Waste News articles from January 2005

Waste News archives from January 2005

Va. landfill operator, authority clash over rates.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Roger Renstrom Preferential construction and demolition debris rates of a regional public agency in Virginia have raised the ire of a competing landfill operator. The Southeastern Public Service Authority and entrepreneur John...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
January 3, 2005... Landfills Problems at Wis. site to cost Republic Republic Services Inc. will pay nearly a half million dollars to resolve alleged environmental problems at its Kestrel Hawk landfill in Racine, Wis., according to the Wisconsin...

Waste News Pricing Report.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... (With graph: Corrugated containers): MARKING UP THE LEDGER: Some domestic mills are shelling out an extra $10 to $20 per ton for sorted white ledger as demand for the grade is increasing. Sorted office paper markets have steadied after price...

Ore. distributor exports power.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini All the family-owned Pepsi-Cola distributor planned to do was update its lighting system, but it ended up installing the Northwest's largest solar electric system. Pepsi-Cola of Klamath Falls, Ore., now generates 172...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
January 3, 2005... Renewable Energy EPA to use green energy at N.C. facility The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed its largest green power purchase to date, the agency said Dec. 22. The EPA finalized a three-year contract with Unicoi...

WM greenlights deal with NASCAR.(Waste Management Inc)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson One gets about 2.8 miles per gallon. The other gets about 4 miles per gallon. Both are painted green, gold and white and sport the familiar Waste Management Inc. logo, but the comparisons can stop any time now. ...

Inspired by necessity.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... As we've written often in recent years, recycling is struggling. With the economic slump of the past few years, major cities have eliminated or curtailed their programs. Finding ways to jump-start recycling in this climate requires some...

Wash. firm reuses lumber creatively.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Scott Royer doesn't need much prompting to start talking passionately about old wood. Where others see trash or fuel, Royer sees floors and trim and butcher block. These days, Royer is sitting on hundreds of...

Bush admin. to push new air rules.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman President Bush and Congress plan on tackling air pollution issues early in the new year - considering multipollutant legislation and possibly carbon dioxide caps. Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
January 3, 2005... North America Jan. 10-13 - ProMat 2005, sponsored by the Material Handling Industry of America, Chicago. Call (704) 676-1190 or visit www.promat2005.org. Jan. 20-23 - Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Operations Forum, San...

WTE enjoys surge; Tax credit has industry experts optimistic.(News)(Waste to energy)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Renewable energy tax credits, calls to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and global warming concerns could begin revitalizing the waste-to-energy industry. "It's a fun time for the industry right now,''...

Factions join to fight foreign restrictions.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Scrap steel markets should continue to blossom for the foreseeable future, which has end-users concerned that could slow the recovery of their industries. For the last 18 months or so, prices for scrap have been...

Bigger bills in store for some; Solid waste giants to increase prices; little change in other waste sectors.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson The coming year has different things in store for solid, hazardous and biosolids waste management. In the solid waste field, trash bills for waste generators in several unspecified geographic markets face...

Philly offers recycling carrot.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Philadelphia is paying off its residents to pump up participation in its curbside recycling program. The city's Department of Streets will begin distributing 36-gallon recycling bins to 6,000 households Jan. 17 as...

Toyota on tear; Carmaker sets lofty recycling goal for 2015 after nearing diversion mark.(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Toyota wants to recycle 95 percent of the material in its North American-made vehicles by 2015 and has made a commitment to phase out the use of so-called substances of concern such as mercury and lead. A typical...

Alcan joins 72 other firms in cleaning Superfund site.(News)(Alcan Aluminum Corp)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Alcan Aluminum Corp., a division of Alcan Inc., has agreed to pay up to $1.76 million to help clean up the Tri-Cities Barrel Superfund site in Fenton, N.Y. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental...

Calif. earthquake debris heading for landfill.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson An abandoned mountain of demolition debris that has been towering over a Huntington Park, Calif., neighborhood for a decade is finally being removed. An estimated 84,000 cubic yards of both processed and unprocessed...

