Waste News articles from January 2006

Waste News archives from January 2006

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
January 2, 2006... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average; see print copy

States press for solution; Expect even more bills that address e-waste.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini The state blitz on electronics recycling legislation likely will continue this year, while a uniform national bill is unlikely to materialize. "We're going to see as many, if not more, introductions of bills during...

Capping emissions, mining on agenda.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Congress likely will tackle a number of familiar but thorny environmental issues in 2006. Passing President Bush's nearly 4-year-old Clear Skies initiative for capping power plant emissions remains near the top...

Bill would aid repair of wastewater units.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing wastewater issues has introduced legislation that would establish a trust fund to improve wastewater treatment facilities. The Clean Water Trust Fund Act,...

The other nuclear option; Nev.'s senators launch bill to mandate on-site nuclear waste storage.(News)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Nevada's two senators have introduced legislation aimed at derailing construction of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in their state. Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., introduced a...

Struggling Weyerhaeuser cutting plants.(weyerhaeuser co)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Weyerhaeuser Co. is selling or closing several locations in its containerboard, packaging and paper bag business, the Federal Way, Wash.-based company said. And there could be more changes to come. The closings...

Better treatment sought; Federal proposal calls for reduced discharge of unfiltered sewage during heavy rainstorms.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Federal regulators have proposed a new policy for reducing the discharge of untreated sewage from municipal sewage treatment systems during heavy rainfalls. The proposal - reached through negotiations between...

Capital Briefs.(air and water pollution control )
January 2, 2006... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Michigan: Senate Bill 933 clarifies procedures for the issuance of air and water pollution control tax exemption certificates. Introduced Dec. 13. New Jersey: Assembly Bill 4469 extends the statute...

Stately move.(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Seven states have banded together to do what the federal government can't: regulate and curb carbon dioxide emissions. If every journey does indeed begin with a single step as the saying goes, we say this step is a welcome one and a long...

A Look Back.
January 2, 2006... 1937: The DuPont Co. patents nylon, the world's first synthetic fiber. Five years ago: A lawsuit filed by Waste Management Inc. claiming that the company vastly overpaid for its 1998 acquisition of Eastern Environmental Services Inc. spurs...

Chicago's blue battle; Ditching recycling bags not popular with everyone.(News)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini A Chicago City Council member wants to force the city to trash its blue-bag recycling program in favor of a curbside cart system the city has been testing. City Alderman Joe Moore proposed an order last month that...

Looking for growth sector? Check renewables.(Special Report)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini The money, the corporations and the public - everything seems to be pointing to growth in renewable energy development. "All renewables will grow next year. There's no doubt about that,'' said Alex Marker, research...

U.S. gov't, automaker settle case; DaimlerChrysler to pay $95 million.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini DaimlerChrysler Corp. will pay $95 million to settle a federal Clean Air Act complaint and repair defective emission controls on nearly 1.5 million Jeep and Dodge vehicles. The agreement settles allegations that the...

Supplier News.(Moutain Valley Recycling expands capacity)(Allianz Madvac distribution agreement with Schmidt Group)(Pulltarps Manufacturing new facility)
January 2, 2006... Plastics recycler expands capacity Moutain Valley Recycling has added a new processing line to its existing production facility in Morristown, Tenn. The company specializes in recycling post-consumer films such as grocery and retail...

Late-to-game GM launching hybrids.(News)(Interview)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Richard Truett General Motors is about to shift into high gear with gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. The Saturn Vue Greenline has its coming out party at this month's North American International Auto Show. That vehicle will...

Waste Generator Briefs.
January 2, 2006... Renewable Energy Cemtrex assists with India project Cemtrex Inc. is helping develop a biomass fuel project in India to abate carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gases, the company said. The project will utilize agricultural waste...

Waste Industry Briefs.
January 2, 2006... Hurricane Cleanup Army Corps makes progress on debris Forty-six percent of the debris caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that is under the control of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been removed, the Louisiana Department of...

Something to build on in Calif. valley.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... California's fast-growing Central Valley will be the site of an interesting experiment that could serve as an example for future development and environmental concerns. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District board has...

Inbox.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Republic Waste Services is up to its neck down in Houston over charges that two of its employees fraudulently charged the city for waste picked up from other cities and disposed of in local landfills, according to a...

California names new air agency chief.(Air Resources Board)(Environmental Health Hazard Assessment)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Roger Renstrom California's governor has appointed an environmental academician and consultant as chairman of the state's Air Resources Board. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the appointment of Robert Sawyer on Dec. 22. Months...

At Deadline.(Environmental Protection Agency )(GreenShift Corp)(Georgia oil )
January 2, 2006... U.S. EPA moves on new fuel standard The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require fuel makers to ensure that nearly 3 percent of the gasoline sold in 2006 comes from renewable fuel, such as ethanol. The EPA's interim rule...

