Waste News articles from July 2007

Waste News archives from July 2007

U.S. Concrete to replace cement with fly ash, slag.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A major concrete company is replacing Portland cement with fly ash and slag, a move that will not only divert material from landfills but also cut carbon dioxide emissions. U.S. Concrete, based in Houston, said a...

At Deadline.(Late News)
July 9, 2007... WM, Teamsters agree to mediation A federal mediator will oversee negotiations between Waste Management Inc. and the Teamsters when the two parties return to the table July 9 after a lockout of nearly 500 Oakland-area workers. Teamsters...

Where there's willow, there's a way; Irish farmer grows native perennial to save on energy.(At Your Disposal)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan John Gilliland first caught "willow-mania'' in the mid-1990s. And the entrepreneurial farmer is only hoping it's contagious. His dedication to weaning the masses from fossil fuels was no doubt sparked by his...

Calif. green carpeting contract goes to Tandus.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The Los Angeles Community College District has awarded one of the most environmentally sustainable carpeting contracts in flooring industry history. The district, which operates nine colleges, will pay Tandus Inc....

Whitman defends EPA's post-9/11 actions.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Former EPA chief Christie Whitman in an interview defended the agency's response following the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and said she wished a contentious hearing on Capitol Hill June 25 had...

Court gives states power.(Opinion)
July 9, 2007... The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the Clean Water Act supersedes the Endangered Species Act was a victory for developers and a blow to environmentalists. But as with many court decisions, the impact probably won't be clear for quite a while,...

Advanced Disposal buys two companies in Alabama.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Advanced Disposal Services Inc. is bulking up in Alabama via the acquisitions of two companies, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based firm said. Advanced Disposal is acquiring companies called DisposAll Inc. and Circle J...

Wachovia seeks another green.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Wachovia Corp. expects to build more than 300 environmentally friendly financial centers by the end of this decade, buildings that will decrease energy use and greenhouse gas emissions as well as boost recycling. ...

Getting off easy.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat In my Lutheran schooling one historical episode that fascinated me was that of Johann Tetzel selling indulgences. The German friar in the early 1500s set up shop telling people you could pay a certain amount of cash...

TXU to cut mercury at energy plants.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini TXU Corp. plans to outfit its entire coal-fired fleet with mercury control technology and demonstrate its effectiveness to the entire power industry. One of its subsidiaries will install activated carbon sorbent...

Inbox.(innovations of waste management methods in plastics industry)(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Break It Down: Two Japanese scientists have invented an inexpensive way to break down polyamide plastics such as nylon and Kevlar into their original chemical ingredients. Science Daily is hailing this...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
July 9, 2007... 10 years ago: Allied Waste Industries Inc. continues its growth spurt in the Carolinas with the purchase of the Greenville, S.C., hauling and recycling assets of Browning-Ferris Industries Inc. 5 years ago: The Department of Energy reports...

'No-energy' bill moves to the House.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Republicans are decrying it as the "no-energy energy bill,'' but the House is now poised to debate a measure that highlights conservation and renewables. Though it fails to follow the Senate's lead by...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)(Suzlon Wind Energy Corp.)(New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)
July 9, 2007... Green Energy Suzlon, PPM ink 700-MW wind pact Suzlon Wind Energy Corp. and PPM Energy Inc. have developed one of the largest U.S. wind energy contracts, which calls for a total of 700 megawatts of turbine capacity. The companies...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
July 9, 2007... Solid Waste WM locks out 500 workers in California Some 500 unionized workers were locked out of their jobs by Waste Management Inc. in the Oakland area after months of negotiations failed to produce a new labor agreement. The...

A smart investment.(Opinion)
July 9, 2007... Waste Management Inc. is making a smart move for itself and for the environment with its ambitious plans for converting its landfill gas to energy. America's largest waste company and methane gas-to-energy developer plans to spend between...

Oil's to blame, not corn; Report: Rising oil prices, not ethanol, drive food costs up.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Evidence commissioned by the ethanol industry shows ethanol may not be to blame for rising food prices, according to a recent report. Agricultural economist John Urbanchuk, the study's author, says his statistical...

Armstrong achieves top green rating.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Armstrong World Industries headquarters in Pennsylvania uses half the energy as normal, has cut its water consumption almost in half and recycles 60 percent of the waste generated on site. All of these factors have...

Building tighter; USGBC adopts stricter energy certification rule.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Green builders will have to be more energy-efficient if they want their structures to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, through a...

Letters.
July 9, 2007... Count him in Thank you for the Waste News article on Climate Counts ["Guide ranks companies' climate policies for consumers,'' Wastenews.com, June 20]. Your daily e-mails really help me to stay up to date. Personal responsibility will...

