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Public commenters urge support for water modernization and AML cleanup; one caller opposes fluoridation
Summary
During public comment, the Nature Conservancy urged full funding for water‑resource budgets and the Nevada Water Initiative; a student researcher urged greater funding for abandoned‑mine‑lands cleanup; a caller opposed water fluoridation and pushed redirection of funds to filtration.
Three members of the public provided substantive comments at the end of the hearing. Jane Amone, external affairs director for The Nature Conservancy in Nevada, urged full support for the budgets of the Division of Water Resources, State Parks and State Lands and highlighted the Nevada Water Initiative and the need to finish ARPA‑funded water‑budget updates. Amone told the committee that updated water budgets and continued monitoring are essential because Nevada is the driest state in the nation and persistent drought increases risk to communities and ecosystems.
A student researcher, Madison Tran, described year‑long fieldwork sampling water at the Pyramid Mining District and reported lab results showing heavy metals — including arsenic, lead, iron, manganese and aluminum — exceeding safe drinking‑water standards in the sampled creek downstream of abandoned mines. Tran urged increased funding for the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program and described remediation techniques such as capping, waste removal and water treatment. She cited national estimates that remediation needs greatly exceed current funding levels and said Nevada’s groundwater and public health are at risk without increased AML investment.
A caller from Las Vegas, Barry Johnston, spoke by phone and urged the state to end water fluoridation and instead spend public funds on improved filtration and removal of contaminants including arsenic, nitrates, chromium and radioactive elements. The caller characterized fluorosilicic acid used for fluoridation as an industrial byproduct and urged redistribution of funds to treatment technologies.
Committee response and follow up
Committee members did not take action on public comments but acknowledged the concerns and the need to coordinate with the Department of Conservation and Environmental Protection, the Division of Water Resources and other agencies on water quality and remediation priorities.
