Waste News articles from February 2003

Waste News archives from February 2003

Lamp makers adding labels.(News)(fluorescent lamps containing mercury)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Fluorescent lamp manufacturers have given up a five-year fight and will begin a nationwide program this year to label mercury-containing lamps and their packaging. Members of the National Electrical Manufacturers...

The simple things; Republic's brass focuses on basics.(Republic Services Inc.'s James E. O'Connor)(Cover Story)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson When James E. O'Connor pulls into his space in the parking lot many mornings he has 12,500 thoughts on his mind. O'Connor - who added the chairman title to his Republic Services Inc. business card at the beginning...

White House wetlands policy draws fire.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Bush administration said a new policy it unveiled Jan. 10 would reaffirm the federal government's authority over the majority of America's wetlands, but environmentalists said the policy would weaken the...

Chip battle heads to court; Printer cartridge case may set precedent for many types of recycling.(Lexmark International Inc. v. Static Control Components Inc.)(Cover Story)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Several remanufacturing industries are closely watching a court case between Lexmark International Inc. and a supplier for toner cartridge remanufacturers. Static Control Components Inc., based in Sanford, N.C.,...

Waste News Pricing Report.(News)(newsprint and polyethylene terephthalate)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... table: Waste News Pricing Report 2 graphs: Northeast News No. 8: EVENING OUT: Market prices for baled newsprint Nos. 7 and 8 dropped $10 at the start of 2003 but have stabilized during the last two weeks because of strong supply and a...

A Look Back.(News)
February 3, 2003... 1971: Oregon passes the nation's first bottle bill. Five years ago: International Paper Co. swallows Weston Paper & Manufacturing Co. in a $232 million stock deal. A year ago: Wisconsin launches a program to collect and recycle mercury...

Rejects no more; Pa. plant may burn plastic waste for fuel.(News)(Lafarge Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Steve Toloken One of North America's largest cement manufacturers is considering burning plastics as a fuel for one of its plants in Pennsylvania. Lafarge Corp.'s cement kiln in Whitehall Township is looking at plastics that...

Smurfit swaps operations.(News)(Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. buys out Canadian packaging business)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. is swapping its European packaging operations for full ownership of a Canadian packaging business that it had previously owned half of, plus $190 million in cash. Smurfit-Stone's deal...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
February 3, 2003... Farming GAO report finds livestock regs lacking Washington - The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, prepared a report that found shortfalls in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of water...

Group sees opportunity in byproducts.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Brennan Lafferty Paul Ruesch feels like industrial companies are sitting on a gold mine. If those businesses would only stop their business-as-usual disposal practices to consider byproduct use, they might realize that their...

Q&A with Greg Dana.(News)(Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers)(Interview)
February 3, 2003... During 2002, Waste News published overviews of four waste-generator market sectors: automotive, health care, electronics and the military. In 2003 we will revisit those four markets, conducting Q&A interviews with one prominent official from...

Conn. towns join New Source lawsuit.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini At least a dozen Connecticut municipalities are joining the lawsuit that nine states filed against the federal government last month over changes to the New Source Review program. ``This precedent-setting alliance is...

Hydrogen guzzlers; Bush proposes fuel cell funding.(George W. Bush's Freedom Fuel initiative)(Cover Story)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman President Bush is calling for the federal government to spend $1.2 billion on research to develop the technology for manufacturing hydrogen fuel cells that could be used to produce nonpolluting cars and trucks. ...

WN kudos; Geiselman's reporting earns national honor.(News)(Waste News' Bruce Geiselmanin running for Neal Award)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... An editor for Waste News is a finalist for a Neal Award in the Best News Coverage category. Government Affairs Editor Bruce Geiselman received the recognition for a series of stories on the financial troubles at Med/Waste Inc. Geiselman...

Worms eat away at Air Force's waste.(News)(Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has put a new group of recruits in charge of food waste disposal, and they've managed to cut costs dramatically. But all these recruits do is eat, reproduce and turn out rich...

Court blocks Mexican trucks.(News)(U.S border)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal appeals court has erected a roadblock to President Bush's plan to open the U.S. border to trucks from Mexico. The court faulted the administration for not adequately reviewing the potential environmental...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
February 3, 2003... Paper Weyerhaeuser moves plant to Wash. Portland, Ore. - Weyerhaeuser Co. is relocating its recycled newsprint sorting center from Portland to Longview, Wash. The site will stay open until June 15, and 27 jobs will be cut as a result...

