Waste News articles from September 2005

Waste News archives from September 2005

Whither Wastecon & Expo? Storm's aftereffects may force waste shows to change sites, cities.(waste management conferences)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson, Allan Gerlat Hurricane Katrina has cast uncertainty over the solid waste industry's two biggest conferences. Wastecon is scheduled for Sept. 27-29 in Austin, Texas. But the city is housing several thousand refugees...

Mich. city sues over dioxane water pollution.(Pall Life Sciences cleans the polluted water )
September 12, 2005... Byline: Sheena Harrison Crain's Detroit Business The city of Ann Arbor, Mich., is suing Pall Life Sciences over a chemical the city says is contaminating its water supply. The legal battle is being fought over a substance called 1,4...

A couple rays of light.(beverage recycling education campaign)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Beverage container recycling has slumped significantly in recent years. At the recent National Recycling Coalition annual meeting, a couple of positive steps emerged to address the issue. A new study conducted by the Beverage Packaging...

Air Force rebounds after storm; Miss. base suffers up to $400 million damage.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Personnel at Keesler Air Force Base spent last week trying to clean up after suffering a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina, which sent waves of water throughout the base. The base is only a few blocks from the...

Flowers in the muck.(Hurricane Katrina damage )
September 12, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat We all watch and read in horror and disbelief of the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast. Here at Waste News our deepest sympathies go out to everyone who has lost loved ones and...

EPA ponders rule aiding coal-based power.(Environmental Protection Agency air pollution control rules)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to propose a rule change that would allow coal-burning power plants to increase their emissions without installing modern pollution controls when upgrading their...

Waste Management settles old fraud suit.(falsified financial statements makes company pay penalty)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Management Inc. - on the hook to indemnify former top executives - will pay $26.8 million to help settle a years-old case that alleged one of the company's founders was part of accounting fraud between 1992 and...

WTE plants would help clear the air.(Opinion)(waste-to-energy)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Philipp Schmidt-Pathmann, Douglas Gilmore When Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels recently returned from the Conference of Mayors in Chicago, he had a stunning declaration in hand - unanimous approval from his fellow mayors for the "Climate...

Awards.(News)
September 12, 2005... Four receive kudos from SWANA The Solid Waste Association of North America has honored four individuals with its Professional Achievement Award. The winners are: * William Merry, assistant general manager, Monterey (Calif.)...

Aluminum sector to aid cities on recycling; 2 associations plan educational campaign to boost curbside pickup programs.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini The aluminum industry is making a deal with municipal recycling coordinators: They'll help improve curbside collection systems in exchange for data. The Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
September 12, 2005... North America Sept. 12-14 - BioCycle Renewable Energy from Organics Recycling Conference, Madison, Wis. Call (610) 967-4135 or visit www.biocycle.net. Sept. 19-23 - North American Hazardous Materials Management Association 20th Annual...

Still a perilous job; Hauling ranks high for worker fatalities among U.S. industries.(Occupational safety and health)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson It's no surprise that working as a refuse and recyclables collector continues to be one of the most dangerous jobs in America. The trash hauling industry is in the midst of what is now a years-long campaign to...

Personnel.(ENSR International appoints Bill McElroy as manager)(Environmental Protection Agency appoints Lawrence Reiter as director)(Insituform Technologies Inc appoints Alex Buehler as vice president)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... ENSR - Bill McElroy appointed senior water resources program manager. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - Lawrence Reiter named director, national exposure research laboratory. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION - Michael...

H20 limits; Report: Lakes initiative ignores some pollution.(water pollution control programs)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Great Lakes Initiative, a collaborative effort between the federal government and eight Great Lakes states, has limited potential to improve water quality. That's according to a new report released by the...

New Products & Technology.(Products)
September 12, 2005... CATERPILLAR INC. has introduced the 730 Ejector Articulated Truck. The truck has a self-cleaning ejector mechanism that allows material to be spread and dumped on the go, without raiding the body. The truck can work on sites where stability...

Recycling a new plastic; Emerging polylactic polymer concerns recycling community.(bioplastics)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Numbers one through seven may have some new company very soon. A few years ago, it was the plastic beer bottle, with its amber color and oxygen-barrier technology, that concerned polyethylene terephthalate recyclers....

