Group cites pollution concerns at Apex site

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, July 21, 1999 | 11:29 a.m.

The final land deal at the 10-year-old Apex Industrial Park hadn't even been officially presented to the public Tuesday before one prominent environmental watchdog group aired its concerns about pollution wafting from the site.

Robert Hall, director of the Nevada Environmental Coalition, said the location of the 21,000-acre industrial park -- which is about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas along Interstate 15 -- is detrimental to the county's air quality.

"The elevation of Apex is higher than the lowest part of the valley," Hall said. "That means the pollution from industry in the Apex area follows a path to the lowest point -- that's downtown Las Vegas and the Strip."

The county made public last week the third and final sale of property at the industrial park, which was created a decade ago after Pacific Engineering & Production Co. of Nevada (PEPCON) exploded in Henderson, killing two and injuring hundreds.

The companies involved in the recent deal are Silver State Disposal, Kerr-McGee, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Chemical Lime Company, Ulysses Corporation and Apex Industrial Park Inc., the master developer that took the bulk of the 11,421 acres.

David Carver, president of Apex Industrial, acknowledged Tuesday that developing its 10,000 acres into a successful industrial park is a gamble. More studies need to be conducted on the property before development can begin.

"There are wild card issues that could cause us some grief," Carver said. "Air quality is at the top of the deck."

During his presentation to the Clark County Commission on Tuesday, Community Resource Manager Doug Bell said the wind gusts to the northeast of the industrial park, pushing pollution away from the city.

But that hardly comforted Hall.

"Pollution just doesn't go away," he said. "If it goes somewhere else, we're polluting our neighbors. If I was Arizona or Utah, I'd be furious."

Air quality isn't the only obstacle facing the master developers. One reason the park hasn't flourished during its 10-year existence is because of a lack of water. Carver said he is working to obtain permits to drill wells and take water from basins.

While Carver admits the industrial park could falter, he said he has confidence in the business prowess of the site's 16 investors -- which include high-profile names such as Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Peter and Thomas Mack of the Thomas and Mack Company and Imperial Palace owner Ralph Engelstad.

"Up front we have no guarantee of success," Carver said. "The downside is we could spend $35 million without getting a drop of water on the site. The upside is we could save jobs that would be lost if we don't provide an alternative site for industry."

The industrial park was created to lure hazardous factories away from the fast-developing valley. Former president George Bush granted the county a 10-year purchasing option for the remote BLM land in 1989.

Two companies purchased property at the time the option was granted -- Silver State Disposal Service bought 2,184 acres for its Apex landfill and Kerr-McGee Corporation bought 3,351 acres for a rocket fuel blending and storing facility.

Those were the only deals until Tuesday.

Working as the middleman, the county collected about $9.5 million from five private firms to purchase the remaining 11,421 acres from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The sale was approved with the July 31 expiration date less than two weeks away.

Commissioner Lance Malone, concerned about chemicals leaking into Lake Mead as they had in the Las Vegas Wash during fuel-making processes at Henderson plants, was assured leakage wouldn't be a problem.

Hall said his group has already filed a complaint against the Chemical Lime Company -- which has owned mining claims on the site for years -- with the Clark County Health District and the Environmental Protection Agency.

"The document basically says nobody is paying attention to the environmental laws of this company," Hall said of the 41-page report.

The county expects the industrial park to be fully developed within 15 to 20 years.