Waste News articles from July 2003

Waste News archives from July 2003

125; Paper recyclers seek members.(News)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A drive to grow must be constant for the Paper Stock Industries Chapter of ISRI, group leaders believe. "Membership recruitment never ends,'' said chapter President Marty Davis of Midland Davis Corp. in Moline, Ill....

China continues to gobble up paper.(News; recycling)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Domestic demand for recycled paper will be challenged in the coming years by a growing appetite in Asia, and particularly China, for the material. China, which is in the midst of building a papermaking industry...

Alternating currents.(Column; renewable energy)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Allan Gerlat When we think of alternative fuel, we almost always think first about automobiles. And we probably think about it with some skepticism. Today it's fuel cells. Twenty-five years ago, corn and alcohol were all the rage...

Coal-fired plants stir differing viewpoints.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Wildlife Federation recently released information offering starkly contrasting views of President Bush's plans for targeting emissions from coal-fired...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
July 7, 2003... Environmental Protection Agency Controversial report: Pollution declining Washington - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its much-discussed report June 23 that the agency calls the first national picture of the United...

Coming Events.(waste management industry)(Calendar)
July 7, 2003... North America July 14-17 - Solid Waste Association of North America Training Center, Cleveland. Call (800) 467-9262. July 21-23 - Corporate Social Responsibility for the Energy Industry Conference, Houston. Call (973) 256-0211. ...

Two giants in waste hauling working out deals in 5 states.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson America's No. 1 trash company just got a little bigger and No. 2 just got a little smaller. Waste Management Inc. completed acquisition of hauling operations in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Augusta, Ga.; and Pitkin and...

Temporary stay; Court says TVA can disregard EPA order.(Tennessee Valley Authority )
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini The Tennessee Valley Authority can ignore, at least for now, a federal government order to install additional pollution controls at several of its coal-fired power plants. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta...

Industries make progress; EPA report shows sectors decreasing toxic releases.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Companies reduced the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment in 2001, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory. The annual report, issued June 30, said...

Double-sided service wins.(Column; recycled paper)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Think of companies reducing waste and becoming more environmentally efficient. Some big goods manufacturer probably comes to mind, like an automaker or steel company. But a lot can be done in the service sector as well, by companies whose...

Ambitious Maine makes its move.(News)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Little Maine and its Democratic Gov. John Baldacci may have set in motion the first of many legislative measures that will measurably reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Late last month the governor signed into law the first goals by any...

A Look Back.(News)
July 7, 2003... Five years ago: Eastern Environmental Services Inc. continues its acquisition spree, picking up 17 companies with combined annualized revenue of about $70 million in a two-month period. A year ago: A report from the EPA Inspector General's...

N.Y., utility settle dispute.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Albany, N.Y. - New York became the first state to settle a New Source Review lawsuit with a power plant operating within its borders after a June 11 settlement with Atlanta-based Mirant Corp. Mirant's subsidiary,...

Environment on minds of many companies.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Elizabeth Thompson Beckley Several companies have begun initiatives to build consumer trust and strengthen markets through their environmental policies and actions. UPS chief operating officer Tom Weidemeyer told attendees at a...

Waste News Briefs.(Briefs)
July 7, 2003... Nuclear Waste Pact will expedite weapons site cleanup Boise, Idaho - Westinghouse Savannah River Co. has agreed to speed up the closure of the U.S. Department of Energy's former nuclear weapons program facilities under a new $4.9...

NYC recycling plastic again.(News)(New York City)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini If recycling can make it there, it could make it anywhere. New York should fully restore its curbside recycling program by April 1 amid a budget crunch and criticism over the program's effectiveness. Mayor...

Maine first among states; Gov. Baldacci leads state to pass law addressing emissions, climate.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Augusta, Maine - Maine is the first state to pass a law setting specific goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, making itself the country's climate control guinea pig of sorts. Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill...

Waste news pricing report.(News)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... SUMMER SLOWDOWN: Domestic markets for old newspaper are sliding as paper dealers find if difficult to move material. Prices have slipped $5 per ton on the East Coast, with the export prices around $80 per ton. Old corrugated container tonnage...

