WINNEMUCCA —  While opponents of the proposed Jungo Rd. landfill applaud the Humboldt County Commissioner's decision to revoke the extension on Jungo Land & Investment’s conditional use permit (CUP), it may be too early for celebration.

Recology, the parent company of Jungo Land & Investments,  issued a statement Tuesday indicating they’re evaluating the avenues open to them to keep the project moving forward.

“Recology is disappointed in the decision of the Board of Commissioners and is evaluating the next step,” noted Spokesman Adam Alberti. “Recology has committed to its supporters that it will explore all options available to them.”

Although anti-landfill activists have painted the proposed Jungo Rd. landfill as a big, pile of garbage that will allow trash to blow across the desert and stench to waft 25 miles east to Winnemucca, Alberti countered the landfill as proposed would be a state-of-the art facility and represents approximately $660 million in potential revenue as well as employment opportunities.

“The Nevada Department of Economic Development identified projections that, if extrapolated over the life of the project, would generate $323 million in economic activity in the region and $237 million in local and state taxes,” he added. “The project would also generate an additional $100 million in local host fees for Humboldt County.”

The figures from NDED do not include the benefit to the community from the construction of the landfill.

In overruling the RPC the commission was jeopardizing funds that could be beneficial to the community.

As a portend of things to come, the statement alleged the quasi-judicial hearing held by the commissioners on April 5 “contained numerous procedural and substantive violations of the law and offered no criticism of the actions taken by the Regional Planning Commission (RPC).”

Monday’s hearing was held after local attorneys Robert Dolan and Massey Mayo filed an appeal on the decision of the RPC to extend Jungo Land & Investment’s CUP.  The original CUP was issued in 2007 and was good for three years.  Although the company was issued the necessary air-quality permit in March, the solid waste permit is still pending. 

In February, Jungo Land & Investments received the 5-year extension arguing there was good cause for the delay. Company representatives went before the RPC to note permitting a class 1 landfill is a lengthy process that was slowed, in part, because of community activism against the landfill that required the response of the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and the company.  

Dolan and Mayo countered the company simply failed to commit the time and resources to bringing the project in on time.  Having failed to accomplish the permitting process and begin construction, which was a requirement of the CUP, the two attorneys argued the company did not merit an extension.

Whatever actions are taken by Recology will have to be taken soon. The CUP expires in three business days, and the Humboldt County Commission is threatening to take action on April 19 to reverse the 2007 amended solid-waste ordinance that allowed out-of-district waste, which would prevent the company -- and anyone else -- from pursuing a new CUP to construct landfills for out-of-district waste.