Waste News articles from July 2006

Waste News archives from July 2006

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

Wash. to debut take-back plan for pharmaceuticals.(News)(Washington state)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Washington state is ready to launch a pilot program to collect unused pharmaceuticals to address poisoning, drug abuse and environmental issues. This summer the state will work with 54 Bartell Drug Co. pharmacies...

At Deadline.(Late News)( flex fuel vehicles )
July 3, 2006... Expect more flex fuel vehicles from Big 3 The Big Three automakers expect to double production of flexible fuel vehicles - those capable on running on renewable and traditional fuels - by 2010. DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Co., and...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
July 3, 2006... A pat on the back Pat Franklin has hit the nail on the head again. ("Can't contain her frustration,'' June 5 issue.) As single-stream curbside recycling grows in popularity, the quality of the materials recycled deteriorates. Pat is...

Think tank offers tool; Checks carbon emissions.(News)(Carbon Value Analysis Tool)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Corporate environmental managers have a new tool to help them analyze the value of carbon emission reduction projects for their companies. World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank based in Washington,...

NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY.(Products)
July 3, 2006... ALLIANZ MADVAC has introduced a truck mounted mechanical sweeper, the MS/MT350. Mounted on a commercially available truck chassis with dual steering controls and operating positions, the new sweeper offers: a 60 gallon fuel system; single...

Shell Oil executive: U.S. needs green energy.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister believes development of alternative energy sources is one of several actions necessary to address energy supply and price issues in the United States. Alternative energy...

Senate panel OKs interim nuclear waste storage plan.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A Senate subcommittee has approved an appropriations bill that sets aside funding to create temporary storage sites around the country for commercial nuclear waste from the nation's 65 reactor sites. Sen. Pete...

Dell goes global with free recycling.(Dell Inc.)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Dell Inc. is looking down from the top of the product-stewardship mountain after unveiling a take-back program last week, and the ripple effect could impact more than just other electronics makers. Chairman Michael...

Mayor's indictment linked to Norcal pact.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson San Jose, Calif.'s mayor is vowing to fight charges he took part in an alleged multimillion-dollar "secret bribery fraud scheme'' involving one of the nation's largest trash companies. Mayor Ron Gonzales says he is...

Debuts possible for 2 new paper grades.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson A couple of new paper recycling grades could be made official by this time next year. One grade, called "file stock'' would reflect a mixture of office paper that's already being bought and sold in the market but...

Chapter chief sets sights on membership increase.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson One hundred and six is the magic number for Crawford Carpenter. The latest president of the Paper Stock Industries chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries has a goal of increasing membership by 10 to...

EPA finds partners in transportation sector; UPS vehicle lowers emissions, increases fuel economy.(News)(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)(United Parcel Service of America Inc.)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson UPS + EPA = G-R-E-E-N. A partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and United Parcel Service of America Inc. developed what the two are calling the world's most fuel-efficient delivery vehicle....

16 states attempt to block mercury rule.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini The federal government will move forward with its mercury cap-and-trade scheme and 16 states responded in kind, moving forward with their federal lawsuit to stop it. Sixteen states filed a petition June 19 in a...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Briefs)(Environmental Protection)
July 3, 2006... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIROMENT Arizona: House Bill 2429 establishes a procedure for identifying commercial and industrial solar energy projects that qualify for commercial solar energy income tax credits. Signed by governor June 21....

Paper giant burns biomass, cuts emissions.(News)(Weyerhaeuser Co.)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Weyerhaeuser Co. wants to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent within 15 years and is looking at biomass - once considered as waste - as the key. The giant forest products company already burns bark,...

Paper recyclers' world keeps shrinking.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Paper recycling has never been more global than it is today. And the world will continue to get smaller for those who make a living recovering and selling used fiber. An explosion of papermaking capacity in...

Not everyone's pumped up about ethanol; Skeptics of fuel additive warn of summer smog.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini It is the future, isn't it? Ethanol is the heir apparent to the additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether, which adds oxygen to gasoline so it burns more cleanly, and hailed as a homegrown fuel that could decrease...