Critics claim gas debate ignores renewable energy.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Renewable energy producers want to help ease the natural gas crisis, but they don't appear to be part of the government's solution. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham called on the National Petroleum Council to...

Calgary sets record; Electronics collection event nets 250 tons.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini The city of Calgary hopes its record waste electronics haul becomes a model for other municipalities. After months of planning, the city held its first electronic waste collection event in May, taking in nearly 250...

Target credits exec support for success.(News)(for recycling)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Upper management support of recycling is vital in making a company's material recovery program work, an environmental official at one of the nation's largest retailers believes. "You have to have key management on...

Surplus site debuts.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini New England colleges, hospitals and other institutions have a new online option to find takers for unwanted furniture and other equipment. The Institution Recycling Network launched an auction format Web site June 16...

Imports up in Va.(News)(solid waste)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Virginia took in less solid waste from within its borders in 2002, but the drop was partially offset by an increase in the amount of out-of-state waste Virginia received. The amount of imported waste - mostly from...

Leonard Schnitzer.(Obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 7, 2003... Leonard E. Schnitzer, chairman of Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc., died June 8 of complications from cancer. He was 78. He formally joined the company in 1946 and served as CEO from 1973 until his retirement on Jan. 1, 2002. He served as...

20 charges; Tyson Foods pleads guilty.(News)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Tyson Foods Inc. will pay $7.5 million after pleading guilty to 20 felony charges of violating the federal Clean Water Act at a million-bird-per-week chicken processing plant in Sedalia, Mo. Tyson admitted to...

Center bashes Bush's greenhouse gas plan.(News)(Pew Center on Global Climate Change)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Global warming is a reality, and while governments and businesses are taking steps to address the problem, not enough is being done, said Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. ...

An electric divide; Energy industry can't agree on emissions caps.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The electric utility industry is divided on the issue of multipollutant legislation under discussion in Congress, according to presentations at the Air & Waste Management Association's recent conference. Most...

WMI eliminates 800 more jobs.(Waste Management Inc.)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Another round of job cuts is hitting Waste Management Inc., where 800 more employees, including 600 company workers and 200 contract workers, are losing their jobs. The nation's largest trash hauler said it expects...

30% solution; Citigroup makes switch to recycled-content paper.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Citigroup expects to eliminate 1,000 tons of solid waste and 19 million of gallons of wastewater each year by switching to 30 percent recycled content copy paper in many of its offices. The financial services giant...

Injecting two points of view; Experts debate carbon sequestration.(News)
July 7, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The United States needs to embrace and develop carbon dioxide sequestration technology if the county is to meet President Bush's goal for reducing greenhouse gas intensity, according to a leading government...

At Deadline.(Late News; waste management)
July 7, 2003... Two recyclers join Dell's growing network Round Rock, Texas - Dell Computer Corp. signed on two new electronics recyclers July 3 to support its program to help customers retire, reuse and recycle obsolete computer equipment. ...

A Look Back.(News)
July 21, 2003... 1986: Rhode Island enacts the nation's first statewide mandatory recycling law. Five years ago: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection proposes a mercury emission standard for waste-to-energy plants that is nearly three...

Ohio shutters egg farm.(News; environmental laws)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson One of the nation's largest egg producers, with a history of alleged environmental problems, is being ordered to close and clear all manure from the site. But Buckeye Egg Farm, based in Croton, Ohio, is appealing...

Interim EPA head draws diverse reaction.(Marianne Lamont Horinko )
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Washington - President Bush's naming of Marianne Lamont Horinko as acting administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has drawn mixed reactions from business leaders and politicians. Horinko, who...

N.Y. firm serves up food waste diversion.(News; Ward's Earth Conserve Inc.)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A little bit of this, that and the other adds up to a whole lot for Jerry Ward. Ward's Earth Conserve Inc. waste management business is based on the philosophy that he can save waste generators a little money, give...