Driving force of fuel cells.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... President Bush's policies have taken a lot of heat from environmentalists. Often, rightfully so. Now, he's getting a good amount of criticism for his latest environmentalist initiative, even though no one is arguing that the idea isn't good for...

Military shoots down lead, targets green ammo.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman For hundreds of years, bullets fired from soldiers' guns have contained lead - which means they're dangerous not only to an enemy but also to the environment. The U.S. military fires off about 400 million rounds...

Pair develop recycling system on wheels.(Products)(Bob Brickner and Steven Clements)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A well-known name in the construction and demolition debris business believes he has a way to capture even more waste for recycling. Bob Brickner, senior vice president with the consulting firm Gershman, Brickner &...

C&D group touts differences.(News)(construction and demolition debris recyclers need to market themselves)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson The recycling industry needs to become more sophisticated as it works to create more products and move away from the so-called ``garbageman mentality.'' Construction and demolition debris recyclers have an...

Growth would aid influence.(News)(Construction Materials Recycling Association recruitment drive)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A new membership push is starting at the Construction Materials Recycling Association as the trade group tries to bolster its numbers. The CMRA currently has about 110 members, and new President Tom Roberts would...

A toner tussle.(Opinion)(Lexmark International Inc. v. Static Control Components Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... It's amazing there aren't more battles like the one between Lexmark International Inc. and a toner cartridge recycler. Original equipment makers and recyclers by nature find themselves at the opposite end of a product's life cycle. While...

Quote of the Week.(News)
February 3, 2003... Every cartridge that's remanufactured is one that they don't get to sell. Frankly, they're just putting their own corporate greed against what's good for the country. Ed Swartz, president and CEO of Static Control Components Inc., says...

Greenhouse debate heats up winter.(Opinion)(U.S and emissions control)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Out here where the East meets the Midwest, an arctic air mass rolled in a few weeks ago, and it hasn't budged since. So it feels strange to be thinking about global warming. But the issue is being talked about, a...

Nike finds recycling partner; 25 towns to collect, recycle sneakers.(News)(Nike Inc., National Recycling Coalition)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Nike Inc. and the National Recycling Coalition formally announced a partnership Jan. 23 that will expand Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program to 25 U.S. communities. The program allows the communities to add used athletic...

At Deadline.(Late News)
February 3, 2003... EPA made polluters pay $4 billion in '02 Washington - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency forced polluters to pay almost $4 billion last year to clean up polluted sites and to prevent further contamination. The amount polluters...

Regulator foresees flood of treated lumber.(News)(copper chromium arsenate in Florida lumber)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson William W. Hinkley looks into the future and doesn't like what he sees when it come to the amount of treated lumber headed for disposal in Florida. The chief of the Bureau of Solid and Hazardous Waste in the Florida...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2003... A murky matter After describing the amount of waste generated aboard Navy ships, your article on Navy ship waste [``Navy manages ship waste compliantly,'' Dec. 9, Page 12] says, ``Clearly that waste can't be stored on board until the ship...

Gov. wants to bottle bill; Hawaii's new governor seeks repeal of measure.(News)(Governor Linda Lingle argues deposit on bottles will create expensive bureaucracy )
February 3, 2003... Hawaii's new governor, Linda Lingle, is asking the state Legislature to repeal the bottle bill it enacted last year that would place a 5-cent deposit on each beverage container sold to encourage their return. Backers of the bottle bill say...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
February 3, 2003... North America Feb. 10-13 - Material Handling Industry of America, Chicago. Contact Carol Miller or Samantha Greenidge (704) 676-1190 or visit www.promat2003.com. Feb. 11-14 - Geosynthetics 2003, Atlanta. Contact Kelly Thomalla (651)...

Supplier News.(Briefs)
February 3, 2003... McNeilus expands its sales unit Dodge Center, Minn. - McNeilus Companies Inc. has expanded and reorganized its sales organization for the hauling industry. The new organization structure aids customer focus and expands the company's...

Fla. hauler going public this month.(News)(Choice Waste Systems Holdings Inc.)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A Florida trash company hopes to raise $12 million through an initial public offering to help fuel continued growth. Choice Waste Systems Holdings Inc. is awaiting final clearance from the U.S. Securities and...

Emission bill field narrows.(speculation over new emission control regulations )(Cover Story)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini U.S. power industry stakeholders anticipate the reintroduction of multiple emission control bills this year, but the Republican Party's victory in the November election has probably whittled the race down to two key...

Bush to unveil voluntary program; President's policy proports to reduce carbon dioxide by 18% in 10 years.(News)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini The Bush administration plans to roll out its voluntary climate initiative this month, challenging major industries to reduce carbon emissions. But some see it as an industry ploy to delay dealing with global warming....