Personnel.(American Ecology Corp appoints Simon Bell )(Harris Waste Management Group appoints James Farrow)(Wastequip Inc appoints Brian Weinhold)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... AMERICAN ECOLOGY CORP. - Simon Bell promoted to vice president, hazardous waste operations. AMERICAN WATER - George MacKenzie appointed interim president and CEO. CITY CARTON RECYCLING - Sarah Woods named human resource director. ...

New Products.(Lenox VideoFlex Series)(Spray Control Systems Inc)(AEC Inc)
January 2, 2006... LENOX INSTRUMENT CO. has introduced the Lenox VideoFlex Series videoscope, a high-resolution remote imaging system featuring 4-way tip articulation and an integrated control-display hand piece with a 6.4-inch LCD display. The VideoFlex features...

Landfill brownfield snags are surmountable.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Mike McLaughlin, Dan Johnson There has been much recent interest in reclaiming real estate formerly occupied by municipal landfills. For years, closed landfill sites were used, if at all, for passive recreation. Over the last 25...

Contractors face new fees in California valley; Air district imposes first-of-its-kind fee to combat pollution.(News1)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Roger Renstrom Builders will need to alter their plans or pay air pollution fees for new developments in California's fast-growing Central Valley. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District board approved regulations...

Ford tackles climate change in new report.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Ford Motor Co. says it is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its manufacturing operations as well as the vehicles it builds. The Dearborn, Mich.-based auto giant has released the automobile industry's...

Too much or not enough? EPA plans change in daily pollution standard, but leaves annual one as is.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Plans by federal regulators to revise air quality standards for particle pollution could require some power plant operators to take further emission reduction steps. However, the changes could be good news for...

7 NE states adopt CO2 plan.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Governors of seven Northeast states have signed an agreement to adopt a cap-and-trade program to lower carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming. The pact, signed Dec. 20, will require the...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 2, 2006... Motorized double take In the Dec. 5 article "Wal-Mart outshines the rest,'' a woman from Oregon and her husband are said to have "doubled back in their motor home to investigate'' and "sought out the store manager to give him a great big...

Ship's oil pollution results in 'largest' fine.(MSC Ship Management Limited)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson A Hong Kong-based company is paying the largest fine ever - $10.5 million - associated with a single ship's illegal oil pollution at sea. MSC Ship Management Limited agreed to the penalties surrounding the...

Wal-Mart faces hazardous waste probe.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is under investigation)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson America's largest retailer is under investigation regarding the transportation of hazardous waste and material in company trucks. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,...

Laugh power; Engineer looking for help with nitrous oxide energy scheme.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Don Bedwell is a mechanical engineer who foresees a day when unsightly power lines, high energy bills and pollution from electric generating plants will be a thing of the past. Instead, each home will have its...

N.Y. firm, NASA develop phosphorous system.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst It's a long way from outer space to an in-ground septic tank, but a small upstate New York firm and NASA have had a successful collaboration. Knight Treatment Systems of Oswego, N.Y., developed a device to...

Bodine to head EPA solid waste.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Susan Bodine as the Environmental Protection Agency's new assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. President Bush nominated...

Economic picture mixed but upbeat overall.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Economists are predicting moderate growth for the economy in 2006, which could help the bottom line for solid waste companies. Earnings for solid waste companies have a correlation with the general economy - the...

Onyx to buy Wis. hauler.(Deluxe Disposal Service)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Onyx Waste Services Inc. didn't have to look far to find its latest acquisition. The Milwaukee, Wis.-based solid waste management company is acquiring Deluxe Disposal Service, which has locations in Mosinee and...

Waste companies to focus on profit.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson There could be plenty of action in the solid waste business in 2006 as companies look to sell or swap assets and continue their push to improve profits after years of lagging results. Michael Hoffman, who covers the...

Production of cleaner-burning hybrids on the rise for all.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Hybrid vehicles - which employ electric motors along with gasoline engines to help cut emissions - will continue to have a larger influence in 2005 and beyond. Hybrid technology is becoming mainstream as automobile...

House bill deals with 'meth' residue.
January 2, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that would address the environmental impact of methamphetamine labs and establish uniform procedures to clean up the properties and protect first...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
January 16, 2006... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage change by market segment: see print copy

Asia-Pacific: It's a start.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Representatives from six of the world's largest countries and pollution generators got together in Australia last week to try to curb greenhouse gas emissions. We hope it results in more than just a lot of well-intentioned talk. Government...

Return serve.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposal to require the state's power companies to cut their mercury emissions by factors much steeper than the national standard certainly is an attention-grabber. But it also could prove to be too much of a...

Personnel.(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - Brett Higgins elected president. ENSR - Michel MacCabe appointed general manager; Samir Magnouni appointed technical director. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - Larry...

