Waste News articles from July 2002

Waste News archives from July 2002

Los Angeles port to reduce emissions; Parked ships to use alternative fuels to increase air quality; 4 shipping firms already on board.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... One of the world's busiest and largest ports is working with shipping companies to help lower air pollution levels. The Port of Los Angeles is seeking use of reformulated diesel or equivalent fuels to run generators while ships are at the...

Citigroup looks at recycled paper use.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... A well-known financial services company is looking at ways to cut back on its use of copy paper and increase the recycled content of the paper that it does use. Citigroup is teaming with the Alliance for Environmental Innovation, a project...

Senators push for Martin; Man who investigated EPA's handling of waste issues finds support.(ombudsmen Robert Martin)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Some members of the Senate environment committee have called on the Environmental Protection Agency to bring back agency ombudsman Robert Martin, who quit in April after saying EPA administrators essentially eliminated his job and seized his...

Ski industry looks to lessen its impact.(on environment)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The nation's ski slopes are doing a good job on properly handling potentially hazardous waste but need to concentrate more on reusing products to reduce waste, a new environmental report from the industry shows. The second Sustainable...

Onyx parent to reduce ownership share.(part of stake in Vivendi Environnement to be sold)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The French parent company of Onyx North America Corp. will divest part of the company to help lower debt. Vivendi Universal SA announced a plan to sell part of its stake in Vivendi Environnement - the parent company of Onyx North America...

The windy state; Three companies plan to create Illinois' first wind energy generation facility by mid-2003.(Tomen Power Corp., Illinois Wind Energy, and Commonwealth Edison)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... Illinois expects to have its first commercial wind farm operating by mid-2003. The three companies participating in the project on June 26 announced plans for the 51-megawatt facility. The Crescent Ridge wind energy project will generate...

Canadian hauler finds his calling; One-time summer job now thrives as $12 million-per-year firm.(1-800-GOT-JUNK?)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... This is not your father's hauler. A Vancouver-based company expects to do about $12 million in sales this year through a network of franchised operations throughout Canada and parts of the United States by picking up other people's trash....

Q&A: Gail Martelle.(solid waste industry)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Gail Martelle is a business broker specializing in the sale and purchase of businesses in the solid waste industry. She has 15 years of experience in the field and runs Gail Martelle Enterprises Inc. of Phoenix. Martelle recently took some...

New Products & Technology.(waste disposal; advertisement)
July 8, 2002... HARRIS WASTE MANAGEMENT GROUP INC. has introduced a line of ferrous processing equipment designed to meet the requirements of electric arc furnace operators. Harris' E Series includes the GS line of baler-logger-shears with shearing...

CO2 requires group effort.(carbon dioxide emissions)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... A new report says carbon dioxide emissions were down for the first time in 10 years. That shouldn't be surprising: As we all know, the economy's down well too, and that's a big factor in emission generation. A closer look reveals an...

Making a molehill out of a mountain.(paper pollution)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... Someone should fire off an e-mail to Citigroup, congratulating the financial services company for tackling their paper waste problem. The company's pilot project taking place at its New York City offices is attempting to not only reduce the...

Goodbye to buy-buy-buy; Consolidation frenzy fades; firms emphasize profits.(solid waste haulers)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... The go-go days of consolidation in the ranks of the nation's solid waste haulers are gone-gone, at least for now. The rapid consolidation that marked much of the 1990s is giving way to a more internal focus for some firms, but others still...

DOE to convert uranium to cancer-fighting isotope.(Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Some of the uranium the United States stored during the Cold War to manufacture nuclear weapons soon may be used to treat cancer patients. As part of the federal government's initiative to clean up former weapon manufacturing facilities,...

The new scoop; Dog waste removal companies form national group.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... Doggie doo has officially become serious business. With their industry expanding, the owners of 10 dog manure scooping companies from six states have formed a national trade association. In the five months since an initial meeting in...

