Ozone limits surpassed five times this summer

Sites at Palo Verde High School near Summerlin Parkway, Spring Valley, Craig Road and Lone Mountain Road have exceeded the limit, said Michael Naylor, director of the Clark County Health District's Air Pollution Control Division.

But there's no black mark against Clark County's record unless the air breaks the 150 parts per billion level.

The Palo Verde school site reached unhealthful levels of smog above 100 parts per billion twice. The most recent was Thursday when the reading was 111 parts per billion.

The standard limit is 80 parts per billion. The air violates that limit above 85 parts per billion. The Health District would not issue a health advisory until ozone rose above 150 parts per billion.

For sensitive children and adults, readings above 100 ppb indicate a need to reduce outdoor activity, Naylor said.

The air in the western section of the valley bears the ozone burden as summer heating forms the ozone haze, and it rises each day, Naylor said.

Southern Nevada is violating standards for carbon monoxide and dust. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers Clark County in serious non-attainment for those pollutants.

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