The Black Mountain Industrial (BMI) Complex has been the site of industrial operations since 1942 and was originally operated by the U.S. government as a magnesium production plant between 1942 and 1944 in support of the World War II effort. Following the war, a portion of the BMI Complex was leased by Western Electrochemical Company (WECCO) and used to produce chlorates (sodium chlorate and potassium chlorate) and perchlorates (potassium perchlorate and sodium perchlorate). By August 1952, WECCO had purchased several portions of the BMI Complex, including six of the large “Unit Buildings” within what is now the NERT Site, and added the production of manganese dioxide. In addition, in the early 1950s, pursuant to a contract with the U.S. Navy, WECCO constructed and operated a plant to produce ammonium perchlorate on land purchased by the Navy that is located within the present-day NERT Site.
In 1956, WECCO merged with the American Potash and Chemical Company (AP&CC) and continued to operate the existing chemical production processes. In 1962, AP&CC purchased the ammonium perchlorate plant and the underlying land from the Navy and continued to supply the Navy and its contractors material from the operating process.
In 1967, AP&CC merged with the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation (Kerr-McGee). This merger included the acquisition of boron production processes, which began operation in the early 1970s. These processes included the production of elemental boron, boron trichloride, and boron tribromide. In 1994, the boron tribromide process was shut down and dismantled. In 1997, the sodium chlorate process was shut down and, in 1998, production of commercial ammonium perchlorate ended as well. The ammonium perchlorate production equipment was used to reclaim perchlorate from on-site materials until early 2002, when the equipment was permanently shut down.
In 2005, Kerr-McGee spun off its chemical business and created a new company named Tronox. In 2009 Tronox filed for bankruptcy. The NERT, also referred to as the Trust, was established in 2011 by the Federal Bankruptcy Court as part of Tronox’s reorganization, and the NERT Site was conveyed to the Trust at that time. Tronox conducted industrial manufacturing operations at the Site from 2005 to 2011 while it owned the Site and continued its operations from 2011 until 2018 through a lease occupying approximately 40% of the NERT Site. In 2018, Tronox sold its operations to EMD Acquisitions LLC (EMD). EMD currently conducts its operations within the leasehold area as Borman Specialty Materials (Borman) and produces manganese dioxide, boron trichloride, elemental boron, lithium manganese, and other specialty chemicals. EMD’s operations are subject to Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) oversight.
Last Updated: February 2024
