Waste News articles from October 2005

Waste News archives from October 2005

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
October 10, 2005... 3 graphs: Waste News stock index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage change by market segment: see print copy.

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... 1983: The space shuttle is pulled out of service to replace a window that had been severely pitted by a chip of paint from space junk. Five years ago: The New York City Trade Waste Commission temporarily halts Waste Management Inc.'s plan...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(Column)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach What a difference four months makes. Back in June, it looked as if the New York mayoral race that culminates next month would focus on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's contentious long-term solid waste plan for the city....

Maine proposes $200M cleanup for chem site.(News)(Column)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Maine's governor wants the former owners of a chemical plant in Orrington to pay up to $200 million to remove and process a large amount of mercury-contaminated soil from the shuttered site. Gov. John Baldacci said...

SWANA offers hurricane waste info.(Solid Waste Association of North America report on debris management)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Those working on the cleanup of debris after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita face a long and difficult job. But they also have a new tool to help them manage the job in the weeks and months ahead. The Solid Waste...

Small wonder; Delaware achieves recycling milestone.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Delaware's dropoff recycling program, in place since 1990, has now diverted more than 500 million pounds of recyclables, according to the Delaware Solid Waste Authority. The program - with more than 140 dropoff...

Aftermathematicians; Florida hurricane cleanup veterans recount their experiences.(storm debris cleanup)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat As the Gulf Coast tries to clean up after two big hurricanes, Mike Carroll and Jeff McGarvey know what folks there are going through. The two men were on the front lines last year during the series of hurricanes...

Academic challenge; Ohio students compete to design green SUV.(Sport Utility Vehicle)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Brennan Lafferty Students like Chuck Van Horn and Angelina Bellino are the future of automotive engineering. The University of Akron graduate students also exemplify why organizations like General Motors Corp. and the U.S....

Hurricanes cast show in different light.(Wastecon trade show of waste management industry)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat Wastecon went on as planned, but not without a little damage itself from hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Attendance declined 11 percent from 2004, "predominantly due to the response to the recent hurricanes in Texas...

10 years later, PET rises.(recycling)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken The PET bottle recycling rate rose in 2004, going up for the first time in nearly a decade. The rate rose to 21.6 percent in 2004, up from 19.6 percent the previous year, and the amount of PET bottles collected...

California mulls changes to recycled-content laws.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken A California agency may require more companies to use recycled plastic in containers. The California Integrated Waste Management Board may change how it interprets a state law governing plastic containers. The...

200 firms on hook in Ill.(waste clean up charges)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Bob Tita Abbott Laboratories, Caterpillar Inc., Kraft Foods Inc. and the Pritzker family's Marmon Group are among companies that could face millions of dollars in cleanup costs for a Far South Side Chicago industrial dump closed...

Taking aim at green apathy.(public in recycling )(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat People have more control over improving recycling and the environment than they might think, says one environmental consultant. It's as simple as the choices we make in products and politicians, said Mitch Kessler...

Plastics in the cross hairs; California takes aim at plastic litter problem.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken The plastic bags, polystyrene cups and soft drink bottles blowing across the landscape of California are starting to attract serious attention from the state's governments. Faced with a potential cost of billions...

Pondering plastics pollution; Environmental audit just one way industry tackles issue.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken Amid a rising chorus of concern in California about litter and pollution from plastic packaging, several industry groups are taking steps to combat the problem. The California Film Extruders and Converters...

Truck makers make strides with hybrid technologies.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson A couple of well-known truck companies are looking to advance hybrid technology, and one believes research today could lead to commercialization of hybrids in the trash truck business. Hybrid technology - which...

Ohio utility's new plant will burn cleaner.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini American Electric Power Co. signed agreements with GE Energy and Bechtel Corp. to begin the front-end engineering design for the 629-megawatt integrated gasification combined cycle clean-coal plant in southern Ohio. ...

Staples aids Wash. county effort.(electronic waste recycling services)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini King County, Wash., has banned electronics from the trash effective Oct. 1 as one major retailer will offer electronics recycling services to county residents. The county will prohibit residents and businesses from...

