LV recycling business denied permit for Amargosa landfill

An attorney for a Las Vegas-based recycling business failed to convince Nye County commissioners that a landfill proposed by his client would benefit Amargosa Valley.

Nye County commissioners unanimously denied a request for continuation of a solid waste permit application for a class III landfill that would be located at 1995 Diaz Road in Amargosa Valley and consequently denied a request for approval of the landfill based on the decision of the Amargosa Town Board.

Robert Ford, who owns approximately 372 acres of land in Amargosa where the recycling operation would be located, filed a request through his limited-liability company, ABC Recycling Industries in August 2015.

Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman told Ford and his attorney, Jim Smyth, that they needed support of the community to proceed with the project.

"Your first obstacle is not this board. Your first obstacle is the board in Amargosa. You need to show them what the benefits are," Wichman said.

The Nye County Department of Planning found numerous issues with the request when Ford filed an application in August. Ford received a six-month extension to address the problems after the application was deemed incomplete.

Ford's attorney said the project might have benefits and be a "reasonable" development" in the community.

Smyth also asked commissioners to let his client complete the application process and present it to them. Among the incomplete items were a drainage study and the bond foreclosure.

Smyth said the owner had addressed some of the items that were required, such as paying $85,000 in delinquent taxes, conducting a hydrology study and inventory of waste, addressing legal access to the property and obtaining an NDEP permit.

"This is a project that may have some value here. It may," Smyth said.

Several Amargosa residents who were present at the meeting also spoke against the project.

"We don't want to be known as a dumping site for Nye County," Amargosa Town Board Chairman Joe Cohan said.

According to the application submitted to the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection by Ford, waste types handled by the facility would include industrial solid waste, otherwise known as solid waste derived from industrial or manufacturing processes.

Among additional or special wastes that would be managed at the site would be sewage sludge, septic tank pumpings and medical wastes, waste tires, waste oils, construction and demolition wastes, septic tank pumpings and raw sewage.

Additionally, the site was going to accept asbestos-containing materials. The volume of such materials delivered to the site would be 1,000 tons a day, according to the documents.

"It's absolutely essential that you have the support of the community (that) you are talking about working in. Essential," Wichman said.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77