CO2 output drops 1st time since '91.(carbon dioxide)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions declined in 2001 for the first time in a decade, according to a preliminary government report. The report by the Energy Information Agency, an independent statistical and analytical agency...

Lopsided economics.(consumers and recycling)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... A business analyst recently said recycling is at a crossroads. That's almost like saying there's problems in the Middle East. Recycling has been at a crossroads for what seems like a very long light. But the speaker, consultant Peter...

Short fuse; EPA removes ammo from rural N.J. site.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has removed hundreds of thousands of live and inert bombs and fuses manufactured during World War II that were buried on a 70-acre parcel of rural property Morris County, N.J. The property had been...

What a dive!; Groups recycle ship off Fla.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Florida Keys tourism officials and dive operators have saved a decommissioned Cold War-era U.S. Navy transport ship from being cut apart for scrap metal. The 510-foot retired landing ship Spiegel Grove now rests on the bottom of Atlantic...

Waste Industry Briefs.
July 8, 2002... Hauling New York company facing charges New York - Two principals in a Yonkers, N.Y., solid waste carting firm were indicted for lying about their alleged ties to organized crime on an application filed with the New York City Trade...

A fork in recycling's road; City cuts bring recycling to crucial juncture, experts say.(Peter Anderson, Recycle Worlds Consulting Corp.)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... Recycling rates have stagnated. Interest in recycling may be waning. Is recycling's heyday gone for good? With large cities curtailing recycling programs, some of the nation's heartiest recycling advocates are concerned about the future of...

More California towns meet diversion goal.(for waste being diverted from landfills)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Another 10 percent of California's communities are now complying with state law requiring that 50 percent of the waste they generate be diverted from landfills. The California Integrated Waste Management Board recently certified that 44...

Senate committee takes aim at national mercury policy.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... A committee sent on to the full Senate a measure that would phase out mercury thermometers and improve management of surplus mercury. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted June 27 to support the mercury reduction bill,...

Peachy pact; U.S. Filter to treat Atlanta's biosolids.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The Atlanta City Council has approved a long-term waste management contract with U.S. Filter Corp. to treat the city's biosolids. The decision allows Mayor Shirley Franklin to negotiate a final deal with U.S. Filter. The city had spent...

Va. waste generation jumps 9% in 1 year; Report: State has 18 years of disposal capacity.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Virginians generated almost 19 million tons of solid waste ultimately sent to state permitted facilities last year, an increase of 9.3 percent from the previous year, the state reveals in the latest annual solid waste annual report. Add...

Bill attacks power emissions; Narrowly passed measure would reduce greenhouse gases.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a bill out of committee on June 27 that would require electric power plants to significantly reduce their emissions of four greenhouse gases. ``I believe we must do a much better job...

The more things change...; Hazardous, medical waste companies debut on annual list.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The threshold to reach the top 100 hauling and disposals companies in the United States and Canada has increased by $1 million, according to the latest Waste News survey. For the first time, the annual list was expanded to include...

Debate swirls over Pa. budget.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... A Pennsylvania environmental group claims the state is raiding funds meant to clean the environment while patting itself on the back over the latest budget proposal. Gov. Mark Schweiker and the General Assembly agreed June 26 on a state...

Save now; Philly waste audits aim to cut costs.(Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council )(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... A nonprofit group is offering Philadelphia businesses free advice on saving money on waste disposal costs and avoiding fines from the city. The Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council began offering free waste audits to...

Group develops framework for NAFTA trio; Energy needs and emissions need to be considered simultaneously, commission reports.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The United States, Canada and Mexico should create a fund to promote energy efficiency and conservation methods in North America and encourage electric utilities to adopt best available control technologies, according to the North American...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 8, 2002... Nuclear Waste Study gauges waste mishap potential Washington - The Environmental Working Group has published a report that evaluates accident scenarios from the transportation of nuclear waste to Nevada's Yucca Mountain. The group...

Toxic cleanup shortfall looms.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may lack funding this year for cleanup projects at 33 Superfund sites in 18 states and the Virgin Islands, according to a new report. The EPA Inspector General's Office, which prepared the report at...