Divert 101; Ohio University tries electronics initiative.(electronic waste management)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Ohio University wants to cut back on students' cell phones, PDAs, CDs and other electronic doodads, at least the ones that end up in the landfill. Ed Newman, the recycling and refuse coordinator for the Athens,...

La. hauling company moves in with mom, dad after storms.(business for hauling and rental services)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Workers at Air Bags Inc. still can't get near their company's property in Port Sulphur, La. - not that it would do them much good. But that hasn't stopped the owners of the company, which provides roll-off service...

La. struggles to measure storm cleanup.(demolished homes debris cleanup work)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson An estimated 140,000 to 160,000 homes in Louisiana alone might have to be demolished due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The nation's costliest hurricane struck more than a month ago, and getting an accurate...

Tackling the Teamsters; Waste association provides strategies to oppose union movement.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson A trade group representing private trash companies is trying to counter a national union launched by the Teamsters union. The National Solid Wastes Management Association has released a white paper, "Union Issues in...

1,000 points of light.(public participation in energy conservation )
October 10, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat Stephen Johnson must have had Benjamin Franklin in mind when he announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest energy conservation program. Franklin once said in essence, for want of a nail, the battle...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
October 10, 2005... Refineries Murphy Oil reacts to spill with pledge Murphy Oil Corp. has pledged $5 million to help St. Bernard Parish get back on its feet after a large oil spill caused by Hurricane Katrina at one of its refineries. About 819,000...

Big step Ford into the future.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Belated kudos to Bill Ford. The leader of Ford Motor Co. not only halted production last month of the behemoth, gas-guzzling SUV called the Excursion, but he also kicked off the company's big push into hybrid production. These...

Pa. plans waste-to-diesel site; Waste coal-diesel refinery to be 1st of its kind in U.S.(News)(Column)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini It's the defining feature of Nanty Glo, Pa., and the first thing you see when pull into the town of 3,000 - a giant, black pile of waste coal. Residents living at the base of the massive pile call it their back...

Transparent opportunism.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... The new energy bill introduced in the House claims the goal of expanding oil refinery capacity in these times of damaged production and soaring gas prices. But it seems like an unnecessary attempt to expand American oil production at the...

Capital Briefs.(News)
October 10, 2005... Legislation General Environment California: Assembly Bill 728 extends the operation of the biogas customer-generator pilot program and requires biogas digester electrical generating facilities to use the best available control...

Georgia-Pacific to close world's largest tissue recycling mill.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Georgia-Pacific Corp. is laying off 1,100 people, including hundreds at a Green Bay, Wis., mill that bills itself as the largest tissue recycling operation in the world. Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific said 850 of the...

WCA Waste gains foothold in Florida.(News)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson WCA Waste Corp. is moving into a new market, Central Florida, and adding two landfills in the process. The Houston-based company said new acquisitions, which also include three transfer stations and a six-truck...

Boise joins climate club.(News)(Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders Partnership)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Boise Cascade LLC, which saw greenhouse gas emissions fall by 6 percent from 2000 to 2004, is joining a national program aimed at aggressively cutting emissions. The Boise, Idaho-based company is a new member of the...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
October 10, 2005... Oct. 12 - Upper Peninsula Recycling Coalition Conference, Escanaba, Mich. Contact Jim Vicenzi (906) 786-9212 or visit www.uprecycles.org. Oct. 12-14 - Recycling Council of Alberta Annual Conference, Bluffton, Alberta. Call (403) 843-6563 or...

House refinery bill raises hackles.(Gasoline for America's Security Act)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The chairman of the House energy committee exchanged verbal jabs with environmentalists last week as the House prepared to vote on a measure easing environmental rules for oil refineries. Rep. Joe Barton,...

Personnel.(ENSR International appoints Don Clabaugh )(Heil Environmental Industries Ltd appoints Michael Jobe )(Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. appoints Don Hamaker )(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... BAYNE PREMIUM LIFT SYSTEMS - Jimmy Biggerstaff promoted to general manager. BFI CANADA - Joseph Quarin promoted to chief operating officer. ENSR INTERNATIONAL - Don Clabaugh appointed account director. HEIL ENVIRONMENTAL - Michael...

