Recyclers trash Silver State plan

Adrienne Packer

Tuesday, July 20, 1999 | 10:55 a.m.

A proposed revision of Clark County's solid waste management ordinance, which was written and submitted by Silver State Disposal officials, could put small recycling companies out of business, recyclers said.

The proposed ordinance will be evaluated by county staff members and a version of it is expected to be put before the Clark County Commission toward the end of the year.

Owners of recycling companies said collecting recyclables from construction and demolition sites is a lucrative business; the 20 or so firms operating in the valley make a total of about $25 million a year. It's also one of few garbage-related services that is not controlled by Silver State.

Company owners were miffed that Silver State, which monopolizes the valley's curbside pickup industry, would be bold enough to rewrite the county's solid waste management ordinance and submit their revision to county officials.

Silver State's version includes changes that, for example, would require recycling companies to sort materials at construction sites and force them to use no other licensed dump except for Silver State's Apex landfill.

"I think they're trying to tighten the noose so nobody can do anything but go through them," said attorney Lamond Mills, who represents recycling firms and is the vice president of Western Elite. "They're trying to eliminate the recycling companies and give themselves a monopoly."

Silver State general counsel Robert Groesbeck said the disposal firm started to revise the ordinance after a judge presiding over a lawsuit involving Browning-Ferris Industries and Silver State called the existing law antiquated and vague.

Groesbeck said Silver State is not trying to put small recycling companies out of business and, if they're doing their jobs legally, they shouldn't be concerned with the revised version.

"If they're processing materials like they say they are, they won't hear from us," he said.

Rob Dorinson, president of the cleanup company Evergreen Corp., said if the county takes the proposed ordinance seriously and adopts it as written, his business as well as small recycling companies will fail.

Like other construction cleanup companies, Dorinson places recycling bins on construction sites. He hauls the loaded bins to his business where he separates recyclables -- metals, plastics and wood -- from the other trash.

What is not sold to recycling companies is taken to Apex landfill. Dorinson said through his sorting process, he transports at the most half his load to Apex. The strategy saves him money but reduces Silver State's profits.

"The current operating conditions under the ordinance allow us to conduct our business and serve customers," Dorinson said. "So why change it?"

He said the companies add significantly to the county's recycling goal of 33 percent.

What troubles recycling leaders most is a section in the revised version of the ordinance that addresses "commingled" materials. For example, Dorinson said, if metals, wood and trash are in one bin, recyclers must separate the load at the pickup site, according to the ordinance.

If it is not sorted on site, the ordinance says, the load cannot be taken to recycling centers and should be transported straight to the landfill.

"Source separation sounds great, but it's economically impossible," Mills said. "They need to bring it back to the yard, collect things out that are recyclable. That's the only way they can make it economically."

Clark County Manager Dale Askew said Silver State delivered its proposal last winter. Staff members had started discussions about the ordinance, but they delayed further meetings until the state Legislature ended its session.

Askew said he plans to include the recyclers in any meetings it holds to discuss the ordinance with Silver State.

"Silver State put forth a request for changes, but that doesn't mean we agree with it," Askew said. "I'm sure we'll have many concerns. We need to evaluate the proposal."

Askew added that he doesn't expect a final decision on the ordinance to be made until the end of the calendar year.