The Clark County Department of Aviation is considering resuming the pursuit of the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport between Jean and Primm east of Interstate 15 in the Ivanpah Valley.
The project was shelved after the late 2000s economic downturn and the pandemic in 2020. The Harry Reid International Airport has been serving record numbers of customers over the past three years, sparking a sense of urgency to work on the supplemental airport.
The current timeline for development would slate the opening in 2037, but there have been environmental concerns surrounding the desert tortoise and a plant called the white-margined penstemon. The airport is expected to contain two runways, a terminal, utilities, roadways and a potential rail line connecting to Las Vegas. No cost estimates have been established for the project.
Land was secured for the potential airport in 2000 through the Ivanpah Valley Airport Public Lands Transfer Act. The law had the Secretary of the Interior convey 6,500 acres of public land under the Bureau of Land Management to Clark County for the proposed airport.
The law also stipulated the Secretary of Transportation must consult with the Secretary of Interior to follow the National Environmental Policy Act to obtain a record of decision for airport permits. NEPA requires an environmental impact statement to be conducted. The statement would also include noise concerns around the airport site.
The agencies will have two years to complete an evaluation once the environmental impact statement commences. The desert tortoise is currently protected under the Endangered Species Act and is hard to track due to the population’s inclination to remain in burrows during dry conditions. The white-margined penstemon typically blooms in spring, which means the environmental report will most likely be conducted during the season.
Environmentalists have concerns that relocating the endangered species won’t be successful. They also stated they do not expect the flower to prevent construction of the airport, but they hope the airport will have boundaries to respect the flower population. (Source)
