Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
This photograph from December 2008 shows the entrance to the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. Nearby, two mining companies are seeking approval from the Bureau of Land Management to start a 640-acre rock-excavation operation, agitating Henderson residents concerned about dust and noise.
Monday, June 14, 2010 | 6:03 p.m.
Steve Sisolak
Sun Archives
- Harry Reid sponsors bill to block quarry near Henderson (5-5-2010)
- Titus, Heller voice opposition to proposed mines near Anthem (4-27-2009)
- Anthem residents voice opposition to proposed mines (4-21-2009)
- Rock-mine proposal draws opposition (4-20-2009)
- Neighbors mobilize against open pit mine near Sun City Anthem (12-16-2008)
Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak will testify this week in front of the U.S. Senate against a proposed gravel pit near Sun City Anthem.
Sisolak will leave for Washington after Tuesday's county commission meeting, a county spokesperson said in a news release announcing the trip. He will testify on Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the bill in May. Democratic Rep. Dina Titus and Republican Rep. Dean Heller have also come out against the proposal.
The trip is the latest in a string of meetings and other efforts by Sisolak to block development of the Sloan Mine gravel pit. The quarry would be on 640 acres of federal land off Interstate 15, about five miles southwest of Sun City Anthem.
Service Rock Products of California and Mexico-based Cemex have applied to extract and crush millions of tons of sand and rock from the open-pit quarry over the next 20 years to make concrete.
“This is an issue that’s important to all of the residents of Henderson,” Sisolak said in the statement. “Hundreds of residents have contacted me and more than 5,000 people have signed a petition. I owe it to them, in some small way, to help shepherd this legislation through. The welfare of this community is more important than the profits of a private mining enterprise.”
Residents are worried that increased dust could affect their health. They have also expressed concerns over truck traffic, noise, property values and quality of life issues.
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