Chapter 3 Affected Environment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Las Vegas Disposal Boundary Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Final EIS December 2004 Las Vegas Disposal Boundary Chapter 3 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Final EIS December 2004 Las Vegas Disposal Boundary Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT The affected environment is the baseline from BLM lands within the disposal boundary area. which to identify and evaluate environmental The purpose of the surveys was to identify the changes resulting from the proposed action and presence of sensitive environmental resources and alternatives. This chapter focuses on the human to locate potential hazardous materials sites. Bio- environment that has the potential to be affected logical field surveys covered the desert tortoise by implementing the land sale and land use ac- and sensitive plant species including the Las Ve- tions. The human environment potentially af- gas bearpoppy, Las Vegas buckwheat, and pen- fected is interpreted comprehensively to include stemon. Surveys were also completed to locate the natural and physical resources and the rela- historic sites, archaeological sites, and paleon- tionship of people with those resources [40 Code tological resources, and to identify lands with po- of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1508.14]. The tential hazardous materials present. affected environment discussed in this chapter includes air quality, earth resources, water re- 3.1 AIR QUALITY sources, biological resources, cultural and histori- cal resources, Native American concerns, visual Air resources are characterized by the existing resources, land use, recreation and wilderness re- concentrations of various pollutants and the cli- sources, range resources, hazardous materials, matic and meteorological conditions that influ- social and economic conditions, and environ- ence the quality of the air. Precipitation, wind mental justice issues. direction and speed (horizontal flow), and atmos- pheric stability (vertical flow) are factors that de- The approach to defining the baseline was first to termine the extent of pollutant dispersion. identify potential issues and concerns of the land sale action. The region of influence potentially 3.1.1 Climate and Meteorological Con- affected by these concerns is primarily the Las ditions Vegas Valley and more specifically the disposal boundary area defined by the Southern Nevada The Las Vegas Valley is located in the southwest- Public Land Management Act of 1998 ern desert region of Nevada and the northeastern (SNPLMA), as amended by the Clark County portion of the Mojave Desert. Climate in the Mo- Conservation of Public Land and Natural Re- jave Desert is usually characterized by high tem- sources Act of 2002 (Clark County Act). From peratures and low precipitation throughout the this information, relevant environmental and eco- year. Temperatures usually exceed 100 degrees nomic conditions were identified and described with lows in the 70s during the summer months. using geographic information systems (GIS) data, The summer heat is accompanied by extremely literature searches, electronic searches, and de- low relative humidity. Winters are typically char- tailed field surveys. Most of the resource infor- acterized by mild conditions with afternoon tem- mation presented was taken from the Proposed peratures averaging near 60 degrees and skies are Las Vegas Resource Management Plan (RMP) mostly clear. and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) completed by the Bureau of Land Management The Las Vegas Valley is protected from large (BLM) Las Vegas Field Office in May 1998, ex- weather systems by the surrounding mountains. cept when more up-to-date and accurate informa- Little precipitation reaches the Valley, with tion was available. The data obtained during field monthly average precipitation ranging from 0.08 surveys describe the existing conditions observed inches in June to 0.53 inches in February. Aver- at the time the surveys were conducted. age annual precipitation for the area is 4.17 inches. During a couple of weeks during the Field surveys were conducted from September summer warm moist air predominates the area and 2003 through April 2004 on over 47,000 acres of Final EIS 3 - 1 December 2004 Las Vegas Disposal Boundary Chapter 3 causes scattered thunderstorms, occasionally quite that compare to the NAAQS. The national pri- severe. Snow rarely falls in the Las Vegas Valley. mary, secondary, Nevada, and Clark County air quality standards for the criteria pollutants are Average annual wind speed is about 9.3 miles per listed in Table 3.1-1. hour (mph). The wind is predominantly from the southwest, except that west-southwesterly and The air quality of a region is based on the amount westerly winds dominate from October to Janu- of pollutants emitted and climatic and geographic ary. Winter and spring wind events blanket wide- conditions that affect the formation and dispersion spread areas with blowing dust and sand. Strong- of pollutants. Clark County is divided into 13 wind episodes in summer are usually associated “airsheds” that are roughly defined on hydro- with thunderstorms that are more isolated and lo- graphic basins determined by the State Engineer’s calized. Office (DAQM 2001). 