Waste News articles from February 2007

Waste News archives from February 2007

NOW SHOWING: The End of Film and Waste? Co-Stars: Mark Cuban, HDNet Films.(high-definition)(digital technology used in movie production)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan As owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, outspoken billionaire Mark Cuban has been called lots of things. But environmentalist probably isn't on that list. In his movie mogul role, however, the prescient,...

Opportunity knocks.(business groups and environmentalists ask government for mandatory carbon emission capsf)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... For some real action on climate change, the climate just might be right. Ten giant corporations and four environmental groups have banded together to ask the government for mandatory carbon emission caps. Business might see the current...

The changing of the guard.(Toyota Motor Corp.'s commitment to green technology)(Viewpoint essay)
February 5, 2007... There is an environmental-business truism that going green is profitable - that companies that commit themselves to sustainability will benefit economically over the long haul. Toyota exemplifies this truism perhaps as well as any company in...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)(waste management industry)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... 10 years ago: The principals of two of New York City's largest waste hauling companies plead guilty to corruption charges in plea agreements that will require them to serve jail terms. 5 years ago: Wisconsin launches a program to collect...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer's report on energy policy)(New York governor Eliot Spitzer efforts to step up recycling)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Medicine Taking Time: In a sharply worded op-ed piece published last week, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer delivered a tough appraisal of our nation's energy policy. He provided some stark statistics...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)(Sierra Club; American Solar Energy Society; NASA climatologist James Hansen's report on energy management)(heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers compliance with federal emission standards)(Super Bowl XLI's powered by renewable energy)
February 5, 2007... Energy Sierra Club offers climate roadmap One of the nation's pre-eminent climate scientists and two nongovernmental organizations unveiled a plan in Washington Jan. 31 to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions using only energy...

New Products.(J.J. Keller & Associates Inc. introduce Keller-Soft Hazwaste Manifest Manager software)(East Manufacturing Corp. introduces Genesis tipping platform transfer trailer)(Racine Federated Inc. introduces air test stand )
February 5, 2007... ENVIROSIGHT has announced a new accessory kit for its QuickView zoom inspection camera. The Wide-Angle Inspection Kit consists of a wide-angle lens and lamp diffuser and replaces the front cap of the QuickView, doubling the camera's field of...

Indiana nixes WTE as 'recycling'.(News)(waste-to-energy technologies)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The Indiana legislature has settled recycling advocates' fear, for the most part, that the state would change its definition of recycling to include new waste-to-energy technologies. State Senate Bill 154, proposed...

Toyota not satisfied with HQ's landfill avoidance.(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.'s waste management at its head quarters)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson On any given workday, some 5,000 people work, visit and do business at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.'s 130-acre headquarters in Torrance, Calif. With 15 buildings covering about 2 million square feet, the campus...

Views mixed on import of Bush's nod to warming.(News)(Column)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan George Washington's first State of the Union address rang in at 833 words. Thomas Jefferson, arguing that the ceremony reeked of the British monarchy, mailed in his 1801 speech. But ever since Woodrow Wilson...

Report: Some banks, retailers lag in communicating climate risks.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Low emitters such as banks, retailers and insurance and telecommunication companies are doing an exceptionally poor job of informing investors about the financial risks of global warming. That's the word from...

Hazy skies; New Calif. law spurs uncertainty.(News)(California's new greenhouse gas law)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman California's new greenhouse gas law is causing a good deal of economic uncertainty in the state. How the state implements its recently enacted law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions threatens to delay business...

C&D outlook mixed.(News)(construction and demolition)(Conference news)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson There's one thing that construction material recyclers can't do their jobs without. Construction. "We know what drives our business - and that's the construction industry,'' said William Turley, executive...

C&D emerging on govt. radar screens.(News)(Construction and demolition)(Construction Materials Recycling Association's William Turley on regulatory compliance)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Construction and demolition debris used to be the hidden waste stream, with not much attention from regulators and legislators. But times have changed, said the head of the Construction Materials Recycling Association....

Brownfield recycling gaining ground.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Interest in combining recycling with brownfield remediation work is a growing trend, said a federal official who works to promote rehabilitation of these contaminated properties. Brownfield redevelopment, up until...

