Editorial: Airport will help economy

Monday, Oct. 9, 2000 | 10:08 a.m.

It is encouraging that the U.S. Senate approved legislation last week to allow the sale of federal land to Clark County so the local government can build another airport. McCarran International Airport, which already is one of the nation's busiest airports, handles 33 million passengers a year. It's estimated that in 10 years McCarran will reach its capacity of 55 million passengers, creating the need for an additional airport to keep this tourist-based economy thriving.

Still, the legislation transferring the federal land in the Ivanpah Valley to Clark County wasn't without controversy. Environmentalists worried that developing the 6,500 acres, which is about 30 miles south of Las Vegas, would add to urban sprawl. In addition, environmentalists were concerned that an airport could threaten wildlife in the Mojave National Preserve, which is located nearby in California. But as the Sun's Benjamin Grove reported Friday, two members of Nevada's congressional delegation -- Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons -- were able to hammer out key compromises to alleviate these fears, including the legislation's call for a full environmental impact study.

Southern Nevadans, especially those who are stuck in traffic every day when they commute to work, understand all too well that government's failure to account for new residents -- and plan for it accordingly by building enough roads -- can result in endless frustration. In the same vein, if government and business leaders don't adequately plan to handle the influx of more tourists who travel here by air, then our economy can't grow.

All across the nation many airports are at their breaking point because there is not enough surrounding land to expand. In addition, there is considerable opposition to building new airports because the nearby land that is available tends to be close to populated areas, which means opposition from residents who don't want to live in the flight paths of jet airplanes. Southern Nevada is lucky, then, to have such an opportunity to build an airport in an isolated area that someday is expected to handle between 25 million to 30 million passengers every year. The legislation still needs approval in the House and President Clinton's signature before it becomes law. But if it becomes a reality it will be a shot in the arm for sustaining the future of our tourist-based economy.