Solar bag makes wearer a walking power source.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Strap on a "Juice Bag'' and there's literally more power to you. With these innovative solar-powered bags, consumers can live, work and play while plugged into the green movement. In fact, roaming is encouraged...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
July 9, 2007... HENDRICKSON TRAILER SUSPENSION SYSTEMS has introduced the Hendrickson Chassis Axle for intermodal chassis applications. The HCA supplies a one-piece axle bar with hot-formed spindles and a patented axle filter for internal venting, and it comes...

Offsets' ups & downs; Carbon credits: Vehicle for change or conscience-salving snake oil?
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Carbon offsets may be a powerful tool to reverse the effects of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, but they also could be a way for some to merely cash in on the environmental gold rush. For $5 to $30...

Aluminum can recycling remains stuck in idle.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Americans recycled a half billion more cans in 2006, but at a slightly lower rate than the previous year, as the recovery rate continues to stagnate well below historical highs. The U.S. aluminum can recycling rate...

Coming Events.(Calendar)
July 9, 2007... July 20 - North Texas Corporate Recycling Association Business Recycling Workshop, Grand Prairie, Texas. Contact Shirlene Sitton (940) 349-8054 or visit www.ntcra.org. July 20-22 - China International Recyclable Resources Trade Conference...

Personnel.(People)
July 9, 2007... AMERICAN ECOLOGY CORP. - Jeffrey Feeler appointed chief financial officer. AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION - Donna Harman named president and CEO. BAYNE PREMIUM LIFT SYSTEMS - Greg Keller named purchasing manager. COMMERCIAL...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Briefs)
July 9, 2007... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Connecticut: House Bill 6209 provides for adequate oversight of the Renewable Energy Investment Fund; provides for management fees, reimbursements and disbursements from the fund; provides for...

Water wins over wildlife.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan During the same week that the national symbol, the bald eagle, came off the federal protected species list, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act can indeed trump the Endangered Species Act. ...

The dissent: Out of balance.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan When faced with competing statutory mandates, the U.S. Supreme Court should balance both instead of allowing one to trump the other. That, in a nutshell, sums up Justice John Paul Stevens' 27-page dissenting...

Marketers: Green sells.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Brooke Capps Advertising Age "It used to be if you said you were green, you were a lefty or little bit radical,'' said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications. "It's mainstream now.'' More than 550...

Car makers' ads push fuel savings.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Mary Connelly Automotive News The Mustang and the F-150 are synonymous with Ford Motor Co. That's a good thing, right? Not if you're pitching fuel economy. Ford advertising highlights the Focus, Escape and Fusion in a...

Tire recycling becoming a lucrative venture.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Miles Moore Tire Business Scrap tire recycling, after surviving for years on state grants and tipping fees, is finally becoming a profitable business. "2006 was the best year for the tire recycling industry,'' said David...

Ballparks in S.F., Cleveland go solar.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A couple of Major League Baseball stadiums are getting greener, and we're not talking about the outfield grass. Both Jacobs Field, home to the Cleveland Indians, and AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, are...

Ky. utility settles for $1.4M.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Three years of negotiations have yielded a $1.4-million settlement between the East Kentucky Power Cooperative and the federal government over alleged clean air violations. The Winchester, Ky.-based nonprofit utility...

Judge rules against Lexmark in toner cartridge litigation.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini A federal jury in Kentucky ruled that Lexmark International Inc. stifled competition through its toner cartridge recycling program in an apparent victory for third-party cartridge remanufacturers. But the Lexington,...

2 swap assets in Texas, Fla.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A couple of trash companies are swapping assets in Texas and Florida in a deal designed to make each of them stronger in the markets where they remain. So-called asset swaps, or simultaneous transactions, have...

WM makes big investment in landfill gas.
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson America's largest landfill-gas-to-energy project developer wants to get even bigger and spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the process. Waste Management Inc. figures to spend between $350 million and $400...

Va. imports rose in '06.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Out-of-state waste flowing into Virginia increased slightly in 2006, pushing higher by about 3.5 percent, according to the latest report from the state Department of Evironmental Quality. Virginia received an...

Green investing heats up, but targets are few.(Management of investment in green technology)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Megan Johnston FinancialWeek Green investing is red hot. Institutional investors are flocking to socially responsible investing, where stocks are selected based on environmental, social and governance criteria. According to the...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
July 9, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

New products & technology.(Products)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst INDUSTRIAL SPECIALTIES MANUFACTURING INC. has a new line of in-line filters. Cartridges are available in a wide range of filter microns in both porous and plastic cone design. Filters will operate in air, vacuum and...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
July 23, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

PPG boss: Address climate change today.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Addressing climate change immediately makes good sense for businesses, Charles Bunch, chairman and CEO of PPG Industries, said at the Air and Waste Management Association's 100th annual conference. Businesses...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
July 23, 2007... R.I. got there first In the article about California's plastic bag program [June 25, Page 4], it was erroneously reported that California instituted the first statewide plastic bag collection program. This honor truly belongs to Rhode...

