Waste News articles from December 2003

Waste News archives from December 2003

Capital gets cozy in Fla. sunshine.(Capital Environmental Resource Inc. buys Florida Recycling Services)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Capital Environmental Resource Inc.'s march into Florida continues with a cash-and-stock purchase of Florida Recycling Services Inc. Capital is spending $128 million and issuing 3.25 million shares in the deal,...

Senate delays energy bill vote until 2004.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Senate has abandoned until next year plans to pass an energy bill that would have included incentives for renewable fuels, including landfill gas. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., decided late...

Report finds fault with nuclear plants' funding.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Congressional investigators believe some owners of nuclear power plants are not setting aside sufficient funds to decommission the plants - including removing radioactive waste. Assuring adequate money will be...

Curbside cuts hit Ohio, nation.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Budget cuts are threatening recycling programs in the nation's most populous cities, and two of Ohio's largest cities may be the latest victims. Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell plans to discontinue the city's weekly...

NYC trash layoffs turn into callbacks.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Attrition is allowing New York City to call back all of its laid-off sanitation workers just in time for the holidays. The city Department of Sanitation, like several other city agencies, was caught in a budget...

Waste News Pricing report.(News)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... FALLING OFF A LEDGE: The export market for sorted white ledger and sorted office paper is falling, pushing prices lower. Domestic prices for those grades are approaching export prices. Newspaper grades also have seen dropping export prices,...

Going the extra mile; Texas refiner to reduce fuel's sulfur, upgrade emission controls.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Houston refiner ConocoPhillips has struck a deal with a California environmental group that will allow the company to meet federally mandated diesel fuel sulfur reductions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...

Battle looms over mercury; Power plant emissions latest fight.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Environmentalists and New Jersey's environmental enforcement chief say they may go to court to try to block the Bush administration from adopting a cap-and-trade system for reducing mercury emissions from electric...

In Brief.(Briefs)
December 8, 2003... Paper Recycling Weyerhaeuser to pay $87,000 to settle Washington - Weyerhaeuser Co. will pay more than $87,000 in back pay and interest to applicants seeking jobs at its Bellevue, Wash., corrugated packaging plant to settle...

This year's other major newsmakers.(News)(waste management)
December 8, 2003... Three others received strong consideration by Waste News editors for 2003 Newsmaker of the Year. Pat Nathan When you're the biggest, you are a target. Dell Computer Corp. drew sharp criticism in 2003 from environmental groups...

MT weighs in with computerized truck scales.(Products)(Mettler Toledo)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst Like bathroom scales that determine a person's body-fat percentage and track weight over time, vehicle scales have grown more sophisticated in recent years, especially when combined with computer software. ...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(North America, regional and international waste management)(Calendar)
December 8, 2003... North America Jan. 5-8 - Sustainable Range Management Conference, New Orleans. Call (800) 783-6338 or visit www.battelle.org/rangecon. Jan 14-16 - North American Environmental Field Conference and Expo, Tampa, Fla. Call (740) 965-5026....

Shaw launches carpet recycling initiative.(Late News)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Dalton, Ga. - The world's largest carpet manufacturer has committed to developing products that can be broken down and reused, recycling carpet into new carpet through a closed-loop process. Shaw Industries Inc. announced the initiative...

Lost signal; Phone waste grows as new law arrives.(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Cell phone collection efforts are barely making a dent, recovering less than 1 percent of discarded phones, and an unintended side effect of a new federal rule may worsen the problem. A report by Inform Inc., a New...

Convention center built green.(News)(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson - A new convention center in Pittsburgh is now the world's largest so-called "green building,'' and the city claims to have more green buildings than any other. The new David L. Lawrence Convention Center, situated...

Leavitt unveils philosophy to EPA workers.(News)(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Thompson Beckley In his first public speech since taking office Nov. 6, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Leavitt said his as yet unreleased 500-day plan for air quality would answer many questions....

Waste Generator Briefs.(News)
December 8, 2003... Health Care NYC hospital to conduct enviro audit New York - New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the largest hospital in New York City, has entered into an agreement with the federal government to conduct a comprehensive environmental audit...

Huge Canadian mill deal done.(News)(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson NorskeCanada's $58 million acquisition of Belkorp Group's Newstech Recycling de-inking plant in Coquitlam, British Columbia, is complete. The Canadian papermaker had been the biggest customer for the Newstech...

U.S. OKs nuke reactor trek.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini They say a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step, but the 13,000-mile journey of a retired nuclear reactor is just getting started after numerous steps and seemingly countless hurdles. Southern California...

