This site was once part of a larger complex, known as Basic Magnesium, which played a vital role in support of the U.S. victory in World War II. After the war ended, the complex was sold to the State of Nevada. Later, several manufacturing companies bought component parts of the huge Basic Magnesium plant. Although the 2,200 acres east of Boulder Highway being restored in this project were never used by the federal government or private companies for any industrial manufacturing, parts of the property have been used in the past for industrial and municipal evaporation ponds, leaving behind residual contaminants. These ponds which require remediation make up approximately 400 of the 2,200 acres of the property. Nearly two-thirds of the property has never had any industrial or municipal use.

It is worth noting that none of the property for this project has ever been declared a superfund site. A superfund site is any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for superfund listing because it poses a significant risk to human health and/or the environment. In fact, this property was specifically found by the EPA not to be a superfund site.

Not least, the ponds are an old eyesore. In removing them, a more attractive and aesthetically pleasing property will be created within Henderson.