Silver State to clean Sunrise landfill

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, June 16, 1999 | 10:54 a.m.

Nearly a year after a violent rainstorm tore open garbage-filled cells at the Sunrise Mountain landfill, sending a channel of trash into the Las Vegas Wash, a clean-up agreement was hammered out Tuesday.

Clark County commissioners unanimously agreed to accept Silver State Disposal Inc.'s $36 million offer to clean up the landfill, which was improperly closed in 1993.

In exchange for Silver State's work in shoring up the landfill, which is emitting methane and hydrogen sulfide gases, the county agreed to extend the disposal firm's exclusive garbage-collecting rights by 15 years, until 2035.

Silver State officials told the county they hope to plug the gas leaks within a year.

Stephen Kalish, president of Silver State, said the landfill property is in an ideal location with sweeping views of the valley and someday could be the perfect site for a park or golf course.

"We hope to turn the wasteland into a resource that can be enjoyed by the entire community," he said.

Earlier this year the storm-damaged landfill captured the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency, which said Southern Nevada's drinking water was in imminent danger. The September downpour sent medical waste and sludge into the Las Vegas Wash, which feeds Lake Mead, Southern Nevada's primary source of drinking water.

In April the EPA issued a 51-page enforcement order demanding the site be cleaned up immediately.

The order left agencies involved in the landfill wondering who was responsible. The Bureau of Land Management owns the 720-acre landfill. Both the county and landfill operators were found in violation of environmental laws.

On Tuesday County Commissioner Erin Kenny commended Silver State and county staff for rectifying the situation rather than squabbling over who failed to close the landfill properly.