Waste News articles from September 2007

Waste News archives from September 2007

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Recycle It... No, Ban It... No... The city of Los Angeles has added Styrofoam, plastic grocery bags and plastic hangers to the list of items it accepts for recycling. The expansion is part of an effort to reach...

An opportunity for Big Oil.(Opinion)
September 3, 2007... BP has done the smart thing in pulling back from its plan to increase its wastewater discharges at its refinery in Whiting, Ind. And now the oil giant will have to contend with a new surge of public pressure aimed at persuading it to reduce its...

At Deadline.(Late News)
September 3, 2007... WEA buys two wind farms in Minnesota Wind Energy America Inc. has completed the acquisition of the developer's stake in two Lincoln County, Minn., wind farms, which will generate $11 million in revenue for the company between 2010 and...

A Look Back.
September 3, 2007... 10 years ago: Anthony Lomangino, president of Waste Management Inc.'s New York division, relinquishes his post amid allegations of wrongdoing by city officials. 5 years ago: A wastewater treatment plant in Oroville, Calif., becomes the...

Waste Industry Briefs.(Briefs)
September 3, 2007... Energy Publishing company uses solar power EBSCO Publishing has installed a photovoltaic array on the roof of its historic building in Ipswich, Mass., calling it one of the largest installations on the North Shore of Boston. A...

Waste Generator Briefs.(North American Ship Recycling gets contract for ship disposal from Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration.)(Riverstone Residential Group installs recyclable carpeting in Colorado)(Trex Company Inc.'s Paul Fletcher to resign)
September 3, 2007... Recycling Maryland recycler to scrap federal ships The federal government has awarded contracts to a Maryland recycler to dispose of the last of several high-priority government ships from the James River Reserve Fleet in Newport News,...

Environmental group opens shop by Wal-Mart.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini No company is invisible to the eyes of environmental watchdogs, but the nation's largest retailer now has one chained up right across the street, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Environmental Defense has opened...

Hawaii utility focuses on homegrown biofuels.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Hawaii has taken its first steps toward developing a homegrown biofuels sector and moving away from fossil fuel dependency. Hawaiian Electric Co. Inc. and the Natural Resources Defense Council have finalized a policy...

Colo. seeks to save on state energy tab.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Colorado has made improvements to its government buildings, with the help of a major U.S. energy company, that will save taxpayers millions while curbing power plant emissions. A Chevron Corp. unit has completed a...

GreenStar makes living green frugal.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Builders, remodelers and environmentalists are coming together to create a new residential green building program tailored specifically for Minnesota. Minnesota GreenStar is a new collaborative effort created by the...

Activists fast to push Congress on climate.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Ted Glick is so hungry for congressional action on climate change that he's willing to go without food - for days. At least 700 others nationwide - the number continues to grow - are joining him Sept. 4 in a...

BFI has extensive plans for New York landfill.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Plans to expand Seneca Meadows landfill in New York include more than just developing more disposal space. Sure, BFI Canada has designs to increase capacity by 31 million tons - enough to last until 2023. But...

Builders overassess cost of green building.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A new survey suggests that real estate and construction officials continue to believe the gap between green building and conventional construction costs is much higher than actuality. A survey of 1,400 respondents...

Letters.
September 3, 2007... Deposits won't do it The following letter pertains to the "Good For The Goose'' column item that appeared in the July 26 Inbox on Wastenews.com. I don't think deposits on all recyclable plastic containers are going to do the job. Just...

UPS ups solid waste recycling volume.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson The world's largest package delivery company says it recycled nearly 37,000 tons of solid waste last year. United Parcel Service of America Inc. is out with its latest sustainability report, which includes data on...

Fund sees gold in water investments; Environmental engineer to run portfolio.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Aaron Siegel Investment News An investment company has hired an environmental engineer to run a mutual fund that invests in water infrastructure. The company calls it the only actively managed fund that makes such investments. ...

Trouble in the air; BP agrees to lower discharges, but emission fight looms.
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini BP America Inc. has backed down from its plan to increase wastewater discharges at its Whiting, Ind., refinery after a strong public outcry, but may face a new battle over air emissions at the site. The company will...

Retailer fined for hazwaste mishaps.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Home Depot USA Inc. has agreed to pay nearly $10 million to California state and local officials for improper handling of hazardous materials and waste. The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, the California...

Fed judge orders climate studies.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal judge has sided with environmentalists and ordered the Bush administration to produce two scientific reports on global warming by mid-2008. Judge Saundra Armstrong, of the U.S. District Court in...