China factor spurs Abitibi-Bowater merger.(News)(Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.)(Bowater Inc.)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson China's appetite for recycled fiber helped push Bowater Inc. and Abitibi-Consolidated into a marriage as the two newsprint giants look to cut costs. Bowater is a huge consumer of recycled fiber, about 1.5 million...

Are carbon caps around the corner? Corporate interests, political landscape may never be closer.
February 5, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Mandatory greenhouse gas regulations may have better than an outside chance of passing before the Bush administration leaves office - really. A confluence of events could fast-track adoption of mandatory federal...

Veolia to operate Florida WTE plant.(News)(Veolia Environnement S.A.)(Waste-to-Energy)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Rather than lamenting the loss of a large contract, Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. is looking forward to the future. The Waste Management Inc. division was beaten out by competitor Veolia ES Waste-to-Energy Inc. to...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Briefs)(waste mangament legislation and regulation)
February 5, 2007... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Alaska: House Bill 56 establishes the Hydrogen Energy Partnership in the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development and requires the department commissioner to seek public and private...

San Francisco backs new bag plan.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Mike Verespej Plastics News The fight over plastic bags in San Francisco is far from over. Despite a 2006 state law that prohibits cities from banning or taxing plastic supermarket bags, San Francisco has crafted an ordinance...

Coming Events.(Calendar)
February 5, 2007... Feb. 7-9 - Joint Southeast Regional Conference, Nashville, Tenn. Contact Jerry Hawk (678) 794-1909 or visit www.serdc.org. Feb. 13-14 - Plastics Recycling 2007: North American Plastics Recycling Conference, Dallas. Contact Cara Bergeson...

At Deadline.(Late News)(report on Global warming)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s environmental policy)(laws prohibiting use of Incandescent lamps)
February 5, 2007... UN report supports human link to GHG Man-made emissions of greenhouse gases are very likely the primary cause of global warming, and, regardless of actions taken today, the warming trend will continue through this century, according to an...

Wis. firm puts recycled glass to many uses.(Glass Plus)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst A Wisconsin man on a mission to find a new blasting material to use in his painting business ended up finding that and more from one familiar and readily available resource: recycled glass. Brian Arnott, of...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)(CrownBrook Capital Group)(Debco Plastics Inc.)
February 5, 2007... Biosolids Carlyle to buy Synagro for $772M The Carlyle Group will acquire the outstanding shares of Synagro Technologies Inc., an organic waste processor, in a deal worth $772 million. The deal includes Carlyle's assumption of...

Casella faces possible closure of Mass. landfill.(News)(Casella Waste Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Casella Waste Systems Inc. is facing the possible closure of the company's Hardwick, Mass., landfill after a zoning amendment failed to gain enough support of town voters. The company needed two-thirds support in a...

Wal-Mart to expand green-store strategy.(News)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to open a series of energy-efficient stores based on successful experiments in Colorado and Texas. Wal-Mart opened its first high-efficiency location Jan. 19 in Kansas City. The store will...

Metaldyne CEO: Our leaders are running on empty.(News)(Metaldyne CEO Tim Leuliette on energy policy)(usage of Lithium batteries for diesel engine cars)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Richard Truett Automotive News Metaldyne CEO Tim Leuliette rocked the Automotive News World Congress this month with a fiery speech that lambasted both political parties for failing to develop a national energy policy after the oil...

Warming to warming.(Viewpoint essay)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat I've been noticing lately that everything's contributing to global warming. And everybody's talking about it. President Bush acknowledged it in his State of the Union address, and his energy proposals like...

U.S. lags behind in plastics recycling.(Viewpoint essay)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Nina Ying Sun A friend who recently relocated from Los Angeles to Tokyo called a few days ago, surprisingly, about plastics. It seems the trash she put out was not accepted by the waste management company because it wasn't...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
February 5, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

Pass Go, collect $200.(At Your Disposal)(University of Delaware's William Mitchell )(Interview)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Brennan Lafferty JUMP INFORMATION APPENDED FROM FILE S:\NEWSVIEW\NV\DAYS\02052007\02050031.NVP William Mitchell is still teaching. Retired from the University of Delaware, the former plant and soil science professor has...

Mass. joins greenhouse fight.(News)(Massachusetts)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Eight states now have committed to fight global warming, as Massachusetts signed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The state pledged Jan. 18 to reduce their emissions of gases suspected of contributing to...