A fall court date; Supreme Court to weigh in on greenhouse gases.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should be required to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The court said June 26 that it would hear arguments in a...

GE, others use conservation as selling point.(News)(General Electric Co.)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Sean Callahan B-to-B One interesting effect of the spike in energy costs is that it has made Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric Co.'s chairman-CEO, look prescient in championing the company's Ecomagination initiative, an ambitious...

Oakland targets restaurant litter with PS ban.(News)(polystyrene)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini The Oakland, Calif., City Council has voted to ban polystyrene foam food service products in the city and to fine restaurants and fast food joints, which feel unfairly targeted, that ignore the ordinance. The council...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
July 3, 2006... 1959: The first photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced. Five years ago: A report from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition states that the proper management and disposal of computer monitors and TV sets would cost California $500 million...

Inbox.(mayor Ron Gonzalez indicted of bribery and fraud charges)(mayor Michael Bloomberg's plans waste disposal scheme)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach A New Way To Dump On Staten Island? The Staten Island Advance last week offered its take on the latest plot twists regarding New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's long-term plan to haul waste out of the city by barge...

Dell Inc. does the right thing.(Opinion)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... One of the most visible and frustrating environmental problems facing us is electronics recycling. Electronic product makers, recyclers and government officials have tried unsuccessfully so far to forge some kind of a national solution....

Fuel solution has its own problems.(Opinion)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Ethanol's honeymoon, it appears, is ending. The sustainable crop-derived fuel's booming growth in the last few years has led some to believe the ethanol industry could become the magic bullet that brings America energy independence and greatly...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
July 3, 2006... Recycling More Philadelphia homes can recycle Philadelphia is expanding its single-stream curbside recycling program to 123,000 residences July 10. Northeast Philadelphia households will be able to put all their recyclables into...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
July 3, 2006... Metals Ohio steelmaker to install baghouse WCI Steel Inc. will spend $29.3 million to reduce emissions to meet new federal air quality standards at its steel mill in Warren, Ohio. The company will install a baghouse to reduce...

Van Arsdale.(Obituary)(Fred Van Arsdale III)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Fred Van Arsdale III, a veteran equipment salesman, died June 10 of pancreatic cancer. Van Arsdale, 62, of Chattanooga, Tenn., worked as a sales professional in the truck equipment industry for more than 40 years. Most recently, he...

A new kind of summer blockbuster.(Who Killed the Electric Car? by director Chris Paine)(Column)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Valerie Block Crain's New York Business Al Gore's expose on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth,'' is heating up the box office. It's about to get some company from "Who Killed the Electric Car?'' In this documentary,...

Wal-Mart funnels more cash to kids.(News)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expanding its partnership with elementary schools to recycle plastic shopping bags. The mega-retailer will offer its Kids Recycling Challenge program in 12 states - Arizona, Arkansas,...

Association courts youth as membership dips.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Air and Waste Management Association is launching a recruiting effort aimed at younger people to offset a decline in membership and revenue. "The membership of the A&WMA has been declining every year,''...

EPA finds partners in transportation sector; Virginia automotive association works to reduce risk from mercury switches.(News)(Virginia Automotive Recyclers Association )
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson An association of automobile recyclers in Virginia is the first group of its kind in the country to join a national environmental priorities partnership. The Virginia Automotive Recyclers Association is a 26-member...

Casella forecasts more growth.(News)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Casella Waste Systems Inc. increased earnings and shot past the $500 million mark in revenue during the company's recently completed fiscal year, thanks in part to stronger pricing and acquisitions. The Rutland,...

No relief to NSR's complexities on the horizon.(News)(New Source Review program)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Don't expect the New Source Review program to become any less complicated anytime soon. That was the message delivered at the Air & Waste Management Association conference by environmental attorney Andrea Field. ...

Immelt has GE prepared for storm of regulations.(General Electric Co.)( Jeffrey Immelt )
July 3, 2006... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan A tsunami of climate change regulations will be washing over the planet soon, but behemoths such as the General Electric Co. won't let their clients be swept away. The $165 billion company is charging ahead on...

