Yards versus tons – why the Pahrump Landfill isn’t using its scale for most customers
Recent coverage by the Pahrump Valley Times regarding the establishment of tipping fees at each of the landfills in Nye County has prompted several residents to ask the same question - why are there new scales being installed at the Tonopah landfill, rather than at the landfill which serves the county’s largest community, Pahrump?
That answer, officials explained, lies in the rules and regulations laid out by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).
“The installation of scales at the Tonopah landfill is a requirement from NDEP,” Nye County Public Works responded when reached for clarification on the subject. “Tonopah is currently permitted as a Class II landfill, which limits it to accepting less than 20 tons of solid waste per day, on an annual average. NDEP has requested that scales be installed to more accurately track incoming waste volumes and ensure the landfill remains in compliance with its permitted status.”
By contrast, the dump in Pahrump is designated as a Class I landfill and the facility is already equipped with certified truck scales, public works detailed. But users may not even know a scale is in place due to the fact that there is only one currently in operation. This has led to charges being assessed by the yard rather than by the ton, another point that has certain residents quite frustrated.
Public works said this method of charging is being used in an effort to keep a back-up of landfill users from forming during peak operation hours.
“To avoid operational delays and prevent the need to weigh vehicles twice - on entry and exit - most customers are currently charged based on volume - cubic yards,” public works stated. “At this time, residential and small commercial customers in Pahrump are charged by the cubic yard, not by weight, and there is no conversion from yards to tons when calculating disposal fees for these customers.
“This approach is used because many loads are brought in by personal vehicles or trailers that are not weighed individually,” public works continued. “However, for licensed haulers and larger commercial operations, loads are typically weighed on the truck scales and charged by the ton.”
Nye County says it has plans to install a second scale at the Pahrump landfill in the coming months.
“Once a second scale is installed and dual-direction weighing is possible, Nye County will shift to a fully weight-based fee structure,” public works noted.
Readers can find previous coverage on Nye County landfills at pvtimes.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
