Waste News articles from January 2007

Waste News archives from January 2007

Airports waste resources by neglecting trash, NRDC says.(National Resources Defense Council)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Airlines and airports only need to look as far as their trash cans to find with another way to cut costs. A new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, estimates that about 75 percent...

Appeals court harejects govt's ndling of city smog issue.(News)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The federal government's plan for reducing smog-forming pollution in cities across the country is inadequate and needs to reworked, according to an appeals court. A three-judge panel from the U.S. District Court...

Coop de grace; Engineer develops plastic flooring for chicken houses.(At Your Disposal)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Neurotic Henny Penny might suffer from a Cassandra complex. But her free-range life is a picnic compared to that of the millions of chickens raised as broilers in stinky mega-coops along the Eastern Shore of...

Awards.(News)(Edison)(companies awarded for waste management services)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... EPA recognizes 3 for sulfur reduction The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has presented awards to Lunt Manufacturing, a magnesium die-casting company in Schaumburg, Ill.; Tokai Rika, a manufacturer of automobile parts in Aichi, Japan;...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
January 8, 2007... Jan. 14-16 - Construction & Demolition Exhibition & Conference, San Antonio. Call (630) 585-7530 or visit www.cdrecycling.org. Jan. 17 - Hazmat Logistics China Conference, Shanghai, China. Contact Max Henry 86 21 5102 1617 or visit...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
January 8, 2007... Wastewater Los Angeles cleared to inject sludge Los Angeles has received federal approval to inject treated sewage sludge a mile below the ground under its Terminal Island Treatment Plant in San Pedro, Calif. The U.S....

Rumpke fights to expand; Owner of Ohio landfill undeterred by denial from township.(Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc.)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc. is going to court in an effort to expand the company's flagship landfill by more than 200 acres. The suburban Cincinnati-based company has filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common...

Trash flows' fate; Supreme Court hears arguments.(United Haulers Association Inc., Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Today provides a rare moment when trash talk actually will be tolerated - and highlighted - at the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices have opted to sort through the intricacies of rubbish hauling while determining...

Mass. targets violators of cardboard disposal ban.(Massachusetts)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Massachusetts is sending a message: Violate the state's waste ban on recycled paper and there will be a price to pay. Despite a 1994 ban on throwing away recyclable paper in Massachusetts, the state figures that...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
January 8, 2007... At cross-purposes First let me say that I enjoy the articles in Waste News and I use the periodical to stay on top of the latest issues in the waste industry. I had a puzzling thought while reading the Nov. 6 issue. With all of...

NatureWorks' fine leads firm to install scrubbers in Neb.(Department of Environmental Quality, Nebraska)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... NatureWorks LLC, which makes corn-based polylactide resin, will spend "several million'' dollars on scrubbing equipment to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds at its PLA plant in Blair, Neb. The effort is part of a consent...

The shoulds vs. the wills.(Renewable energy)(Editorial)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat It's the beginning of the year, when all us media types play Nostradamus and try to forecast the future. It's really a perfect thing to do, because journalists aren't supposed to influence events, and by making...

Awaiting federal power play; AEP points to Midwest's coal as reason other state plans will stall.(American Electric Power Co. Inc. )
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini California's groundbreaking greenhouse gas regulation caused a big splash in 2006, but the ripples may only reach so far. States have began taking the initiative in climate change regulations in the absence of...

Lighting options and bag reuse mean cost saving for industry.(Special Report)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Don't expect retailers to march out new environmental programs and goals simply to play follow-the-leader with the industry's big boy, but some innovations may be too good to pass up. "This has been an interesting...

Power industry rejects link to polar bears, act.
January 8, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Electric power industry representatives say they aren't too concerned about a federal proposal to list polar bears as a threatened species, even though environmentalists believe the move could open the door for...

EnerNOC helps avert power outages.(Products)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst Just as the flick of a switch turns off a light bulb, one click from a Boston-based company can quickly redistribute energy demand and help a power grid avoid overload and crippling blackouts. Demand response...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Electric power generation)(alternative fuels)(energy-efficient alternative motor vehicle )
January 8, 2007... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT California: Assembly Bill 94 specifies the state's intent that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable resources equals at least 33 percent of the total electricity sold to...

Personnel.(McMahon Associates Inc. appoints Thomas Hall)(Roll-Rite Corp. appoints Gary Viall)(Terex Corp. appoints Steve Brezinski)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED RECYCLING - Karen Goldman appointed sales manager for Austin, Texas. CASE NEW HOLLAND - Terry Sheehan named vice president, North America. HEIL ENVIRONMENTAL - Mark Guild named director of marketing. MCMAHON...