Sharps bill may save needle sticks, money; Business coalition sets goal of Jan. '07.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan One stick from a loose hypodermic needle could expose a trash hauler to potentially deadly blood-borne pathogens such as HIV or hepatitis - and his employer to a bundle of medical expenses. That threat has...

New kid on the block; Texas medwaste firms join forces.(Med-Shred Inc and Enserv LLC merges to form MedServe Inc)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Two medical waste businesses headed by former Browning-Ferris Industries Inc. officials have merged, creating what the officials said should soon be the nation's second-largest medical waste management company as...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 10, 2005... Real progress Kudos to all those involved in the waste-coal-to-diesel fuel project. We need more of this type of productive innovation. Frank J. Altieri NAFTA Environmental Inc. Yuma, Ariz. Bait & switch I cannot...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
October 10, 2005... Composting Council moves meeting out of Louisiana The U.S. Composting Council has relocated its 2006 annual conference from New Orleans to Albuquerque, N.M. The council will hold the conference and trade show the same dates it had...

A first for states; Minnesota mandates biodiesel inclusion in fuel.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Minnesota has enacted legislation requiring that diesel fuel sold in the state contain at least 2 percent biodiesel, which makes for a cleaner-burning fuel. Minnesota is the first state to mandate the sale of...

N.O. floodwater not as bad as 1st feared.(contamination of floodwater risks public health)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Water that flooded New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29 was not as toxic as some originally thought, according to a recently published study conducted by Louisiana State University researchers....

Capital Briefs.(News)
October 24, 2005... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT California: Assembly Bill 721 requires the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency to develop a loan guarantee program to assist chrome plating facilities to purchase high performance environmental...

Haulers Alliance chief switches to full-time.(Independent Haulers Alliance president Gary Juergens service)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Gary Juergens has gotten out of the solid waste business so he can help those in the solid waste business. The president and CEO of the Independent Haulers Alliance has sold is own trash hauling business to devote...

Republic helps kids trick-or-treat safely.(Republic Services Inc safety campaings and training)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Millions of children and their parents will be roaming the streets at the end of this month looking for a little bit of sugary heaven down the street and across the block. But Halloween, behind New Year's Day, is the...

E-waste rift needs closing.(electronic waste disposal)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Three of the primary solid waste industry associations are at odds over the issue of electronic waste and how safe or dangerous it is to dispose of those products in a landfill. The National Recycling Coalition took the unusual step of...

A life-saver, literally; Recycling firm's CPR class comes in handy.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Sure, you take the free first-aid class offered at work to maybe learn a little something and get a well-deserved break from the rock pile, if only for a couple hours or so. But for City Carton Recycling employee...

Recycling group opposes putting e-waste in landfills; Waste officials say it's safe, but not preferred.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Whose science is right? The National Recycling Coalition has come out publicly against the solid waste management industry's position that landfills can dispose of electronics safely, though both sides say that...

Inbox.(Iowa waste disposal landfills regulations)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach The Des Moines Register reported last week that starting in January, Iowa landfills will have to comply with a federal law requiring that disposal sites be lined with clay or plastic to keep leachate from leaking -...

Calif. requires retailers to take back batteries.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini California retailers will have to take back rechargeable batteries starting next year under legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this month. The Rechargeable Battery Act of 2006 requires retailers selling...

FACE TIME ON THE FLOOR.(News)
October 24, 2005... Attendees of Wastecon catch up with each other on the exhibition floor. The annual conference and trade show convened in Austin, Texas, last month. CAPTION(S): photo

Court favors SPSA in Virginia C&D lawsuit.(Southeastern Public Service Authority)(John C. Holland Enterprises Inc Vs Bay Disposal Inc and Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia )
October 24, 2005... Byline: Roger Renstrom A Virginia judge this month threw out much of a landfill operator's conspiracy and predatory pricing claims against a regional waste authority. In his 10-page opinion, Judge Rodham Delk of Suffolk Circuit Court...