New Products.(Products)
January 16, 2006... ALLIANCE SCALE INC. has introduced the Alliance Truck Scale, an aboveground scale that features a rugged steel deck for weighing municipal solid waste, construction and demolition scrap, and similar loads. The steel deck has a 3/16-inch steel...

NYC agencies must buy green.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Steve Toloken New York appears to be anti-polyvinyl chloride, at least judging by a far-reaching new city ordinance requiring city agencies to adopt environmentally preferable procurement goals. The City Council voted Dec. 21...

Texas firm ties growth to railroads.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Steve Toloken A startup company in Texas is building a factory where it plans to make railroad ties from recycled plastic using proprietary technology. Integrico LLC, in Temple, Texas, said it acquired technology to make the...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
January 16, 2006... Jan. 15-18 - 2006 C&D World Exposition & Conference, Miami. Contact Michelle Fitzpatrick (216) 961-4130 or visit www.cdworldshow.com. Jan. 19-21 - Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Annual Operations Forum, Washington. Contact David...

Hurricane losses: $57B.(News)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Michael Bradford Three major hurricanes that devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005 will cost insurers and reinsurers $57.6 billion, an analytics and research firm estimates. Advisen Ltd. based the pretax figures on losses from...

New rules offered to protect kids from lead paint.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Federal environmental regulators are proposing new requirements for contractors and construction professionals to protect children from the dangers of lead paint exposure. The U.S. Environmental Protection...

Water cases lead to change at Maine DEP.(Department of Environmental Protection)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has a new leader following the resignation of Commissioner Dawn Gallagher amid questions about the department's handling of pollution agreements with two paper...

Power firm reopens waste basin after spill; Improvements made at Pa. facility.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Pennsylvania is allowing power company PPL Corp. to reopen a waste fly ash basin that spilled more than 100 million gallons of contaminated water and fly ash into a nearby creek and river in August. The Pennsylvania...

Inherit the wind; Grocer makes historic wind-energy buy.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Whole Foods Market is making the largest wind energy credit purchase in the history of the United States to offset all of the natural food grocery store chain's electricity usage. The purchase covers all of the...

Green issues highlighted at electronics meeting.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini They were talking a lot of green at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month, and not just the spending kind. More than 150,000 people from 110 countries attended the show, touted as the...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
January 16, 2006... 1979: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues landfill criteria that prohibit open dumping. Five years ago: New York City's big three commercial waste haulers, Waste Management Inc., IESI Corp. and Allied Waste Industries Inc.,...

Illinois seeks big cut in emissions; State plan does not include cap and trade.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman An aggressive mercury emission reduction proposal from Illinois' governor could result in higher energy prices for residents and the closure of coal-fired generating plants, according to electric industry...

Scrap tire recycler closes Georgia plant.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Miles Moore Once again facing enormous fiscal losses, tire recycler GreenMan Technologies Inc. has shuttered its Jackson, Ga., crumb rubber and waste wire facility, with plans to sell it. The Jackson plant shut down at the end...

International Paper awaits OK on tire-fuel test burn.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Miles Moore International Paper Co. is at odds with the state of Vermont over its plan to test-burn tire-derived fuel at its plant in Ticonderoga, N.Y., and is awaiting a permit from the state of New York. The paper...

Switch results in honor for S.C. Johnson.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Frank Esposito S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.'s environmental moves and Bayer Corp.'s educational efforts each have been rewarded with the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Excellence. The award - given annually by the Conference Board, a...

Waste company touts reuse; S.F. firm's diversion program includes coffee mugs, canvas bags.(At Your Disposal)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Reuse - it's normally not the message you hear solid waste companies trumpeting. But a San Francisco hauler has started a campaign urging people to use reusable coffee mugs and canvas bag to reduce solid waste. ...

Calif. county wants sludge delivery slowed to a stop.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Roger Renstrom Worried about water pollution, Kern County, Calif., appears ready to halt its urban neighbors' longtime practice of applying treated sewage sludge to farmland in the county. If Kern County voters approve a...

Awards.(News)
January 16, 2006... Oregon Freecycle leader earns kudos from WMI Albert Kaufmann, the lead moderator of The Freecycle Network group in Portland, Ore., has received the Environmental Stewardship Award from Waste Management Inc. Freecycle is an online...

Group seeks more in Maine.(News)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A Maine environmental advocacy group is applauding a statewide mercury thermostat sales ban that went into effect Jan. 1, but it says legislators need to do more. The ban on sales of new mercury thermostats will...

Windy city touts rain gardens to stem runoff.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Sarah A. Klein Chicago's charm depends heavily on Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and other local bodies of water that give the flat Midwestern landscape its aquatic appeal. The water is arguably the region's greatest single...

