Waste News articles from January 2002

Waste News archives from January 2002

Pa. mobilizes to halt dumping in parks.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Harrisburg, Pa. - With 80,000 acres covering portions of four counties, the Delaware State Forest in eastern Pennsylvania is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. But its vast acreage also attracts those who illegally dump. With 16 illegal...

Editor's View: Half-full looking glass.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Is there anyone who's not glad to see 2001 end? It was a year when we all suffered national, personal and/or economic pain. 2002 has to be better, right? Well, there's more opinions on that than Alan Greenspan has interest rate cuts. A lot...

USPL sells environmental division.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Boca Raton, Fla. - U.S. Plastic Lumber Corp., which makes decking products from recycled plastic, is selling its environmental services and recycling division for about $50 million and stock options. The move will reduce debt and help the...

NYC hauler accepts lifetime ban.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... New York - The owners of Staten Island's largest private waste hauler last week agreed to a lifetime ban from the industry as part of a guilty plea involving income tax evasion, federal and city officials said. Charles Manzo and Donald...

Income down, paper firms warn.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Austell, Ga.- Recycled packaging company Caraustar Inc. said it expects to report a loss of between 14 and 18 cents per share for the fourth quarter. The Austell-based company came out with the guidance as an analysts' consensus estimated...

Brownfields bill awaits Bush's OK ; Polluted sites would nab funds.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Washington - During the waning days of 2001, Congress passed a $250 million bill to reform brownfields legislation, which will assist states in cleaning up polluted industrial sites. The Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental...

A Look Back.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Five years ago: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rescinds a 20-year-old guideline that required the federal government to impose refundable deposits on beverage containers used in federal facilities. A year ago: Waste Systems...

161 firms to fund cleanup.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Monterey Park, Calif. - More than 160 companies will pay $340 million to help clean up a landfill Superfund site that has been the subject of nearly two decades of remediation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice...

In Brief.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Six face charges in Indiana theft case Ashley, Ind. - Indiana police have arrested six people connected to an organized theft ring that has stolen thousands of dollars from the Northeast Indiana Solid Waste Management District. Police...

Carpet coalition sets diversion goal.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The numbers are staggering. Of the 4.7 billion pounds of carpeting discarded each year in this country, 96 percent ends up in landfills. But a new group of industry, recycling and government officials are pushing to boost the current...

Scrap HDPE markets slide.(high density polyethylene)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Suffering virgin resin prices continue to put downward pressure on recovered high-density polyethylene prices. Scrap HDPE markets took a hit in December as recyclers in most parts of the country saw a significant drop, especially for...

Coming Events.
January 7, 2002... North America Jan. 13-16 - National Recycling Coalition Annual Congress & Exposition, Seattle. Call (703) 683-9025. Jan. 14-15 - U.S. Water & Wastewater Annual Conference, Washington. Contact Luci Santillo (781) 939-2412. Jan....

2001 forecast report card.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... It's no surprise that the predictions industry experts offered a year ago didn't include anything about terrorists attacking America and sucker-punching the already-weakened U.S. economy. But it is suprising that despite all that happened in...

Nation could follow lead of Hawaii.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sightings of the ever-elusive bottle bill could increase next year. New York was the last state to pass a bottle bill, and that was 20 years ago. But 2002 could see a revival of bottle bill legislation, possibly even talks on Capitol Hill...

Outlooks differ on electronics initiative ; States may play important part if manufacturers, environmentalists can't resolve issue.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... One thing is for sure - the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative will meet for the last time in September. But what fruit the yearlong effort will bear is a matter of debate. ``We realize we can't get everything we want...

Ohio county subs tire chips for gravel.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Springfield, Ohio - Two years ago the people of Clark County, Ohio, needed help. Scrap tire piles at area farms and local auto salvage yards were becoming a nuisance. The county health department worried about mosquitoes, and safety...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
January 7, 2002... * A story on Page 3 of the Dec. 24 issue misspelled the name of Michigan's lieutenant governor, Dick Posthumus. * A story on Page 1 of the Dec. 10 issue should have said Recovery Technologies Group Inc. has produced 40 million pounds of...

Nev. county regs worry recyclers ; Republic praises Clark County move.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Las Vegas - Clark County passed new regulations last month to tighten its control over solid waste management, but the move will hurt Nevada's already dismal recycling rate, recyclers said. Clark County health officials approved two...