Toyota dealer joins others in painting Texas town green.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson A car dealership in Texas wants to sell lots of green Toyotas. Sure, they can be red and blue and yellow, but they all will be green. Pat Lobb Toyota of McKinney, Texas, is constructing what the company is calling...

A Look Back.(Clean Water Act for water quality management)(Republic Services Inc. president Jim Cosman retires)(coal fired power plants mercury emissions)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... 1972: The Clean Water Act, a law aimed at restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters, is enacted. Five years ago: Republic Services Inc. President Jim Cosman retires after working for...

Life lessons about life cycle; Lecturer Cooper stresses U.S. could follow Europe.(Jeff Cooper)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat Producer responsibility policy in the United States can benefit greatly from the example of Europe, according to one of the United Kingdom's leading authorities on the subject. "We can develop in the U.S. sound...

Dust to dust; S.C. doctor's green burials forgo traditional trappings.(At Your Disposal)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Billy Campbell is a rural doctor, an environmentalist and something of a pioneer - opening the nation's first "green cemetery.'' Dr. Campbell also jokes that he operates the nation's only combination doctor's...

Onyx buying three firms in two states.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Onyx Waste Services Inc. is acquiring three solid waste collection companies in Minnesota and Missouri through two separate deals. Onyx acquired Vasko Disposal Solutions of St. Paul, Minn., which Onyx describes as a...

Backers of regional DOE offices oppose plan; Offices that handle efficiency, renewables would close if passed.(Department of Energy)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Deep in the U.S. Senate version of the annual bill funding the Department of Energy is a proposal to eliminate all six field offices that link homeowners, nonprofits and governments with information about energy...

Lighting the way to compaction; Solar-powered invention shines in D.C., to debut in Boston.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Overflowing trash cans so irked Jim Poss during his daily jaunts throughout Boston that he couldn't look the other way any longer. The entrepreneur invented a cordless sun-powered trash compactor by tweaking...

Japan controls hybrid survey; Toyota, Honda on mark.(market share of automobile industry in hybrid vehicles)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Two Japanese automakers scored the highest on a survey of Americans regarding companies' commitments to making hybrid vehicles. Some 41 percent of 1,011 consumers said they see Toyota as being committed to hybrid vehicles, followed closely...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
October 24, 2005... Oct. 25-26 - Northeast Recycling Council Conference, Brattleboro, Vt. Contact Lynn Rubinstein (802) 254-3636 or visit www.nerc.org. Oct. 25-27 -National Solid Wastes Management Association & Waste Equipment Technology Association Executive...

At Deadline.(Green Building Council's services)
October 24, 2005... Council developing plan for Gulf Coast The U.S. Green Building Council is trying to do its part to encourage sustainable strategies as the Gulf Coast rebuilds from the devastation created by Hurricane Katrina and Rita. The council will...

Fast forward.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Energy, fossil fuels and the environment are occupying a great deal of the federal government's time and attention these days. That's unavoidable as we struggle through this rocky period of soaring fuel costs and tight refinery capacity. But...

Waste Industry Briefs.(NedPower Mount Storm LLC)
October 24, 2005... Renewable Energy Shell makes move on NedPower Shell WindEnergy Inc. plans to acquire NedPower Mount Storm LLC, the owner of the Mount Storm wind project in Grant County, W.Va. "The Mount Storm project will help to further diversify...

Waste Generator Briefs.
October 24, 2005... Government Fed regulators OK paperless signatures Federal environmental regulators have signed the Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule, which is designed to encourage electronic reporting of environmental information. The new...

Tidying our frontage.(Waste News new look and coverage)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat You might have noticed that your Waste News looks a little different this issue. We are 10 years old this year, and we thought it was time for a little update of our appearance. Not a full-blown face lift, but...

Refining legislation; Inhofe's plan could boost gas production; environmentalists wary of more pollution.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The head of the Senate Environment Committee last week made an impassioned plea for legislation that would make it easier for existing refineries to expand and for new refineries to open, but critics said the bill...

