Las Vegas and Southern Nevada rely on the Colorado River for its very existence. Without the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, Las Vegas would have significant problems meeting the water needs of the tourists who visit Las Vegas Casinos much less the water needs of the 1.9 million people living in the La s Vegas Metropolitan Area.
Nevada’s largest industry, Las Vegas casino tourism is only possible because of water from the Colorado River and Lake Mead. The second largest industry in Nevada, mining, relies on water for their success as tourism.
However, unregulated mining can have detrimental effects on the surrounding water supply. Often, waste products from the processing of minerals are released. Other times, run off from a mining operation ends up in the water supply, reducing water quality for those down river who consume it.
Because of this, over the years, Nevada’s communities, legislature, cities, counties, mining industry and governors, both Democrat and Republican, took significant steps over the years to improve water quality on the Colorado River, placing significant restrictions on how Nevada’s mining companies dispose of waste water and how they handle run off from their operations. While much of these restrictions and prohibitions have been effective, millions still may have been exposed to poisons, heavy metals and more. If you have been sickened by a mining operation and believe you qualify for reimbursement of health care costs and for lost work in a Nevada personal injury case, contact the lawyers of Benson and Bingham for a free consultation.
Unfortunately, even though Nevada has taken significant water protection safeguards, recent actions by the representatives of neighboring states, Arizona and Utah, who share the Colorado River with the Silver State, potentially endanger Southern Nevada’s water supply. Should the bill pass the United States House of Representatives, Senate and be signed by the President, millions of acres of the Arizona Strip, federal land upriver of Las Vegas, could be opened up to uranium mining. If you or a family member are sickened by heavy metals leached into the water supply due to mining, go to NV-attorney.com and sign up for a free legal consultation.
If you are looking for a Nevada attorney to represent you in a personal injury case, please consider Benson and Bingham. As leading Nevada personal injury attorneys, we can represent you against insurance companies, ensuring you are not taken advantage of.