New Products & Technology.(Ohio Magnetics Inc. introduces MC-1.5 A and MC-2 A Magnet Controllers)(Fluid Components International introduces high accuracy thermal mass flow meter)(Royce Technologies introduces Model 4100 Automatic Vacuum Liquid Feed Control System)
September 3, 2007... OHIO MAGNETICS INC. has announced the addition of the MC-1.5 A and MC-2 A Magnet Controllers to its line of magnet controller products. The new magnet controllers have a separately enclosed resistor assembly and 230 Volts DC Operation/70/150...

Western states cut emissions.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The six states and two Canadian provinces belonging to the Western Climate Initiative have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the West by 15 percent by 2020. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon...

Personnel.(David Jones)(Terry Whitlock)(Shriram Bagrodia)(Scott Dempsey)(Brief article)
September 3, 2007... ALERIS INTERNATIONAL INC. - Joseph Mallak appointed senior vice president of finance, chief accounting officer and controller. BLAST-N-CLEAN LLC - David Jones appointed chief operating officer; Terry Whitlock appointed executive vice...

Humanitarian for health; Global Links tries to answer medical demand in the developing world.
September 3, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan If doctors in the stressed central African nation of Gabon can't secure suture to stitch patients back together after surgery, they're forced to resort to fishing line. Not only is that less than sanitary, but...

More hospitals becoming hospitable to nature.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan A Michigan hospital reupholsters its chairs and couches instead of pitching them when remodeling its interior. A Kentucky hospital boosts air quality and employees' safety by sterilizing instruments with hydrogen...

Banking on a different kind of green.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson New Resource Bank in San Francisco is putting the green in greenbacks. The San Francisco-based bank, open for less than a year, is focusing on serving environmentally aware businesses and individuals. "When we...

CAPITAL BRIEFS; A summary of recent developments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.(Briefs)
September 3, 2007... LEGISLATION SOLID WASTE Illinois: Senate Bill 69 amends the Copper Purchase Registration Law and the Vehicle Code, providing that every scrap processor and recyclable metal dealer shall maintain records of sales over a specified...

Cool fuel cell chills facilities.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Fujitsu America Inc. dedicated Silicon Valley's first hydrogen power plant, which will provide half of the power needed to cool its Sunnyvale, Calif., campus data center and labs. The fuel cell, which utilizes...

The ebb & the flow.
September 3, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat One of the things that's interesting about business' attitude toward the environment is how the story line changes from industry to industry. It's a hot topic in one sector for a while, cools or levels off, and...

A skirmish at the border.(Brief article)
September 3, 2007... Once again environmental concerns appear to be at serious odds with other economic and political concerns. The latest conflict concerns a proposed new Bush administration pilot program that would allow 100 multiple truck carriers to cross...

Valero to pay $147M.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Valero Energy Corp. will spend $147 million on new and upgraded pollution controls at two of its petroleum refineries under an agreement with the federal government. The improvements at the Port Arthur, Texas, and...

EPA: No more controls for petrol refineries.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A recent analysis by the U.S. EPA concluded the risks to human health and the environment from air toxics emitted from petroleum refineries are low enough that no further controls are warranted. The decision...

Scrap recovery rate drops.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Only one year has seen more scrap steel recovered in the last decade, as demand and high prices have pushed scrap inventories to their lowest level since World War II. The Steel Recycling Institute released its...

Waste-to-energy plant site goes green; Ohio group hopes to transform former waste site and build a better business park.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Work is under way in central Ohio to reclaim land at a former waste-to-energy plant to help create a green business park. And officials at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio hope the 10-acre site, called the...

Building a new, more efficient New Orleans.(News)
September 3, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Two years after the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans has 1.5 acres of star-powered green building underway. Designed as a model of sustainability for New Orleans and the...

Coming Events.(Calendar)
September 3, 2007... Sept. 9-12 - 22nd Annual WasteReuse Symposium, Tampa, Fla. Contact Courtney Tharpe (703) 548-0880 or visit www.watereuse.org/2007Symposium/Index.html. Sept. 10-12 - 17th Annual Arkansas Recycling Coalition Conference & Trade Show, Eureka...

Groups seek to block Mexico truck plan.
September 3, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Environmentalists and community activists have joined a labor union in asking a federal court to block a pilot program that would allow commercial trucks from Mexico easier access to U.S. roads. The Sierra Club,...

The wheels on the bus go 'round ... on vegetable oil.
September 3, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Even when deriders sneeringly refer to them as Ivy League do-gooders, Hayley Kennedy and her 10 compadres remain polite, sincere and poised. "If we're do-gooders, why not do good?'' the upbeat San Diegan asks...

