Waste News articles from November 2007

Waste News archives from November 2007

Ethanol production called a crime.(News)
November 12, 2007... A United Nations expert on worldwide hunger sparked a battle of words with corn growers when he said the effort to boost production of ethanol and biofuels by converting food crops to fuel increases famine and amounts to "a crime against...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Conference news)(Calendar)
November 12, 2007... Nov. 14-15 - Vapour Instrusions: A Rapidly Developing Environmental Challenge, Calgary, Alberta. Contact Rita McConnell (412) 904-6017 or visit www.awma.org. Nov. 14-15 - 18th Annual New York State Recycling Conference and Compost Training...

Feds to use landfill for heat, power.(News)
November 12, 2007... A U.S. Coast Guard shipyard in Baltimore plans to use methane gas from a city-owned landfill to provide steam heat and electricity beginning in the fall of 2008. The city's Board of Estimates approved the project Oct. 24. The agreement...

Panel votes to halt mercury exports.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Borrowing a page from the Europeans, a U.S. House panel voted overwhelmingly to halt the export of the liquid form of mercury once commonly used in thermometers. The House Energy and Commerce committee voted...

Green growth.(Opinion)
November 12, 2007... One measure of how being green is becoming a major part of businesses' operating focus - or at least their marketing focus - could be seen last month at Wastecon, the solid waste industry trade show for traditional public and private sector...

IBM idea could aid solar panel makers.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini IBM has developed a process to recycle scrap semiconductor wafers for other uses, including solar panel manufacturing, which has suffered from a raw material shortage. The process more efficiently removes the...

Report: Live Earth did its part.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A multicity concert event staged throughout the world during the summer reports that 81 percent of the waste generated at the shows was diverted from landfills. Live Earth hosted concerts in eight cities on July 7...

Mining reform bill passes.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The House of Representatives approved comprehensive mining reform legislation that would increase payments to the federal government for mining on public lands and impose new environmental requirements. ...

Personnel.(People)
November 12, 2007... ADVANCED DISPOSAL SERVICES ALABAMA LLC - Michael Cosman promoted to district manager, Montgomery and Auburn-Opelika. ADVANCED DISPOSAL SERVICES ATLANTA LLC - Mark Odekirk promoted to district manager, Atlanta. ADVANCED DISPOSAL...

At Deadline.(state authorities suing Environmental Protection Agency for automobile law)(mining company sued for intentionally degradig the environment)(Geocycle U.S purchasing South Carolina processing facility)(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... Calif. sues EPA over clean cars legislation As promised, California is suing to force the EPA to make a decision on the state's 2005 waiver request for its clean cars law. The suit, joined by 14 states thus far, was filed in the U.S....

Don't settle for dust.(usage of technology in management of dust)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst An old truck rolls down a dirt road toward a farmhouse. A bulldozer scrapes earth to expand an oil refinery. A garbage truck crunches crushed limestone as it drives through the landfill gates. What do they have...

Dow, Dalton to live off the land.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Working off the land is just what the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority and Dow Chemical Co. plan to do in Dalton, Ga. After three years of contract negotiations, the two have broken ground on an...

Court to revisit oil spill.(News)
November 12, 2007... Exxon Mobil is welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to review the legality of $2.5 billion in punitive damages assessed against the corporation after the worst oil spill in U.S. history 18 years ago. The supertanker Exxon Valdez,...

Landfills not always the life of the party; Waste companies continue to fight for approval, acceptance.(Special Report)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson All things considered, landfills are not exactly wildly popular among the populace. And addressing the social and political aspect of constructing a landfill is really more important than anything else when trying...

Public space program working.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini New York will continue its public space recycling pilot program after releasing some interesting, and rather frank, results. In order to boost recycling from commuters and pedestrians, the New York Department of...

Plastic recycling up for third year.(News)
November 12, 2007... Plastic container recycling was up for the third straight year in 2006 but, for some, the improvement was marginal at best. The polyethylene terephthalate recovery rate was 23.5 percent in 2006, according to the national Association for PET...

New WTE plant in action.(News)(waste-to-energy)(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini The first new U.S. waste-to-energy unit built in more than a decade began operating in southwest Florida late last month. The Lee County, Fla., Resource Recovery Facility is accepting municipal solid waste at the new...

Groups sue feds to care for retired ships.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Three environmental advocacy groups are suing the federal government to force a cleanup of mothballed government ships stored in Suisun Bay, Calif., near San Francisco. The Natural Resources Defense Council, Arc...

J.C. Penney is first Energy Star retailer.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is the first U.S. retailer to earn the federal government's Energy Star label for its buildings' energy efficiency and environmental performance. Four of the company's Washington retail stores...