San Diego mounts C&D push.(construction and demolition debris recycling regulations)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson San Diego has its sights set on construction and demolition debris as the city works to both extend the life its landfill and meet California's waste diversion requirements. A new law expected to take hold next...

Feds reach deal with ExxonMobil.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Another U.S. petroleum refiner has agreed to shell out big money to lay to rest allegations of excessive pollution. ExxonMobil Corp. will spend $571 million to install and implement pollution control technologies at...

Supplier News: Fountain acquires compactor maker.(Fountain Industries acquires Multitech)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Fountain Industries has acquired Eagin, Minn.-based Multitech, a manufacturer of refuse compacting equipment that is marketed under the MaxPak brand. All of the operations have been consolidated at Fountain Industries' headquarters in...

Roll 'em; EIA's safety video will debut in April.(Environmental Industry Associations)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson The Environmental Industry Associations said it plans to develop a new safety training video for workers at solid waste transfer stations. The EIA will manage the project with grant money awarded to the...

WM buys out partners in recycling venture.(Waste Management Inc acquires Peltz Group and Fairfax Recycling Inc)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Management Inc. is buying out its recycling partners and doing away with the Recycle America Alliance concept. The move restores full ownership of the company's recycling assets to Waste Management less than...

Personnel.(Appointments in Waste management industry)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... ALLIED WASTE INDUSTRIES INC. - Joshua Harris named to board of directors. AUGUST MACK ENVIRONMENTAL INC. - Teresa Turnpaugh named staff chemist; Dennis Vendt named staff engineer. GREENSHIFT CORP. - John Davis appointed CEO of Tornado...

Superfund '04 costs pegged at $507M.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The nation's Superfund program cost $507 million in fiscal year 2004, and the Environmental Protection Agency cleaned up 40 sites across the United States, according to a recent report to Congress. The annual...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
October 24, 2005... 3 graphs: Waste News stock index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage change by market segment: see print copy.

The Market Handbook 2005.(Supplement)
October 24, 2005... Sections: Industry Insider * Solid Waste Data * Recycling Data * Pollutant Release Trends * Pricing Trends: see print copy.

In the interim; Senators ask EPA to implement temporary rule for TCE vapors.(Environmental Protection Agency)(trichloroethylene)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Six U.S. senators have written a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency asking it adopt a health protective interim standard for exposure to trichloroethylene vapors. The senators noted that TCE, a...

House passes energy bill sans NSR portion.(New Source Review)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The House narrowly approved a bill Oct. 7 aimed at boosting production at oil refineries by easing environmental regulations. However, one of the most controversial provisions - reforming the New Source Review...

Clouding the issue; Proposed Clean Air Act change brings renewed opposition.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Federal regulators have proposed a major change to the New Source Review portion of the Clean Air Act, saying it would give power plants clearer guidelines and encourage plant upgrades that could encourage pollution...

Sites start to see influx of storm debris.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Hurricane Katrina's impact will be felt for years to come as those charged with picking up the pieces figure out the best places to put those pieces. Some of the woody debris will be burned, and workers will attempt...

Pa. eyes tougher polluter fines.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A Pennsylvania legislator is proposing toughening penalties for polluters and has the support of the state's attorney general. Rep. Douglas Reichley, a Republican, is sponsoring amendments that would...

Shattering barriers to glass recycling; Material applications may include mulch, landfill cover.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat There are creative markets for glass recycling that have great potential if people are willing to explore them, according to two officials who work with the material. Only a fraction of available glass gets...

Hybrids, diesels top fuel ratings.(federal government fuel economy guide)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The federal government has released its 2006 Fuel Economy Guide for passenger vehicles to help consumers save money and protect the environment. "This year's fleet offers a wider variety of cleaner, more...

GE to pay $150M to clean PCBs from Hudson River.(General Electric Co)(polychlorinated biphenyls)
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson General Electric Co. will pay up to $150 million to dredge polychlorinated biphenyls that the company dumped into the Hudson River decades ago, and tens of millions more to cover governmental costs associated with the...