The Apex site northeast of Las Vegas was withdrawn last week as a location for the proposed federal detention center, leaving three sites remaining, and two are in Pahrump.

Scott Stermer, Department of Justice assistant trustee for the procurement division, said the Apex site was too close to Nellis Air Force Base. He spoke before a public hearing on the draft environmental impact statement for the project at the Bob Ruud Community Center Thursday night.

Developers from Corrections Corporation of America and the Geo Group Inc., who want to build the detention center on sites in Pahrump, also were pleased there wasn't a room full of opponents. In fact, the public comment period ended in about 15 minutes with only one opponent surfacing.

The Department of Justice wants to locate a federal detention center within 75 miles of the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas to house 1,000 to 1,500 inmates either awaiting trial or deportation. Two of the sites still under consideration are on the northeast side of Pahrump, at 630 E. Parque Ave. and 2250 E. Mesquite Ave.

Chris Ferrari, of Ferrari Smith Public Affairs, a spokesman representing CCA, prospective developers of the East Mesquite site, was pleased at the lack of turnout at both public hearings in Pahrump last week and the initial hearing last June.

"It would probably mean that the community has been educated on the program, has been educated in what the project entails and there aren't any questions about it. We've worked very hard coming out here for a year. We've met with individuals, we've met with groups, we've met with the county. It's our goal to let everything have an understanding of the level of the project. We're an open book," Ferrari said.

Brad Wiggins, CCA senior director of site acquisition, said, "Everything is about as good as we could hope for."

When it comes to the lack of reportable comments at the public hearing, Ken Fortier, representing Geo Group Inc., quipped, "No news is good news."

Robert Nardi, senior vice-president of the Louis Berger Group Inc., who facilitated the meeting, said the federal inmate population has soared from 3,000 detainees in 1981 to more than 55,000 today. Projections are for the population to grow. Unfortunately, the growth in federal inmates has occurred at the same time space to house detainees in local jails has decreased.

A 45-day comment period expires Feb. 4. Following the publication of the final environmental survey, or EIS, Nardi said another comment period will last 30 days. A record of decision will then be issued on whether to proceed.

Nardi said the EIS considers topography, geology, soil conditions, visual impacts, population, economics, land use, utility services, air quality, meteorology and noise that may result from the detention center. Both Pahrump sites cleared those analyses.

Pahrump economic development coordinator Al Balloqui, who said he was speaking as a citizen and business owner, said he had a letter signed by 87 residents who support building the detention center at 640 E. Parque Ave., a location proposed by Geo Group Inc. He noted Pahrump and Nye County rezoned property for both federal detention center sites.

"We have been told that the community's acceptance is a key component for your project. As evidenced above, the community is excited about the opportunity to host your facility," Balloqui said.

Dan Schinhofen, vice-president of Pahrump Alliance Valley Economic Development (PAVED), said, "We're excited about the possibility of having the detention center located here." If the Parque Avenue site isn't the best site, he advocated the alternative on Mesquite Avenue.

"We have Nevada JobConnect available to help with placing employees, and the vast majority of the people I have spoken with are in favor of this project," Schinhofen said. Bob Irving, a member of the Pahrump incorporation committee, said he thinks the detention center will be an asset to the community.

"We're looking at how to maintain a good tax base in this town, and I think the detention center would be good for workers and for businesses that would locate here," Irving said.

Karen Spalding, who owns a Pahrump real estate and construction company, was excited about the opportunities during a slack time for the building industry.

An estimated 200 to 250 people would be employed at the detention center, the office of federal detention trustee states in the EIS. Contractors will be required to pay at least $17.45 per hour plus benefits.

"I'm all for the detention center. I came from California and I lived in a community that was next door to a prison that came in," Spalding said. "I see the differences between a prison and what the detention center is going to be. Plus, we need the jobs here and we have a workforce here."

The only opponent was Dave Stevens.

"I don't want that prison to come here. I don't want it in my back yard," he said. "The only good thing I see coming out of it, you might make all these millions of dollars out of it and I might be able to sell my home and get out of this town."

While no preferential site was identified in the draft EIS, scientists noted evidence of desert tortoise activity at one Pahrump site. Wiggins, from CCA, didn't think that was a problem.

"We mitigate those kinds of issues all across the country. The good thing about that is we have a history with the state and federal agencies and they know that we do the right thing ... If it means putting in fencing and things like that to protect animals and wildlife during construction, we do that," Wiggins said.

"All of that's part of the mitigation, and we actually built it into our budget, mitigation monitoring, to make sure we're doing exactly what we're supposed to in those documents," he said.

Written comments may be addressed to: Scott P. Stermer, assistant trustee-procurement, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Federal Detention Trustee, 4601 N. Fairfax Dr., Ninth Floor, Arlington, Va. 22203. The number to send comments by fax is 202-353-4611. The email address is: Scott. Stermer2@usdoj.gov.