Senator drops power plant protest.(News)(Senator Dianne Feinstein )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The operators of a new power plant in Mexico near the California border have agreed to install modern pollution control equipment, prompting a U.S. senator to drop her effort to pass federal legislation to force the...

New Products & Technology.(Products)(new waste collection equipment products )
February 3, 2003... BOBCAT CO. has introduced an addition to its line of vertical lift-path skid-steer loaders, as well as a new rotary cutter attachment. The Bobcat S300 skid-steer loader is designed for handling applications in construction, landscaping,...

Well fund; Firm to help pay for Calif. cleanup.(News)(Goodrich Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Goodrich Corp. has agreed to help fund the cleanup of water wells in Southern California amid allegations that the company's rocket engine facility in Rialto contributed to perchlorate contamination. Perchlorate...

Bush requests $7.6 billion EPA budget in '04.(News)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Bush administration has proposed spending $7.6 billion in the 2004 fiscal year to fund the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which represents a $10 million increase compared with the previous fiscal year....

Report: Use stages for nuke waste.(News)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The federal government should undertake nuclear waste disposal programs - including the one planned for Yucca Mountain in Nevada - in stages so decisions about how to proceed can be based on the latest information,...

Q&A with Robert Springer.(Special Report: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's director of Office of Solid Waste)(Interview)
February 17, 2003... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency late last year raised the bar for municipal solid waste recycling and lowered it to restrict hazardous waste generation. Robert Springer, director for the agency's Office of Solid Waste, recently spoke...

A good showing; Republic earns $236 million in '02.(News: Republic Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Republic Services Inc. posted adjusted net income of $236.1 million, or $1.42 per share, on revenue of $2.37 billion for the year ended Dec. 31, 2002. Those figures compare with net income of $125.5 million, or 73...

Seattle makes changes to aid program.(Special Report)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Mayor Greg Nickels unveiled a plan Jan. 30 to improve Seattle's sinking recycling rate by adding a food waste collection program and banning the disposal of paper. ``We are a community that cares intensely about the...

Mich. weighs bottle bill expansion.(News)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has joined environmentalists calling for the state to expand its 26-year-old bottle bill to include noncarbonated beverages. State Sen. Ken Sikkema, a Republican, is setting up a task...

D-I-Y EMS; Mo. launches voluntary environmental program.(News: Missouri wants organizations to create environmental management systems)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Missouri is creating a voluntary program for businesses and other groups aimed at improving their environmental performance. The state wants organizations in both the public and private sectors to create...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
February 17, 2003... DRAEGER SAFETY INC. has introduced an electrochemical sensor, the DrgerSensor XS-2 H2S for the measurement of hydrogen sulfide. This sensor features better temperature and pressure compensation, reduced cross sensitivities, and a two-year...

To infinity & beyond.(Opinion: Waste management issues)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Allan Gerlat Two recent developments in the news show just how far-reaching waste management issues can be. The tragedy of the Columbia space shuttle explosion has people looking closer at the issue of space debris. In its...

Industry backs emissions plan; Foes of Bush's VISION raise concerns.(Cover Story: Voluntary Innovative Sector Initiatives: Opportunities Now)(Cover Story)
February 17, 2003... Federal regulators are touting their new greenhouse gas emissions initiative, but opponents say such voluntary programs just won't work. One senator even calls President Bush's Climate VISION idea a sham. The Bush administration's new...

Low-yield stavings.(Opinion: The Bush administration may have a staving off type of environmental policy)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... With the Bush administration's announcement last week that it has reached agreements with 12 major greenhouse-gas-generating industries to voluntarily control emissions of those gases, the president's environmental strategy came into clearer...

Appeals court denies Pa. landfill challenge.(News: Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Landfill operators in Pennsylvania recently suffered a setback in their fight against a state requirement to gauge the harms and benefits of new disposal sites. A recent challenge against the so-called...

NYC: Put recycling at center stage.(Opinion)(Column)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Neil Seldman A persuasive commercial argument can be made to New York's businessman/mayor that a dramatic increase in the city's recycling program would be best for the health of its budget and economy. A well-run recycling...

Trials begin for utilities.(Cover Story)(Cover Story)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini The first of several trials pitting the Department of Justice against utility companies from around the country went to court this month over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. In Columbus, the Justice...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Environmental Legislation Superfund reinstatement bill debuts Washington - Sens. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., have introduced bipartisan legislation that would require the federal government...

