GOVERNOR JIM GIBBONS has signed legislation giving the State of Nevada safety oversight of military mercury stores being shipped to the Hawthorne Army Depot. The Defense Logistics Agency is consolidating the nation's strategic mercury stockpile at one location, which will move 4,200 tons of the metal to Hawthorne. Senate Bill 118 places the storage and handling of mercury under the state's regulatory umbrella, ensuring that Nevadans are protected against accidental releases to the environment.

"The health of Nevadans and our state's environment have been our top concerns," said Governor Gibbons. "This legislation allows state inspectors the ability to ensure the mercury is being stored safely. It will protect Walker Lake and the people who live nearby, while allowing the Hawthorne Army Depot to fortify itself against any future efforts to close the facility."

In Congress, Jim Gibbons joined the citizens of Mineral County in their successful fight to protect the depot during the most recent round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission hearings. Additional missions undertaken by the facility increase its importance to the nation's defense and make it less vulnerable to closure. That, in turn, protects the Mineral County economy, which depends heavily upon the depot.

Governor Gibbons' staff and officials of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection worked closely with Senate and Assembly committees and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, who originally sponsored the bill, to finalize the legislation. SB 118 places the storage and handling of mercury under the state's Chemical Accident Prevention Program. It allows the state to inspect the flasks which will contain the mercury, the buildings in which they are stored and the fire and leak prevention systems that protect the environment.