3.1.2 Air Quality Measurement The disposal boundary area is located in Hydro- graphic Basin 212 (the Las Vegas airshed) with The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) es- smaller portions located in Hydrographic Basin tablished the National Ambient Air Quality Stan- 215 (the Black Mountain airshed), as shown in dards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants. Criteria Figure 3.1-1. pollutants, listed under Section 108 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), are those compounds that cause Areas (airsheds) not meeting ambient air quality or contribute to air pollution which could endan- standards are designated as non-attainment for the ger public health and the environment. These pol- specific pollutant that is a violation of the stan- lutants may directly or indirectly originate from dard. Non-attainment areas are further classified diverse mobile and stationary sources. The crite- based on the seriousness of the violation. The Las ria pollutants include carbon monoxide (CO), ni- Vegas airshed was designated as serious non- trogen dioxide, (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), lead attainment for PM10 in 1993, serious non- (Pb), ozone (O3), particulate matter less than 10 attainment for CO in 1997, and non-attainment for microns in diameters (PM10), and particulate mat- O3 in 2004. The Black Mountain airshed is desig- ter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5). nated in attainment or unclassified for all criteria While O3 is a regulated pollutant, it is not emitted pollutants. An area designated as unclassified is directly from sources, but is formed by a combi- assumed to be in attainment. nation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile or- ganic compounds (VOCs) reacting with sunlight 3.1.3 Criteria Pollutants in the atmosphere. This section provides a description of each criteria Air quality is determined by comparing ambient pollutant with information on air quality data for air levels with the appropriate primary or secon- each pollutant. Air quality data is collected at dary NAAQS for each criteria pollutant. The monitoring stations throughout the Las Vegas primary standards establish the level of air quality Valley. Monitoring locations for CO, PM10, and necessary to protect the public health from any O3 are shown in Figure 3.1-2. known or anticipated adverse effects of a pollut- ant, allowing a margin of safety to protect sensi- 3.1.3.1 Particulate Matter tive members of the population. The secondary standards establish the level of air quality neces- Particulate matter in the atmosphere is produced sary to protect the public welfare by preventing from a variety of sources. Naturally-occurring injury to agricultural crops and livestock, deterio- soil material may be mobilized and transported by ration of materials and property, and adverse im- surface winds, especially when disturbed by sur- pact on the environment, including visibility. The face activities. Motor vehicles produce small par- State of Nevada and Clark County Department of ticles during their operation due to wear of tires Air Quality Management (DAQEM) have estab- and brake linings. Elemental carbon (soot), lished primary standards for ambient air quality Final EIS 3 - 2 December 2004 Las Vegas Disposal Boundary Chapter 3 TABLE 3.1-1 AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS Pollutant Standard Standard Value* Standard Type 8-hour 0.085 ppm Primary, Secondary Ozone 1-hour 0.12 ppm (235 µg/m3) Primary, Secondary, Nevada, Clark County 8-hour 9 ppm (10,000 µg/m3) Primary, Nevada, Clark County CO 1-hour 35 ppm (40,000 µg/m3) Primary, Nevada, Clark County 3 NO2 Annual Arithmetic Mean 0.053 ppm (100 µg/m ) Primary, Secondary, Nevada, Clark County Annual Arithmetic Mean 0.03 ppm (80 µg/m3) Primary, Nevada, Clark County 3 SO2 24-hour 0.14 ppm (365 µg/m ) Primary, Nevada 3-hour 0.5 ppm (1,300 µg/m3) Secondary, Nevada, Clark County Annual Arithmetic Mean 50 µg/m3 Primary, Secondary, Nevada, Clark County PM 10 24-hour 150 µg/m3 Primary, Secondary, Nevada, Clark County Annual Arithmetic Mean 15 µg/m3 Primary, Secondary, Clark County PM 2.5 24-hour 65 µg/m3 Primary, Secondary, Clark County Pb Quarterly Average 1.5 µg/m3 Primary, Secondary, Nevada, Clark County * Parenthetical value is an approximate equivalent concentration. Source: EPA 2004 organic material, nitrates, and sulfates are also first exceedance of the annual average standard significant components in coarse and fine PM in for Las Vegas since 1997. the Las Vegas Valley but the largest sources of particulate matter are from construction activities, Emissions inventories prepared by Clark County vacant lands, and paved and unpaved roads. The for the PM10 SIP provide a summary of point, PM10 is considered the size fraction of interest in area, stationary, and mobile sources of particulate air pollution studies because particles of this size matter that contribute to air quality problems in are not removed by the natural filtering mecha- the Las Vegas Valley.