A notice of intent to conduct an environmental impact statement was announced by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in Clark County.
If the airport were to come to fruition, it would be constructed on 6,000 acres in the Ivanpah Valley just north of Primm. Supporters of the airport claim the Harry Reid International Airport does not have the infrastructure needed to keep up with demand.
The Supplemental Airport intends to increase the travel capacity in the region, while also allowing the area to maintain reliable service to promote southern Nevada’s crucial tourism industry. The Clark County Department of Aviation estimated the existing Harry Reid International Airport will reach its full capacity of around 64 million annual passengers by 2030.
An additional airport in the area would be able to service charter, long-haul domestic and international flights. These would, in turn, alleviate some of the stressors facing the existing airport.
The Clark County Department of Aviation originally proposed the additional airport in 2006, but it was stalled due to economic constraints. The Department of Aviation then asked the FAA to suspend work on the environmental review in 2010.
Officials revived the idea earlier this year, and specified construction could consist of developing two runways, a terminal, adequate utilities, roadways and a potential rail line to Las Vegas. No cost estimates have been established. (NVBEX; Feb. 14)
Opponents of the airport claim it could disrupt the national habitats of the desert tortoise and the white-margined penstemon. The penstemon is a small pink flower that grows in four counties throughout the Mojave Desert. It is present in Arizona, California and Nevada.
The Center for Biological Diversity’s Patrick Donnelly said the conservation group will pay close attention to the airport throughout its environmental review process. He went on to say the group will ensure the airport employs proper mitigation measures to avoid biological upheaval.
The FAA and BLM are holding three public scoping meetings in July to obtain testimonies regarding the environmental impact of the airport. The first meeting will be held virtually on July 29, while the other two meetings will be in-person and held on July 30 and 31, respectively. The first is to be held at the East Las Vegas Library, while the second is to be held at Primm Valley Casino Resorts. (Source)