Medwaste group rejects standard.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Washington - The Medical Waste Institute is squaring off with Underwriters Laboratories Inc., a nonprofit product safety testing and certification organization. The institute passed a resolution in November opposing UL's effort to develop...

Idaho company sells waste brokerage unit.(Chase Environmental Group Inc. buys from American Ecology Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Boise, Idaho - American Ecology Corp. has sold its Oak Ridge, Tenn., radioactive waste brokerage firm to focus on its core waste processing and disposal services. American Ecology completed the sale to Chase Environmental Group Inc. of...

Waste industry will feel pricing pinch.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The solid waste industry, despite its reputation for being recession-resistant and its relative strength compared to other sectors, could face additional pricing pressure in 2002. ``Overall, I think it's pretty positive, as there is always...

Editorial: Quarter billion drop in bucket.(Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 7, 2002... Take a drive around any city in the U.S. You won't have to go far to encounter the sad blight of brownfields. Usually we steer past without looking at the barbed-wire-encircled compounds left to wear away under the elements. Many of us, when we...

Editorial: Proof will be in the piling.(carpet industry to increase landfill diversion)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 7, 2002... The carpet industry has taken an excellent first step in trying to put its product to better use. It should be an example to other industries on how to approach waste management proactively. The carpet industry has created an organization,...

What more can computer makers do to recycle their products?(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Take them back! - Stephan Pollard, Researcher, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. Take full responsibility for the life cycle of their products, including financial responsibility at the end of a product's life; redesign products...

Market revival to boost waste generation.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... An increase in waste generation this year will be most noticeable in the manufacturing sector as the economy pulls itself out of the recession and ramps up production, one economist believes. ``The recession will end. There should be no...

Cleaning the pool ; Group helps college remove computers.(Institution Recycling Network helps Massachusetts Bay Community College)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2002... Concord, N.H. - Talk about diving into a project. The Institution Recycling Network recently helped Massachusetts Bay Community College in Framingham, Mass., remove hundreds of computers and scrap electronics from a 20,000-sq.-ft. swimming...

Will they or won't they? ; U.S. Supreme Court to decide soon whether it will consider New York flow control case.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Washington - Waste haulers, waste generators and local governments around the country will keep a close eye on whether the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal of a case that could dramatically affect flow control and the interpretation...

Do-it-yourself section ; Cleveland area libraries reduce waste, disposal costs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2002... Cleveland - Since being launched 10 years ago, recycling at the Cuyahoga County Public Library has grown by more than a hundredfold. The benefits of diverting more than a half million pounds from the waste stream to recycling go beyond...

Second half may provide lift for paper.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Generation of recycled paper in 2002 is expected to remain flat compared to the amount collected this year. And prices should remain about the same before experiencing a moderate increase during the third and fourth quarters, said William...

Congress to consider issues old and new ; LFG tax credits, brownfields among bills to be debated.(landfill gas credits)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Washington - Congress will take up some familiar waste-related issues when it returns in 2002, including landfill gas tax credits and measures dealing with interstate and international waste shipments, as well as a newer issue - whether...

Letters.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Post-recycling options The opinion piece in the Nov. 26 issue [``Counterpoint: The realities of WTE,'' by Neil Seldman and Brenda Pratt, Page 9] is an example of broad-brush misinformation that retards the advance and development of solid...

New Products & Technology.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Digital designing aids landfill plans Austin, Texas - Fake greenery and 1/8-inch figures of people remain a staple of landfill design and mock-ups, but an Austin-based company is using a new technique to give a more realistic view of land...

Supplier News.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... N.C. recycler resolves lawsuit Hendersonville, N.C. - Quality Recycling, of Hendersonville, and BOA Machinefabriek BV of Enchede, the Netherlands, have settled a lawsuit between them. The terms of settlement were not released, but they...

Federal judge rules dispute over Wis. fee is state issue.
January 21, 2002... Madison, Wis. - A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Wisconsin's new recycling fee has been thrown out by a federal judge who says the case belongs in state court. The National Solid Wastes Management Association, which filed the...

New Products and Technology.
January 21, 2002... LFG&E INTERNATIONAL has introduced the Triton Powerpak 150, a system that collects landfill gas, cleans it, and converts it to energy. The system is designed to consume approximately 50 standard cubic feet per minute of landfill gas at 45...

Waste News Stock Report.
January 21, 2002... Table: see printed publication

Ford says it may sell auto recycling business.
January 21, 2002... Dearborn, Mich. - Ford Motor Co. is considering the sale of noncore businesses, including a chain of automotive recycling centers in the United States and Canada. GreenLeaf LLC started in 1999 when the Ford business unit acquired its first...

