Waste News articles from May 2005

Waste News archives from May 2005

Capital Briefs; A summary of recent developments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.(Briefs)
May 9, 2005... Legislation General Environment U.S.: House Bill 1648 would expand the definition of environmental justice and direct each federal agency to establish an Environmental Justice Office. Sent to Energy and Commerce Committee and Resources...

N.J. urges chromium cleanup.(News)(New Jersey)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini New Jersey is calling on three corporations to pay for the cleanup of more than 100 sites contaminated by chromium waste. The Department of Environmental Protection is starting the remediation of three...

Cruise lines prefer to fly technology's flag; Industry resists discharge regs such as Alaska's.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Roger Renstrom Cruise line operators are learning that less waste discharge helps their regulatory climate, but environmentalists push legislation to make sure the message gets through. "We are seeing that there is technology...

Awards.(News)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Paper firm named Supplier of Year NorskeCanada's Paper Recycling Division has awarded its Supplier of the Year Award to Metro Waste Paper Recovery Inc. All suppliers were rated for recovered paper quality, service efficiency, and...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
May 9, 2005... B.C.'s EPR merits A+ I enjoyed your article "Physician, heal thyself: More look to producers for waste solutions'' [March 28, Page 5]. I agree that Europe is far ahead of the U.S. on producer responsibility requirements. I would urge...

Indelible ink in Illinois.(Opinion)(container deposit laws)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Illinois' container deposit proposal presents a fairly typical set of bottle-bill problems and questions. But every state comes to the table with a unique set of waste disposal issues and circumstances. Thus, as with each of the other 11 states...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... General Motors reduces CO2 emissions General Motors Corp.'s facilities in North America cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 11 percent during the past three years, the company said. The reduction comes as part of the company's...

Waste Expo 2005.(Products)
May 9, 2005... Hundreds of exhibitors attended Waste Expo in Las Vegas this year, bringing new products for use in waste management, recycling and environmental services. The following is a sampling of the products that were displayed. Additional new...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
May 9, 2005... North America May 23-25 - North American Waste-to-Energy Conference, Orlando, Fla. Call (800) 467-9262 or visit www.swana.org. May 23-25 - GrassRoots Recycling Network Annual Zero Waste Action Conference, New York. Call (916) 652-7850...

The 12th state; Passage of Illinois' bottle deposit plan would make an even dozen in the U.S.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Two states' efforts to pursue bottle bills are heading in different directions, with one dying in the state legislature and another gearing up for the battle. Tennessee State Rep. Russell Johnson sponsored a bill...

It's survey time for haulers.(News)
May 9, 2005... It's that time of year again. Waste News is asking waste haulers of all types to help us compile our annual Hauling & Disposal Ranking. If your company hauls, processes or disposes of solid, hazardous, liquid or other types of waste,...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
May 9, 2005... Air Emissions Vermont law targets mercury pollution Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas May 3 signed into law a bill to reduce mercury pollution in the state. The bill bans the sale of many mercury-containing products, including...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
May 9, 2005... Paper Rock-Tenn to buy Gulf States unit Recycled packaging maker Rock-Tenn Co. is buying the pulp, paperboard and paperboard packaging business of Gulf States Paper Corp. in a $540 million deal. The Gulf States deal includes a...

Cloudy horizon.(Opinion)(cruise liners)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The cruise line industry is floating in some potentially dangerous water. This business segment operates by different environmental standards depending upon where its ships are. When cruising in and around Alaska, for example, ships adhere...

Allied Waste close to naming new leader.(News)(Allied Waste Industries Inc.)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Allied Waste Industries Inc. could have a new CEO in a matter of weeks, the company's interim leader said. The nation's No. 2 solid waste management company has been under the guidance of interim CEO Charles Cotros...

Johnson sets priorities.(Stephen Johnson, Environmental Protection Agency )
May 9, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Stephen Johnson, sworn in May 2 as the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, told employees that one of his top priorities would be pursuing policies that allow both environmental protection and...

WM to increase prices.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste generators served by the country's largest trash company could see their disposal costs increase by the end of the year as the company looks to roll out nationwide landfill price increases. Waste Management...

That's a wrap; R.I. event results in collection of 5 tons of boat film.(News)(Rhode Island)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Rhode Island boaters recycled 5 tons of plastic film last month during the state's first collection event aimed at diverting waste from winter boat storage. The pilot recycling program included 19 marinas. The Rhode...

Iraqi contractor drums up work in environmental field.(News)(Haitham Al-Hussaini)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Haitham Al-Hussaini came to Tampa last month to do something that only a few years ago would have seemed unimaginable - recruit business for his Iraq-based construction company. Al-Hussaini is chairman of Prime...

Senators criticize mercury rule.(News)(Susan Collins, Joe Lieberman)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Both the chairwoman and the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee have added their voices to those calling for federal environmental regulators to reconsider the newly...