PVC under green building microscope again.(News)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Angie DeRosa Plastics News In a move that industry officials said they expected, the U.S. Green Building Council will revise its draft report that evaluated polyvinyl chloride and whether it poses negative impacts on human health...

Ecodesigners weigh impact of materials.(product life cycle analysis methods)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Rhoda Miel Plastics News Designers are trying to take a more thorough look at environmental aspects of their work, but that does not necessarily mean they must turn away from plastics. New ecological design studies are making...

One firm's green push; Cascade Engineering makes enviro strides.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Cascade Engineering Inc., a maker of plastic trash containers, reports that it is doing its part to cut the amount of waste it creates. Cascade earlier this summer issued its 2004 Triple Bottom Line Report, which...

Gas price hikes hit waste industry hard.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Roger Renstrom Refuse haulers and landfill operators face a world of woe from rising fuel costs, and the impact of Hurricane Katrina is likely to make the situation even more difficult. Houston-based Waste Management Inc....

Cargill to spend $130 million to cut pollution.(air pollution control equipment installation)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Cargill Inc. has agreed to spend $130 million at dozens of food processing plants to cut air pollution by 30,000 tons per year through a settlement with the federal government. The company also will pay a $1.6...

Readers reach out to hurricane victims.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Waste News readers from across the country have reached out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We received dozens of responses to an e-mail we sent out asking for descriptions of donations companies and organizations are making. The...

Businesses struggle; Mud engulfs La. Gulf Coast town.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Dried mud crunched under the feet of those trying to clear the mess in the Old Town section of Slidell. A thin layer of this gray-black muck still covered some parts of town about 30 miles northeast of New Orleans....

Officials foresee long, complicated cleanup; Environmental Nightmare Katrina.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson People along the Gulf Coast face weeks, months, probably even years of work ahead of them as they struggle with the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. With New Orleans now virtually a flooded ghost town, and...

Supplier News: Entact's doors open in Pittsburgh.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Entact has opened an office in the Pittsburgh area to better serve the Mid-Atlantic region. The company, with $120 million in annual revenue, now has offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and San Diego. Entact's...

Capital Briefs.(legislative bills in different states)
September 12, 2005... Legislation General Environment Oregon: Senate Bill 736 allows an exemption to the energy facility site certificate requirement for energy facilities exclusively using oil seeds, waste vegetable oil or cellulosic biomass as a source of...

Small businesses feel acute pain; Boat builder, shrimper vow to rebuild.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Central Avenue, its asphalt baked hot by an unrelenting Mississippi sun, dead-ends at the Back Bay in D'Iberville. At the very end of the street, near where remnants of a bridge that once took motorists over the...

Story of Willie Hill.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Willie Hill took a break from cleaning up debris after Hurricane Katrina, sat down to eat his Army-issued beef stew dinner, and remembered. He remembered spending 10 hours on a store's rooftop to avoid the...

NRC opens its tent to industrial byproducts.(National Recycling Coalition)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini The National Recycling Coalition has expanded its universe to include industrial byproducts. The coalition's board voted unanimously Aug. 27 to support the Industrial Resources Council, a group of associations trying...

Recycledome; Minneapolis' stadium making a bigger effort at reusing waste.(beverage containers cleanup works)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini After all the rootin', cheerin' and especially the drinkin', it's time for the recyclin'. Following Minnesota Twins baseball games and Minnesota Vikings football games, cleaning crews start the seemingly daunting...

Katrina beseiges Biloxi.(Hurricane Katrina, 2005 damages several business)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman One week after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area, businesses in Biloxi were struggling to clean up the debris, restore essential services and get life back to normal. Last week, overturned and damaged cars,...

Hard luck at the Hard Rock; Cleanup, repair may take year.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The new Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Biloxi was preparing to open its doors to gamblers and music lovers for the first time about a week after Hurricane Katrina hit the town. But now it will be a long time...

Toxic water imperils New Orleans; Environmental nightmare Katrina.
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Floodwaters pouring into New Orleans caused an environmental disaster that still needs to be completely assessed. The water that surged into New Orleans when the levees broke Aug. 30 decimated the city's sewer...