The bottom line.(News)(cities plans to cut curbside recycling program due to the budget crunch)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Municipal recycling programs continue to come under fire. Cleveland plans to cut its curbside recycling program, and Cincinnati is debating the issue. Cleveland's case puts recycling in perspective, however hard it is for advocates to...

Pa. foundries can expand use of their spent sand.(News)(waste management)(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Some Pennsylvania foundries soon may find it easier to get rid of their spent sand. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has proposed expanding the beneficial use of foundry sand to encourage the...

Border war; U.S., Canadian smelter face off in Washington-B.C. border dispute.(News)(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini A row between the federal government and a Canadian miner accused of polluting U.S. waters could be headed to court to decide whether the United States can claim jurisdiction over the site. The U.S. Environmental...

Fast forward, rewind.(Opinion)(enhancement of products by technology application)(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Allan Gerlat It's the irony of being human. We keep advancing and learning, but the same basic problems just get worse. The world has more in common and can communicate better than ever before, but the killing and violence goes...

EPA unveils emissions plan for eastern U.S.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency )(Column)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A proposed federal rule that would require power plants to make "the steepest emissions cuts in over a decade'' has several environmental groups saying the rule doesn't go far enough. The U.S. Environmental...

More than metal; Partnership launches auto plastic recycling plan.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Public and private forces are joining together in a multimillion-dollar push to improve the recyclability of junked cars. About 75 percent of so-called end-of-life vehicles - mostly metal - is recycled these days....

Va. farmers can apply biosolids again; Federal court overrules county statute; farmers reap $820,000 in lawsuit victory.(News)
December 8, 2003... A federal judge has struck down a Virginia county's ordinances prohibiting the land application of biosolids. Judge Norman K. Moon of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia ruled Nov. 24 that Appomattox County's...

A Look Back.(News)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... 1988: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that of the 20,000 landfills operating in the United States in 1978, about 14,000 have closed. Five years ago: New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman vociferously objects to a plan...

Attorneys general group backs Bush air proposal; Mostly Republican coalition pitted against Democratic colleagues.(News)(George W. Bush)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A war, or at least a legal battle, appears to be brewing between the states concerning changes by the federal government to the New Source Review portion of the Clean Air Act that affects emissions primarily from...

Letter makes broad appeal to president; Large Congressional contingent wants government to leave Clean Water Act unchanged.(News)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman More than half of the members of Congress, including 27 Republicans, signed a Nov. 24 letter to President Bush urging that he not adopt any changes to the Clean Water Act that could reduce safeguards for the...

Supplier news.(News)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Essential to utilize Science's software Tempe, Ariz. - Essential Information Systems has signed a letter of intent with Science Applications International Corp. to incorporate its ARQ reporting data warehouse software into Essential's...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 8, 2003... * A story on Page 3 of the Nov. 24 issue should have said that glass, aluminum and plastic beer and soft drink containers accounted for 3.7 percent of the municipal solid waste generated in the United States in 2001, according to the U.S....

Letters.
December 8, 2003... Free lunch The bottle bill is about who receives financial benefit. Comparing the Waste News Pricing Report for the New York glass market for Nov. 24, 2003, and Nov. 27, 2000, the average price per ton of flint (clear) has declined from...

Landfill capacity dips by one year in Illinois.(News)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Illinois landfills average enough space to take waste for another 13 years, new state data shows. That's down by about one year's worth of capacity from the previous measurement. Despite the year-to-year decrease,...

'Tis the season for garbage.(Christmas and New Year celebrations are waste generators)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Christmas day ends early for Joe Vitulli and his colleagues in the trash business. The general manager for Midco Residential Services, a trash collection company in New Jersey, knows he has to be at the office at 4...

Waste News Pricing Report.(News)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... (With graph: White goods): NO TARIFF TROUBLES: Scrap steel prices showed no slowdown after President Bush's announcement to repeal steel tariffs. They continued to pick up steam this month, strengthening significantly in some parts of the...

Bush abandons wetlands plan to relief of groups.(News)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Bush administration is abandoning a proposal that would have limited the federal government's ability to protect certain wetlands. Environmentalists said the announcement will help keep pollutants out of...

Pipe maker in eco mess; Court indicts N.J. firm for 'flagrant violations'.(Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co.)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini A federal court in Trenton indicted a New Jersey cast iron pipe maker and five of its managers on charges of committing flagrant environmental abuses. The 35-count indictment was unsealed Dec. 15 in the U.S. District...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
December 22, 2003... Waste Management Perma-Fix to lay off 50 employees Atlanta - Perma-Fix Environmental Services Inc. is cutting 50 jobs as part of a restructuring of its Industrial Services Segment. The Atlanta-based waste management services...

