swath of the north Las Vegas Valley that was home to mammoths and other ice-age era megafauna. |
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2. |
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At 436 fossil sites in the area, researchers have discovered fossils ranging from mammoths, jaguars and ground sloths to horses and camels. |
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Since inception of the Water Smart Landscape Rebate Program by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, more than 144 million square feet of lawn have been replaced, translating into nearly 8 billion gallons per year in savings. |
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