The site was first developed in the 1940s as the operations building for the Tonopah Army Air Field. Nye County has owned and operated the facility as a general aviation airport since July 29, 1949. Desert Flying Services has leased the fixed base operations building since 1975.
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) was completed in February 2014. A Phase II ESA was completed in May 2014 and determined asbestos containing materials, lead-based paint, total petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds were present. An Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) and Cleanup and Reuse Plan was completed in September 2014 to determine the most effective cleanup alternative. A Biological Evaluation was conducted in August 2017 to assess potential effects of the demolition of the building and associated actions on species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and critical habitat. Environmental reports are available upon request.