Not much left but debris; Mud engulfs La. Gulf Coast town.(Hurricane Katrina struck)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Fifteen-year-old Tara Burnett cried when she returned to her home near New Orleans for the first time after Hurricane Katrina struck. She, her mother and her father found a 6-foot mound of wooden debris outside...

Beverage study negates single-serve theory.(beverage container recycling declines by consumer drinking behaviour)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini New data released at the National Recycling Coalition's annual conference challenges the widely accepted myth that the growing popularity of single-serve beverages is killing container recycling rates. The Beverage...

Automakers join to develop hydrids.(partnership)(product development)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Three of the world's largest automakers have agreed to pool their expertise to accelerate the development of hybrid vehicles to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. The BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler AG and General...

In Brief.(Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp)(Consumer Electronics Association)(greenhouse gas emissions)
September 12, 2005... Plastics Recycling R.I. first to offer plastic bag collection Rhode Island has become the first state to offer statewide collection and recycling of plastic bags. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. adopted the program,...

Personnel.(Allied Waste Industries Inc. appoints Edward Evans)(Earth Tech Inc. appoints Michael Romano)(Flowserve Corp. appoints Lewis King )(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... ADVANCED WASTE SERVICES - William Christel appointed vice president of health, safety and environment. ALLIED WASTE INDUSTRIES INC. - Edward Evans named executive vice president of human resources and organizational development. EARTH...

Bear essentials; A growing number of towns require bear-proof trash containers.(habitat protection)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Bears and garbage just shouldn't mix. With an ever-decreasing natural habitat created by ongoing development, bears are being forced more and more into encounters with humans in many areas of the country. The...

Supplier News.(Dana Corp supply agreement with Permo-Drive Technologies )(SCS Engineers distribution agreements with Capstone Turbine)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Dana, Permo-Drive ink new RDS pact Dana Corp. has signed an agreement with Permo-Drive Technologies of Australia to commercialize Permo-Drive's hybrid-hydraulic Regenerative Drive System. The companies will initially focus the system...

Judge nixes CO2 lawsuit.(News)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit this month brought by eight states calling on power companies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Judge Loretta Preska of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of...

The sustainability biz; Roundtable launches stewardship initiative.(Panel Discussion)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Action, not words. The environment and corporate sustainability are becoming more entwined with American business, as some of the nation's largest corporations are starting to realize. An association of CEOs of...

Mountains to be moved.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Nearly a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, we are starting to get some hard facts about the scope of environmental damage and cleanup challenge. Those facts underscore the enormity of the job ahead. The...

A glimpse of what Katrina left behind.(Special Report)
September 26, 2005... ROLLING ALONG: Trash trucks head East along Interstate 10 in Mississippi as work mounts for public and private waste operations. * WHERE TO BEGIN? Goodwill Industries employee Vickie Williams surveys the damage to her store in D'Iberville,...

Gas price rise hits alternative fuels, too.(tax incentives influences alternative fuel usage)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Alternative fuels are getting more attention, but not necessarily more use, due to skyrocketing fuel prices. Tax incentives and higher gas and diesel fuel prices have made the price of alternative fuels, such as...

A possibility: Opening closed landfills.(storm debris cleanup)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Closed landfills could reopen to help deal with the burden of possibly 100 millions cubic yards or more of storm debris created by Hurricane Katrina. Almost a month after the storm, estimates are only now forming...

N.J. foundry to meet mercury rule.(Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co uses mercury control systems)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A New Jersey foundry is planning to be the first to install pollution controls to meet the state's stringent new mercury reduction requirements. Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co., a division of Phillipsburg,...

Inbox.(carbon dioxide emission reduction programme)(litter management by camera fitted recycling bins)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach It's Official, Sort Of: New York's Newsday reported last week that the multistate carbon dioxide emission reduction plan known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is expected to be declared officially official...

Haulers battered, but ready to handle debris.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Two of the largest trash collection companies along the Gulf Coast report little equipment damage as they ramp their operations back up after Hurricane Katrina. "Pretty much everything you see on TV, CNN or CNBC, is...

Mercury protest nixed.(mercury emission reduction regulation at coal fired power plants)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman In a narrow 51-47 vote, the Senate on Sept. 13 rejected a challenge to the Bush administration's new mercury emission rule for coal-fueled power plants. Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Susan Collins, R-Maine,...