Recyclers keep up PLA pressure; Contamination, cost of sorting equipment focus of group's debate.(Polylactic Acid, NatureWorks LLC )
January 8, 2007... Byline: Mike Verespej Plastics News A coalition of recycling associations and nonprofit recyclers continues to pressure NatureWorks LLC to place a moratorium on the use of corn-based polylactide resin to make plastic bottles, even as the...

At Deadline.(Late News)
January 8, 2007... Ethanol surge may impact food supply Ethanol distillery demand for corn could catastrophically impact world food supplies if the industry doesn't immediately rein in construction of new ethanol production capacity. The Earth Policy...

Monitoring the polar bear pulse.(Opinion)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Power industry officials last week reacted with a shrug to the Interior Department's recommendation that polar bears be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The power industry's nonchalant stance makes sense right...

Windy D.C. Government hits top as a renewable user.(News)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has signed a 10-year wind power purchase agreement, making it the nation's top local government renewable energy user. Through the deal with Constellation Energy Group...

N.Y. cellulosic ethanol facility gains support.(Mascoma Corp.)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The Northeast's first proposed commercial cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant has received a $14.8 million cash injection from New York and additional support from environmental advocates. Mascoma Corp. plans to...

Flow control, climate expected to dominate '07.(Special Report)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson This year could prove to be especially eventful for the solid waste industry as issues such as flow control and state trash disposal fees promise to make headlines, the leader of the National Solid Wastes Management...

Soot strategy; States sue over standard.( Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman More than a dozen states filed a lawsuit against the federal government for not adopting a more stringent standard for reducing fine particle pollution. The states' lawsuit alleges the U.S. Environmental...

Funding begins for mercury switch removal.(Special Report)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A national effort to capture mercury switches from used automobiles is getting a jump start at the beginning of this year with the influx of millions of dollars to pay for their removal. Funding started at the...

Democrats look to change environment; Observers predict balance could restrict legislative changes, however.(Special Report)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman With the Democrats wrestling control of both the House and the Senate in 2007, environmentalists and business interests expect a change in the tenor and the agendas in Congress. However, there remains some...

Key cases loom for auto, power, solid waste sectors.(Special Report)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Decisions expected from the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 could have significant impacts on the automobile, power and solid waste industries. In one of the first cases it will hear this year, the Supreme Court on...

California utility inks big wind-power pact.(News)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The nation's largest wind power purchase has come to fruition in California while a study called for by the Minnesota legislature has determined wind could provide 25 percent of the state's electricity. Southern...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Renewable Energy Systems Americas)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)(Freedonia Group Inc.)
January 8, 2007... Energy Study: Solar products demand to triple Demand for solar energy products is projected to triple by 2010, according to research from The Freedonia Group Inc. The Cleveland-based industry market research firm estimates that...

Industry backs better oversight of pipes.(Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Regulators, with the blessing of the petroleum industry, are aggressively pursuing rules to improve low-pressure pipeline safety after President Bush approved legislation to expand federal oversight. The legislation...

Groups vow to recycle 100% of e-waste.(Integrated Waste Services Association)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The solid waste management and recycling industry has, for the most part, taken a united stand on electronics waste management. A coalition of industry groups has committed to recycling nearly 100 percent of scrap...

Ownership changes again at Wastequip.(Odyssey Investment Partners L.L.C.)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... A New York-based private equity fund has agreed to purchase Wastequip Inc. for an undisclosed amount of money. Odyssey Investment Partners LLC entered into the definitive agreement to purchase Wastequip from DLJ Merchant Banking Partners,...

Commerce & the court.(United Haulers Association v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... It's been one of the longest and most contentious ongoing debates in the solid waste industry: Can the public sector in any manner direct the flow of waste to a specific facility? Now, the litigious battle has reached a watershed. This week...

Supplier News: Wastequip buys Cascade Container.(McLeskey Enterprises Inc.)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Wastequip Inc. has purchased specific assets and specific liabilities of McLeskey Enterprises Inc., which does business as Cascade Container. Cascade, based in Ridgefield, Wash., makes roll-off, front-load, rear-load and roll-off...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(U.N. Clean Development Mechanism)(credit management )
January 8, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach U.N. Emission Program: Unevenflow The New York Times published an interesting story the week before last about problems surfacing in an international emission credit trading program sponsored by the United...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
January 8, 2007... 10 years ago: In a deal that will double its annual revenue, Stericycle Inc. buys the majority of WMX Technologies Inc.'s medical waste business. 5 years ago: More than 160 companies agree to pay a combined $340 million to clean up a...