Wasatch looks to future as state mulls penalty.
January 21, 2002... Layton, Utah - A Utah waste-to-energy plant is poised to put its problems behind it and look to the future. Wasatch Energy Systems has received several citations for emissions violations since it began operating the Layton incinerator in...

Utilities repair gas plant damage.
January 21, 2002... Oak Park, Ill. - Work is under way to clean up a suburban Chicago park where soil is contaminated from the byproducts of an old gas plant that once occupied the site. The remediation project, which began in August, calls for removal of the...

Cans leave some high, low.
January 21, 2002... Used beverage can prices are up in some places and down in others, leaving recyclers even more confused about the market. In Atlanta, the price for scrap aluminum cans jumped to an average of 33 cents per pound for loose quantities of more...

Businesses near polluted sites may benefit from bill signing.
January 21, 2002... Conshohocken, Pa. - President Bush signed the brownfields reform bill into law Jan. 11 during a visit to a cleaned-up former industrial site in Pennsylvania. The bill authorizes the federal government to grant as much as $250 million per...

Nev. governor balks at nuclear waste plan.
January 21, 2002... Washington - Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham will recommend the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada to President Bush as a future nuclear waste dump, but the state plans to fight the issue on Capitol Hill and in the courts. Abraham notified...

Idaho firm's wand slices, drills, blasts paint.
January 21, 2002... Idaho Falls, Idaho - The manufacturer of a new cutting tool boasts that it can slice sides of beef, blast paint from metal and remove solids that settle in the bottom of plutonium processing tanks. Bladeless and leaving no liquid or...

Holding pattern ; Judge stops Whitman's plan to move ombudsman from EPA's office.
January 21, 2002... Washington - A federal judge has halted, at least temporarily, plans by the Bush administration to transfer Environmental Protection Agency National Ombudsman Robert Martin to another office - a plan that drew criticism from government...

Working conditions to improve for Ala. prisoners.
January 21, 2002... Elmore, Ala. - Alabama prison officials have settled a lawsuit filed by inmates who work in a recycling operation adjacent to the Elmore Correctional Facility. The prisoners claim in their lawsuit that they were forced to labor under...

N.J. zeroes in on mercury ; State initiates broad plan to reduce levels of hazardous metal in water, air.
January 21, 2002... Trenton, N.J. - A New Jersey task force has identified the steel and iron industries as the largest sources of mercury pollution in the state, and the state Department of Environmental Protection has unveiled a program to reduce the amount of...

Paper deal falls through.
January 21, 2002... Deerfield, Ill. - A proposed $841 million takeover of Gaylord Container Corp. has collapsed after Temple-Inland Inc. could not attract enough support from shareholders. The deal, struck in September, involved the assumption of debt and the...

Supreme denial ; High Court declines to hear flow control cases.
January 21, 2002... Washington - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear two cases in which solid waste haulers challenged a local solid waste district's flow control policies. As a result of the high court's Jan. 7 decision not to hear the cases, both...

NYC program aims to curb trash truck emissions.
January 21, 2002... New York - A pilot program is under way to see how much air pollution can be cut from New York City trash trucks. The city Department of Sanitation is equipping four of its collection vehicles with special pollution control equipment with...

3 generators score in Seattle promotion.
January 21, 2002... WHAT A BUNCH OF CHARACTERS: Seattle's public utilities department made a promotional splash Jan. 6 during the Seahawks' game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle's Husky Stadium. On hand to help out was this motley troupe of sneaker-shod...

Ohio airport flies with reduction plan.
January 21, 2002... Columbus, Ohio - Thirteen million people walk through the terminal building at the Port Columbus International Airport each year, so there are 13 million potential chances to keep trash out of the nearby Franklin County Sanitary landfill in...

Synagro, family reach deal on biosolids suit.
January 21, 2002... Houston - Synagro Technologies Inc. has settled a three-year-old lawsuit that alleged the land application of biosolids caused the death of a man in Greenland, N.H. As a part of the settlement, the plaintiffs stated that the science they...

A Look Back.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... 1959: The American Society of Civil Engineers publishes a standard guide to sanitary landfilling. Five years ago: Police are called in to defuse a tense labor dispute at scrap metal recycler Hugo Neu-Proler Co.'s Terminal Island facility...

In Brief.
January 21, 2002... Illinois county rejects yard waste plan Peoria, Ill. - The Peoria County board sided with environmentalists and voted 11-7 against asking the state Legislature for permission to return yard waste to the county landfill as part of a...

