Column: Lyon taxpayers shouldn't foot bill for investigation

The investigation into the explosion at Advanced Specialty Gases should be just that - a complete and unbiased exploration into the cause of the blast. And at no cost to Lyon County taxpayers.

All questions regarding the incident must be answered, including whether all mandated regulations and guidelines have been complied with. Insinuations and rumors must be put to rest. If there is pertinent information to be considered, it must be made available to all, not just selected officials.

Hiring the outside consulting firm Failure Analysis Associates (a division of Exponent), ASG has spent over $150,000 on the investigation. Made aware of ASG's choice of an investigating team, both the Central Lyon County Fire District and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection expressed satisfaction with the decision. No mention or requests for additional consultants were made at that time.

All seem to agree that Exponent is one of the best in the business, but now CLCFD, NDEP and Commissioner Bob Milz are asking that an additional consultant be added to the team. Stating he could not say publicly why he believes an additional consultant is needed, Commissioner Milz last month asked fellow county commissioners to blindly allocate $20,000 for the position. To this point, they have declined to do so.

NDEP officials say they want additional expertise on the team but have no funds to pay for one.

No one, to this point, seems to be able, or willing, to adequately explain why additional expertise is needed and why county funds should be expended to oversee a company (Exponent) that is acknowledged as on of the best in the country.

The issue was scheduled for discussion at Thursday's commissioner meeting (after my filing deadline for this column). As I write this I do not know what the board decided; however, if facts show an additional outside expert is needed, it must be assured that county taxpayers will not foot the bill. Commissioners must also keep separate their concerns regarding the explosion from issues regarding the location of the plant and its use of hydrogen fluoride.

The efforts of those looking into the feasibility of Dayton becoming an unincorporated town have apparently raised more questions than answers.

Diligent research has uncovered information indicating the historic community may already have been so designated - many years ago.

The prospect of having control over certain locally generated tax money appears to be the motivating factor behind those in support of the committee's efforts. In fact, some have noted that if, as indicated in commissioner minutes of many years ago, Dayton is already an unincorporated town, the community may well be in line for some overdue tax dollars from the county.

However, before this dedicated and well-meaning committee expends any more time and effort to prove Dayton may already have the powers inherent in being unincorporated, it might be best to investigate just what financial burdens would lie with such a determination. There are no free rides when it comes to taxpayer dollars.

Time would be better spent confining their research to answering questions regarding what unincorporation under today's statute would mean to local residents. Unlikely to actually occur, it would be wrong to have Dayton mandated by past commissioner actions into the responsibilities of unincorporation without residents having a say in the matter.

Some stones are best left unturned.

During a recent meeting of the Walker Lake Working Group, a non-profit corporation dedicated to saving the terminal lake as a fresh water habitat for wildlife and the Lahonton cutthroat trout, Assemblyman Roy Neighbors said he would get the Working Group $250,000 of state money during the upcoming legislative session.

While this statement may turn out to be just election year rhetoric, those whose livelihoods depend upon the upstream waters of the Walker River should take it very seriously.

As those who have been following the issue well know, federal agencies are looking for additional water sources to keep the lake at an acceptable level. Upstream water users are understandably concerned with the effects the loss of additional water from the basin could have on domestic wells and the ranching community.

If the non-profit group looking to bring additional water to the lake receives state funding, the non-profit group looking to protect upstream water users interests should receive a similar amount.

Dynamic Action on Wells Group (DAWG) was formed to protect upstream domestic well users. Domestic wells depend upon healthy agricultural use. If their concerns are to be fairly aired, Assemblyman Joe Dini must be asked to submit a bill draft similar to any such proposal by Assemblyman Neighbors.

Since any funding would be used for the benefit of all domestic well owners and agricultural interests, Assemblyman Dini should be most willing to support such a request.

Think about it.

(Writer Nancy Dallas spent 11 years in Lyon County government, including four as county commissioner.)