A Look Back.
July 8, 2002... Five years ago: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues a new draft of a contentious rule that governs the incineration of medical waste. Hospitals had sought an exemption for small incinerators, while medwaste handlers had requested a...

Can recycling rates increase in the current economy?
July 8, 2002... Do you have an opinion on this question? Please submit your comments online at www.wastenews.com; by e-mail to editorial@wastenews.com; by fax to Waste News Q&A at (330) 836-1692; or by mail to Waste News, 1725 Merriman Road, Akron, Ohio...

At Deadline: Calif. passes greenhouse emissions bill.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... The California Assembly passed a bill July 1 that would make California the first state to regulate the emission of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide. The California Climate Bill, which previously passed the state Senate, is...

Old letter resurfaces; Abraham expressed concern for nuclear waste route in 1998 letter.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, who now assures the public that transporting nuclear waste to Nevada for disposal will be safe, wrote a letter four years ago while he was a U.S. senator expressing his concerns to then-Energy Secretary Bill...

Waste News Commodity Pricing Report.
July 8, 2002... table: see printed publication.

Earnings.
July 8, 2002... table: see printed publication.

Coming Events.
July 8, 2002... North America Aug. 5-7 - Litigation, Ethics & Public Awareness National Conference, Washington. Call (800) 551-7379. Aug. 19-21 - BioCycle Northeast Conference, Portland, Maine. Call (610) 967-4135. Sept. 6-8 - Great American...

Awards.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... N.J. commends oil filter recycler Ridgefield, N.J. - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has recognized Total Recycling Services Inc. for outstanding achievement and named the company the state's top recycling company of...

Hauling & Disposal Ranking.
July 8, 2002... List of 100: see printed publication.

Waste News Stock Report.
July 8, 2002... graphic and table: see printed publication.

Awards.
July 22, 2002... Cargill earns EPA award for polymer Minnetonka, Minn. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored Cargill Dow LLC for a process the company developed to make plastic from corn. Cargill Dow received the Presidential Green...

New Products & Technology.
July 22, 2002... SECURITY ENGINEERED MACHINERY has introduced two shredders, the Model 266 and the Model 200. The Model 266 is a maximum-security high-volume shredder, the company said. It has a 133/4-inch feed opening and accepts up to 16 sheets of paper,...

Court rejects EPA's ozone extension for D.C. metro area.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... A federal appeals court has struck down a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to extend by six years the deadline for the Washington metropolitan area to meet federal ozone reduction requirements. The metropolitan area, which...

Rock hard guidelines; Cement makers pledge continued use of waste.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Ten of the world's largest cement manufacturing companies are banding together to create guidelines for the use of waste and industrial byproducts as fuel in kilns as part of a larger environmental initiative. The effort to address...

EPA regs tackle motor vehicle waste.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... New regulations are going into place in three western states and parts of three others in an effort to stop disposal of motor vehicle waste into the ground. ``These wastes contain some nasty chemicals,'' said Douglas Minter, a team leader...

Ceremony closes WTC search.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... New York City took another step last week to finish the gargantuan task of cleaning up after the World Trade Center collapse with the official end of work at Fresh Kills landfill, where debris from the disaster now rests. A ceremony was...

Roy Pearson.
July 22, 2002... Peachtree City, Ga. - Roy Pearson, a field service technician for Harris Waste Management Group Inc., died July 16 of natural causes in his hotel room while on a service call in Avon, Mass. He was 42. Pearson was based in Cordele, Ga.,...

NYC weighs waiving cap.(cap on price of trash collection)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Industry sources say city waste regulators are looking at eliminating New York's ceiling on retail trash prices. Local carters have been lobbying the city to raise or eliminate the cap for several years. But pressure to ease the rate grew...

