LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Extreme heat brought on by climate change is placing Nevada low income families and outdoor laborers at a “crisis point,” community advocates said on Wednesday.
Statistics showing 491 people have died because of exposure to extreme heat in Southern Nevada brought attention from U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Climate Action Campaign, CHISPA, Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition, Institute for a Progressive Nevada, and Make the Road Nevada during an online news conference.
“More of our neighbors are dying,” Glenda Ayala, a member of CHISPA, said.
Heat-related deaths in Clark County increased by 67% over the past year, on top of a 78% increase the previous year, according to statistics that Titus cited.
But the effects on low-income families go beyond deaths. Utility bills are a tipping point for many Nevadans.
“As our record-breaking temperatures continue to rise alongside skyrocketing utility rates, families are facing impossible choices between keeping their homes cool and sacrificing other essential expenses like groceries, medical treatments, and prescriptions, due to these high utility costs,” according to Jackie Spicer, coordinator for the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition.
Low-income households spend a disproportionate portion of their income on energy, Spicer said. Her group heard from more than 1,200 Nevadans who are being impacted by environmental justice issues. Housing costs — especially energy bills — was at the top of the list.
“Our electricity bills will keep rising and our health will keep worsening,” Ayala said.
Titus led off the news conference with an update on her work in Congress to make sure the federal government responds to extreme heat the same way it responds to hurricanes and tornadoes. Part of the answer is giving the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) the authority to act.
She’s working on federal legislation — the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act — to accomplish the shift in how extreme heat is viewed as a disaster. She said it has bipartisan support, but time is short to pass it before Congress adjourns.
Extreme heat killed more people than tornadoes and hurricanes combined, Titus said, noting the average high temperature over the summer months was 107 degrees.
That’s particularly concerning for outdoor workers.
Roberto Renteria, an outdoor landscaping worker, told the group that preventive measures safeguarding all workers are needed most. Speaking in Spanish through a translator, he said undocumented workers often face the worst conditions from outdoor heat and wildfire smoke.
Attempts to pass protections resulted in Nevada OSHA regulations — but they left out important parts. Spicer said OSHA omitted requirements for breaks, shade and water.
“We still think that this can be improved upon and that there is a long way to go for us to ensure that outdoor workers have the protections they need to be able to thrive and prosper and continue to do their work in Nevada,” Spicer said.