Fatjo: It takes drive, desire and dreams.(News)(Tom Fatjo Jr. retires from WCA Waste Corp.)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Tom Fatjo Jr. doesn't plan a graceful farewell tour from the waste industry. And the CEO of WCA Waste Corp. wishes people would stop asking him when he is going to retire. Taking leave of the industry after...

Two waste execs explain how to beat labor pains.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Trash companies are under siege from organized labor, but there are ways for firms to fight back, representatives from two of the country's largest garbage companies say. Companies usually "earn'' organizing...

Got an ally? These firms now do.(Oakleaf Waste Management L.L.C. enters into a partnership agreement with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Oakleaf Waste Management LLC is teaming up with the uniquely named 1-800-Got-Junk? to form an alliance that both companies expect to have an impact. Oakleaf, the nation's largest waste broker, will start directing...

For sale? Waste Expo and Waste Age could be sold by Primedia.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Media giant Primedia Inc. is considering selling its business information segment, which includes the Waste Expo trade show and Waste Age magazine. The segment that New York-based Primedia may sell consists of...

Firms vie to swap their way up the ladder.(News)(Waste management industry)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Businesses, trash companies included, are always looking to tweak something here or there to help improve performance. One way that solid waste companies can help themselves is by taking a hard look at their...

Texas plant to utilize wastes; Ethanol facility will be online in '06.(Panda Group to build ethanol plant)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A Dallas company is building an ethanol facility that will use renewable resources not only to produce the fuel, but also to power the plant. The Panda Group plans to build an ethanol plant in Hereford, Texas, that...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
May 9, 2005... 1894: Some citizens of Alexandria, Va., disgusted by the sight of bargeloads of garbage floating down the Potomac River from Washington, take to sinking the barges upriver from their community. Five years ago: New York Attorney General...

Report blasts NRC waste oversight.(News)(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Nuclear Regulatory Commission should do a better job of ensuring that nuclear power plants are effectively controlling their spent radioactive fuel, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(Boston's filthy streets, bomb-resistant trash cans, Arnold Schwarzenegger)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Boston Mayor Tom Menino is taking flak from neighborhood groups over the city's litter problem. The Boston Globe reports that people are up in arms over what they say is a pattern of willful neglect by Menino's...

The neglected sibling.(Opinion)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat Recycling has always played favorites. Aluminum cans have fared better than the tin variety. Milk jugs and PET bottles are recycled much more than egg cartons and packing peanuts. And when people think of paper...

CATCHING UP.(News)
May 9, 2005... Former Allied Waste Industries Inc. leader Tom Van Weelden, center, and Waste Industries USA Inc. Chairman Lonnie Poole, right, chat with convention attendees at Waste Expo. CAPTION(S): photo

Ky. city agrees to $500M sewer upgrade.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Another municipality has agreed to spend millions of dollars to significantly reduce illegal discharges from its aging sewer system. The Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky., Metropolitan Sewer District will pay...

Joint Services Environmental Management Conference.(NewsMR)(Interview)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Officials with the U.S. Department of Defense say the agency strives to strike a balance between environmental concerns and having a well-prepared fighting force. The department spends about $4 billion annually on...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
May 9, 2005... * A news brief in the "At Deadline'' section on Page 55 of the April 25 issue should have said Pennsylvania avoided $250 million in solid waste disposal costs.

FedEx increases hybrid buy.(News)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson FedEx Corp. plans to add dozens more hybrid delivery trucks to its fleet in the next year based on the company's recent positive experience with the diesel-electric vehicles. FedEx Express, the company's...

Bank to use wind for 30% of energy needs.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson HSBC Bank USA says it is making one of the largest-ever commitments to purchase renewable energy in North America. HSBC said it will purchase wind power for 30 percent of its electricity needs. That will...

Milwaukee joins magazine recycling push.(News)(Metropolitan Milwaukee, ReMix program)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Metropolitan Milwaukee is becoming the third section of the country to launch a magazine recycling program that brings together stakeholders all along the paper fiber's life cycle. The Recycling Magazines is...

Mighty heavy booty; Manhole thieves work awfully hard for a measly seven bucks.(At Your Disposal)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini If you think winter potholes are bad, consider the damage caused by running over an open manhole. Increased scrap steel prices have pushed scrap collectors and peddlers to expand their efforts to make a buck,...

Commodity Pricing.(At Your Disposal)
May 23, 2005... 2 graphs: What Paper Mills Are Paying, Corrugated containers * What Recyclers Are Paying, Baled colored HDPE: see print copy.

Wash. follows Calif. with new emissions law.(News)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Washington state officials have approved legislation adopting California's tougher emission standards, including future caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the legislation...

