LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – People have been using the desert as their dumping grounds on the east side of the Las Vegas Valley.
The dumping area is off Desert Inn and Hollywood Boulevard. Mathew Brock, Founder of Southern Nevada Off-Road Trailing, shared that it’s the worst illegal dumping site in the valley.
“It is not clean, it is not nice, it just looks like a bunch of laziness,” Brock said.
Brock explained the area stretches for miles. People driving by could see mattresses, lawn chairs, appliances, and construction materials dumped.
Some items dumped can be dangerous to those off-roading. Brock said he has seen materials like fencing and piping pierce into cabins and puncture tires.
“People don’t want to go to the appropriate channels, so they take the easy route and just dump out here and run,” Brock explained.
Brock suspects the area is a hotspot because it is close enough to the city, while still being hidden.
According to Bruno Stephani, the Environmental Health Supervisor for the Southern Nevada Health District’s Illegal Dumping Program, this is a common theme.
“These sites are attractive to illegal dumpers because they’re easily accessible and minimize their chances of being seen,” Stephani said.
He says the majority of the 1,200 illegal dumping complaints the SNHD receives each year are from the edges of town.
Officials explained that 12 field investigators typically rely on eyewitness statements or video surveillance to track illegal dumpers down.
If a suspect is identified, the evidence is presented against them at a Solid Waste Management Authority Hearing. Fines could range from $500 to $5,000.
Stephani explained the landowner must clean the mess if the person responsible is not found.
“It’s either going to cost the taxpayer money, or it’s going to cost the private owner money,” Stephani shared.
Stephanie believes people are dumping illegally due to a lack of awareness, convenience, or cost.
Republic Services provides bulk pickup every other week for residential customers. Their schedule is on their website.
You can report illegal dumping online, or by calling (702) 759-0600.
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