Waste News Pricing report.(News)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... ON HOLIDAY: Sorted office paper prices have dropped in most markets as soft export demand, due in part to European holidays, has pushed prices down at least $10 per ton. Domestic newspaper prices are steady, but overseas demand has increased....

Hush-hush; Study: Firms don't report climate risk.(News; greenhouse gases)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Greenhouse gas emissions may damage a company's bottom line as well as the environment, but U.S. firms are keeping too many investors in the dark. Some of America's largest carbon dioxide-emitting corporations are...

Coming Events.(waste management conferences)(Calendar)
July 21, 2003... North America July 28-30 - Biosolids Research Summit, sponsored by the Water Environment Research Foundation, Alexandria, Va. Contact Jamie Montgomery (703) 684-2470 or visit www.werf.org. July 29-30 - International Water Resources...

Clean Harbors ascends 30 rungs in annual list.(news; waste industry)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A Massachusetts company, thanks to a major acquisition, vaulted dozens of spots in the latest Waste News hauling and disposal ranking. The annual list provides a snapshot of companies, both private and public, that...

Metal market seeks aid.(News; recycling)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Aluminum recyclers are reaching out to their paper recycling brethren as a way to help stem a decline in aluminum beverage can recycling. Aluminum can recycling fell to 53.4 percent last year. The all-time high...

Surging; Consultant: Prices should rise for OCC.(News; old corrugated containers )(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Prices for old corrugated containers - a backbone in the recycled paper industry - are eventually going to spike in price, one industry expert forecasts. "Get ready for the ride,'' William P. Moore told a gathering...

Q&A with Mickey Flood.(News)
July 21, 2003... Mickey Flood, president and CEO of IESI Corp. in Haltom City, Texas, took over this year as chairman of the Environmental Industry Associations, the trade group that includes the National Solid Wastes Management Association and the Waste...

All channels open; Waste firms use communications to inform, influence.(News)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Solid waste companies need to keep the lines of communications open with customers, regulators and employees to be successful, and there are plenty of ways to meet that goal, a group of company representatives said. ...

New Products & Technology.(News; waste management industry)(Advertisement)
July 21, 2003... MACK TRUCKS INC. has introduced the T310 Transmission. Designed primarily for highway applications but suitable for many off-highway jobs, the 10-speed T310 is available in Mack's Vision, CH and Granite model vehicles. For details, call...

Gov'ts push 1 stream.(News; city recycling)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Financial pressure on local governments as well as a push to divert more material is helping guide some municipalities toward single-stream recycling. Governments, increasingly struggling to fund basic services such...

letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 21, 2003... The Great Sinks In your May 12 issue, you report that cleanup of the Great Lakes is proceeding at a snail's pace and that it will cost the United States and Canada almost $9 billion to complete. If past experience is any guide, the final...

Battery recycling center benefits Navy.(News)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Navy is saving an estimated $3.5 million to $4 million per year in disposal costs by building and operating a mercury battery recycling center in Henderson, Nev. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center's Hawthorne...

More reform; NSR policy needs work, engineer says.(News; New Source Review)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's attempts to reform New Source Review have improved the program, but more needs to be done, said E. Joseph Duckett, an engineer who spoke at the recent Air & Waste...

The road to profitability; Trash firms key on routes.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Trash companies spent years making acquisitions to build their top line sales. Now it's time to ring out any inefficiencies created through the mergers as a way to boost bottom-line profits. Wall Street was...

corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
July 21, 2003... * A Waste Expo new product brief that appeared on Page 16 of the June 23 issue should have said that the CP Python's Rapid Rail made by Heil Environmental Industries Ltd. has no shoes, guide tracks or guide rails to wear out. Also, the contact...

Ghost fleet to shrink by 3, thanks to pact.(News)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Texas company to dispose of noncombat ships The U.S. Maritime Administration has awarded a $2.2 million contract to a Texas company for the disposal of three high-priority ships from the James River Reserve Fleet. Esco Marine...