Power reduction; Leavitt signs proposal to curtail 2 pollutants.(News)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Michael Leavitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, signed a proposal during a Dec. 17 visit to St. Louis that he said would reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from...

Duo gives warning to Exxon; Company defends air quality near Louisiana refinery.(News)
December 22, 2003... Two community groups are giving ExxonMobil Corp. two months to remedy clean air violations at Chalmette Refining LLC or face a federal lawsuit. ExxonMobil operates Chalmette Refining as a 50-50 joint venture with Petroleo de Venezuela,...

No, Canada; Mich. congressmen fight waste imports.(News)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A group of Michigan congressmen attached an amendment to a House-approved spending bill aimed at forcing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to slow or halt the shipment of trash from Canada into Michigan. ...

LA businesses face hazwaste charges; Multiagency task force puts spotlight on auto dismantlers, junkyards, repair shops.(News)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A total of 16 charges are being brought against businesses for illegally storing and transporting hazardous waste and materials, the city said. Six of the cases already have been resolved with fines and probation,...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 22, 2003... * The Trends graphic on Page 1 of the Dec. 8 issue should have said 100 billion plastic bags are consumed in the United States each year.

Shoe maker fine with jury verdict; Decision on contamination irks plantiffs.(News)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini A Colorado State Court jury ordered Brown Shoe Company Inc. to pay more than $1 million for environmental contamination at one of its plants where rifle scopes were made. The jury entered a verdict against the...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(for North America, regional and international waste management )(Calendar)
December 22, 2003... North America Jan. 5-8 - Sustainable Range Management Conference, New Orleans. Call (800) 783-6338 or visit www.battelle.org/rangecon. Jan 14-16 - North American Environmental Field Conference and Expo, Tampa, Fla. Call (740) 965-5026....

Top 10 stories of the year.(News)
December 22, 2003... 1. Rewritten Clean Air Act causes huge stir Electric utilities and manufacturers applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's historic decision this summer to change the portion of the Clean Air Act that defines when plants must...

Fabulous lab; Illinois recognizes pharmaceutical manufacturer for reducing hazardous waste.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Abbott Laboratories Inc. was able to cut the amount of hazardous waste being created at its Lake County manufacturing facility by almost 49,000 pounds last year and redesigned packaging for one product to reduce the...

A Look Back.(News)(past events)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Five years ago: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to eliminate a rule that prohibits the disposal of debris containing lead-based paint in construction and demolition debris landfills. A year ago: Hewlett-Packard Co....

EPA solicits ideas for fiscal 2005-07.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may take a closer look in coming years at asbestos hazards in schools and the environmental risks posed by the auto salvage, mineral processing and plastics industries. ...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2003... Clear as glass A recent opinion letter suggested that glass manufacturers support bottle bills because they get a financial benefit, or, as your title suggests, a free lunch ["Free lunch,'' Dec. 8, Page 9]. Since we all know there is no...

'A charmed life'; N.J. landfill workers, police perform ruff rescue.(News)(save dog from garbage)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson She was barely holding on, afraid and exhausted. Using just her legs, she was sprawled on a pile of trash, hoping not to tumble over the trailer's edge and into landfill below. Who knows what the fall would do...

You can say that again: 2003 in quotes.(News)
December 22, 2003... A selection of memorable quotes from the pages of Waste News in 2003: It's amazing what a sandwich will get you. - Michael Gross, marketing manager at the Zanker Road landfill in San Jose, Calif., talks about fostering relationships with...

Leavitt pitches mercury plan in Ohio.
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The federal government's newly proposed rules for trimming electric power plant emissions would bring about the most rapid and significant air quality improvement in more than a decade, Environmental Protection...

3 states fight PCBs in Delaware River.(News)(polychlorinated biphenyls)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Efforts are under way to stem the flow of PCBs into an 85-mile stretch of the Delaware River in three states. Fish caught in the river have elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, a probable human carcinogen....

Coalition proposes air plan for Alberta.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A coalition of government, industry and environmental and health groups have presented the Alberta Environment Minister with a framework for reducing air pollution from the province's electric power plants. The...

Deadline News.(Late News)
December 22, 2003... Justice Dept. reports record penalties Washington - The U.S. Department of Justice reports that it recovered $203 million in penalties for civil violations of the nation's environmental laws during the 2003 fiscal year. That compares...

Abitibi closes two paper mills; idles two others.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., a major recycler of old newspapers and magazines, said it will reduce the amount of recycled-based newsprint it makes in an effort to save $125 million. Abitibi-Consolidated said it will...