A Look Back.(News)
January 3, 2005... 1902: A survey of 160 cities by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds that 79 percent of them provide regular collection of refuse. Five years ago: A lawsuit filed by Waste Management Inc. that claims it vastly overpaid for its...

Paper industry outlook looks favorable; Cardboard, newspaper collectors should benefit most.(News)
January 3, 2005... There's more money to be made in recycled paper in 2005, both for the generators and processors, an industry expert predicts. A fairly steady 2004 will give way to some early increases in 2005 for both old corrugated containers - cardboard...

WN editor promoted.(News)(Pete Fehrenbach )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Waste News has promoted Pete Fehrenbach to assistant managing editor. Fehrenbach has been senior editor since joining the publication in 1999. In his new position he'll have more editorial management responsibilities, as well as managing...

20 states fail on air quality regulations.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini The federal government told 20 governors last month that parts of their states failed to meet the nation's first air quality standards for fine particles. All or part of 224 counties nationwide, and the District of...

Office Depot opens its doors to recycling; Stores to serve as collection points for cell phones, batteries.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Office Depot Inc. has started recycling wireless phones and rechargeable batteries free of charge at all of its North American locations. The Delray Beach, Fla., office supply company has partnered with the...

Yogurt maker gets handle on recycling partnership; Duo recycles 1 millionth plastic cup into razor, toothbrush.(News)(Recycline Inc.)(Stonyfield Farm Inc.)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Here's a twist on dental advice to brush after eating. Organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm's partnership with Recycline Inc. to recycle used polypropylene yogurt cups into handles for new toothbrushes and razors...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
January 3, 2005... INSIGHT USA has introduced the StreetEagle Advanced Vehicle Tracking System. The system provides specific reports and management analysis tools as well as advanced utilities to monitor unsafe driving habits, excessive idling, unapproved...

Groups debate merits of container study; Coalition: Reusable plastic containers better than paper for environment.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Paper or plastic, ma'am? A new study commissioned by a group promoting reusable plastic shipping containers claims an environmental advantage with their products compared with the use of cardboard boxes. But a...

Californians respond to offer of more cash; State sees surge in container recycling rate.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini California's efforts to boost its sagging container recycling rate appear to be working. The state's container recycling rate surged during the first half of the year as residents redeemed more bottles and cans than...

WMI sponsorships boost diversity.(News)(Waste Management Inc)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Part of Waste Management Inc.'s growing involvement with NASCAR is aimed at promoting diversity in the sport. Waste Management is sponsoring driver Bill Lester as he drives in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in...

Ohio grocer gains green certification.(News)(Giant Eagle Inc.)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson An Ohio supermarket is the first in the nation certified as a green building by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Giant Eagle Inc.'s new 80,000-sq.-ft. store in...

A wacky new year.(Opinion)(Calendar)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat It's a new year, and that means forecast time. Here's how it'll all unfold. Just don't use the information to go all Martha Stewart on me. JANUARY - President Bush names a long-time senior official at the U.S....

At Deadline.(Late News)
January 3, 2005... Calif. retailers to tack on recycling fees California retailers were scheduled to begin collecting an advanced recycling fee on computer monitors and televisions Jan. 1, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. ...

Personnel.(People)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... DURATEK INC. - Bruce DeMars elected to board of directors and named chairman. ENSR INTERNATIONAL - Luke McKenney named project manager; Anthony Shortt named project scientist; Cecile Donaire-Fleckten named project manager; Geoffrey Smith...

Investors take a liking to green funds.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The popularity of socially responsible investing has been growing for several years, and experts say there are indications it will continue into 2005. Most individuals wanting to invest in companies that adhere...

Experts bullish about '05.(News)(forcasting economy for the environmental services sector in 2005)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Professional forecasters are upbeat about the economy in 2005, which bodes well for the environmental services sector. The National Association for Business Economics panel sees a 3.6 percent increase in gross...

New Products & Technology.(Products )(product notice)
January 17, 2005... ABANAKI CORP. has introduced the Chiperator Chip and Coolant Separation System. The system is designed to bring new life to old coolant. The air-driven Chiperator vacuums and filters old cutting fluids loaded with chips out of machine tool...