Landfill gas to be used for diapers.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson OK, there's a joke here somewhere about the use of landfill gas and the manufacture of diapers, but we're not going there. A new project in Aiken County, S.C., will connect the Three Rivers Regional landfill in...

Home is where the heat is; A family in need gets energy efficiency assistance.(At Your Disposal)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Aside from lowering her nearly $500 monthly household energy bills, Cathy Clites can't wait to whip up a dozen perfectly baked cookies in her newfangled convection oven. The upscale oven, which can cook food...

Waste companies report mixed third quarter results.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Industries USA Inc. says an ability to direct more of the waste it picks up to company landfills, along with acquisitions, helped boost earnings during the third quarter. The Raleigh, N.C.-based company earned...

Nevada: All for nuclear waste?
November 12, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Sen. Hillary Clinton is accusing the Bush administration of putting the proverbial cart before the horse while hurrying to open a controversial storage site for high-level nuclear waste in Nevada. The New York...

2 regional firms acquire tuck-ins.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A couple of regional waste companies have announced they are continuing to build out their businesses with recent "tuck-in'' acquisitions that will help build efficiencies. WCA Waste Corp. has completed five...

Culprit may be LFG, not leachate.(Opinion)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Kenneth H. Lister Low concentrations of volatile organic compounds have been detected in water samples from groundwater monitoring wells at your facility. Does this mean leachate is escaping from the landfill and migrating to...

Senate panel OKs climate change bill.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Although it sneaked through with a squeak, not a roar, this Congress's first global climate change bill with a prayer of passing nevertheless moved beyond the discussion stage Nov. 1. A seven-member panel...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.
November 12, 2007... LEGISLATION SOLID WASTE Wisconsin: Assembly Bill 266 relates to the methods of establishing proof of financial responsibility for the closure and long-term care of a landfill. Passed by Assembly Oct. 24. HAZARDOUS WASTE ...

Paper program to grow with merger.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A merger between Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Inc. will require sale of a recycled newsprint mill in Arizona, but the combined company says its commitment to recycling is stronger than ever. The newly...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
November 12, 2007... 10 years ago: Voters in Maine reject a request by American Ash Recycling Corp. to build a recycling plant at an existing landfill. 5 years ago: According to a study at California State University, Hispanic populations tend to have smaller...

Analog's epilogue; Many TVs will be tossed when new FCC rules take effect in 2009.(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(television)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Solid waste officials and electronics recyclers will be overwhelmed in 2008 and 2009 with residents' discarding outdated televisions unless officials quickly develop strategies and adequate infrastructure to handle...

Maryland county deploys trap to snare river rubbish.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Dennis Moran will never forget his first trash panic attack. The year was 1988, and the young engineer arrived in New York City to prepare for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate cutting-edge combined sewer...

Circulation switch.(News)(Julie Brown)(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... Julie Brown has assumed the duties of circulation manager for Waste News. She replaces Cindy Plough, who remains with Crain and will be working for other publications. Brown has been with Crain since 1991. She worked in circulation for...

Governors turning green.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini States are throwing their mig-hty purchasing power behind an Internet technology industry initiative seeking to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with computer use. The National Governors Association has...

Summit update.(News)
November 12, 2007... The biggest issues facing the solid waste industry today will be the topic of two sessions at the Waste News Capitol Hill Summit. The conference on environmental legislation and regulation will kick off with a session on flow control, and...

He's into leather; Leather recycler takes scraps, makes tiles.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Christian Nadeau's own recycled leather tile business successes come from helping others. A principal at Rockville, Md.-based EcoDomo LLC, Nadeau found himself working in a program several years ago to assist people...

Double with debris diversion.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A building project can earn valuable credit toward its green building certification by diverting construction and demolition debris. While one point in the U.S. Green Building Council rating system can be awarded...

Clinton touts green building; Library honored.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Building green and lowering carbon emissions is good for the environment, former President Bill Clinton says. Now it's time to prove that it's good for business as well. Clinton, keynote speaker at last week's...

Climate bill hits the hill.(influence of politics on climate change bill)(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... Congress is a significant step closer to acting on climate change. A promising bill has been sent to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, advancing from the initial discussion stage. It has a chance to lead to a major national law...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
November 12, 2007... Mining Canada groups sue over mine waste Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against Canada's minister of the environment, claiming that potentially a billion pounds of toxic mine waste are not being reported to the Canadian...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
November 12, 2007... Solid Waste Cleanups bite into Republic's 3Q profit Higher landfill remediation costs are biting into Republic Services Inc.'s third quarter profits by millions of dollars. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company said it took a...

Green week ironic.(Opinion)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat It's ironic that NBC advertised its programming last week as having a green theme. Ironic because the set you were watching it on likely is about to become part of a huge environmental problem. The Federal...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Against the Grain: Lauren Bush, the daughter of El Presidente's brother Neil, made a splash in New York City last week in support of plastic bag recycling. Appearing with New York City Council Speaker Christine...