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

Correction.(Correction notice)
September 3, 2007... * On Page 18 of the July 23 issue, the location of Troiano Waste Services' headquarters was misstated. The company is based in South Portland, Maine.

Microwaves marketed for waste biz.(Technology)
September 17, 2007... A New Jersey company has begun marketing microwave technology it says can extract liquid or gas fuel from any waste product containing hydrocarbons. Global Resource Corp., of West Berlin, N.J., plans on delivering the first commercial unit...

Coming Events.(Calendar)
September 17, 2007... Sept. 23-26 - 2007 Polyurethane Professional Development Program & Training Course, Orlando, Fla. Contact Mary Novak (718) 578-4658 or visit www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane. Sept. 25-26 - 5th Annual Solid Waste Association of North...

Exchange chief Sandor trading on clean air.(Richard Sandor)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Ann Saphir Crain's Chicago Business Richard Sandor considers himself a radical, dating to his days teaching at the University of California, Berkeley in the late 1960s. But while students were practicing free love, Sandor was...

Beverage maker plans biggest plastics plant.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Coca-Cola Co. will invest more than $60 million to build the world's largest plastic-bottle-to-bottle recycling plant as part of its goal to recycle 100 percent of the bottles it uses in the United States. United...

Waste News duties change.(News)
September 17, 2007... Waste News now has a full-time correspondent in Washington, and has rearranged reporter responsibilities as a result. Elizabeth McGowan, who has contributed to Waste News since 2005, now will cover activities in the nation's capital full...

New solar plant planned for Pa. Station will be largest solar site east of Arizona.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Pennsylvania will be home to the largest solar power station east of Arizona as the state looks to boost its renewable energy generation and increase its energy independence. The 161/2-acre site will consist of...

Sculpting new uses for society's scraps.(At Your Disposal)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini Junkyard artists are not hard to find, nor are most of their works, but a San Francisco area sculptor is using hazardous waste to create pieces that don't resemble junk. Ellen Babcock uses polystyrene foam and layers...

Calif. refinery to offset GHG emissions.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman ConocoPhillips has agreed to spend $10 million to offset increased greenhouse gas emissions from the expansion of its oil refinery in northern California. State officials called the agreement "groundbreaking.'' ...

In brief.(Brief article)
September 17, 2007... N.J. beach waste vexes lawmakers New Jersey's two senators and one of its representatives have sent a letter to the U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers asking them to determine why medical waste recently washed ashore in Ocean County,...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.(Briefs)
September 17, 2007... LEGISLATION SOLID WASTE Illinois: House Bill 316 amends the Environmental Protection Act relating to permits for the development or construction of new pollution control facilities and permits. The bill relates to municipal waste...

Luxury hybrids to debut at Detroit's auto show.(News)
September 17, 2007... For those with the green who want to be green, there will be a new choice in luxury automobiles. Fisker Automotive Inc. is the result of joining hybrid plug-in engineering from Quantum Technologies with high-end sports cars created by...

Couple goes 'junktique-ing'.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck After years of working in the medical profession, Michael and Vicki Grusby decided to trade in their operating room scrubs to bring their bedside manner to the bulk garbage hauling business. The young Florida...

BFI Canada boosts U.S. market presence.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Acquiring one of Long Island's largest independent solid waste companies allows BFI Canada to fully integrate its Northeast U.S. assets in a $281 million deal. "We've often commented on our need for additional...

Waste Connections looks to expand.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Waste Connections Inc. is adding $30 million in annual revenue through the acquisition of operations in Colorado from U.S. Waste Industries Inc. The company is buying four collection companies, three transfer...

LETTERS.(Letter to the editor)
September 17, 2007... Grateful Lakes Thank you very much for a well written story concerning BP and their disposal permit ["BP to cut discharges at Indiana refinery,'' Aug. 20]. I currently am in business development for a disposal company in Fresno,...

Reduction is biz's biggest waste worry.
September 17, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson A new survey of more than 1,000 manufacturing employees around the world shows waste reduction is the most important environmental issue for their business these days. Manufacturing managers and professionals in...

Study lists top 10 toxic places.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan China, India and Russia have achieved the dubious distinction of harboring six of the world's 10 most polluted places. The remaining four are in Azerbaijan, Peru, Zambia and the Ukraine. The New York-based...

Waste Management's HQ goes single-stream.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Single-stream recycling is a growing trend in communities around the country. And now the nation's largest trash company is implementing the process at its own headquarters to further promote the idea. Waste...