Oregon's rate dips.(News)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Oregon manufacturers may have to use more recycled content or change the type of plastic in their packaging after a decrease in the state's rigid plastic container recycling rate. The Oregon Department of...

New products & technology.(Products)(Arctic Knight Cold Weather Pump Package)(Siemens Water Technologies)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst THOMPSON PUMP & MANUFACTURING CO. has introduced the Arctic Knight Cold Weather Pump Package. The design allows a diesel-driven pump to be used in temperatures ranging from -40[degrees]F to 110[degrees]F. The Arctic...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
January 8, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
January 22, 2007... Legislation McCain, Lieberman toughen stance Sens. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and John McCain, R-Ariz., have introduced a revised and strengthened version of their previous global warming legislation. The bipartisan Climate...

At Deadline.(Late News)
January 22, 2007... House slams Big Oil, favors renewables The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Jan. 18 that would repeal $14 billion in tax breaks and forgiven royalties for major oil companies, while shifting the money to a fund that would...

WCA Waste Corp. acquires tuck-ins in Fla., Mo.(News)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson WCA Waste Corp. is adding about $5.5 million in annual revenue through a couple of "tuck-in'' acquisitions and said the company is looking for more growth. The Houston-based solid waste management company acquired...

Southern expansion; Waste Industries buys operations in Ga., S. Carolina.(News)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Industries USA Inc. will boost annual revenue by about $4.5 million thanks to a couple of acquisitions in Georgia and South Carolina. The Raleigh, N.C.-based solid waste management company is acquiring Jimmy...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(News)
January 22, 2007... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT District of Columbia: Bill 515 establishes a green building incentives program that includes an expedited construction document review program; establishes a Green Building Fund; provides for the...

Wild green yonder; Air Force contracts for hybrid trash trucks.(News)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Observers expecting all of the U.S. Air Force's technological advances to come with wings might be puzzled by the Pentagon's latest down-to-earth investment. Unless the laws of gravity are somehow...

Gulf Coast cleanup hasn't been boon for recyclers.(C and D recycling)(disaster debris)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Almost a year and a half after Hurricane Katrina struck, construction and demolition debris recyclers see little market for their services in the ongoing cleanup. C&D recycling expert Bob Brickner said there...

In the market? Caution, attention to detail urged for buyers, sellers.(JR Capital Corp)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Buying or selling a waste or recycling business is not for the uninformed. A litany of factors well beyond profit and loss come into play when determining whether to jump in or get out of the industry, said Tom...

Group tackles asbestos concern; Association wants to increase shingle recycling, which languishes at 5%.
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Asphalt shingle recycling won't grow beyond its currently modest levels without hard, detailed proof that the material is safe to handle, those examining the issue believe. Maybe 5 percent of all used asphalt...

New Products.(Products)
January 22, 2007... ASAHI/AMERICA INC. has introduced a thermoplastic gear operator, the Plasgear. Constructed of composite plastic with black urethane coating, the Plasgear is available in sizes from 11/2 inches to 14 inches and is suited for use with harsh...

Food vs. fuel? Institute sounds warning that producing more ethanol will harm world's corn market.
January 22, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Federal legislators and ethanol producers are pushing to increase production of the fuel despite concern that increased demand could seriously harm the world food market. Ethanol distillery demand for corn could...

Water to go grows and grows; With few marketing dollars behind it, bottled water soars while recycling lags.(Bottled water)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Bottled water's meteoric growth in popularity has impacted the container recycling rate, but what's to blame, if anything, is the question. Bottled water is the second most consumed beverage in the United States...

Sides debate merits in N.Y. flow case.(United Haulers Association Inc.)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan What one U.S. Supreme Court justice sees as a "trash utopia'' is viewed by an upstate New York solid waste authority as a municipal necessity. The latter will find out by June if its flow control model has a...

WM joins carbon market model discussion.(Waste Management Inc.)(Interview)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan After Eileen Claussen hobbled to the lectern at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, she apologized for moving so slowly. "I've recently had knee surgery,'' quipped the president of the...

Bill Gates: Reconsider.(Opinion)(technological innovations by Microsoft Corp. resulting in accumulation of older hardware wastes)(Viewpoint essay)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Cassel On Jan. 15, we honored a man who challenged the entire country to dig deep into our souls and seek justice for a people. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made a plea for social responsibility. Environmental protection is...

Attack on mercury heats up; Proposed legislation calls for 90% cut from power plants.(News)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Utilities would have to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent if a newly introduced piece of federal legislation becomes law. That reduction would be considerably more than would be required under a rule...