Court backs Calif. agency in fleet diesel case.(News)(South Coast Air Quality Management District)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The South Coast Air Quality Management District in California has won a court victory in its attempt to force public agencies operating vehicle fleets to purchase vehicles that use cleaner-burning fuels. ...

California finds new revenue; Paperwork among early complaints in landmark program.(News)(California Integrated Waste Management Board)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Nearly half a year has passed since the implementation of the nation's first statewide electronics recycling legislation with many watching to see how it pans out. California retailers began Jan. 1 collecting an...

'A critical time'; Several leaders view current period as time of consolidation and change for e-recycling.(News)(electronics recycling)(International Association of Electronics Recyclers)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini It may be put-up or shut-up time for U.S. electronics recyclers. Awareness of electronics recycling is higher than ever, and the industry needs to strike while the iron is hot, said Peter Muscanelli, president of the...

In a landfill far, far away; 'Star Wars' toys worry environmental group.(News)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The release of the latest "Star Wars'' movie last week is creating excitement among fans of the sci-fi saga, but it's also creating concern among some environmental advocates who fear the Dark Side - in other words,...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)(Recycle America Alliance LLC)(Mid America Recycling Co. )(In Plant Services )
May 23, 2005... Recycling RAA adds Seattle-based partner Recycle America Alliance LLC has signed on a Northwestern electronics recycling partner. Total Reclaim Inc., based in Seattle, will provide electronic waste recycling services for Recycle...

Pa. says OK to bond plan; $625M issue includes funds for environmental cleanups.(Pennsylvania)(Dubbed Growing Greener II)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly passed a once-controversial bond proposal that had the state's solid waste and manufacturing industries up in arms earlier this year. Dubbed Growing Greener II, the $625 million...

Power rejects claims in 'dirty' report.(News)(Environmental Integrity Project )
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A new report - though some would call it recycled information - criticizes power plants for emitting pollution disproportionately to the electricity they generate. The Environmental Integrity Project study, titled...

Quote of the Week.(News)
May 23, 2005... We plan to make money doing it. Increasingly, for business, green is green. General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt says he expects the company's expensive new environmental initiative to boost the company's bottom line. See story, Page 1

Waste Expo 2005.(Products)
May 23, 2005... Hundreds of exhibitors attended Waste Expo in Las Vegas this year, bringing new products for use in waste management, recycling and environmental services. The following is a sampling of the products that were displayed. Additional new...

Rebuff DOD 'exemptions,' green groups urge.(News)(Department of Defense)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Environmentalists are urging Congress to reject Defense Department requests for legislation excluding military readiness activities from compliance with hazardous waste and Superfund regulations. ...

New center to update data about e-recycling.(News)(electronics recycling)(National Center for Electronics Recycling)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Despite the light-speed transfer of online information, the data on electronics recovery has been ironically slow in coming. A new organization is trying to speed up electronics recycling data collection to develop a...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)(Federal Register of the Clean Air Interstate Rule)(Southern Co. )(Blue Ridge Paper Products Inc.)
May 23, 2005... Energy Timeline begins with new federal air rule New clean air regulations took effect last week with the publication in the Federal Register of the Clean Air Interstate Rule, designed to reduce emissions from power plants in the...

Mercury rule spurs lawsuits.
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A dozen environmental and conservation groups have joined forces to file four separate lawsuits challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's mercury emissions rule for power plants, saying it doesn't adequately...

GE doubles down on green.(General Electric Co)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini General Electric Co. will pony up $1.5 billion annually as part of a new environmental initiative, banking on a "green'' future. The diversified technology, media and financial services corporation will double its...

Md. joins Calif. and Maine; Governor signs e-recycling law; becomes effective July 1.(News)(Maryland)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. signed the nation's third electronics recycling law May 10, requiring manufacturers to offer free computer take-back programs or pay the state a fee. House Bill 575 will go into...

Capital Briefs; A summary of recent developments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.(Briefs)
May 23, 2005... Legislation General Environment Arizona: Senate Bill 1455 extends the repeal date for the provisions authorizing the Department of Environmental Quality. Signed by governor May 4. Connecticut: Senate Bill 923 concerns cost savings...

Video aims to reduce landfill risk.(News)(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Landfills can be dangerous, even deadly, requiring workers to do more than just wear high-visibility vests to stay safe. A new training video for the industry - funded in part by the Occupational Safety and Health...

Michele Raymond.(Obituary)(Raymond Communications Inc)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
May 23, 2005... Michele Raymond, founder and president of Raymond Communications Inc., died April 29 after a battle with cancer. She was 52. Raymond founded Raymond Communications, which began publishing State Recycling Laws Update in 1991 to provide news...

