North Las Vegas defends revocation of U.S. Med's license

The city of North Las Vegas says its revocation of U.S. EnviroMed's business license was entirely proper.

The company, also known as U.S. Med, lost its license April 1 after buried medical waste was discovered at its facility at 3890 Walnut St. The city estimates about 500 tons of waste was found buried at the site when it was searched in late March.

U.S. Med sued the city, challenging the loss of its license. North Las Vegas has now filed a counterclaim defending the revocation and seeking to recoup the cost of cleaning up the waste.

Deputy City Attorney John Morrell estimated the cost at about $100,000.

After medical waste was found at the site, the company announced it was pulling out of North Las Vegas. However, U.S. Med filed suit in Clark County District Court May 4 seeking to have its business license reinstated.

The company claimed the license was revoked under an old procedure that called for a hearing before the City Council. A procedure adopted by the city in February calls for revocation hearings before a hearing officer. Since U.S. Med's license was revoked under the old procedure, it contended the revocation was invalid.

But the city's answer to the lawsuit states revocation was necessary no matter what the method. And the city accuses the company of misrepresenting to the council that no waste would be stored on the site.

Company officials have yet to decide what to do with U.S. Med if it does regain its business license.

"Our first order of business is getting this all cleaned up and we'll be done with that by the end of the month," said U.S. Med's Steve Funes.

After that, Funes said the investor group controlling the company would decide which direction to take.

archive