Apathy and appetit.(Opinion)(plastic recycling)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Brennan Lafferty As a fan of cooking shows, I know about the fine art of presentation. Whether it's using a colorful garnish or fine linens, making a meal look its best has much to do with whetting an appetite. Want to make a...

New group aims to boost glass recycling.(News)(Glass Manufacturing Industry Council Glass Recycling Division)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Glass container recycling has reached such a critical point that it has drawn out the industry's largest, and up to this point, quietest trade group. The Glass Manufacturing Industry Council has established a new...

In the air; Allied to pay fine while awaiting expansion news.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Allied Waste Industries Inc. will pay $142,500 for allegedly stinking up the air. The nation's second-largest trash company agreed to pay the fine to resolve 19 odor violations issued by the Pennsylvania Department...

The Waste News Poll: 2003 highlights.(News)
December 22, 2003... A selection of highlights from the results of our weekly online poll: MARCH 3: Should U.S. businesses stop buying French goods and services? No: 56.7% Yes: 33.6% They should consider restrictions: 9.7% Stop all aid to...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
December 22, 2003... MADVAC INC. has introduced the CS500 compact sweeper. The sweeper is designed to clean litter from congested pedestrian-filled municipal streets, airports and universities. Features include two independent brushes that sweep a width of 10 feet...

Sonoco sells bag biz, maintains sales goal.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Sonoco Products Co. still has a goal of reaching $4 billion in annual sales by 2006, but the job is going to be more challenging now that it is moving to sell off its plastic bag business and the associated revenue. ...

EPA: Polluters paying price for violations.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Polluters paid $2.9 billion to reduce pollution and clean up contamination during fiscal year 2003 as a result of enforcement actions by the federal government. That is about $1 billion less than in the previous...

NAFTA fumes.(Opinion)(pollution by Mexican vehicles)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Two nations and two fundamental values are facing off in a decision now going before the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue is whether Mexican trucks should be allowed free access into the United States, because of claims that the Mexican vehicles...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
December 22, 2003... Mining Pa. DEP completes 8-year mine cleanup Harrisburg, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has completed an eight-year abandoned mine project using dredged material to restore the site. The agency...

Auspicious shove-off.(Opinion)(waste reduction plans by cruise lines)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... When you think about industries that generate waste and pollution, you usually don't think of cruise lines. By the same token, when we hear about environmental violations by cruise ships, it seems more offensive in some ways, because it's less...

Mexican trucks to face scrutiny; U.S. Supreme Court to review case involving NAFTA, pollution.(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Supreme Court may decide whether the U.S. Department of Transportation must prepare an environmental impact statement before allowing Mexico-based trucks full access to U.S. highways. The Supreme Court...

Seattle OKs aggressive recycling plan.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini One of the nation's most environmentally progressive cities will require businesses and residents to recycle to boost its sagging program. The Seattle City Council voted 8-0 Dec. 15 to mandate recycling starting...

Cruise lines answer critics; Industry forms group to counter complaints.(News)(Column)
December 22, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson The cruise line industry, which has been the target of harsh criticism from one group of environmentalists, is creating what it calls a joint initiative to minimize its impact on the world. The International Council...

Supplier News.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Shaw group buys landfill gas firm Baton Rouge, La. - The Shaw Group Inc. has purchased LFG&E International, a company that provides products and services to the landfill gas industry. LFG&E's landfill management system products and...

News timeline.(News)(Calendar)
December 22, 2003... January * Businesses and municipalities join the Chicago Climate Exchange, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and trade credits. * In his State of the Union address, President Bush calls for the government to spend $1.2...

TRENDS: Gift-wrapped planet.(waste generating events)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Americans go trash-wacky during the holidays. Some stats pertaining to the extra waste generated between Thanksgiving and New Years: Live Christmas trees sold: 33 million Ribbon disposed of: 38,000 miles Circumference of Earth:...

Waste News Poll.(Opinion)(energy bill)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2003... Q: In next year's energy bill, should MTBE makers be protected against lawsuits? (Pie chart) Yes: 26% No: 74% From the Waste News Web site, Dec. 1-8. To vote in the current Waste News Poll, go to www.wastenews.com.

2004 DIRECTORY & BUYERS GUIDE: Table of Contents.(Special Issue)(Buyers Guide)
December 29, 2003... Using the Directory & Buyers Guide Company Directory: Pg. 5 This section provides an alphabetical listing of all companies in the Directory. Each reference provides the company's address, phone number, fax number, Web address and...