Clinton signs Ivanpah airport plan into law

Monday, Oct. 30, 2000 | 10:05 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has signed into law a plan to establish a second airport to Las Vegas.

Clinton on Saturday enacted a bill that will allow the federal Bureau of Land Management to sell 6,500 acres in the Ivanpah Valley, about 30 miles south of Las Vegas, to Clark County for a $500 million, two-runway airport. The airport could be completed by 2010.

County aviation officials say the airport will be needed to handle a growing number of passengers and cargo in and out of Las Vegas. It is expected that McCarran will hit its 55-million annual passenger capacity by about 2010.

Clinton's action triggers the first phases of the project: environmental and airspace studies. The bill had been controversial because environmentalists worry the airport and its construction will damage the surrounding desert and the nearby Mojave National Preserve, home of the desert tortoise and other wildlife. They pledge to carefully watch the Federal Aviation Administration and Interior Department as studies begin.

Nevada lawmakers hailed the new law, which Congress passed this month.

"McCarran airport will be at capacity by the end of this decade and timing is critical to ensure we can meet the transportation demands of the Southern Nevada area," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.

Reid worked closely with Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., to push the bill through Congress. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., also supported the legislation. Nevada's members met numerous times with local residents and environmentalists to reach some compromises in drafting the bill.

"This shows what's possible when you sit down with an honest broker and two sides acting in good faith," Berkley said. "Instead of polarized inaction, we were able to take care of business and come out with a win-win situation for everyone."