Located in Clark County on the southeast end of Las Vegas, Henderson is the second-largest city in Nevada, but it almost never was.
Henderson: "Born in America's Defense"
During the Second World War, magnesium was in demand for munitions casings, airplane engines, and other materials. To help meet this demand, the 2,800 acre Basic Magnesium Inc. (BMI) industrial plant was constructed in 1941. At its peak, nearly 14,000 workers were employed at the BMI plant.After the conclusion of WWII in 1945, the defense demand for magnesium was no longer necessary. Most of the residents moved away with the closing of BMI and the town threatened to dissolve. Moves by the Nevada Legislature to sell industrial sites saved the town. It wasn't until 1953 that Henderson, NV was officially incorporated. At the time, the population was 7,410.
Magnesium, Titanium, and TIMET
After WWII, aerospace engineers knew that steel and aluminum could not meet the strength and weight requirements of modern aircraft. Titanium-based alloys provided a solution to this problem. Among the companies established to meet this need was TIMET. In the early 1950s, Titanium Metals Corporation, or TIMET, was among several companies to operate at the BMI plant site.TIMET remains the largest global supplier of titanium products and is the only surviving titanium sponge (the basic form of titanium used to produce titanium products) producer in the US. TIMET still produces titanium sponge, ingot and slab, milled produces, such as bars, plates, sheets, pipes and pipe fittings.
Remediation at BMI: Asbestos
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection is currently involved in a multi-year project to remediate the contamination at the BMI complex. Many waste management techniques that were industry standard at the time have contraindicated the soil and groundwater. Contaminants include metals, radionuclides, pesticides, salts and asbestos.
Asbestos Use at TIMET
Asbestos products were used at TIMET to withstand the high temperatures and pressures involved in this facility. Asbestos materials such as cement pipe and packings were crucial to the titanium making process. Other asbestos insulations and gaskets were used as insulators in the operations of the plant.