Ag waste wrangle; Sides debate Superfund farm exemption.
September 17, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan It's a classic "us'' vs. "them'' squabble. One side, fearful for its livelihood, claims the other is intent on classifying farm animals as Superfund hazardous waste generators. Their opponents cry foul - or...

Deadline to diversion.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Joe Truini No matter the language, keeping residents educated on one of the nation's largest curbside recycling programs is no small task. The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation is tasked with increasing recycling among the...

Court OKs Calif. emission rules.
September 17, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A federal judge in Vermont has rejected arguments from automakers and ruled that states may adopt California's proposal for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. Judge William Sessions, of the...

U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor.(Obituary)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan Despite scoring low marks from the League of Conservation Voters, U.S. Rep. Paul E. Gillmor carved out an environmental legacy in his trademark under-the-radar style. On a legislative level, the 68-year-old...

New Products.(Products)
September 17, 2007... PETERSON MANUFACTURING has added the Smart Lamp to its Piranha brand safety lighting equipment for service, utility and construction vehicles. The Smart Lamp is computer-driven, oval in design, amber in color and meets J1318 specifications. An...

Coal demand to rise.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Coal demand will grow rapidly in the coming years despite concerns about carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, Peabody Energy CEO Gregory Boyce said during an energy conference in New York organized by...

House OKs toxin reduction bill.(News)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan For the third consecutive year the House gave the thumbs up to a toxics-reduction bill that the American Chemical Society touts as making molecules benign by design. Representatives passed the Green Chemistry...

Something in the water; Science detects drug abuse patterns in wastewater.
September 17, 2007... Byline: Jim Johnson Public health and law enforcement officials could one day look no farther than their local wastewater treatment plant to gain insight into drug abuse problems in their communities. Research out of the Oregon State...

Waste Generator Briefs.(Briefs)
September 17, 2007... Energy Governors lead clean energy initiative Washington - The Department of Energy has pledged $610,000 toward a governor-led, national effort to promote clean energy policies across the states. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman...

Waste Industry Briefs.(North American industrial water services set to grow)(Rumpke Consolidate Companies Inc. to purchase Buckeye Valley Waste of Newark)(BFI Canada gets operating permit for Calgary landfill)
September 17, 2007... Wastewater Study: Wastewater market hits $6.5B A new study puts the North American industrial water and wastewater services market at $6.5 billion a year, according to Frost & Sullivan. Primary buyers of water and wastewater...

Mex truck proposal takes U-turn.(Brief article)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Almost as soon as the first Mexico-based trucks began rolling along U.S. highways, the Senate joined the House in voting to eliminate funding for the controversial program. The Department of Transportation on...

A Look Back.(At Your Disposal)
September 17, 2007... 10 years ago: Plasma Environmental Technologies announces plans to build a $50 million waste-to-energy plant on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. 5 years ago: Hazardous waste generation is predicted to fall by more than 1 million tons, to 10.43...

The unlivability index.(Opinion)(environmental problems faced by countries)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Allan Gerlat The world indeed can be a scary place, and a new study identifies some of the scariest places on the planet. They're scary because of what human beings have done to the environment they're living in. A report...

Inbox.(At Your Disposal)(environmental programs)(Column)
September 17, 2007... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Enough With The Testing, Already: The Honolulu Star-Bulletin recently lobbied for islandwide curbside recycling for the isle of Oahu. In an editorial, the newspaper basically said let's stop diddling around with all...

New subscription coordinator starts.(News)
September 17, 2007... Rina Popat has joined Waste News as circulation coordinator. Popat will implement subscription programs and help with digital efforts for Waste News. She joined Crain Communications in August and also serves as subscription coordinator...

Your move, automakers.(Opinion)
September 17, 2007... Automakers lost their fight in a federal court over whether states can regulate greenhouse gas emissions, or if that authority should be reserved for the federal government. Whether they like it or not, it appears they're going to have to...

Superfund law not super fair to farms.(Opinion)
September 17, 2007... It's a knotty question, trying to decide whether it's fair to apply the Superfund law to industrial-scale livestock farms. On the face of it, the two don't fit together. Superfund's gist is providing for cleanup of toxin-contaminated industrial...

At Deadline.(Late News)
September 17, 2007... Montreal talks focus on global warming When countries from around the world gather in Montreal Sept. 17 to 21, they will consider an accelerated freeze and phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs, as a further means of tackling...

Stock Report.(At Your Disposal)
September 17, 2007... 3 graphs: Waste News Stock Index * Calvert Social Index Fund * Dow Jones Industrial Average * table: Percentage Change by Market Segment: see print copy.