Editor's View: NRC's banana-peel polka.(National Recycling Coalition)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 21, 2002... The National Recycling Coalition isn't your typical business association. The group advocates better use of the world's resources and improving the environment rather than promoting a particular industry. Its members tend to be well-meaning,...

Krebs stays put as other issues swirl.(Kate Krebs of the National Recycling Coalition)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Seattle - The National Recycling Coalition has halted its search for an executive director adding to questions from its membership about uncertainty regarding its focus, leadership and future. In the meantime, the group is looking to...

Mixed review ; Attendance dip doesn't dampen people's spirits.(National Recycling Coalition)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Seattle - Despite a last-minute postponement, the turnout for National Recycling Coalition's annual convention, held Jan. 14-16 in Seattle, was a pleasant surprise for many attendees as well as the organizers. ``I think it's pretty...

EPA awards brownfields grants in 9 states, D.C.(United States. Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Washington - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2 million in grants to provide environmental job training at brownfield sites in nine states and in the District of Columbia. The job training grants amount to $200,000 each...

Bottle report meets resistance.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Seattle - A long-awaited report that takes a snapshot of the cost and effectiveness of U.S. beverage container recovery programs has drawn serious fire from the soft drink industry. Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling...

High Court lets the gates open.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Depending on your perspective, the U.S. Supreme Court this month has either opened a Pandora's box or unearthed a goldmine of opportunity for the public sector of waste management. Either way, the Jan. 7 decisions by the high court not to...

Have an opinion?(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Waste News welcomes letters and opinion pieces from readers. Letters intended for publication must be signed and contain a phone number for verification. Send letters by mail to Editor, Waste News, 1725 Merriman Road, Suite 300, Akron, OH...

Clarification.(American Hospitals Association)(Correction Notice)
January 21, 2002... The news timeline beginning on Page 10 of the Dec. 24 issue should have said the American Hospitals Association reinstated a memorandum of understanding with the Environmental Protection Agency on July 24, 2001, to proceed with the Hospitals...

Philip to close hazardous waste plant.(Philip Services Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Seattle - Philip Services Corp. has reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to close a Seattle hazardous waste transfer and treatment plant eight years before its operating permit expires in 2011, the EPA said Jan....

Carpet stakeholders sign landmark pact ; Groups set goal of recycling 40% of waste by 2012.(The National Carpet Recycling Agreement)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Atlanta - Today's living room carpeting could someday be part of a car or a beverage bottle. At least that's the goal of a new nationwide recycling initiative being pushed on several fronts. Stakeholders from industry, government and...

Temperature rises in N.J.(New Jersey's plan to reduce mercury pollution)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... The state of New Jersey has developed a plan to reduce mercury pollution in the state. Not surprisingly, generators are being cautious and don't want the state to go too far, while environmentalists argue that the state isn't going far enough....

N.J. firm facing deadline.(Columbia Terminals Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Kearny, N.J. - A New Jersey company hit with $1.3 million in environmental fines faces a March deadline to meet state requirements to clean up hazardous waste contamination. Columbia Terminals Inc. and its owner, Stephen Fiverson, pleaded...

Calendar.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... North America Feb. 6-8 - CERCLA Orientation & Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Satellite/Web Broadcast. Call (865) 694-9826. Feb. 13-14 - Global Plastics Environmental Conference, Detroit. Contact Larry Koester (402) 861-9524...

Treaty at Salt Lake ; Environmentalists hail new Olympics recycling plan.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Salt Lake City - Olympic organizers have satisfied environmentalists who had voiced concerns about how thousands of tons of waste will be handled at the upcoming Winter Games. Spectator areas will feature a two-bin collection system, one...

N.Y. county re-establishes flow control.(Madison County, New York)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Wampsville, N.Y. - Madison County, N.Y., officials voted Jan. 8, one day after the Supreme Court refused to hear the United Haulers case, to reinstate flow control. ``Madison County's Solid Waste and Recycling Committee monitored the...

NYC cleanup workers attain milestone.(New York, New York)(World Trade Center)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... New York - More than 1 million tons of debris has now been removed from the World Trade Center site as excavation work continues unabated. City officials have bumped up the estimated total amount of waste created by the Twin Towers'...

Letters.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Spread the burden On behalf of one of the electronics recycling industry stakeholders, I must convey our disagreement with the position regarding manufacturers' responsibility regarding the recycling of electronics. It is the International...