Update:
On Monday, MGM officials said they sent a crew over to the Lamb of God Lutheran Church and School to pick up all the discarded carpet.
It's still not clear who was behind the incident.
Original Story:
The Lamb of God Lutheran Church and School is raising concerns after they said someone disposed of what appears to be casino carpet in their parking lot.
"Why would somebody pick a church parking lot to get rid of something that they can take to the dump?" asked David Karch, facility manager at the church.
Karch said the illegal dumping happened Thursday around 8:30 p.m.
He said the church's surveillance cameras captured a dark-colored SUV hauling large rolls of carpet and possibly two individuals dumping it on their parking lot.
He said their surveillance cameras did not get the car's license plate, but he believes at least two people were involved.
"They were too cheap to pay to take it to the dump, and it was convenient," Karch speculated.
On Friday, when Karch arrived at work, he noticed the carpet and said there were several shipping labels addressed to MGM and other properties operated by MGM stuck to the carpets. He believes a contractor might be behind the illegal dumping.
"It had the MGM label on it, being shipped to MGM. It's been a while, 2017 was the date on it so, it's been sitting in a warehouse or someplace..." Karch said.
Aside from the shipping label, there's no evidence showing where the carpet came from. Channel 13 reached out to MGM on Friday to learn if they knew anything about it, but hadn't heard back by Saturday night.
According to the Southern Nevada Health District, illegal dumping is the improper and/or unauthorized disposal of solid waste, including:
- Raw sewage that overflows onto any areas outside of buildings
- Garbage
- Motor oil and other petroleum products causing soil contamination
- Dirt and rock spoils
- Yard waste (landscape debris)
- Tires and batteries
- Construction and demolition waste
The health district is the entity that oversees illegal dumping in the valley and encourages people to report those incidents right away.
When a complaint is received, the Solid Waste and Compliance staff investigates and, when possible, assembles evidence for submission to the Solid Waste Management Authority Hearing Officer who may impose administrative penalties.
Unauthorized dumping is a misdemeanor subject to criminal and civil penalties, community service sentences, and revocation of business licenses, according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.
The health district said the church will still be responsible for properly disposing of the carpet, which Karch said could be a financial burden.
"We need to get it out of here, and it's going to cost over $1,000. We don't have that kind of money," Karch said.
To report illegal dumping in Clark County, you can call 702-759-0600 or use the online Solid Waste/Illegal Dumping Complaint Form.
