Water treatment plant dedicated

Thursday, May 26, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

The largest cleanup of a contaminated industrial site in Nevada's history got under way Wednesday as developers took a major step in restoring 2,200 acres for a master-planned community in Henderson.

During dedication ceremonies, Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson literally flipped one switch to activate a $16.5 million treatment plant at Titanium Metals Corp. He flipped a second switch to stop the flow of titanium-refining waste water channeled to evaporative ponds long visible to air travelers.

By stopping the flow of waste water to 100 acres of release ponds located on the undeveloped 2,200-acre site northeast of Boulder Highway and Lake Mead Parkway, the LandWell Co. and homebuilder Centex Homes will be able to prepare the site for a mixed-use development that will include houses, apartments, parks and trails, offices, retail and industrial.

"This is a very important step in this remediation process in that the ponds are closed," said Mark Paris, the president and chief executive officer of the LandWell Co. "I am excited about it, the mayor is excited and the community is excited to see this move forward."

The extensive cleanup, however, remains on hold as the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection continues to review a detailed plan from the developer on how the land will be decontaminated. Cindy Petterson, the division spokeswoman, said there's no timetable for completing the review but called the opening of the treatment plant "one more hurdle cleared in the remediation" of the site.

"This is the largest remediation project in the state in terms of size and scope," Petterson said. "We have never done a cleanup this big. It is complicated."

Monitoring wells and other tests on the site have found high levels of such carcinogens as arsenic in the soil and ground water and uranium in the ground water, Petterson said. The site also is suspected to have other metals and chemicals. State regulators have ordered testing for hundreds of contaminants.

Cleaning up the contaminated soil and ground water and subsurface water is possible, but it's costly, Petterson said. There are even more stringent cleanup requirements when a developer wants to build homes, she said.

"We are not going to allow anyone to build houses on a location that has not been cleaned up to protect their health and protect the environment," Petterson said.

Paris said the company has invested $50 million in the project so far, including paying $12.5 for the treatment plant. The cleanup of 400 acres of the 2,200-acre site is estimated to cost $40 million, including $12 million for testing the yard of each home ultimately constructed.

A public information campaign will make potential homebuyers feel safe about living in the master-planned community, Paris said. He said the company will remove nearly two million cubic feet of soil, which in some cases will be either several inches or several feet thick.

Paris said there's no timetable on when construction will begin. Plans outlining what's developed on the site haven't been completed, but he said it will contain the new urbanism concept of close-knit, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

"We are hopeful in the next several months we will have an approved (remediation) plan," Paris said. "There is no schedule at this point because it is impossible to have one. It could be months or it could be a year. We don't know when we will start construction, and it is difficult to say when homes will be there."

Of the 2,200 acres, only 500 fall within the Henderson city limits. The remainder is in unincorporated Clark County and is proposed to be annexed into Henderson, which surrounds it.

During Wednesday's ceremonies, Gibson, whose grandfather, father and uncle worked at the industrial complex, shot down any suggestions that the 2,200 site will be a toxic environment unsuitable for homes. He said the state wouldn't approve it unless it was clean enough for a 2-year-old to put dirt in their mouth as they often do.

"It is laudable what they want to achieve. We appreciate their commitment to reclaim this property," Gibson said of the developer.

LandWell purchased the 2,200 acres in 1992 from Basic Management Inc., a privately-owned holding company of which it is an affiliate. BMI incorporated in 1951 to acquire and manage the plant site. LandWell has an agreement in place to sell the land to Centex Homes, but the financial details haven't been disclosed.

The contamination of the site goes back to World War II when in 1941 the federal government authorized the construction of the $130 million Basic Magnesium Inc. plant, which produced magnesium for military aircraft and ammunition. Liquid wastes from magnesium manufacturing were channeled to unlined evaporation ponds. Solid wastes were dumped in unlined landfills and trenches.

Over the years, the plant complex has been home to companies that have produced chlorine, caustic soda, ammonium perchlorate, and magnesium dioxide. Titanium Metals or Timet, which began operation in 1950, is the only titanium manufacturer in the country.

The treatment plant at the Timet site will purify the contaminated waste water containing titanium and magnesium compounds that had been channeled into the ponds, said John Mayes, the Timet plant manager. The treated water will be piped into the nearby Las Vegas Wash, which leads to Lake Mead.

"It is going to be better than drinking-quality water," Mayes said. "If you wanted to drink it, you could."

During the war, the plant employed as many as 13,000 people, more than the population of Las Vegas. The facility and a need for housing nearby led to the creation of a town, which was incorporated as Henderson in 1953.