New products & technology.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Tracy Hayhurst GENERAL MONITORS has introduced the TS4000 Intelligent Toxic Gas Detector. The TS4000 provides protection against a wide range of hazardous industrial gases, as well as oxygen deficiency, according to the...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
November 12, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.

Made in Canada? Can a pact between our neighbor up north and Midwest states spur new national legislation?(Opinion)(Brief article)
November 26, 2007... Once again, states are ahead of the federal government on environmental initiatives. Last week, nine Midwestern states and a Canadian province agreed to a greenhouse gas reduction goal of 60 to 80 percent and to implement a regional carbon...

Is the green landscape overgrown?(Opinion)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Rachael Whitcomb Everywhere I go these days, I'm seeing green. It's "see green, save green'' at the local grocery chain, "green'' programs in my natural gas bill, even "green'' billing advantages on my bank statement. It...

Wind power blows past previous levels.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini New wind power capacity installed this year will shatter the amount installed in any previous year, according to revised estimates from the American Wind Power Association. The U.S. wind energy industry will install...

Shoe maker unveils enviro-friendly cushioning.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Brooks Sports Inc. has unveiled biodegradable cushioning for its running shoes it says will save nearly 30 million pounds of landfill waste. The BioMoGo midsole biodegrades 50 times faster than conventional athletic...

Atlanta may force recycling plans.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Atlanta is considering requiring businesses to recycle and will take nine months to mull over the idea. The City Council has formed a task force that will study the issue for nine months and then offer Mayor Shirley...

America Recycles Day founders camp at landfill.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini With all the ballyhoo surrounding America Recycles Day, the founders spent it camped out at a landfill to express their dismay at the nation's lack of recycling progress. Kevin Tuerff and Valerie Davis arrived at...

9 Midwest states set GHG goals.
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Nine Midwestern states and a Canadian province have agreed to set a concrete goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent and implement a regional carbon cap-and-trade system. Governors from each of...

EPA may ban pesticide to protect water.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Drinking water could harbor one less threat if the EPA follows through on a proposal to limit doses of one of the planet's most toxic insecticides. Restricting agricultural applications of aldicarb will...

House bans liquid mercury exports.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Despite a warning from the Bush administration, the House voted to halt the export of the liquid form of mercury once commonly used in thermometers. Representatives passed the measure on a voice vote Nov. 13,...

Calif. car suit filed.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan As promised, California is suing to force the EPA to act on the state's 2005 waiver request for its clean cars law. State attorney general Jerry Brown announced the lawsuit Nov. 8., at least five months after...

Scrap event scrapped due to its success.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Organizers had to pull the plug on an electronic scrap recycling event billed as the nation's largest ever because it was too successful. The free event, dubbed the Great Minnesota eCycling Event, held at the Mall...

Drinking water bill advances.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan A bill to set a federal drinking water standard for a harmful component of rocket fuel has gained initial approval. A House Energy and Commerce Committee panel approved the Safe Drinking Water for Healthy...

Filmmaker focuses on family's trash tendencies.(At Your Disposal)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson It all started with a walk, a walk through a park, a park filled with trash during a garbage strike in Toronto five years ago. That walk, and all that garbage being dumped around, got Andrew Nisker thinking. ...

Microsoft to aid electronics recyclers.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Microsoft Corp. has launched a new program to help large electronic scrap recyclers refurbish and resell old computer systems. The Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program provides licensed copies of Microsoft...

Army Corps achieves huge storm cleanup.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Marilyn Pazisley could barely put her gratitude into words in early 2006 when she met Dale Winfield in a Dollar General Store parking lot near New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina ruined her Plaquemines Parish...

WM addresses green on several fronts.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Management Inc. has been helping protect the environment for decades, the company says. It's just that not everybody realizes all the work that being done. The Houston-based company, the largest solid waste...

The heat is rising; Climate bill debate likely in early '06.
November 26, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Barring an insurrection by Democrats, an economywide cap-and-trade climate change bill should emerge from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in early December. While committee chair Barbara...

PNC Financial trademarks "Green Branch" moniker.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A Pittsburgh-based financial services company believes so much in going green that its been granted a trademark to describe bank branches that are constructed using green building techniques. PNC Financial Services...

Awards.(Briefs)
November 26, 2007... GE honors ADM water program General Electric's GE Water & Process Technologies unit has awarded Archer Daniels Midland Co. with the 2007 Global Ecomagination Leadership award for its innovative environmental efforts. GE pointed to the...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(Brief article)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Another Head Rolls: The federal government's multiyear probe of the trash business in New York and Connecticut has claimed another victim. And this time it's a G-man who's taking the fall. The New York Times...

