U.S. House OKs turnover of Henderson mine for cleanup, redevelopment

WASHINGTON - The House on Tuesday approved turning over an abandoned mine site in Henderson for cleanup and development into neighborhoods and businesses.

The plan would allow the Henderson Redevelopment Agency to obtain 948 acres of scarred federal land off Lake Mead Parkway that once was the Three Kids Mine, where contractors during the two world wars extracted, milled and stored manganese ore that was used to harden warships.

Today the site contains piles of mine waste 10 stories high and ponds up to 60 feet deep filled with arsenic and lead tailings, said Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., who sponsored the bill.

The land would be sold to the Henderson Redevelopment Agency for "fair market value" that would be offset by estimated cleanup costs. The expectation is the land will end up being free to the city.

The Henderson agency has signed an agreement with the private Lakemoor Development LLC to reclaim the federal land and 314 acres of adjoining private land on the city's northeastern edge that once was part of the mine.

The bill passed by voice vote. Democrats said they would not oppose it but were keeping their fingers crossed that the cleanup - which could cost between $300 million and $1.3 billion - goes off without a hitch.

"The estimated costs are large and uncertain," said Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. "We continue to have concerns about who would have responsibility for these costs if this cleanup is abandoned."

Because the Heck legislation releases the federal government from liability, Grijalva said there is concern about the enforcement of federal environmental laws on the site if the cleanup fails.

According to Grijalva, Bureau of Land Management officials have said they do not have resources to clean the site while the city "has grown closer and closer."

Heck said Nevada would enforce an agreement with the developer to ensure the cleanup is completed.

"This will finally lead to the cleanup of the Three Kids Mine at no cost to the federal government while at the same time providing for economic development," Heck said.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.