Rumpke driver saves Ohio couple from fire.(Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc.)(David Meade appreciated for bravery )
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson David Meade certainly doesn't consider himself a hero, but others do. Thanks to the quick action of the trash truck driver for Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc., a Piqua, Ohio, area couple escaped injury after...

Thankful Burke takes over; Veolia's new COO stresses growth, service & safety.(News)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Richard Burke calls himself "just a garbage man'' and says his appointment as chief operating officer at the solid waste division of Veolia Environmental Services is a reflection on his mentors more than anything he's...

Mass. hauler discards notion it mishandled old cardboard.(Frade's Disposal president nixes allegation of dumping cardboard wastes at a landfill)(Richard Frade)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A Massachusetts trash hauler says he's being unfairly treated by the state, which is cracking down on illegal disposal of recyclable paper. Richard Frade, president of family-owned Frade's Disposal in New Bedford,...

Next to godliness; Nuns' facility in Indiana devoted to environmental causes.
January 22, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Old Christmas trees are keeping nuns warm in Terre Haute, Ind. The Sisters of Providence also hope the recently concluded collection drive spreads their message to the community to reuse and recycle. Part of the...

Restaurant waste powers Tandus' Ga. boiler.(Georgia, United States)(environmental management of Tandus Group)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Brennan Lafferty Business conferences are big on intentions, but often small on take-away value. Yet Lynn Preston uncovered a nugget about chicken fat at a May 2005 state-sponsored seminar that morphed into a program that has...

Alt-fuel makers laud Calif. plan.(alternative fuel)(California, United States)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Producers of low-carbon ethanol, electricity, hydrogen technology and other alternative fuels stand to benefit from California's plan to adopt the world's first low-carbon fuel standard. The impact on the...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Excell Materials Inc.)(Briefs)
January 22, 2007... Recycling Harsco buys Pittsburgh firm for $200M Harsco Corp. has acquired Pittsburgh-based steel slag recycler Excell Materials Inc. for approximately $200 million. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based industrial services firm expects to...

Waste News adds 2 European salesmen.(Arthur Schavemaker)(Fabio Potesta)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Waste News has added two salesmen to boost its presence in the European market. The publication has hired Arthur Schavemaker and Fabio Potesta to sell advertising to European companies interested in reaching American environmental...

Marriott launches offensive on greenhouse emissions.(Marriott International Inc.)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Green is coming to a hotel near you. Marriott International Inc., the lodging industry giant, said it has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70,000 tons in a year. That's the same as removing 10,000 cars from roadways....

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
January 22, 2007... Feb. 7-9 - 2007 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...

Personnel.(appointments)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... EVERGREEN SOLAR INC. - Michael El-Hillow named chief financial officer; Richard Feldt appointed chairman. HEIL ENVIRONMENTAL - Raymond Peterson named director of engineering; Wayne Grundmeier named director of key accounts for refuse and...

Feds want action on Ohio sewers.(News)(.S. Environmental Protection Agency sues Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jay Miller Crain's Cleveland Business The federal government has sued the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, a move that escalates a disagreement over how quickly to replace outdated parts of the district's sewer system. ...

Michigan may delay ship rules, including new policy for water discharge.(News)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Amy Lane Crain's Detroit Business Michigan may modify new environmental rules aimed at reducing foreign invaders like zebra mussels and gobies in the Great Lakes. Some cargo companies had argued the rules, which took effect Jan....

Inbox.(Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes low-carbon fuel initiative in California)(Dell Inc. plans tree palntation programs to compensate for the environmental hazards accompanying its business)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach California Governor Arnold "Jean-Claude Killy'' Schwarzenegger unveiled a low-carbon fuel initiative in his recent State of the State address. And unlike the leg he fractured in a skiing accident last month, the...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
January 22, 2007... 10 years ago: USA Waste Services Inc. dramatically boosts its position in Canada's waste market by acquiring the Canadian assets of Laidlaw Waste Systems Inc. 5 years ago: New Jersey officials pledge to reduce the amount of mercury in...

Ohio plan; State pins hopes on alternative energy.(News)(Ohio Governor adds Alternative energy and work force development to its political propaganda lists)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Byline: Jay Miller Crain's Cleveland Business Alternative energy and work force development will be at the top of the economic development to-do list of the administration of new Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. "Alternative energy will be a...

Bottled water equals bottleneck.(Opinion)(waste management of water bottles)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... The bottled water explosion has been a good thing for our physical health but a bad thing for our environmental well-being. Bottled water consumption is growing annually by double digits. The Container Recycling Institute believes that...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
January 22, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.