Far East venture seeks more deals like Caterpillar's.(News)(Caterpillar Inc.)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan A fresh $58 million deal between Caterpillar Inc. and a coal mine in China is just the springboard sought by a White House initiative to encourage voluntary emission reductions and advanced-technology exchanges...

EPA stresses new policy: teamwork.(News)(US Environmental Protection Agency)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A top Environmental Protection Agency official said the agency wants to work in a more collaborative fashion with environmentalists and the regulated community as it adopts new policies. Using sound science and...

Small package, big results; Third-grader lights the recycling fire in her Indiana town.(At Your Disposal)
July 3, 2006... Byline: Walt Wiley Those are going to be some nice benches around the courthouse square, placed by proud members of the Franklin, Ind., Beautification Committee. And goodness knows they're needed. A man sat down on one of the old...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
July 17, 2006... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average: see print copy

Getting greener; IP reports fewer incidents, lower fuel consumption.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson International Paper Co. has cut environmental incidents at its mills and converting plants by about two-thirds since 2002, according to the company's new 2004-2006 Sustainability Update. The Memphis, Tenn.-based...

Frito-Lay wins recognition for cutting fuel use.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson The maker of snacks such as Doritos and Cheetos is being recognized by the federal government for efforts to reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Frito-Lay North America Inc. has cut...

Personnel.(new appointments)
July 17, 2006... AMERICAN ECOLOGY CORP. - John Poling appointed to the board of directors; Jeffrey Feeler appointed vice president, controller, treasurer and chief accounting officer; Michael Hannon appointed vice president of corporate development. AUGUST...

Pa. relaxes rules for flood cleanup.(Waste Transportation Safety Act)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Pennsylvania, hit hard by recent flooding, is waiving state-imposed landfill tipping fees to help cleanup efforts. The state also is relaxing its trash truck registration rules, allowing vehicles to haul flood...

Onyx renamed Veolia for uniformity.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson It's official, Onyx is now Veolia. The Lombard, Ill.-based waste management company officially changed names July 1 as part of what the company calls a "global rebranding strategy'' that brings operations under the...

Waste Generator Briefs.(emission controls)(Sony Electronics Inc. has rolled out a recycling program)(Viro International Corp. has formed a subsidiary to transport combustion byproducts )
July 17, 2006... Energy Two Reliant plants to receive upgrade Reliant Energy Inc. will spend up to $625 million to install pollution controls at two of its Pennsylvania power plants, the company said July 5. The emission controls will reduce...

Pearl Jam drums out pollution.(control of emissions)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Not many bands have a carbon portfolio strategy. But members of Pearl Jam, the rockers from Seattle, are taking an environmental ethos on tour with them this year. The group's work off-stage includes the use of pure...

EPA sees positive trend in mercury releases and uses.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... The releases and uses of mercury in the United States have decreased significantly over the past 25 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mercury air emissions have been reduced by 45 percent since 1990, and mercury...

Waste Industry Briefs.(LKQ Corp sales and earnings)(new facilities of IFCO Systems )(Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc sales and earnings)
July 17, 2006... Recycling LKQ buys firms, enters new markets Vehicle parts recycler LKQ Corp. is making several acquisitions that will add about $24 million in annual revenue for the Chicago-based company. The company now owns two recycled parts...

Dioxin risk inflated? Report: EPA may have overstated carcinogenicity.(Environmental Protection Agency)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Low-level dioxin exposure may not pose as much of a cancer risk as the Environmental Protection Agency concluded several years ago, according to an independent panel of scientists. However, the EPA needs to...

High mileage high-fives.(sport utility vehicle)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Allan Gerlat I'm not a tree-hugger. I'm like a lot of people, I think: I want to do the right things for the environment, but it's not my absolute top priority in life. (Sorry.) Maybe that describes the changing face of the...

Ships misuse 'magic pipe' to handle waste.(Pacific-Gulf Marine Inc admitted that violations occurred onboard its four giant car carrier vessels)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman An American-based ship operator has agreed to plead guilty to criminal pollution charges, and the company will pay a $1 million criminal fine as well as $500,000 for community service programs. Pacific-Gulf...