Coming Events.(Calendar)
July 23, 2007... July 24-26 - Resource Training Institute Applied Clean Air Act Workshop, Idaho Falls, Idaho. Call (706) 951-5685 or visit www.rtii.org. July 24-26 - Resource Training Institute Radioactive Waste Management Training, Oak Ridge, Tenn. Call...

A real page-turner; Calif. firm gives book readers a tree-planting option.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Book lovers, you can finally pay it forward. We're not talking library fines or amazon.com shipping; it's about restoring an earthly balance to things - creating a veritable yin and yang for those who love to...

The alt-fuel trash truck trend: Big upside.(Special Report)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Fuel pricing pressures as well as the global warming debate are helping push the market for alternative fuel vehicles around the country. And that includes the garbage truck industry. New research yet to be...

Speaker sets history to music.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman No one would have mistaken John Bachmann for rock musician Billy Joel, but the former EPA air official jumped on stage at the Air and Waste Management Association's conference and belted out the history of air...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
July 23, 2007... Solid Waste Court sentences Connecticut hauler The operations manager for Automated Waste Disposal Inc. in Danbury, Conn., was sentenced to 30 months in prison, fined $6,000 and ordered to forfeit $20,000 for his role in what federal...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
July 23, 2007... Green Energy Climate Action Partnership grows The U.S. Climate Action Partnership has topped the 30-member mark, as more corporations call for an economywide cap-and-trade system to curb carbon emissions. Xerox Corp. and NRG...

Emerging contaminants pose mystery, worry.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Public concern about emerging contaminants is continuing to grow, according to an environmental and public health official from Colorado. While public officials are learning more about the types of chemicals out...

You make products out of what? Dropout makes his mark making fertilizer from worm droppings.(At Your Disposal)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini A lot of college dropouts find themselves knee deep in it, or up its creek without a paddle, but a former Princeton University student has made a successful business out of it. Tom Szaky, the 25-year-old CEO of...

Dell: Companies taking big risks with e-waste.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Businesses are taking alarming risks in disposing of old computers, and the smallest companies are the least likely to hire an electronics recycler, according to an international survey Dell Inc. commissioned. Market...

House to clarify ruling; Panel seeks to refine court's water decision.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Legislators fearing that two 21st century U.S. Supreme Court decisions have muddied the original intent of the Clean Water Act are attempting to clarify the landmark statute's meaning. But first Congress wants...

La. storm cleanup nears finish.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Nearly two years and more than 28 million cubic yards of debris later, work is winding down on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' mission to help clean up after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Louisiana. That's not to...

E-recyclers need solution.(Opinion)
July 23, 2007... It appears electronics recyclers worldwide must polish their image and better instill confidence in the small businesses community that they will process obsolete computers responsibly. At least, that's what a recent survey commissioned by...

Born to be green; Iowa farm group, cable TV bike customizers create chopper that runs on ethanol fuel.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Iowa Farm Bureau hopes its partnership with a nationally broadcast cable television series will help promote the use of biofuels and generate funds for the American Lung Association. The Farm Bureau...

Inbox.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach The ungodly hot weather we've had recently has had me daydreaming about frozen treats a lot lately - that is, when I'm not eating them. So I got a kick the other day when a faithful reader sent me an item about a...

Print stays, for now.(information management, environmental aspects and finance of news magazines)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat I got an e-mail last week from a reader who wanted to know why we don't go entirely electronic, do away with our print edition and save a lot of trees. He wasn't the first reader to ask that, and it's certainly a...

A Look Back.
July 23, 2007... 10 years ago: The EPA proposes a rule change that would provide relief for local governments that face liability claims related to Superfund sites that commingled hazardous and solid waste. 5 years ago: U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif.,...

Give water second look.(political aspects and laws, regulations and rules of water resource management)(Brief article)
July 23, 2007... An attempt to clarify the Clean Water Act could find Congress going through some troubled water. Congress specifically is looking at changing the phrase "navigable waters'' with the term "waters of the United States.'' The rationale,...

Corrections.(Correction)
July 23, 2007... * A story on page 5 of the July 9 issue should have said the East Kentucky Power Cooperative will spend $656.7 million to settle alleged clean air violations, which includes installing $656 million in pollution controls. * A story on Page...

Renewable energy growth exceeds most expectations.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini A new report pegs the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries at nearly $1 trillion, much larger than most supporters could have hoped. "What jumped out to us the most when we saw the numbers was just how...