Del. crafts aggressive recycling plan.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Delaware is tossing around the idea of starting the nation's first mandatory statewide curbside recycling program. The Delaware Recycling Public Advisory Council submitted a proposal to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and the...

Water contamination study raises questions.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A National Academy of Sciences panel has concluded that humans can safely tolerate exposure to perchlorate at levels higher than a standard being considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However,...

Institute wants to reverse container trend.(News)(American Beverage Institute)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Americans threw away more beverage containers than ever in 2004, according to a recycling advocacy group. The Container Recycling Institute has calculated that U.S. consumers trashed 131 billion plastic, glass and...

'Slow Down' drive marks anniversary.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson A year has passed since an Ohio trash truck driver was killed while on his route, prompting what eventually became a national safety campaign aimed at motorists passing trash trucks. "We are so far ahead of where we...

Rumpke gets OK to expand site.(Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc landfill expansion project)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Almost nine years after a massive landslide of trash threatened the future of one of the nation's largest private trash companies, Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc. has been able to win approval of one of the biggest...

Ohio landfill expansion to benefit host township.(News)(Jim Johnson)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson The expansion of the Rumpke landfill near Cincinnati will mean millions of dollars in host fees for Colerain Township, Ohio, and the creation of a 72-acre light industrial park adjacent to the disposal site. Rumpke...

Mich. PCBs costs Weyerhaeuser.(News)(polychlorinated biphenyl)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson One of the country's largest collectors and users of recycled paper will pay millions of dollars to help clean PCB contamination in Plainwell, Mich., caused by the recycling of carbonless copy paper decades ago. ...

Mixed message; Ore. sees waste generation, recycling rise.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste generation has hit record levels in Oregon, but so has recycling, the state Department of Environmental Quality reports. An annual survey of trash haulers, recyclers and composters shows that Oregon's per...

Catalog increases options; Office Depot's Green Book offers businesses 2,500 choices.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Companies and institutions are getting a bigger dose of green products from at least one office supply company. Office Depot Inc.'s 2005 Green Book catalog offers 2,500 environmentally preferable products, an 84...

Waste News Pricing Report.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... (With graph: Houston recycled aluminum cans): BIG POP: Used beverage cans markets have remained steady and strong for several months, and some areas have seen a recent pop in pricing. The average price for loose aluminum cans delivered to the...

Stripping it down; EPA bids to simplify toxics reporting process.(Environmental Protection Agency)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Nearly 23,000 business and government facilities nationwide should benefit from plans by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would simplify annual reporting requirements used in the agency's Toxics Release...

Arnold's ax.(Opinion)(U.S. state governors environmental proposal)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... California's position as the country's environmental leader may be in jeopardy. That's because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to take his job as reformist quite seriously. The governor this month proposed eliminating almost 100 state...

N.Y. power plants make deal.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Six power plants have reached an agreement with the state of New York that will dramatically cut air pollution in the state. The facilities agreed to reduce their combined annual sulfur dioxide emissions by 123,000...

Waste plant fire cause unknown; Thousands evacuate because of Ark. blaze.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson A fire at a hazardous waste incinerator warehouse caused the evacuation of thousands of residents in a small Arkansas town but did not cause any injuries. Residents living near the Teris LLC site in El Dorado, Ark.,...

Energy bill high on committee's list.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this year plans to tackle issues including passing an energy bill and water legislation, and developing oil resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in...

Correction.
January 17, 2005... * A story on Page 12 of the Jan. 3 issue should have quoted William P. Moore as saying 2005 is going to be the best year for recycled paper collectors since 1995.

PVC gains council's tentative nod.(News)(polyvinyl chloride )
January 17, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken A long-awaited report on whether polyvinyl chloride is an environmentally-friendly building material concludes that vinyl is no worse than competing materials and should not be singled out as particularly bad for the...

Former EPA official to serve 15 months; Lavelle headed Superfund during Reagan years; co-defendent owned a hazardous waste facility.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal judge sentenced a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assistant administrator to 15 months in prison for a scheme to defraud a client who hired her consulting company. Rita Marie Lavelle...