Mo. sues to clean up rural e-waste dumpsite.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Missouri's attorney general is suing to clean up a rural site that was home to thousands of computer monitors illegal dumped there, but the lawsuit may be overkill, according to the site's operator. Attorney General...

In Brief.(Wastequip Inc acquired with Pioneer Cover-All)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Wastequip buys Pioneer Cover-All Wastequip Inc., based in Cleveland, has purchased Pioneer Cover-All, a manufacturer of tarping systems used in the solid waste and construction industries. Pioneer of North Oxford, Mass., sells a...

Trash truck makers enjoy spike in business.(Management of Heavy duty trucks)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson There's one thing that every garbage collection company - large and small - depends on every day to stay in business. Trash trucks. And now is a great time to be in the trash truck business. Changes to...

Adobe's Calif. headquarters becomes first to go platinum; Technology firm's use of 45 projects transforms building.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson A well-known software and technology company is the first to receive the U.S. Green Building Council's highest recognition for existing buildings. Adobe Systems Inc., a maker of software including the much-used...

Katrina cleanup charting new ground.(Air and Waste Management Association conference)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Emergency response contractors and environmental officials have dealt with unprecedented challenges in cleaning up southern Louisiana following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, according to the head of one of the...

Hop on the hybrid bus, Gus; Bus maker IC Corp. debuts school bus that cuts emissions and increases fuel economy.(hybrid school bus designed to increase fuel economy)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson There are hybrid cars. And even hybrid trains. Why not hybrid school buses? IC Corp., a unit of Navistar International Corp., is out with the nation's first hybrid school bus, which is designed to increase fuel...

Supplier News.(Arsenault Associates Inc)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Autocar Express Rental)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Autocar offers rental program Waste truck maker Autocar LLC has unveiled a new short-term truck rental program called Autocar Express Rental. The program is designed to ensure the company's waste industry customers are never without a...

Gov. vetoes storage tank legislation.(environmental hazards in communities)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell vetoed a measure on July 11 that would have expanded the state's underground storage tank remediation program, saying it would have been too expensive and would have produced little...

EPA nomination block turns on Bush's TRI stance.(Environmental Protection Agency)(environmental data management)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman New Jersey's two Democratic senators have said they will block President Bush's nomination of Molly A. O'Neill as an assistant administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sens. Frank Lautenberg...

Minnesota makes developer pay for damage from mercury spill.(Contractor Property Developers Inc)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson A developer will pay $410,000 as part of a settlement regarding Minnesota's largest mercury spill ever. Contractor Property Developers Inc. will pay $375,000 in reimbursement, $25,000 for environmental improvements...

Boiling waters in Virginia; Chesapeake's vote to end contract riles waste authority.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Roger Renstrom In a defining series of actions, dissatisfied city leaders in Chesapeake, Va., have set a limit on their patience with the Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia. The Chesapeake City Council voted June...

Plastics recycler switches tactics, opens 4th plant.(News)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Mike Verespej Rising transportation costs and the failure of its recycling venture in Trinidad have pushed Commercial Plastics Recycling Inc. into a new game plan. The company's new strategy includes a fourth plant in the...

La. now detecting leaks with infrared technology.(environmental aspects)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Louisiana environmental officials have adopted an emerging infrared technology in their efforts to detect natural gas, oil and chemical vapor leaks that could pose environmental and health risks. The state...

At Deadline.(Senator Jim Jeffords extends federal tax credits for purchasing recycling equipment.)(US BioEnergy Corp. to construct a ethanol facility near Dyersville, Iowa. )(Sediment cleanup at Tannery Bay on the St. Marys River.)
July 17, 2006... Senate recycling bill sees light again Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., is reviving his effort to boost recycling rates by extending federal tax credits for companies to purchase recycling equipment. The Recycling Investment Saves Energy Act...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
July 17, 2006... July 24-25 - Environmental Trading Congress, New York. Contact Ellen Wofford (800) 280-8440 or visit www.frallc.com. July 24-25 - National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals 2006 Brownfields Community Network...