Market for plug-in hybrids could jump with aid of Bush order.(News)(preference for green design in government purchasing)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Bush administration hopes the federal government can encourage development and adoption of new green technologies by requiring federal agencies to support them. President Bush signed an executive order Jan....

Scientists depict the White House as manipulator of climate reports.(News)
February 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Federal government scientists have had their research papers edited by political appointees to suppress or water down their findings concerning global warming, according to several witnesses who testified before a...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
February 19, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

Baltimore veteran takes the wheel; Simmons to press for improvements in urban areas and schools.(recycling coordinator Tonya Simmons)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Baltimore's new recycling coordinator is jumping in with both feet, and she's not in the shallow end of the pool. Tonya Simmons, who officially took over as recycling coordinator Feb. 2, faces the same challenges as...

The hard road back; Illinois hauling business rebuilds after devastating fire.(Jay Ipema)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Jay Ipema felt like someone was dying as he watched his family business burn. But the third-generation trash man is back to work, along with this brother and father, taking one day at a time as they slowly rebuild...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Briefs)(waste water legislation)
February 19, 2007... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Indiana: House Bill 1281 requires governmental bodies and state educational institutions to purchase biobased products under certain circumstances and establishes the Indiana biobased products advisory...

Inbox.(Stephen Johnson, Barbara Boxer)(Trash Museum Trumps Sex Shop)(Brief article)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach When the Democrats swept to victory in the congressional election last November, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson could have been forgiven if he felt like crawling under a rock. And at a recent Senate Environment...

Energy budget gets mixed reviews.
February 19, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Companies developing and promoting several forms of clean, alternative energy welcome the additional funds President Bush has proposed for that sector. However, those same businesses say the president's 2008...

U.N. climate report stirs liability fears.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Roberto Ceniceros Business Insurance The publication of a U.N. report this month linking human activity to global warming won't be enough to cause immediate liability problems for industrial companies, but it does increase the...

San Francisco disputes claims.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Mike Verespej Plastics News Don't expect the controversy in San Francisco over plastic checkout bags and the effort to mandate compostable bags to end any time soon, as the acrimonious discord and the lack of direct communication...

At Deadline.(Al Gore launched Save Our Selves - The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis)(General Electric Co. to invest for electric power generation)(Brief article)
February 19, 2007... Gore plans to rock global climate change Former Vice President Al Gore, along with a host of celebrities, has launched an effort to raise climate change awareness that will include music concerts on all seven continents. Save Our...

Hey readers!(News)
February 19, 2007... Has your company implemented a specific environmental project that has saved money at one facility or benefited your entire operation? If so, we'd like to know. On March 19, Waste News will publish a new special report, "25 Ways to be...

Senate battle looms over funds for oil, renewables.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan It's no wonder some Congress-watchers are complaining of whiplash. Barely two weeks into its 110th session, the U.S. House of Representatives snapped into action by passing legislation to direct $14 billion away...

Waste Industry Briefs.(National Solid Wastes Management Association)(Covanta Holding Corp. to buy out Chongqing Sanfeng Environmental Industry Co. Ltd.)(Waste Connections Inc.)
February 19, 2007... Solid Waste Trade group stands against House bill A trade association representing the solid waste industry is opposing a House bill that would change the way unions can organize a workplace. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.,...

Texas utility rejects message in media blitz.(TXU Corp.)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Mystery, insults and conspiracy theories have pushed the battle between a Texas utility and environmentalists opposing its plan to build additional coal-fired units to another level. TXU Corp. is calling for...

Ethanol: More than meets the eye.(Opinion)
February 19, 2007... Byline: David Sedgwick Automotive News President Bush's plan to promote ethanol use reminds me of his idea to build a space station on the moon: Both proposals are grandiose, neither comes with a price tag, and both might well end up as...

Credit car; Bank of America paying workers who buy hybrids.(News)(Brief article)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Bank of America is expanding a program to reimburse employees $3,000 when they purchase a new hybrid vehicle. The Charlotte, N.C.-based banking company said the program is now open to more than 185,000 bank workers...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Novelis Inc. sold to Hindalco Industries Ltd.)(Richard Branson and Al Gore offering prize for developing technology to tackle pollution)(Environmental Protection Agency)
February 19, 2007... Beverage Containers Novelis sold to India firm for $6 billion An Indian multinational conglomerate plans to buy Atlanta-based Novelis Inc., one the largest U.S. recycled aluminum can consumers, for $6 billion in cash and debt...