Nonprofit recycling.(Opinion)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Anne Martin Several new state and federal corporate legal requirements have been implemented recently, mandating professional recycling for everything from computers to confidential documents. Many companies are turning to...

UltrePet buys Canadian plastics recycler.(News)(Novapet Inc)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini New York plastics recycler UltrePet LLC has closed its acquisition of Canadian recycler Novapet Inc., part of its continuing expansion effort. UltrePet announced the deal Jan. 3. The companies did not disclose the...

Growth in sales of hybrids to continue, forecasts say.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson A new survey and research predicts that interest in low-emitting hybrid vehicles will continue to grow during the next several years. Both KPMG, an accounting firm, and J.D. Power and Associates, a marketing...

Paying the price for recycled paper ... or not.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson A rub in using recycled paper has often been whether consumers are willing to spend more money to be environmentally conscious. Well, new information reveals that four out of five people surveyed are, indeed,...

Celebrities lend faces to Texas anti-litter plan.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Don't Mess with Texas. It's a phrase that has been invoked and emblazoned over the years to conjure up all sorts of images. But the real truth is that Don't Mess with Texas is an anti-littering cry that was...

Firm investigates converting forest waste into biofuel.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Potlatch Corp. is exploring the possibility of converting forest and agricultural waste into biofuels and chemicals at a mill in Arkansas. And heat from the process could be used to help power operations and cut...

Scott Flamm.(Obituary)(Obituary)
January 16, 2006... Scott H. Flamm, a director for Transload America Inc., died Jan. 9 at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J., following a stroke. Flamm, 51, was a senior adviser for the waste-by-rail company, which is based in South Orange, N.J. He also founded...

Not playing ball; D.C. transfer station owner rejects price for property where baseball stadium may sit.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan By 2008, ballpark vendors could be hawking peanuts and Cracker Jack on the same spot where Eastern TransWaste now sorts mounds of snack wrappers and other garbage trucked to the trash transfer station. Company...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Then there were six. Following California's lead, Massachusetts has become the sixth state to adopt automobile fuel efficiency and pollution standards that exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's...

Alito, senators spar over environment.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee last week grilled Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito about his views on the environment, especially the Clean Water Act. Some Republican supporters, meanwhile, said...

China, India take part in greenhouse gas summit.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini The world's largest countries, corporations and polluters met last week to begin talks on curbing greenhouse emissions from some of the planet's most carbon-intensive industries. The inaugural meeting of the...

Christmas eve fire forces Ohio recycler to leave field.(Moore Diversified Industries Inc)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Frank Antosiewicz Moore Diversified Industries Inc. owner Larry Moore said Jan. 4 he will not rebuild his fire-devastated plastics recycling business. His decision is based on "old age and the fact that it is not a contract...

Waste Industry Briefs.
January 16, 2006... Recycling Ockenfels bros. advance at City Carton City Carton Recycling of Iowa City, Iowa, has a new CEO and president, but both are familiar names to the company. John Ockenfels becomes the company's first-ever CEO, and his...

leaving 2 sectors; Exit from recycled boxboard market could cost up to $90 million.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Caraustar Industries Inc. is looking to leave the coated recycled boxboard business and plans to sell three mills in the process. The Austell, Ga.-based recycled packaging company said the mills to be sold are in...

Delaware gets go-ahead to expand site.
January 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Delaware can expand its Cherry Island landfill in Wilmington, but also must plan for the eventual closure of the site. The Delaware Solid Waste Authority received permission to vertically expand the landfill in New...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
January 16, 2006... Retail Walgreen going solar in Calif., N.J. Walgreen Co. plans to install solar power systems in 96 stores and two distribution centers in California and 16 stores in New Jersey. The retailer has contracted ImaginIt Inc., a Denver...

Capital Briefs.
January 16, 2006... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Indiana: Senate Bill 141 requires the Department of Environmental Management to revoke the approval for a confined feeding operation if at least three violations of confined feeding or water pollution...

Battery group leads (re)charge; Recycling rate climbs by 10 percent in '05.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini More people on the go and a greater awareness increased North American rechargeable battery recycling last year. In 2005, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. recycled nearly 10 percent more rechargeable...

Fairy tale predictions for aught-six.(Opinion)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Allan Gerlat The following is a tale of how 2006 might go. I hope it's not too "grim.'' JANUARY - Heating costs soar, and renewable energy can't deliver enough immediate relief. To generate inexpensive heat, President Bush...

Seattle now enforcing tougher recycling law.(News)
January 16, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols' plan to increase his city's recycling hits full force this year as the city begins penalizing businesses and residents who fail to properly recycle. The city stepped up its enforcement...

At Deadline.
January 16, 2006... Wash. state looks to electronics makers The Washington state Legislature is considering a proposal that would require manufacturers of electronic products to shoulder the responsibility for recycling their products. Identical measures...