Coming Events.(Calendar)(Calendar)
September 26, 2005... North America Oct. 16-19 - Institute for Briquetting and Agglomeration Technical Conference, Clearwater, Fla. Call (715) 543-2750 or visit www.agglomeration.org. Oct. 18-20 - American Society for Testing & Material Committee E50...

Va. waste authority defends self.(debris disposal contract price litigation)(Southeastern Public Service Authority )
September 26, 2005... Byline: Roger Renstrom Intrigue grows about tactics of Virginia's Southeastern Public Service Authority as litigation alleging conspiracy and predatory price fixing proceeds in court. Recent revelations have put the SPSA in a defensive...

N.C. county receives award for landfill system.(News)(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... New Hanover County, N.C., has received a 2005 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties in recognition of its biological treatment of landfill leachate. The county's landfill system provides treatment of up to 60,000...

Expo '06 moves to Vegas.(recycling industry trade shows)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Expo is moving across the country next spring from New Orleans to Las Vegas as questions about the cleanup from Hurricane Katrina remain. "There is way too much uncertainty right now in regards to New...

Duke Energy, Duke U. join for climate study.(News)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini A North Carolina power provider and university are putting up their dukes to fight global warming. Duke Energy Corp. has pledged $2.5 million to Duke University to launch a new industry-university collaboration to...

Manufacturers to test nonradioactive devices.(government grant for reducing radioactive materials in production)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Two manufacturers of product measurement and quality control devices have received federal funding to develop technology to reduce their industry's reliance on radioactive isotopes to reduce the risk of that material...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
September 26, 2005... Retail Apparel maker invests in wind energy Outdoor apparel manufacturer Prana is providing 250 of its retailers renewable wind energy certificates to offset the electricity their stores consume. The Vista, Calif.-based company...

IESI enlists Nelson to market biodiesel.(IESI Corp pollution control initiatives)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson One trash company is enlisting the help of a country music star to help reduce the pollution its trucks create. IESI Corp. has about 50 trucks stationed in McKinney, Texas, operating on a biodiesel fuel blend...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
September 26, 2005... 1965: The first federal solid waste management law, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, is enacted. Five years ago: The Virginia Water Protection Board reissues a contested permit for a port in Charles City County, Va. Environmental groups had...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
September 26, 2005... Waste Hauling Home Depot breaks ties with ISA Industrial Services of America Inc. is losing a longtime customer that accounted for 9.4 percent of net income and 51 percent of gross revenue, the company said. Industrial Services...

Ford plans big hybrid push.(Ford Motor Co. production innovation)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Ford Motor Co. wants to increase hybrid vehicle production tenfold within five years and offer the technology in more than half of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury offerings. Ford makes about 24,000 of the...

Katrina cleanup may take 2 years; Operation will be nation's largest.(waste management)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson America has never had to deal with the volume of debris created by Hurricane Katrina. Officials were zeroing in on more accurate waste estimates for both Louisiana and Mississippi last week. And it looks like the...

Bills would relax restrictions, liability.(Special Report)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The unprecedented environmental crisis Hurricane Katrina has created may force the federal government to take unprecedented steps to clean up the mess. This may be the largest natural disaster that the U.S....

Nuclear waste facility earns OK from agency; Utah governor, U.S. senators vow to continue the fight.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini The federal government has rejected Utah's final objection against a temporary nuclear waste facility in the state. The Nuclear Regulatory Agency authorized a license for Private Fuel Storage LLC to build and operate...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
September 26, 2005... Frugal remake I am an insurance adjuster who specializes in catastrophe property loss. I also run a used and antique salvage business here in Maryland. I am a small operation, as it is only during the off storm season that I do this. I...

Guess who's coming to dinner? Plastics society invites advocacy leader to D.C. forum.(Steve Toloken)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken Plastics News Mark Murray, longtime head of the advocacy group Californians Against Waste, counts among his successes substantial environmental laws in his state pushing recycled content in newsprint and glass bottles,...

Storm destroys Goodwill; Mississippi town's charity had just renovated.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson The people who help other people now need help themselves. Hurricane Katrina's winds and water caused widespread damage - so the destruction at a Goodwill Industries store along Central Avenue in D'Iberville, Miss.,...

