Consultant says polluters advised to ignore federal clean air rules

LAS VEGAS - A consultant says the Clark County Health District's Air Quality Division has advised some polluters to ignore federal clean air rules.

But the district is repudiating the draft report, which was issued by Environ International Corp. of Novato, Calif.

The report lists 12 federal violations of the Clean Air Act that have been issued to companies in Clark County since 1992.

''These notices have documented violations ranging from failure to conduct required compliance source testing to failure to obtain appropriate permits prior to constructing polluting equipment,'' the report said.

''In the majority of these cases, the Health District was either aware of the violations or abetted in their commission by advising facilities to ignore federal requirements,'' according to the report, received this month by the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

Air Quality Division Director Michael Naylor denied claims made by Environ International, saying the agency took action ''on the bulk of those cases.''

''In terms of telling them to ignore federal requirements, we have never advised people to ignore federal requirements,'' Naylor said.