Clarification.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
February 17, 2003... * The city of Fort Worth, Texas, submitted its results for the Municipal Recycling Survey after the story on Page 10 went to press. Visit www.wastenews.com for this year's recycling survey results from the 30 most populous cities in the...

Reverse and remand; Waste industry, manufacturers want ruling overturned.(News: National Services Industries Inc. vs. State of New York is the case)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The National Solid Wastes Management Association, Allied Waste Industries Inc. and the National Association of Manufacturers filed a friend-of-the-court brief Feb. 7 that urges a federal appeals court to reverse a...

Republic hires consultant to boost safety.(News: Republic Services Inc. hires DuPont Safety Resources)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Picking up and throwing away trash can be a dangerous business. With tens of thousands of pounds of garbage truck rolling up and down the nation's streets and highways every day, refuse collection presents plenty of...

Medwaste management leads to charges.(News: Waste Management of New York and Kephart Trucking Co. are charged)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has charged Waste Management of New York and Kephart Trucking, of Bigler, Pa., with illegally transporting infectious medical waste. A spokeswoman with Waste Management...

At Deadline.(Late News: Waste industry news briefs)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Los Angeles mulls e-waste proposal Los Angeles - The city of Los Angeles is proposing an ordinance that will require television and computer retailers to accept obsolete electronics at no charge to consumers. Councilwoman Ruth Galantar...

'Chip war' verdict due; Judge's ruling may allow firm to sell cartridge chip during trial.(News: Lexmark International Inc.'s lawsuit is against Static Control Components Inc.)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini A federal judge will decide Feb. 28 whether Static Control Components Inc. can supply chips that bypass Lexmark International Inc.'s so-called killer chip. Lexmark filed a lawsuit Dec. 30 against Static Control...

House bill would halt mine waste dumping.(Cover Story: Clean Water Protection Act of 2003)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Two U.S. representatives introduced bipartisan legislation Feb. 12 that would prohibit the dumping of mining waste into streams and rivers. Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. and Christopher Shays' Clean Water Protection Act of...

WN adds sales manager.(News: Kyle Nichol becomes Eastern Sales Manager)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Kyle Nichol has joined Waste News as Eastern Sales Manager. Nichol comes to Waste News from Advanstar Communications Inc., where he worked as regional sales manager at Pit & Quarry magazine for seven years. Before his career in sales,...

A blip on the screen; Overall rate rises one-tenth of a percent in WN survey.(Special Report)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini The 30 largest U.S. cities modestly increased overall recycling, according to the latest Waste News Municipal Recycling Survey, with commercial recycling showing gains while residential rates slipped slightly. ...

EPA helps with shuttle cleanup.(News: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is assisting other agencies concerning debris cleanup of the Columbia space shuttle)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent coordinators and scientific experts to Texas and Louisiana to assist with the cleanup of debris from the Columbia space shuttle that broke apart over Texas just before...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Landfills Capital Environmental makes Fla. buy Burlington, Ontario - Capital Environmental Resource Inc. is buying a solid waste landfill under development in Osceola County, Fla., for $71 million in cash and stock. The...

Recyclers seek concrete evidence on lead paint.(News: Construction Materials Recycling Association and National Association of Demolition Contractors are funding a study)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Demolition debris recyclers want to know, once and for all, whether lead-based paint on concrete poses a health problem to the environment or those recycling the material. The Construction Materials Recycling...

Dwindling sites in Fla. Regs cause number of C&D debris landfills to decline.(News: construction and demolition)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Florida has seen more than 100 construction, demolition and land-clearing debris landfills close since the mid-1990s, leaving the state on the verge of a potential problem if many more of the facilities close. In...

Take 2; Concrete, gypsum may find Web home.(News: Construction Materials Recycling Association would like to build an Internet portal involving gypsum and concrete recycling)( )(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Using the approach similar to an existing asphalt shingle recycling Web site, the Construction Materials Recycling Association wants to build an additional Internet portal to tackle gypsum and concrete recycling. ...

Marketing extends life of Calif. landfill.(News: Zanker Road landfill is in San Jose, California)
February 17, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson At Zanker Road landfill in San Jose, Calif., it's all about getting the message out. Zanker recycles more than 9 out of every 10 tons of construction and demolition debris the private company brings in. To find...

Mountain gap.(Opinion)(The dumping of mining waste is discussed)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2003... The debate over dumping mining waste is heating up. Any workable solutions, however, seem far away. Two U.S. congressmen have introduced legislation to prohibit dumping after an appeals court reversed a federal judge's decision and eased...