Wednesday, April 1, 1998 | 10:07 a.m.
Bureau of Land Management officials say it is too soon to be discussing the possibility of turning the closed Sunrise Mountain landfill into the city's newest golf course.
Despite a barrage of arguments from the potential developer and the county for immediately developing the site, the BLM wants more scientific research done at the landfill after finding solvents and cancer-causing chemicals in many of the 90 holes tested across the 720-acre site, officials said Tuesday at a meeting of BLM, county and state officials as well as potential developers.
The Sunrise landfill, located 15 miles east of downtown Las Vegas, is one of the largest municipal dump sites in the nation. BLM officials believe the unlined dump was not properly closed in 1995, based on a cracked cap and high methane gas levels. The BLM also is worried contents from the landfill could contaminate area ground water.
Further complicating the issue is pinpointing the responsible party for proper closure of the landfill and continued maintenance of the site.
Chief Health Officer Otto Ravenholt blamed a faulty design for the landfill's cracked cover. Federal regulations for landfill covers don't fit the dry, hot desert climate, he said.
Ravenholt said that the federal Environmental Protection Agency is insisting that methane gas coming from any landfill be captured so it does not pose an explosive threat.
The EPA has set a deadline of Dec. 31, 1999, to begin collecting an estimated 700 tons of methane from the landfill, Ravenholt said.
Clark County officials and former landfill operator Republic/Silver State Disposal Co. support the solution offered by a private developer -- recreation, recreation, recreation.
"What we envisioned is something like a golf course," County Public Works Director Marty Manning said.
Ravenholt also endorses the golf course idea. But the BLM says not so fast.
Temi Berger, solicitor for the Department of Interior, called for regulators at the local, state and federal levels to meet in a week to lay the foundation for ensuring the dump does not spew methane gas into the air or contaminate the local drinking water supply.
Attorney and state Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, represents Leahi Hills Development Inc., the company hoping to build a 72-hole golf course on top of the landfill. When James asked to attend the April 8 meeting, Berger turned him down.
"Money needs to be spent to look at the geology to see if a golf course is appropriate," Berger said. "We want a sound environmental closure."
Leahi has hired Terracon Consultants Western of Las Cruces, N.M., with engineer Edward Martinez who signed the landfill's closure plan in 1995 on behalf of Silver State. Terracon has outlined a $1.5 million environmental study plan, including about $400,000 needed to dig four ground water test wells.
"Obviously, Leahi wants to try this because they think they can make a buck out there," said Michael Moran, in charge of solid waste for the BLM's Las Vegas District office.
The BLM also is conducting ground water studies at the former landfill site within the next month.
The BLM could not sell the land to Leahi because of current liability issues, Berger said. The site had been leased by Clark County for 32 years as its landfill. When the lease expires in the year 2000, the BLM then would have to put the site into a competitive bidding arrangement for future development.
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