South Coast AQMD to Host Dust Summit in Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - Air quality regulators will host a summit in Palm Desert this week to discuss the health impacts and environmental factors of dust.

The event, hosted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District in partnership with Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday at the auditorium on UC Riverside's Palm Desert campus, at 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive.

It will feature presentations, panel discussions and an interactive Q&A session from experts and community leaders.   

Dust pollution affects the Coachella Valley through high winds across the desert, which impacts air quality and overall quality of life, officials said.

The agency said it will outline a three-part plan approved by its Governing Board, which includes scientific research led by faculty at UC Riverside and UC San Diego/Scripps Institution of Oceanography, targeted strategies to develop area-specific control measures and implementation of on-the-ground mitigation projects.   

The SCAQMD is an agency responsible for improving air quality in several counties, including the Coachella Valley.
   Attendees unable to make it in person may view the summit via Zoom at
aqmd.zoomgov.com/j/1611757966.