Local news briefs for March 20, 2000

Monday, March 20, 2000 | 11:35 a.m.

Clinton coming to LV

WASHINGTON -- The White House confirmed Friday that President Clinton will be among those national political leaders coming to Las Vegas to raise money this election year.

Clinton will be in Las Vegas on April 2 for a fund-raiser at a "private residence," which Washington sources say is likely the home of Jan Laverty Jones, former Las Vegas mayor. The Nevada Democratic Central Committee elected Jones national committeewoman last month.

Clinton will appear at a brunch event for the Democratic National Committee and another event to raise money for both the committee and the state Democratic Party, a White House spokeswoman said.

Clinton has made seven stops in Las Vegas since 1996. He raised $400,000 for the Democratic National Committee on an overnight stay May 16 last year. He spoke at a $10,000-a-plate luncheon, raising $300,000 at fund-raiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Oct. 1 last year. During that trip he also told Nevada Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid, both Democrats, that he would veto a Senate bill that would bring nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, by 2007.

Sludge not being shipped to Nevada

Nevada environmental officials said they were surprised when US Ecology, manager of a hazardous landfill, withdrew a proposal to ship toxic sludge to its dump site near Beatty, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

US Ecology, whose parent company is American Ecology based in Boise, Idaho, said it heard too many concerns from Nevada residents about the plan to ship 18,000 casks of sludge and soils tainted with mercury and possibly PCBs, short for polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins.

The waste company had not submitted a formal request to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to allow treatment of the sludge.

US Ecology Executive Vice President Zaki Naser sent the letter to Allen Biaggi, environmental division administrator, on Friday.

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said he was surprised and pleased at the latest outcome. Bryan fought against the US Ecology proposal when it first appeared in 1998.

Road work to cause traffic delays

Beginning on Thursday a complete stop will be in effect at Cheyenne Avenue and El Capitan Way.

The three-way intersection will have the signs in place until a traffic signal can be erected at the intersection this summer, city of Las Vegas public works officials said.

Beginning today and running through Thursday, traffic on Sunset Road between Eastern Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard will be reduced to one lane in both directions as yellow reflectors on the road surface are replaced.

Nevada Department of Transportation crews will also be replacing lights on the off-ramp from Interstate 15 southbound to Las Vegas Boulevard eastbound closing the right traffic lane on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon.