144 



2092 Heritage Oaks 

 Las Vegas, NV 89119 

 April 28, 1987 



Subject: Aerojet Bill & Land Exchange Agreement 



From: Jeff van Ee 



The Nevada delegation has cosponsored bills to provide Aerojet with over 

 50,000 acres of public land in Nevada at a value of between $45-55 per acres 

 for approximately 4,650 acres of Aerojet land in Florida at a value of 

 approximately $525 per acre. Nevada environmentalists have been concerned 

 with the manner in which this land exchange is occurring. It may establish a 

 precedent for future "land exchanges" in Nevada. Opportunities for meaningful 

 public comment have been restricted, and an analysis of the environmental 

 impacts has not been satisfactory with Aerojet contracting out the development 

 of the "Environmental Report." 



Your attention is directed to the enclosed "Land Exchange Agreement between 

 Aerojet-General Corporation and the United States of America." I have 

 highlighted sentences and paragraphs in the agreement which are commented in 

 detail below: 



Page 2: Aerojet gets the mineral estates in addition to the surface estates 

 at the low cost of $45 to $55 per acre. Private land at the Butler ranch, 

 across from the Coyote Springs site, sold for $401 per acre within a week of 

 the BLt-1 land appraisal of the Coyote Springs site. Private purchases of 

 public lands within Lincoln County have been far more than $45 per acre 

 according to BLM records. 



Page 3: One would expect language in an agreement involving the transfer of 

 over 50,0000 acres of public lands in Nevada at between $45-55 per acre to say 

 that the exchange of land is in the best interests of the United States and 

 the public. Instead, the language states that Aerojet has determined that the 

 exchange of land ... is in its best interest. 



Page 6: The highlighted statement emphasizes the concern in Nevada that the 

 type of operation Aerojet is proposing can create hazardous materials and 

 possibly contaminate the land since the Secretary of the Interior will be 

 inspecting the land in Florida formerly occupied by Aerojet. 



Page 8: Item 9 (a) restricts the United States in entering the land to not 

 more than once per month. This requirement seems to be unusually restrictive. 



Item 9 (b) mandates that the United States make all past, present, and future 

 data to Aerojet with the implication that the data is acquired and provided to 

 Aerojet at no cost. One would expect that Aerojet could be required to pay 

 for the cost of obtaining this data particularly if water availability, water 

 quality, and endangered species of fish are issues in the acquisition of these 

 public lands by Aerojet. 



ATTACHMENT B 



