The Pioneer Chlor Alkali facility is located in an industrial area,
approximately 10 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is one of several
chemicals and materials processing facilities that are located in the Basic
Management Inc. complex. When the BMI complex was established,
during World War II, it was located in the desert, several miles from any
existing populated areas. Henderson was established nearby as a support
community for the industries that were located in the complex. The Las
Vegas metropolitan area has experienced rapid growth during the last
decade and the City of Henderson has become a heavily populated suburb
with more than 60,000 residents. The BMI complex currently occupies an
unincorporated “island” under the jurisdiction of Clark County and is
almost completely surrounded by the incorporated City of Henderson.
Public concern with the materials that are produced and stored in
the BMI complex has created pressure to relocate the complex, away from
populated areas. Several hazardous material incidents have occurred in
the immediate area, including an explosion of ammonium perchlorate at an
adjacent facility in 1988, which resulted in two deaths and 372 injuries that
included 15 firefighters. The most recent incident occurred while the
Nevada State Legislature was considering a bill to require the complex to
be relocated to an isolated area, approximately 15 miles north of Las
Vegas.
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