Clark County collects less in air pollution fines - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Lower pollution fines collected in Clark County | Las Vegas Review-Journal

Clark County collects less in air pollution fines

Haze is seen from the base of Frenchman Mountain covering the valley and downtown Las Vegas in June 2015. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The Strip is seen through a haze of smoke in Las Vegas, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephoto

Pedestrians walk through Fremont Street Experience while smoky skies cloud the STRAT on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The entrance to Blue Diamond Hill Gypsum Mine near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west of Las Vegas Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Blue Diamond Hill Gypsum Mine near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west of Las Vegas Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Air pollution fines in the last fiscal year were the lowest seen in Southern Nevada in five years, according to the latest data from Clark County’s air quality department.

The Clark County Department of Air Quality issued 139 pollution violation notices that resulted in nearly $690,000 in fines in the most recent fiscal year, which ended on June 30. That’s far lower than last year’s sum of nearly $1.2 million, and the lowest number since 2018, according to county records.

It’s not unusual for air pollution fines to fluctuate from year to year, said Kevin MacDonald, spokesman for the county’s Department of Air Quality. The total number of penalties issued by the county was similar to past years, MacDonald said, even if the total amount in fines levied was lower than previous years.

The Clark County Commission is expected to approve transferring the majority of those funds to the Clark County School District, as doing so is required by a Nevada law that has been in place since the 1970s.

The vast majority of the fines ranged from $500 to roughly $6,000, but there were still several high-dollar penalties for well-known companies.

Topping the list of the most-fined companies was Gypsum Resources LLC, the developer proposing to build homes on Blue Diamond Hill. It was fined nearly $60,000 last year.

The fines were levied over violations at the mining site Gypsum Resources operates along Highway 159, according to air pollution control board hearing documents. Those included county staff observing an uncovered and loaded haul truck, and the company failing to maintain proper moisture levels.

This isn’t the first time Gypsum has topped the county’s air polluter list, but this year’s total is significantly lower than what the company has faced in previous years.

In fiscal 2019, Gypsum Resources received two fines that totaled nearly $750,000. In fiscal 2022, the mine was hit with $173,000 in fines from the air quality department.

Gypsum issued a statement Monday through its attorney that did not address the air quality fines.

Second highest on the list was another developer, Richmond American Homes, which was fined a total of nearly $45,000 during the fiscal year, including one for an incident that resulted in a “fugitive dust plume.”

Since 2006, the county has sent roughly $11 million in collected air pollution penalties to the school district.

The school district has used that money to support science- and technology-related curriculum and professional development for teachers. It also serves as the funding source for a pollen-monitoring project in partnership with UNLV, said Patricia Haddad, director of government relations for the district.

“These funds really give the opportunity to support educators to make sure they have the information they need to provide high quality instruction,” Haddad said.

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com.