Short changed; EPA funding too little, some say.
February 19, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan No doubt the $2.9 trillion federal budget proposed by President Bush already faces substantial tweaking by a Democrat-dominated House and Senate. Conservation-minded groups are asking senators and...

Line forms to criticize Energy budget.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan As expected, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will expend significant political capital reinventing the rough draft of the $24.3 billion funding request for the Energy Department in fiscal year 2008. One...

Schools learning green building lesson; Report pegs education as fastest growing sector.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson At an estimated $53 billion this year, educational construction is the largest building segment in the country, a new study indicates. And it's also the fastest growing market for green, or environmentally friendly,...

Beschen wants to share vision; GreenDisk president offers recycled computers to poor for $100.(News)(David Beschen )
February 19, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Rebuild it and they will come. That's the mantra motivating green guru David Beschen on his quest to bridge the digital divide by offering $100 recycled computer packages to children and senior citizens in...

Senate committee grills EPA's chief.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency, Stephen Johnson)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency found himself in the hot seat when he appeared for the first time before a Democrat-controlled Senate Environment Committee. Committee Chairwoman Barbara...

Texas-style slinging just as big and bad.(Environmental Defense raising concern over TXU Corp.)(Brief article)
February 19, 2007... An ugly and bizarre battle is playing out in Texas. Like mudslinging political campaigns, it's ultimately the public that stands to be the big loser. Environmental Defense is opposing TXU Corp.'s plan to build additional coal-fired power...

Republic hopes split will lead to investment.(News)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Republic Services Inc. expects an upcoming stock split will increase liquidity, making the firm more attractive to big and small investors alike. A 3-for-2 split in March will increase the company's number of...

Editors' guide: It's a recycling survey, not a ranking.(Editorial)
February 19, 2007... Here's some (hopefully) helpful advice from the editors at Waste News: Be careful when comparing one city's recycling rate to another city's rate. The purpose of our eighth annual Municipal Recycling Survey is to illustrate what major...

Unconventional brewery pours over strategies; Brothers push sustainability in Cleveland.(Pat Conway and Dan Conway of Great Lakes Brewing Co.)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat Green beer isn't a St. Patrick's Day gimmick at Great Lakes Brewing Co. The popular Cleveland microbrewery and restaurant weighs environmental concerns heavily in most of the decisions it makes. Brewing grains are...

Recycling rates, logic don't equate.(Column)
February 19, 2007... Our latest Municipal Recycling Survey in some cases confirms logical assumptions about recycling and public support. In other cases, logic takes a holiday - or at least is not easily accounted for. City recycling budgets, when given for...

IESI expands as Flood blasts cap; Allied Waste sells some NYC commercial assets.(News)(IESI Corp.)(Allied Waste Industries Inc.)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson IESI Corp.'s leader is using the acquisition of a portion of Allied Waste Industries Inc.'s commercial hauling operations in New York City as a way to call attention to what he believes is an unfair pricing system in...

With this offset, I thee wed; Green weddings become popular way to tie the knot.(At Your Disposal)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini White weddings be damned! Green is en vogue this season. Eco-friendly nuptials are gaining popularity as couples increasingly avoid taking their first big step at the expense of the Earth's resources. And they aren't...

Attractive, alluring money.(Opinion)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat The push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions keeps growing. More businesses, which directly control those emissions, are getting on board. But the other, perhaps even more complex question that goes along with...

Oregon joins West Coast movement on GHG.(greenhouse gas)
February 19, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Washington is joining its Pacific Coast neighbors California and Oregon in establishing greenhouse gas reduction targets. Gov. Christine Gregoire signed an executive order Feb. 7 that sets specific goals for...

NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY.(Products)
February 19, 2007... PRESSURE SYSTEMS INC. has introduced an antifouling transducer with a wide non-stick sensing area. The Series 705 submersible level transducer provides reliable depth measurement under adverse conditions, making it suitable for viscous...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
February 19, 2007... 10 years ago: WMX Technologies Inc.'s largest investor calls for the ouster of CEO Phillip Rooney as an ongoing dispute between the trash giant and its dissident shareholders flares into open warfare. 5 years ago: New York Mayor Michael...