On the recordMay 5, 2010
I rise today to introduce the Sloan Hills Withdrawal Act of 2010. Over the past year, I have been contacted by thousands of people in southern Nevada who have voiced serious concerns about a proposed aggregate mining operation that would be located on federal land very near Henderson, Nevada. I have a simple goal with the legislation that I am introducing today. My bill will stop the development of the proposed 640-acre gravel pit by withdrawing the area from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral materials. In short, this legislation makes sure that the proposed gravel operations at Sloan Hills will not go forward. The Bureau of Land Management, BLM, is currently evaluating a proposal for a major gravel operation at the site in question. If approved, the resulting mine would blast rock, crush gravel, kick up dust, and consume precious water resources up to 24 hours a day, every day, for 30 years. This would all be done just a few miles from numerous Henderson neighborhoods. Citizens from all over Clark County have rallied against this project because of its potential effect on the health of residents and the toll that the blasting other operations would have on an otherwise peaceful community.
