Experts Discussed Nevada’s Air Quality

Reno, NV — On Thursday, February 9th at 10:00AM PT, a group of air quality specialists and affected citizens hosted a webinar to talk about the state of Nevada's air.

Experts reported on where Nevada stands compared to other states in terms of air quality and shared real-life stories of how our air quality is impacting people in the state. Ideas were also shared ways to reduce pollution and reach President Biden's goal of cutting climate pollution in half by 2030 to keep our environment and public health in top shape.

Unfortunately, Washoe county ranks in the top 25 for both ground level ozone and particulate matter pollution, says Brendan Schnieder, Air Quality Management Division of Washoe County Health District. According to the American Lung Association for most polluted cities, we are ranked 12th worst for a particular matter pollution and 21st worst for ground level ozone. However, we haven't always been this polluted, since 2013, nearly every year wildfires have turned Reno/Sparks from one of the cleaner western metro areas to one of the worst.

Jennifer Cantley, NV Organizer, Mom’s Clean Air Force stated that the Fallon Paiute Shoshone, Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone and Shoshone Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley just received over $700,000 to monitor their local air quality. I started working in 2021, with the tribes and letting them know about air quality, and how it contributes to native tribes having heart and lung issues, almost 14% higher than any race. So it's really exciting that they're getting their power back by knowing what's going on with the air quality to make better decisions for their families, health and all across the border.

When experts discussed actions currently being taken to fight for access to cleaner air, Mark Peckham, Environmental Defense Action Fund said, “Nationally, there's a campaign the Environmental Defense Action Fund is a part of, the Solutions for Pollution campaign, which is about getting the EPA to tighten rules on some of those industrial sources of pollutants that have not been updated since the Obama Administration. There's been a lot of science in that time, showing just how detrimental these air pollutants are, but also technological advancement that makes it a lot more cost-effective for industry to be cleaner.”

Mercedez Davis of Defend our Futures shared a personal account of her experience moving to Las Vegas and experiencing the city’s poor air quality. “When I moved to Las Vegas last year, I didn't really think about the city’s air quality. I tend to really notice our air quality when I go to Mount Charleston to go hiking. When I come back down into the valley, my senses and my body are hit by the difference in air quality and it's undeniable.”

Recording of webinar: event starts at the 12:20 minute mark https://nwf-org.zoom.us/rec/play/riTvYXzaJYXI44_loOy2pGH0VvYWUMnZ1T_abOR1Va3Wuq4w4NJqpYCt-9xstsv17F8SJTiUyW95R-kP.AA1Fffhn6XThm6qZ

Audio Transcript: https://nwf-org.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/Wie2siJBK9mRxXRnr_a27MIisKCFt8QtsKIFDmfBE7qXveibpHIpq_r1pDi9aTb--08ZQyi4E4p9e-Af.mMdPBxndDF2c7H3P

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About Nevada Wildlife Federation: Nevada Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)3 and is the oldest statewide conservation organization dedicated to sustaining Nevada’s natural resources for wildlife through conservation, preservation, and education.