Alterative energy fuels summit session.(News)
November 26, 2007... The red-hot environmental subject of alternative energy is one of the featured sessions at next February's Waste News Capitol Hill Summit. The session, "Options and Advancements in Alternative Energy: Less Energy = Less Waste,'' takes...

At Deadline.(Late News)
November 26, 2007... Rockefeller tree will be extra-evergreen The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York will be green, really green, for the first time this year. The tree will sport 30,000 light-emitting diode lights and therefore will...

If you build green, they will come.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Interest in green building is exploding, and as a result, interest in the country's largest green building show is skyrocketing as well. The U.S. Green Building Council's annual conference and exposition,...

Regency reaches ahead in green building game.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Folks at Regency Centers Corp. were admittedly behind the green building curve last year, but the shopping center builder is wasting no time to carve out a leadership role among retail developers these days. Some 15...

Court orders do-over on fuel standards; Appeals court tells Department of Transportation to rework requirements for 2008-2011 model years.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal appeals court has ordered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, to go back to the drawing board in preparing light truck fuel economy standards for...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
November 26, 2007... 10 years ago: The Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over medical waste incinerator emission standards, which they allege are too lax. 5 years ago: The U.S. EPA eases clean air...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Briefs)
November 26, 2007... LEGISLATION SOLID WASTE Illinois: House Bill 1921 creates the Disposable Lighter Surcharge Act. Vetoed by the governor Oct. 25. Illinois: House Bill 1654 amends the vehicle code and provides that scrap dealers maintain specific...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
November 26, 2007... Mulling motivators Your recent report on the age-old problem of changing recycling habits ["All of the above,'' Oct. 1] is an excellent analysis of motivational influences. I plan to apply your thinking to energy efficiencies...

Correction.(Correction notice)
November 26, 2007... On page 35 of the Nov. 12 issue, under At Deadline, the headline pertaining to Geocycle U.S. should have said "Geocycle to transform nonhazardous waste.'' Vexor Technology Inc.'s facilities process strictly nonhazardous waste; they do not...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
November 26, 2007... Nov. 28-29 - Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo, Vancouver, British Columbia. Contact Arnie Gess (877) 534-7285, (403) 638-4410 or visit www.cwre.ca. Nov. 28-30 - 2nd Annual Dangerous Goods Shipping Symposium for Instruments, Deerfield Beach,...

Ford will lighten up.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Ford Motor Co. expects to lessen the weight of company vehicles by up to 750 pounds to help improve fuel mileage and lower emissions. The Dearborn, Mich.-based company is out with a new "blueprint for...

Restaurant hoping to 'turner' around food biz.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman First-time visitors to one of the 51 Ted's Montana Grills in the United States will realize quickly that the restaurant is different than most. The restaurant's logo includes the outline of an American Buffalo,...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
November 26, 2007... Solid Waste WM to repurchase $300M more stock Waste Management Inc. plans to buy back an additional $300 million in stock, and that's on top of the $1.2 billion already earmarked for repurchases. Through the first 10 months of...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
November 26, 2007... Air Ethanol plant gets air permit Panda Ethanol Inc. has received an air permit for its planned 115-million-gallon-per-year ethanol refinery in Muleshoe, Texas. The facility will have the capacity to refine some 38 million bushels...

Corporations dig deep to get green.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A new study shows that a vast majority of commercial building owners and managers see "greening'' their properties as a priority. And a majority of those surveyed also said they're spending money to do so this...

Efficient home launches energy village.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Duke Energy Corp. and South Carolina's Furman University are partnering to showcase the future of energy-efficient homes and buildings. The university is building a 3,000-square-foot house in Greenville, S.C., that...

Retailers reflect on environmental meeting.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Some of the nation's largest retailers have declared the inaugural meeting of an industrywide environmental initiative a success. The Retail Industry Leaders Association Sustainability Initiative seeks to improve...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
November 26, 2007... BANDIT INDUSTRIES INC. has introduced a single-axle brush chipper unit with a 180-horsepower engine that is light enough to pass weight restrictions for local infrastructures. The Model 1890XP Brute is suitable for high-production tree...

Personnel.(People)(Brief article)
November 26, 2007... ADVANCED DISPOSAL SERVICES INC. - Mary Faria appointed marketing coordinator; Christian Mills named vice president/general counsel. AMERICAN LAFRANCE LLC - Jeff Cook named national sales manager for the commercial division. BENEFUEL...

Recyclers seek asphalt shingle shift.(News)
November 26, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Demolition debris recyclers have, for years, been fighting an uphill battle to increase the amount of asphalt shingles they can process. But fears about potential asbestos exposure have kept the market from...