The Obama administration expressed some concerns yesterday about legislation to facilitate the cleanup of an abandoned mine in the city of Henderson, Nev.

The legislation (H.R. 2512) would allow the government to sell almost 1,000 acres of federal land to the Henderson Redevelopment Agency (E&E Daily, Dec. 12). Private and local tax dollars would clean up the site and make way for development.

"In the process they would assume all environmental liability from the federal government, take care of environmental and physical hazard, and ultimately repurpose the area adding value to the community of Henderson," Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) said yesterday at a hearing of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee.

While the Obama administration agrees with the need to clean up the mine site and the bill's general direction, it voiced the need for some changes.

"Most importantly, the BLM recommends the bill be amended so that the federal land in the project area is conveyed earlier in the process than currently outlined in the legislation," said Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director Mike Pool.

The Henderson Redevelopment Agency would pay fair market value for the land, taking into account the cost of the cleanup, which could top $1 billion. It is possible that the cost of remediation exceeds fair market value for the federal land.

New Jersey Democrat Rush Holt also voiced his general support but wondered what would happen if plans for cleanup and redevelopment went bust.

"The legislation would release the United States from all liability relating to the Three Kids mine site from environmental laws," Holt said, adding that "because of the potentially large and still uncertain costs associated with remediating this land we still need answers to questions to whether there will be sufficient funds available to complete the cleanup."

Pool called for "language transferring the land to the Henderson Redevelopment Agency after the secretary appraises the federal land and the cost of remediating and reclaiming the site, and before the remediation and reclamation activities begin."

Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen stressed the need to act quickly on remediating the site, primarily because of public health concerns. The former manganese mine operated between 1917 and the 1960s, at one time aiding the military during World War II. Manganese is used in steel production.

"The site today contains unstable open pits as deep as 400 feet, large volumes of mine overburden and tailings, and mill facility foundations," Hafen said. "Contaminants of concern include arsenic, lead and petroleum compounds."