Mass. car emission test gets flak.(News)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Massachusetts inspector general has found serious problems with the state's vehicle emissions testing program and has alleged that some state Department of Environmental Protection officials tried to cover up...

Coalition pens Clear Skies complaint.(News; mercury emissions)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A bipartisan coalition in Congress and a group of physician, health, environmental and consumer groups have written letters to President Bush criticizing his pending Clear Skies legislation for not doing enough to...

Ford sells parts recycling unit.(News)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. has divested its recycling operation, the last of the noncore businesses targeted for sale 18 months ago under its restructuring plan. Last month, the automaker sold the U.S. operations of GreenLeaf...

Judge thwarts DOE's plan for nuclear waste; Environmental group cheers ruling; Leftover sludge can't be solidified and stored onsite.(News)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Department of Energy violated the law by granting itself the authority to reclassify certain high-level radioactive wastes so that it could dispose of them onsite at three...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
July 21, 2003... Wastewater Association calls on Congress for funds Washington - A national association representing wastewater agencies has released a white paper calling for Congress to increase funding to local governments to improve sewer systems...

Floating an idea; EPA's water plan met with criticism.(News)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Washington - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rules for drinking water that would monitor for contamination from animal waste and sewage, but not pollution generated from rocket fuel. The...

Restaurant chain converts to wind.(News)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson Austin Grill plans to become the first multiunit restaurant company in the United States to convert to wind-generated power. "Austin Grill's decision to support and promote wind energy is a serious step for cleaner...

He couldn't stay away; Henk takes helm at Capital Environmental.(News; Larry Henk)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Jim Johnson A well-known name is returning to the solid waste business in a high-profile position. Larry Henk is the new president and chief operating officer for Capital Environmental Resource Inc. of Burlington, Ontario, and...

Data request; WN asks recyclers to fill out survey.(News; Waste News)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... Waste News needs your assistance in compiling our annual ranking of the largest recycling companies in the United States and Canada. To be included in this year's list, visit the Waste News Web site at www.wastenews.com/ rr_survey_2003.html...

Prison, prices & pressure.(News)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... While not coming out and saying so, Dell Computer Corp. has acceded to the wishes of recyclers, environmentalists and others in foregoing its use of prison labor. The computer maker has been in the forefront of electronics recycling and...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
July 21, 2003... Vehicle Emissions Groups to sue EPA for missing deadline Washington - Two environmental groups plan to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for missing a July 1 deadline for proposing regulations that would reduce emissions of...

3, 2, 1; Self-destructing DVDs may stir waste issues.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini People will be throwing away some of Walt Disney Co.'s movies in September, but not necessarily due to the movies' content or the advice of sharp-witted movie critics. Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment division...

Electric moves; Dell drops Unicor, enhances program.(Dell Computer Corp.; Federal Prison Industries Inc.)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Joe Truini Dell Computer Corp. has enhanced recycling for its corporate clients while dropping its use of prison labor to recycle old computers. Dell launched its new program July 9 to make it easier and less expensive for its...

EPA faces Superfund shortfall.(News; cleanups)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to begin cleaning up 10 new Superfund sites in nine states, but the agency lacks funding for another 10 sites that it says pose less serious environmental risks. ...

NEW COTTAGE ON THE CAPE.(News; wastewater treatment )(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... The opening of a new wastewater treatment plant may not seem the stuff of news. However, when the town of Orleans, Mass., unveils its new plant to the public July 21 those attending the opening will see a structure specifically designed to...

Disney's Mission: Improbable.(News; DVD recycling)(Brief Article)
July 21, 2003... This DVD will self-destruct in 48 hours. The Walt Disney Co.'s plan to test-market DVDs that render themselves unplayable after two days calls to mind the recurring line from the Mission: Impossible TV series about the top-secret audiotape that...

At Deadline.(Late News)
July 21, 2003... Fuel cell researchers receive $75 million Washington - The U.S. Department of Energy has granted $75 million in cost-shared awards to 13 businesses and universities for research into advanced fuel cell technology for vehicles, buildings and...