From Helms Pit to the Sparks Marina
The site began as the Helms Gravel Pit, where aggregate was mined from 1968 to 1993 and used in road construction throughout Northern Nevada. At its deepest, the pit reached approximately 200 feet.
In 1990, while running for Mayor of Sparks, Bruce Breslow observed signs of petroleum along the southern wall of the gravel pit. He photographed what he found and brought it to the attention of the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection.
A state investigation determined that petroleum products had migrated through groundwater from fuel storage operations located along Interstate 80, near Nugget Boulevard. Because the gravel pit was one of the lowest points in the area, groundwater naturally moved toward the site.
After Breslow became Mayor in 1991, the City of Sparks joined the State of Nevada in pursuing a comprehensive environmental cleanup involving the responsible parties. The petroleum products involved included gasoline, jet fuel, and heating oil, all associated with the area's longtime fuel storage and transportation operations.
The City retained the law firm of Robison, Belaustegui, Sharp & Low, with Kent Robison serving as lead attorney. A young attorney who worked on the case was Brian Sandoval, who would later serve as Governor of Nevada and President of the University of Nevada, Reno.
Nevada Senator Harry Reid also became involved, holding a Senate hearing at Sparks City Hall as the parties worked toward a resolution.
Ultimately, a settlement provided $12 million to the City of Sparks, $16 million to the State of Nevada, and funding for environmental remediation. Extraction wells were installed to remove petroleum from the groundwater.
The cleanup would become an important chapter in the site's transformation.