Bottle talk; Jeffords pushes for national bill.(James M. Jeffords)
July 22, 2002... The first Congressional hearing in a decade on container recycling, held July 11 in a packed Senate committee room, began with a strongly worded challenge to industry from one of the Senate's most influential environmental policy-makers, Sen....

Bush proposes greenhouse plan.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The Bush administration recently pitched its plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions before committees in both houses of Congress, where some members complained that the plans don't go far enough. The administration's rejection of the...

Supplier News.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... American Ref-Fuel, PC Scale reach pact Oxford, Pa. - PC Scale Inc. has been awarded a contract to provide customized point-of-sale software for all facilities owned by American Ref-Fuel. American Ref-Fuel operates waste-to-energy...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Appliance Recycling Firm reaches fridge pact with California Minneapolis - Appliance Recycling Centers of America Inc. has signed a contract to recycle working refrigerators and freezers in California. The company said it expects...

Bus pass; Emissions better with public transit.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... A new study shows that public transportation generates far less of certain types of air pollution than private vehicles, including 95 percent less carbon monoxide and 92 percent less volatile organic compounds per passenger mile. ...

House members support bill for EPA ombudsman.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Numerous members of two House subcommittees voiced bipartisan support during a recent hearing for legislation that would force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create an independent ombudsman's office to resolve complaints between...

A Look Back.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... 1993: New solid waste landfill criteria issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency become effective for most landfills in the United States. Five years ago: The New York City Trade Waste Commission bars two high-profile figures,...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Retail Wal-Mart to sell biodegradable plates Santa Barbara, Calif. - About 90 Wal-Mart stores in Washington, Oregon and northern California began offering biodegradable EarthShell plates and bowls to customers July 9. EarthShell...

Cutting wind drag.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... When the Enron scandal exploded in January, the writing was on the wall: It would be a matter of time before Waste Management Inc. got dragged into the muck. WMI, like Enron, is based in Houston; WMI, like Enron, had its books audited by Arthur...

Letters: Medical diet.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Kudos to Waste News for the recent market focus on health care [``Hospitals adapt to changing field,'' June 10]. Kudos as well to all those interviewed for their continued trailblazing efforts in the area of medical waste management. It remains...

Q & A: Can recycling rates increase in the current economy?(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Aluminum can recycling can be increased in periods of economic recession if more states would pass deposit bills, or better yet, if Sen. James Jeffords' national deposit bill were passed. History has shown that in the 11 states that have passed...

EPA study: Per capita waste generation dips.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Americans generated nearly the same amount of municipal solid waste in 2000 as in 1999, but per capita waste generation declined, according to statistics released July 10 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Americans generated...

Legislator proposes national e-waste bill.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced legislation July 18 to address the growing problem of electronic waste. The Computer Hazardous-Waste Infrastructure Program Act will require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to administer a...

Senate approves Nevada nuclear site plan.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The U.S. Senate gave its approval to move ahead with the Bush administration's plan to create a nuclear waste storage site in Nevada, prompting the state's governor to vow that he will fight the federal government in the courts. The Senate...

Toronto digs out after strike.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The largest municipal employee strike in Canadian history has ended, and Toronto sanitation workers have some catching up to do. Ontario legislators passed back-to-work legislation during an emergency session July 11, ordering 25,000...

No evidence; Whitman cleared of conflict charge.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Investigators said they found no evidence to substantiate allegations from a former ombudsman that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman had a conflict of interest involving three major cleanup projects handled by...

Report supports biosolids use.
July 22, 2002... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs updated standards to assess health risks of land-applying biosolids, according to the National Research Council. However, a new report by the council found that the Part 503 rule of the Clean...

Waste News' owner buys Workforce magazine.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Crain Communications Inc., publisher of Waste News, has acquired Workforce magazine, a monthly publication for human resource executives. Workforce, bought from ACC Communications Inc., covers human resource news, trends and analysis. It...

Bottle it for a while.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Congress held its first hearing on container recycling recently. That's good in that it's spurring more dialogue on the issue. But the prospect for a national bottle at this time is fraught with obstacles. The chairman of the Senate...

