What is Nye County doing with the illegal RVs it is removing from Pahrump properties?

Last year, the Nye County Commission authorized up to $30,000 for the removal of junk motorhomes and travel trailers that are illegally occupying someone else’s land.

Now, roughly six months into the project, the county is facing a problem as to what to do with these vehicles once they have been removed, as they cannot be stored indefinitely at the Pahrump Landfill.

Nye County Public Works Director Tom Bolling brought the issue before the commission this month, seeking a procedure for the ultimate disposal of these county-removed vehicles.

“Upon the first vehicle to enter the landfill, I asked whether all of the hazardous waste had been removed and whether the VIN had been inspected, because we can’t just store these things at the landfill,” Bolling stated during the board’s March 17 meeting.

He explained that after discussions with Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill and commissioner Ian Bayne, who had sponsored the funding allocation item, it was decided that these vehicles could be stored for up to 45 days to allow for VIN inspections. However, some of the vehicles had been at the landfill for more than 112 days, Bolling reported. “So, we need to figure out a way to get these out of there.”

There was some contention about whether or not the landfill can accept junk vehicles, with Bolling explaining that they can be taken, but only after they have been completely dismantled or crushed. In the case of the travel trailers, which do not contain engines, Pahrump Valley Recycling could handle the task of crushing. However, that company will not accept anything with a motor, leaving five RVs to deal with and the potential for more to come.

“You can find somebody else [besides Pahrump Valley Recycling] that will crush the RVs themselves but, you have to make sure there are no hazardous substances, no engines preferably, no oil anywhere in it, make sure the waste tanks are removed from the vehicle,” Bolling said.

That led the discussion to professional wreckers, which could bring any illegal RVs to their own yards to complete the work required before crushing, rather than having them brought to the landfill first.

“So, we get a wrecker, we get it crushed, we make sure the legal paperwork is filed, we make sure the due process notice is taken care of,” Bayne said and Bolling interjected, “And make sure the hazardous substances are abated.”

Although no formal action was taken, Bayne recommended a meeting between himself, the landfill operator, Capt. Means and Bolling to hammer out the details, to which Bolling agreed.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com