A green laundry list.(Opinion)(environmental breifs)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brennan Lafferty 2005 is off with a bang, environmentally speaking. In the spirit of appreciating how busy we all are, here are some quick thoughts on some of this year's headlines. * Let's all double-click our computer mouse...

Refining a deal; Chevron agrees to clean Ill. site.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini ChevronTexaco Corp. has volunteered to clean up a mothballed refinery site in Illinois that has been an environmental liability for decades. The Indian Refinery Superfund site in Lawrence County sits on 990 acres...

California's waste board put on notice with others.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to eliminate the Integrated Waste Management Board as part of state government reorganization as he attempts to erase a projected budget deficit. Schwarzenegger, in a...

Study: Industry carries recycling weight in Ohio.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Ohioans throw away far too many recyclables, but the state has just completed a significant piece of ammunition to arm waste districts and recycling managers. More than 60 percent of the state's residential and...

'Flabbergasted' duo return found cash; N.C. woman relieved after trash collectors bring back $5,100 that she unknowingly tossed out in clothes.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Five grand is a lot of money for your friendly neighborhood trash collector. But that didn't stop a couple of garbage men from returning $5,100 they found while on their route to its rightful owner. Todd Little...

Containers safe for shipping mercury items.(Products)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst When customers order online or by catalog, some retailers include return shipping labels, even packaging, in case an item must be sent back. It's all in the name of customer service. In a similar fashion, Onyx...

Calif. county will use landfill gas, not flare it.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson A new landfill gas-to-energy project in Santa Cruz County, Calif., will provide enough energy to power 3,000 homes and is expected to be on line by the end of this year. Energy company Ameresco Inc. is developing...

Another departure; Ryan, Allied vice chairman, retires.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson There has been another change at the top for Allied Waste Industries Inc. with the recent departure of Thomas W. Ryan, the company's vice chairman. Ryan, who also served as an executive vice president for the...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
January 17, 2005... Paperboard Caraustar shuts down machine in Ohio Caraustar Industries Inc., a recycled packaging company, is permanently closing a coated recycled paperboard machine in Rittman, Ohio, after idling the machine in February 2003, the...

Wal-Mart touts plastic recycling system.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc innovations)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A retail industry pioneer is looking to revolutionize plastic recycling. Mega-retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is fired up over the results of a pilot plastic bag recycling process it calls the "Plastic Sandwich...

Retail Goliath lashes back.(Opinion)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc recycling program)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Success tends to breed backlash. Wal-Mart's ubiquity, its aggressive growth and its ultracompetitive business practices have made it a target for many. And certainly the retail behemoth has deserved some of the criticism that has been leveled...

Anything but clear; Science panel casts dim eye on Bush's air proposal.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The current New Source Review program under the Clean Air Act may provide better protection from air pollution than the Bush administration's Clear Skies proposal and the related Clean Air Interstate Rule proposal,...

At Deadline.(Late News)
January 17, 2005... Fla. pollution equipment to cost $300M Tampa Electric Co. will spend $300 million to install pollution control equipment at its Apollo Beach, Fla., power plant, the company said Jan. 13. The new selective catalytic reduction equipment...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)(AES Corp. to acquire SeaWest Holdings Inc.)(Consumer Electronics Association to join Wireless Foundation's Call to Protect program)(DaimlerChrysler creates 100 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles)
January 17, 2005... Renewable Energy AES to buy wind energy firm for $60M Global power company AES Corp. has agreed to acquire wind energy producer SeaWest Holdings Inc. for about $60 million, an AES official said Jan. 11. SeaWest operates more than...

Texas tests; Trio explores new mercury technology.(News)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Initial tests on a new mercury emission reduction technology at a Texas power plant are showing promise. The Electric Power Research Institute, Texas Genco LP and URS Corp. have completed the first tests on a...

A Look Back.(News)(Waste Management Inc. financial transaction)(Staples Inc. services)(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Five years ago: Waste Management Inc. says it is investigating a financial transaction in which two of its former executives, John Drury and Rodney Proto, invested in a business that bought operations from USA Waste Services Inc. shortly before...