WMI, 12 others facing House accounting probe.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Waste Management Inc. is among 13 companies coming under the microscope of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is looking into past corporate accounting problems and scandals at publicly traded companies. Committee Chairman...

Half full, half empty; The value of aluminum cans has stagnated since the early '90s, and recycling has taken a dive.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The most recycled beverage container is losing ground. The Container Recycling Institute released a report on July 9 that details the decline in aluminum can recycling and its environmental consequences. The aluminum can recycling rate has...

Waste News Commodity Pricing Report.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... THE POWER OF PAPER: Recovered newspaper markets have picked up in most parts of the country. Domestic mills have increased pricing as demand for the material has shown modest growth during the summer. Recyclers aren't sure if the price...

A new name, a new start; North East Waste Services buys Waste Systems' assets; Boyer maintains position.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... A new solid waste management company is forming as a result of Waste Systems International Inc.'s emergence from bankruptcy court protection. North East Waste Services Inc., a private firm, has acquired the operating subsidiaries of Waste...

Coming Events.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... North America Aug. 19-21 - BioCycle Northeast Conference, Portland, Maine. Call (610) 967-4135. Sept. 6-8 - Great American Trucking Show, Dallas. Call (888) 349-4287 or fax (812) 949-9600. Sept. 8-11 - National Recycling Coalition...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
July 22, 2002... The Hauling and Disposal Ranking on Page 16 of the July 8 issue should have noted that Allied Waste Industries Inc.'s hauling and disposal revenue includes intercompany revenue, while its total corporate revenue does not include intercompany...

EPA must reinstate ombudsman asst.(Hugh B. Kaufman)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... A Labor Department official has told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reinstate Hugh B. Kaufman to his former position as an assistant to the EPA ombudsman because the agency retaliated against him by eliminating those duties. ...

Business, consumers to feel sting of new fee, group says.(waste fee increase in Pennsylvania to $4 per ton)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Waste generators big and small in Pennsylvania will start paying more to rid themselves of their trash - tens of millions of dollars more per year. A new tipping fee of $4 per ton charged by the state is expected to bring in $56 million...

EPA gives $3.8 million for petrol cleanups; Agency grants funds to 40 state, local groups to help clean up underground storage tanks.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has passed out $3.8 million to help clean up leaking underground storage tanks at gas stations and other contaminated sites in 26 states. The EPA awarded 40 grants of up to $100,000 each to state and...

The $6 billion question; Report probes oil makers' ability to pay for Alaska cleanup after drilling halts.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... The General Accounting Office released a report July 9 that found that oil companies may have to spend as much as $6 billion to clean up and restore northern Alaska after drilling ends, but existing industry bonds will cover only a fraction of...

Trash haulers under scrutiny in Pa.; Gov. focuses on safety, pollution.(new law passed for waste haulers)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Pennsylvania has new expanded powers to go after waste haulers operating unsafe or polluting vehicles. The Keystone state has been waging a prolonged push to weed out problem vehicles from its roadways, and a new law just signed by Gov....

Personnel.(assorted briefs)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... GERSHMAN, BRICKNER & BRATTON INC. - Marc Rogoff named principal associate. HENDRICKSON INTERNATIONAL - Joseph Ross appointed president. HOSS EQUIPMENT CO. - Ron Richardson appointed director of marketing. O'BRIAN MANUFACTURING -...

Judge takes cleaners to jail.(illegally disposing hazardous dry cleaning waste)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... A Colorado judge has sentenced a California businessman to 17 years in prison and fined him $100,000 for illegally disposing of hazardous dry cleaning waste between February 1996 and March 2001. Defendant Hormoz Pourat of Encino, Calif.,...

NEWS in New England.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Facts and figures for North East Waste Services Inc., a new waste management company. Headquarters: Marlborough, Mass. Leader: John Boyer, president and CEO Debt: $18 million Employees: 225 Projected annual revenue: $50...