Nevada gets $646.6 million in federal bill

The federal omnibus appropriations bill approved by Congress this week includes $646.6 million to fund 133 projects in Nevada.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced the appropriations saying unlike bills passed by previous Republican congresses, "this legislation is fiscally responsible and ensured the government does what every Nevada family has to: Live within a budget."

The list includes five projects for Carson City totaling just over $3 million, five in the Tahoe Basin for $6.8 million, and one each for Storey County and Fallon.

The largest of the Carson City projects will provide $2.1 million to remove a hill and reconstruct the runway and taxiways at the Carson City Airport. The project will add a second taxiway and install an automated weather observation system.

Carson City will also get $295,000 to make improvements to the Marlette/Hobart water system and $312,550 to support the anti-methamphetamine task force, conduct treatment and provide counseling for offenders.

And a $287,000 grant will help pay for wildfire recovery and develop emergency plans for future fires such as the Waterfall Fire.

Finally, the Carson And Rural Elderly Program will receive $44,650 to provide low income seniors access to legal services and transportation.

At Tahoe, the biggest single appropriation is $4,248,000 to make storm water and watershed improvements in the basin. Another $1,968,000 will help TRPA pay for regional wetlands development and restoration work and $246,000 will help implement TRPA's environmental improvement program.

The legislation also urges the U.S. Forest Service to expedite removal of hazardous fuels in the basin. Finally, TRPA will get $205,000 in planning money.

In Storey County, the bill will provide $200,000 to finish construction of the multi-purpose community resource center. And in Fallon, $492,000 will pay for improvements to the city's sewer system.

Also in the Fallon area, the bill contains funding for construction of two new towers at the Fallon Naval Air Station to support training activities. The total cost of that project is $11.46 million. Another $4.95 million appropriation will construct virtual training simulators at NAS's counterpart, Nellis Air Force Base north of Las Vegas.

The largest single project on the list, consuming more than half the total for Nevada, is the $341,4 million to build a veterans affairs hospital in Las Vegas.

The bill also contains $11.8 million for groundwater treatment at Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot. Officials have worried for years about the effects of chemicals there leaching into the ground.

And $18.7 million will continue programs under the rural Nevada water program to help design and build water supply, treatment and environmental restoration projects throughout the state.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.