Water district protesting MediWaste permit
Following the announcement that MediWaste Disposal is seeking a permit from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to support its Pahrump plans, the Nye County Water District formally filed a protest against that action, citing concerns regarding the possibility of contamination in Pahrump’s sole source of water, Basin No. 162.
The protest letter went before the water district governing board during its Tuesday, April 14 meeting, where general manager Dann Weeks explained that it was essentially a continuation of the district’s previous stance against MediWaste’s proposal.
“This item, in one form or another, has already been before this board once and we did not support its creation,” Weeks stated that afternoon. “The matter is a complex one and one for the wisdom of this board to deliberate upon, but I do know there is a strong public protest against this facility that would literally create metric tons of waste.”
MediWaste is aiming to bring its medical waste operation to the valley, with plans calling for a pyrolysis system - a no-oxygen process that uses high temperatures to turn materials into ash. The plan was originally broached two years ago and the community made it clear that the operation would not be welcome locally. The swell of public angst came after the company had already secured a Conditional Use Permit from Nye County, one requirement for the project. Now, the company is taking another step forward with the NDEP permit, public comment for which is open until May 1.
Weeks explained that the proposed plan calls for a closed-loop water system but, as the location is within the Great Basin Water Company’s zone, there are still many concerns about how that system would be managed.
Water board member Bruce Holden seemed hesitant to approve the letter of protest, noting that he didn’t feel he had enough information to do so.
“If we’re considering a protest, we have to have a reasonable suspicion that this is going to adversely affect the waters of Nye County,” Holden asserted.
Weeks said the item was brought to the board because NDEP has specifically invited the water district to provide input, while water board member Helene Williams reiterated that the community was wholly against the idea.
“I was present in this room when the community came out in great opposition to this project and I believe that the potential of it affecting our groundwater basin - having a leak from something like this - is right there. It’s not on the borderline. It’s not if, it’s when,” Williams stated.
Water board chair Ed Goedhart then suggested narrowing the scope of the letter to focus solely on the water aspect, eliminating the portions citing other concerns.
Satisfied with this, Williams made the motion to accept and amend the letter, seconded by water board member Michael Lach.
Before the motion came to a vote, however, Lach wanted to have something else tacked on, explaining that he wants to see a standard operating procedure regarding water use and discharge as soon as it is available.
“Mistakes are made,” Lach noted.
The motion then passed 3-1 with Goedhart, Williams and Heath Miller in favor, Holden the sole voice against, and two absences – Lach due to technical difficulties and Ernie Jackson.
“The Nye County Water District Governing Board hereby submits this formal protest to the proposed issuance of a permit to MediWaste Disposal LLC for the construction and operation of a medical waste pyrolysis facility in Pahrump,” the letter of protest reads. “Pahrump is a closed groundwater basin. As such, the aquifer represents a finite and irreplaceable resource with no external inflows to dilute, remediate or otherwise mitigate contamination. Under these conditions, regulatory review must apply the highest degree of scrutiny to any activity with the potential to introduce contaminants to the subsurface environment.
“The board’s protest is based on… inconsistency with groundwater protection standards,” the letter continues. “The proposed handling and thermal processing of medical waste introduces credible pathways for environmental release of hazardous constituents, including through accidental discharge, system failure or long-term degradation of contaminant infrastructure. The absence of a demonstrated, site-specific hydrogeologic analysis establishing negligible risk to the aquifer is inconsistent with the level of protection required in a closed basin.”
The letter goes on to state that the water district is requesting denial of the permit. Alternatively, the district requests that the permit be kept in abeyance until MediWaste provides a detailed hydrogeologic investigation of the site, along with an enforceable, fail-safe containment and monitoring system.
“The protection of the Pahrump Valley’s groundwater resources is essential to continued viability of the community and must be afforded paramount consideration in this decision,” the letter concludes.
The public comment period on MediWaste’s NDEP permit is open until May 1. Comments can be submitted by mail to Permitting Branch Supervisor, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Sustainable Materials Management, 901 S. Stewart St., Suite 4001, Carson City, NV, 89701-5249 or emailed to solidwaste@NDEP.NV.gov
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
