LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – “Is the air safe to breathe?” It’s a question some Henderson residents are asking as they snap photos from their driveways of an apparent dust cloud near a major clean-up site, and experts are pointing to their reports for the answer.

Laura Pierson, a Henderson resident, posted online three photos of a dust cloud near her home on May 22, raising concerns about a safety issue.

“All the brown against the mountain is not the mountain,” she wrote. “[There] are a lot of us who have been coughing with this going on. I’m afraid this might get worse before it gets better.”

The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) responded to 8 News Now regarding the event Pierson saw and explained what caused the dust cloud and what it contained.

The report notes on May 22, “material” from one of the open mining pits fell to the pit’s bottom and caused a visible dust cloud to form above the site.

An NDEP spokesperson wrote the dust cloud consisted of “native soil, not asbestos or tailings.”

An assessment report showed Three Kids Mine, the mining site, still is cleaning up “processing wastes” containing lead, arsenic, manganese, and petroleum.

Multiple air quality monitoring stations situated around the cleanup site’s perimeter did not trigger air quality concerns, and all site activities were immediately stopped.

The NDEP report also indicated the dust cloud did not appear to leave the site.

Following the dust cloud, the NDEP report indicated several actions were taken in response to the event including water added to the pit’s bottom, construction of a lined water pond, regular application of water to haul roads and the equipment yard, and the paving of construction trailer areas.

In addition, eight days after the dust cloud NDEP and the Clark County Division of Air Quality conducted a joint inspection of the entire site.

Although NDEP did provide the report following the dust cloud, a spokesperson noted that the Clark County Division of Air Quality is responsible for overseeing the Dust Operating Permit for the site.

NDEP also posts on a weekly basis inspection reports and photos from the cleanup site as well as a single progress report, so far.

Residents can contact the Clark County air quality complaint hotline at dusthotline@clarkcountynv.gov or (702) 385-3878.

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