La. dry cleaners a mess.(hurricane damages Roberta Dry Cleaners )(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Kim Schroeder's family has owned Roberta Dry Cleaners in Slidell for 40 years. But Hurricane Katrina has left the family wondering when they can reopen. Schroeder, who was 3 years old when his family bought the...

Paul Simon pitches in with mobile med clinic.(storm surge and associated environmental damage of hurricane)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Musician Paul Simon doesn't shy away from devastation and debris. Simon's charitable work with the Children's Health Fund brought him to Biloxi this month amid the piles of rubble and relief efforts in this town...

EPA urges caution for business, residents.(Environmental Protection Agency)(flood water contamination and associated public health risks)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Residents and employees returning to homes and businesses in the New Orleans area may face health risks from contaminated sediment left behind after floodwaters recede, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection...

Dark lining, silver cloud.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Natural disasters can bring out the best and the worst in people. In the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina's devastating punch to the Gulf Coast, TV newscasts delivered disturbing images and reports...

Polluted water hurts fishing.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Hurricane Katrina has shut down nearly all oyster-harvesting operations in Mississippi and two-thirds of the operations in Louisiana. Shrimp and commercial fishing operations also have been hard-hit. Storm...

Illinois Tool Works buys plastics recycler.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Steve Toloken Illinois Tool Works Inc. has bought recycler St. Jude Polymer Corp. to supply plastic to the strapping manufacturing operations of ITW's Signode division. Terms were not disclosed, but an official with Glenview,...

Big cow-gas project in the works in Texas.(Environment Power Corp)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Texas is known for its grandness, and when it comes to cow manure it's no different. Construction is under way on a cow-waste-to-energy project that will handle manure from up to 10,000 cows through the use of eight...

No idling zone: Ariz. expands bus program.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Arizona is greatly expanding its school bus idling program aimed at cutting diesel emissions. The state, which started the program last year with seven school districts, said the new school year sees more than 50...

It's not just a job; it's an adventure.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Allan Gerlat Some news stories are a lot easier to get than others. Some require a couple of phone calls from a reporter's relatively comfy desk, and the sources are forthright in answering the questions. Other stories are more...

Capital Briefs.(environmental quality )
September 26, 2005... Legislation General Environment California: Assembly Bill 115 amends the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax law regarding environmental tax credits for diesel fuel facilities. Enrolled Sept. 14. California: Assembly...

Sierra Club fights mining waste in Alaska.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Joe Truini Environmentalists are challenging the siting of a gold mine near Juneau, Alaska, claiming the government is illegally allowing the owners to dump waste into a pristine lake. The Sierra Club and two other conservation...

Frozen tundra; Wis. plans changes for applying manure.(Wisconsin)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Wisconsin rule makers are proposing changes regarding waste handling at the state's largest animal farms to comply with new federal regulations. The rules apply to what is know as Concentrated Animal Feeding...

Gamecocks go silver, green with new dorm.(West Quad)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Building green doesn't need to cost any more green. A residence hall at the University of South Carolina that the school bills as the world's largest green dorm has earned certification by the U.S. Green Building...

Bug bombs away; Air Force sprays Gulf flood zone for mosquitoes.(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... The U.S. Air Force has begun spraying for mosquitoes over the flooded areas in and around New Orleans to reduce the risk of diseases spreading among rescue workers, cleanup crews and residents. The Federal Emergency Management Agency...

Pa. firm provides large bags to plug levees.(Pennsylvania)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Jim Johnson Tim Holan has mixed emotions after his trip to New Orleans to help oversee the repair of two levee breaks that flooded the city. Holan, a project manager for MHF Logistical Solutions, was in the city as almost 4,000...

Oil spills impede floodwater cleanup in La.
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Leaks at several oil facilities in the New Orleans area have complicated efforts to pump floodwater out of the area and clean up the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The largest spill is at the Murphy Oil...

N.J. unveils auto emission rule.(Brief Article)
September 26, 2005... Byline: Bruce Geiselman New Jersey is moving forward with plans to curb emissions from automobiles sold in the state beginning in 2009. Acting Gov. Richard Codey unveiled proposed regulations Sept. 14 that will carry out the state's...