House aims to cut energy use, emissions.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The head of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is pledging to "pursue a vigorous course of action'' to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from federal buildings. Rep....

At Deadline.(Late News)
July 23, 2007... Plug-in hybrids could cut emissions greatly Widespread use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the United States could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 450 million tons annually by 2050, according to a new report. The Electric...

Utilities back bipartisan climate change bill.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Sens. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at curtailing greenhouse gas emissions that has won support from several electric utility companies. However, at...

Whitman predicts GHG caps after 2008.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The United States likely will adopt carbon caps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but action is unlikely to occur until after the 2008 elections, former EPA administrator Christie Whitman said at the Air and Waste...

Supplier News.(Briefs)
July 23, 2007... PC Scale Inc. acquires Norwesco PC Scale Inc., of Oxford, Pa., has purchased Norwesco Computing Inc., of Seattle. PC Scale develops route management and scale software that is used by several industries, including waste management. ...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.
July 23, 2007... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Hawaii: House Bill 334 authorizes the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds to assist Sopogy Inc. with planning, designing, constructing, equipping and operating a solar farm power plant at the...

HP sets billion-pound goal for e-waste.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Hewlett-Packard Co. is going for another billion. But it's not another billion in profit or even revenue. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based electronics firm has set a new target to recycle and reuse a billion pounds of...

New bioplastic provides benefits for military.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst When Rosemarie Szostak toured a California military base to watch Marines conduct training exercises, she couldn't help but notice that trash collection occurred every day, often several times a day. A truck and...

Awards.(Achievements and awards of lawyer Steven B. Horowitz)(Brief article)
July 23, 2007... Horowitz named top labor attorney Steven B. Horowitz has been named one of the Top 100 Labor Attorneys in the U.S. by the Labor Relations Institute. Horowitz, who spoke at the most recent Waste Expo and has been a strong supporter of...

Ohio seeks to boost food waste recovery.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Ohio wants to take a bite out of its food waste stream. With food waste recovery hovering at about 3 percent in the state, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency sees an opportunity to push disposal rates lower by...

Pa. sewage plant to power self with methane.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck In an effort to turn wasted energy into energy-producing waste, the town of Milton, Pa., has embarked on plans that promise to put its regional wastewater facility on the environmental map. Working with a...

RBRC chief steps down.(News)
July 23, 2007... Ralph Millard, who spearheaded the growth of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.'s recycling program for the last decade, has stepped down as the group's executive vice president. Millard has relinquished his RBRC responsibilities to...

Speaker: solar power needs federal aid.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Solar power manufacturing, along with other renewable energy production, is suffering due to sorely lagging federal support. State and local governments are showing tremendous interest in renewable energy, and not...

Personnel.(officials and employees of waste management industry)
July 23, 2007... ABB INC. - Enrique Santacana appointed region manager, manager of ABB North America and president and CEO of ABB Inc. USA. AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL - Neeva-Gayle Candelori appointed director of the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry....

Weyerhaeuser targets 40% emissions cut.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Weyerhaeuser Co. is making what the company calls "measurable progress'' toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent during the first two decades of this century. The Federal Way, Wash.-based forest...

Mohawk takes to the wind with green initiatives.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Folks at Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. probably wouldn't mind being accused of being full of air. If you're talking about air as in wind, and that's wind as in wind power. The Cohoes, N.Y.-based paper maker is now...

Auto dealers' brilliant idea: Dim the lights.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Jim Henry Automotive News With light pollution starting to attract more attention, some dealers are redesigning their stores to minimize the traditional bright lights. One of them is Ryan Ferrero, 38-year-old owner of Ferrero...

Is the environment a good investment? Socially responsible funds growing in popularity despite problems, questions.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Susan Kelly FinancialWeek Socially responsible investing is gaining fans in the defined-contribution world. But using socially responsible funds in such a plan can be tricky. There's debate about how well such funds perform,...

Plastics bans spurring industry fears.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Mike Verespej Plastics News Three impending bans on plastic products in northern California - two on plastic carryout bags and one on expanded polystyrene takeout containers - has the industry concerned about escalating momentum to...

GE to help revive closed plant in Ill.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini General Electric Corp. is working with Robbins Community Power to resurrect a mothballed Chicago-area waste-to-energy plant with a troubled past. The duo is converting the facility into a 50-megawatt renewable...

Seattle shoots for zero; City to cap amount of waste landfilled at '06 level, require residents to recycle food waste.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Seattle plans to require residential food waste recycling and cap trash going to the landfill in an effort to dramatically increase recycling. On July 16, the Seattle City Council unanimously adopted a zero waste...