In Brief.(retirement of Robert Stearns)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Stearns steps down as SCS president, remains chairman Robert Stearns, co-founder of SCS Engineers, has retired after more than 30 years as president and chairman of the environmental consulting and contracting firm. SCS will retain...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst Akron's choice stirs debate on cart making Trash carts may not be as glamorous as diamonds, but cities and towns that decide to use them spend as much time and effort, if not more, than a groom who is ready to...

An opportunity passed over.(Opinion)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Exceptions aside, dollars still speak the loudest where the environment is concerned. This issue of Waste News contains an in-depth look at how new engine and fuel regulations are impacting the trash truck making business (Page 14). Since...

EPA boss touts mining bill.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson was out West this month stumping for legislation that would make it easier for Good Samaritans to clean up some of the nation's 500,000 abandoned mines....

Los Angeles wants to go underground with sludge.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Joe Truini Los Angeles is again hoping to get a federal permit to dispose of its sewage sludge by pumping it a mile beneath the ground. The city has applied for a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow...

Easing hard rock cleanups.(Opinion)
July 17, 2006... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is pushing for a law aimed to help abandoned mine cleanup. While there are some dangers with the proposal, it's a worthwhile piece of legislation. Known as the Good Samaritan Watershed Act, the law...

Green Honda plant gains gold.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Jim Johnson Honda figures it can do the right thing and save money at the same time at a new research and development center in rural Ohio. Opened for a little over a year now, a central plant facility that provides utilities...

Pew council adds insurance company.(News)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Marsh Inc. has joined the Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council and its efforts to understand and address the impacts of global climate change. Marsh, a risk and insurance services firm, recognizes climate change to be one...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
July 17, 2006... 1935: General Electric begins marketing a garbage "Disposall.'' Five years ago: Norm Thompson Outfitters becomes the first major mail-order retailer to use recycled-content paper in its catalogs. A year ago: North Carolina files a...

Inbox.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Read Their Lips: No New Red Tape. Connecticut's waste industry mob cleanout continues to unfold at a brisk pace. Early last week, Gov. Jodi Rell floated the idea of creating a new agency to oversee the state's waste...

Ford refocused after falling victim to hybrid hype.(industry forecasts)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Richard Truett Here's what is really behind Ford Motor Co.'s decision to back off its promise that it would be able to manufacture 250,000 hybrids by 2010: Ford got sucked into the early hype for hybrids and misread the demand....

Capital Briefs; A summary of recent developments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.
July 17, 2006... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Delaware: House Concurrent Resolution 70 establishes a blue ribbon task force to investigate and make recommendations as to the feasibility of developing an ethanol plant and delivery system within the...

Parliament's emissions vote worries Boeing, Airbus.(control of emmisions)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Paul Merrion Europe is weighing tough new air travel curbs to combat global warming, moves that could chill the long-term growth of Boeing Co. and rival Airbus SAS. The European Parliament voted this month in favor of a report...

Awards.(Briefs)
July 17, 2006... SWANA names 2006 winners The Solid Waste Association of North America has announced the winners of the 2006 Excellence Awards. The winners will be honored Sept. 21 in Charlotte, N.C., at Wastecon, SWANA's annual conference and trade...

A whale of a reef; Fla. officials say sunk Navy ship is world's largest artificial reef.(At Your Disposal)
July 17, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A former U.S. Navy aircraft carrier sits at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, about 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., having intentionally been sunk as part of the Navy's effort to dispose of obsolete...

In Brief.(acquisitions)(Brief article)
July 17, 2006... Veolia Environmental Services is making a major solid waste purchase in the United Kingdom, the Paris-based company said. Veolia, which has extensive operations in the United States, is buying Cleanaway Holdings Limited from Brambles...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
July 31, 2006... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average: see print copy

2017 targeted for Nevada nuke waste site's opening.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Department of Energy hopes to open the long-delayed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository on March 31, 2017, which would be 19 years after the federal government was supposed to assume responsibility for spent...