NDEP issues MediWaste permit

This week, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection - Bureau of Sustainable Materials Management (BSMM) sent out a notice that it has issued a final solid waste management facility permit to MediWaste Disposal, LLC for its proposed pyrolysis operation on Basin Avenue in Pahrump, effective Wednesday, August 26.

It was news greeted with frustration and anger by the many who have harbored concerns over the proposal since it was first broached more than two years ago but the project still has more hurdles to jump before the company can start accepting and processing medical waste. As pointed out by Nye County Commissioner John Koenig during the commission’s Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting, the company cannot create its facility in the valley without first gaining full county approval. Furthermore, Koenig said the county has been looking at a new code that could possibly render the project dead in the water.

“The fact remains that, before they can operate, they need a permit from us,” Koenig told the audience gathered for Tuesday’s meeting. “And it’s the opinion of the district attorney that we come up with an ordinance banning any importation of medical waste into this county from another state. So, we’ll be looking into that.”

The final permit decision is also subject to an appeals process.

“Any party wishing to appeal the final decision must do so within 10 days of the effective date of the permit, by Sept. 10, 2026,” read the issuance letter sent to MediWaste on Monday, Aug. 31.

In addition to the notice of permit issuance, the BSMM released a compilation of responses to the numerous concerns that residents and other interested parties voiced throughout the one-month public comment period and subsequent public hearing on the project.

“Given the volume of comments received, 334 total submissions, the division has prepared this consolidated response document in lieu of individual responses to each submission,” the BSMM detailed. “Comments are grouped by subject matter. All substantive comments, i.e. those raising issues within the division’s regulatory jurisdiction under Nevada Revised Statutes and Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 444 have been considered and are addressed below. For this permitting action, the division’s jurisdiction is limited to the state of Nevada’s solid waste management statutes and regulations. Comments concerning air quality, county land use approvals, transportation, property values or other matters outside the division’s authority are only acknowledged.”

The 17-page response document is broken down into 21 sections, addressing everything from general opposition and form-letter submissions, groundwater and Pahrump’s Basin No. 162, inspections, oversight and reporting, emergency response, roads and transportation, process byproducts, on-site storage and more.

When responding to perhaps one of the greatest concerns in the community, that of a potential impact on the local aquifer, the BSMM stated, “The proposed process uses no water and has a zero discharge to the stormwater system; the only pathway to soil or groundwater would be a physical spill of hydrated ash, which the facility is required to prevent and immediately contain and clean up under their Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) and Stormwater Pollution Prevention (SWPP) plans.”

This section goes on to note that the hydrated ash created by the pyrolysis process will not be disposed of at the Pahrump landfill and that all stormwater will be directed to an on-site detention basin designed to keep that stormwater from leaving the site.

To those who submitted comments simply expressing their objection to the project and its presence in their community, the BSMM stated, “A general expression of opposition does not itself establish a basis to deny the permit.”

In certain cases, however, the comments made by those concerned about the project led the BSMM to place additional conditions on the MediWaste permit.

“In response to the comments, the division will require… that MediWaste address the measures in place to prevent wind-driven release or migration of materials, including wind-speed operational limits, enclosed or controlled handling procedures, physical containment and housekeeping protocols,” the BSMM explained. “Furthermore, MediWaste will address how dust generation, accumulation and ignition risks have been evaluated and mitigated. As a condition of the permit, MediWaste shall ensure all floor drains within the facility are permanently closed and provide evidence of closure to the division for approval 30 days prior to the start of operations.”

The permit was also adjusted to require quarterly reporting from the company, rather than annual reporting, and changed the on-site storage maximum to 15 days instead of 30. Various corrections were made as well, including an increase in the reported throughput figures, from 16.8 tons per day to 41.4 tons per day and the inclusion of embryos in the list of prohibited waste.

To view the responses to the public comments submitted on the matter in full, visit tinyurl.com/yw25sncc

The permit, issuance letter and fact sheet can be found at tinyurl.com/3hnerxcw

To file for an appeal of the final permit decision, visit tinyurl.com/2nbt39sn and use form #3. All appeals must be submitted by Thursday, Sept. 10.

For more information, contact BSMM Chief Annalyn Settelmeyer at 775-687-9366 or ASettelmeyer@NDEP.NV.gov

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com