The Nye County Water District Governing Board on Aug. 12 directed staff to prepare a brief report on the progress of county planning review for a proposed medical glove manufacturing facility in Pahrump.

Vice Chair Helene Williams brought the item to the board seeking clarity about the chemicals the plant would use and how wastewater would be handled. Williams said the public and commissioners lacked specifics about the applicant’s treatment processes. She asked the manager to prepare a report that would be public.

The manager told the board the project faces a planning application deadline in September; if applicants do not complete required planning steps, their application can expire and they must refile. Several speakers from the public expressed opposition and concerns about potential chemical discharges and worker/visa-related claims reported by the company’s promotional materials.

County Commissioner John Koenig said zoning on the property is permissive for industrial use but that the key questions are water supply and post‑process wastewater quality. Koenig said the company must obtain state and utility approvals before proceeding and that, to his knowledge, the company had not yet applied to the state for the necessary wastewater approvals. He said that process could take about a year and that Great Basin Water Company and state regulators will need to sign off on any proposed water or wastewater handling.

The director of the district added that Great Basin Water Company’s standards and tariffs apply to any hookup and that Great Basin and state regulators would need to be satisfied about the quality of any discharge or reuse plan before utilities would accept process water or treated wastewater.

After public comment that included requests for transparency and concern about environmental and public-health risks, the board voted 6-0 to direct the manager to prepare the requested report and provide a status update at the board’s October meeting.

Why it matters: The facility proposal raises technical questions about industrial water use, wastewater treatment and whether local utility and state regulatory approvals can be obtained in the project’s planning timeframe.

What happens next: Staff will prepare a brief, public status report summarizing planning progress, outstanding approvals and permitting hurdles. The board asked that the report include information gathered from the county planning department and Great Basin Water Company’s involvement, if any.