Republic, Waste Connections buying pieces of themselves; Positive cash flow leads to stock buys.(News)(Republic Services Inc.)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Opportunity is a buzzword these days in the publicly traded waste industry, where some companies believe investing in themselves is one of their best uses for profits. Republic Services Inc., which already has...

Clearing the air; NYC adopts law to cut emissions by city vehicles.(News)(New York City )(Brief Article)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has signed into law measures to reduce emissions from diesel-engine school buses, sanitation trucks, tour buses and other vehicles owned by or under contract to the city. ...

I ... CAN'T ... WALK ... ANOTHER ... STEP:.(News)
May 23, 2005... Attendees of Waste Expo take 5 at a relaxation booth during the trade show and conference held this month in Las Vegas. CAPTION(S): photo

THE DOCTOR IS IN:.(News)
May 23, 2005... Dr. Ruth Westheimer brought her unique perspective on relationships and sexuality to the trade show floor at Waste Expo this month. CAPTION(S): photo

Depot double; Retailer boosts use of recycled paper.(News)(Office Depot Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Office Depot Inc. nearly doubled the amount of post-consumer recovered paper used at its North American stores in 2004. Office Depot used paper containing an average of 26.9 percent post-consumer recycled content at...

Investors seek company transparency.(News)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman More than two-dozen institutional investors managing $3 trillion in assets have called on U.S. companies to make more comprehensive information available to investors about the financial risks that global climate...

Virginia landfill squabble spills into court.(News)(John C. Holland Enterprises Inc)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Roger Renstrom A dispute between a private landfill operator and a regional garbage authority in southeastern Virginia has moved to a Virginia court. John C. Holland Enterprises Inc. has sued the Southeastern Public Service...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
May 23, 2005... 1904: Montgomery Ward mails out 3 million catalogs weighing 4 pounds each. Five years ago: The world's largest paper recycler, Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., buys Montreal-based St. Laurent Paperboard Inc. for $1.4 billion. A year...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(innovations of Stephen Paul)(pollution of Huron River)(waste management in Indonesia)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach The Palm Beach [Fla.] Post recently had an article describing yet another promising-looking technology in which fuel is produced from garbage. The method involves chemically converting biomass into 90-octane fuel...

At Deadline.(Late News)(research by Association for Environmental Health and Sciences)(Environmental Protection Agency's contracts with rubber industry)(accidents at United States Army Chemical Materials Agency)
May 23, 2005... Report: MTBE cleanup could cost $3B An environmental group will release a report that concludes nationwide remediation of leaking underground fuel tanks could cost between $1 billion and $3 billion, though the public cost would be much...

Inside.
May 23, 2005... In this issue, the Waste News Stock Report on Page 22 begins tracking data for the Calvert Social Index Fund. Also, don't miss our recently debuted Capital Briefs on Page 10.

Looking down on creation; S.C. waste equipment maker scales the world's peaks.(At Your Disposal)(hobbies of South Carolina)(Ron McCracken)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson This all started for Ron McCracken when his family was out of town visiting relatives. What was first a diversion to fill some time turned into a sporting passion that has landed him on six continents in some very...

Pa. takes and runs with Slow Down model.(News)(Pennsylvania)(Slow Down to Get Around safety campaign by McNeilus Companies Inc. and Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc.)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Organizers of the Slow Down to Get Around safety campaign only have to look as far as Pennsylvania to see the model they hope the entire waste industry will adopt. The Keystone State has touted the program on a...

Problems just begin when pills flush down the drain.(News)(water pollution caused by disposal of unused medicines)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Flushing that old prescription down the toilet can have some serious and unintended consequences. Pharmaceutical waste can find its way into the environment through septic systems or sewage treatment plants and...

Mix nixed; EPA says blending plan won't fix sewage overflow problem.(Environmental Protection Agency)
May 23, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Federal environmental regulators, reacting to criticism from the public and members of Congress, have dropped plans to finalize a sewage blending policy unveiled in November 2003 that was favored by operators of...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
May 23, 2005... The more the merrier Congratulations on your 10th anniversary! I supervise a group of engineers working in the RCRA hazardous waste area at my agency. I enjoy reading Waste News and share it with the engineering group next door, which...

Conduits to good health.(Opinion)(government funding of sewer systems)(Brief Article)(Column)
May 23, 2005... Sewers are one of the things we rarely think about but rely heavily upon. But now, environmental groups are claiming that problems with sewer systems could be endangering the public's health. A new report claims that combined sewer...

SEVERAL POINTS OF VIEW:.(News)
May 23, 2005... Panelists representing private industry, government and others share their opinions about electronics recylcing during a session last week at the International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment in New Orleans. CAPTION(S): ...

E-waste grab bag.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
May 23, 2005... The predicted patchwork of state laws governing electronics recycling is coming to pass. Maryland this month joined California and Maine as the third state to sign a law requiring some type of recycling for this burgeoning waste stream. It...