EBay tackles e-waste.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini The place where you can buy and sell anything from a grilled-cheese sandwich sporting a religious icon to your very own island is launching an electronics recycling initiative. That's right, it's on eBay. Ebay...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
January 17, 2005... North America Jan. 20-23 - Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Operations Forum, San Antonio. Call (202) 737-177 or visit www.isri.org. Jan. 23-26 - U.S. Composting Council Annual Conference and Trade Show, San Antonio. Call (631)...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
January 31, 2005... CEA INSTRUMENTS INC. has introduced the MD-16, a series of single-channel wall-mounted, continuous detectors available for monitoring toxic gases in either low- or high-PPM levels. The stand-alone, compact gas monitors are enclosed in...

Contractors in Chicago must recycle C&D debris.(construction and Demolition)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Chicago is putting new regulations in place that will impact every construction and demolition debris project in the nation's third-largest city. Both construction and demolition contractors face a Jan. 1, 2006,...

Soil blamed for Ark. fire.(News)(Teris LLC blamed CSX Corp. for its fire accident)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Contaminated soil from a New York state train derailment is being blamed for a Jan. 2 fire that destroyed a large warehouse at Arkansas' only hazardous waste incinerator. Teris LLC thought the soil only was...

Correction.
January 31, 2005... * A news brief that appeared on Page 20 of the Jan. 17 issue should have that Nashville, Tenn., completed the demolition of a waste-to-energy facility at a gross cost of about $1.1 million.

In the past; Farm groups like new gov't air deal.
January 31, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson America's farms can avoid lawsuits for past Clean Air Act violations caused by animal wastes under a new consent agreement with the federal government. Operators of the farms, often called either Confined Animal...

Abitibi takes stock.(News)(Abitibi-Consolidated Inc reports business loss)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Changes lie ahead for the world's largest recycler of old newspapers and magazines as Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. tries to return to the black. "We will be making strategic moves over the coming months to return our...

BP site faces 2nd lawsuit; Air authority alleges violations at California refinery.(News)(BP PLC)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A BP PLC refinery in California is facing a $183.1 million lawsuit for thousands of alleged air quality violations, the second multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed against the site in two years. The South Coast Air...

IESI, BFI Canada match up.(News)(IESI Corp)(BFI Canada Inc.)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson In the end, Mickey Flood found a way to take his company public, and Keith Carrigan found a way to immediately add value to his firm. And with the merger between Flood's IESI Corp. and Carrigan's BFI Canada now...

A Look Back.(News)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... 1895: Traveling salesman King C. Gillette invents a razor that uses disposable blades. Five years ago: A police sting set up to curb auto theft and fraud in the scrap yards near New York's Shea Stadium results in the arrest of Carmine...

Waste News Pricing Report.(News)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... (With graph: Recovered post-consumer PET): PLASTICS POWER: Scrap plastic prices are on the rise again in January, and polyethylene terephthalate is no exception. Prices in the eastern and central parts of the country have hit an average of...

System separates oil, water efficiently.(Products)(Nu-Corp International Technologies Inc)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst The reluctance of oil and water to mix does not mean they are a snap to separate. The separation process used during environmental cleanups and industrial applications often relies on practices that eat lots of time...

Supplier News.(Briefs)
January 31, 2005... Consultants open Boston location GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc. has opened an office in downtown Boston. The new office will offer Boston clients with easier access to the company's services, according to a company statement. GZA...

Awards.(Briefs)(Environmental awards)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2005... Plastics group will honor Cascade Cascade Engineering will receive the Environmental Stewardship award at the 2005 Global Plastics Environmental Conference held Feb. 23-25 in Atlanta. The award honors Cascade for its sustainable...

Lawsuit puts container program in spotlight; Canadian group claims deposit funds misused.(News)
January 31, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A Canadian consumer group is suing the stewards of British Columbia's container deposit program, claming they illegally spent nearly $60 million in deposits and are cheating the province's residents. The Consumers'...