Waste News articles from September 2008

Waste News archives from September 2008

A LOOK BACK.
September 1, 2008... 10 years ago: The Congressional Research Service reports that municipal solid waste imports jumped 32% between 1995 and 1997, a trend fueled in part by ongoing waste industry consolidation. 5 years ago: The EPA unveils its latest plans for...

Inbox.
September 1, 2008... China to Regulate E-waste: China's State Council has approved a draft law on the management of electronic waste, according to a report published last week by Chinaview.com: "The country will set up a mechanism to encourage recycling and...

WASTE GENERATOR BRIEFS.
September 1, 2008... Nuclear Power Alternative Energy sues for defamation Alternative Energy Holdings Inc., which has proposed to build a nuclear power plant in southwestern Idaho, is suing an environmental group for making defamatory remarks. The...

Sale means more wind energy to be sent from Wyo. to Colo.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Development of a transmission line to deliver wind energy from Wyoming to Colorado will continue after a major milestone this month and could serve as a national model to supply renewable energy. The Wyoming-Colorado...

Let common sense prevail.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Allan Gerlat As gas prices and global warming fears soar, so has the use of bicycles. And not surprisingly, a debate about whether that's a good thing or a bad thing has followed in tandem. As part of the drive to be green at...

MARAD launches initiatives.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Maritime Administration part of the U.S. Department of Transportation has launched several new environmental stewardship initiatives. The Maritime Administration's 2008 "Going Green'' programs include an...

Olympic Village grabs green-building gold.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Athletes aren't the only ones winning gold in Beijing. The Olympic Village, temporary home to more than 17,000 athletes during the world games, was recently awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.
September 1, 2008... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT California: Assembly Bill 1846 exempts transporters of inedible kitchen grease from a fee assessed by the Department of Food and Agriculture if the grease is to be used by the transporters for their own...

Synthetic turf provider leads with safety.(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth McGowan A month ago, FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields exhaled a sigh of relief. That's when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission validated conclusively what FieldTurf Tarkett leaders have touted since their...

Eco-friendly shoe maker making impressive strides.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Walk a mile in a pair of Simple shoes and you're likely to experience the traction of recycled car tires, the look of certified organic cotton or the cushiony effects of cork or reclaimed carpet padding. A...

OPINION.(on-the-job deaths)
September 1, 2008... Improving its image New data from the federal government shows that trash collectors dramatically reduced the number of on-the-job deaths in 2007 from the previous year. That's a major accomplishment for the waste industry, and one it can...

AT DEADLINE.
September 1, 2008... Texas capital buys into biomass project The City Council in Austin, Texas, has given its approval to purchase $2.3 billion worth of renewable energy over a 20-year period from a planned 100-megawatt wood-waste biomass power plant. ...

WM, TV station challenge customers with Zero Waste.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson There's a reality television for survivors, another for bachelors and bachelorettes, and now comes one for recyclers. Applications are now being accepted in the San Francisco Bay area for Waste Management Inc....

WN wins 3 editorial awards.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Waste News has won three editorial awards in an annual statewide contest. The publication placed second as the Best Trade Publication in Ohio in the annual competition sponsored by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. Waste...

BFI Canada restructures to raise capital.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson BFI Canada sees itself at a crossroads. The Toronto-based trash company faced with impending Canadian tax changes that have dampened investor enthusiasm is making sweeping moves that will alter the organization....

Danish windmill-part maker to build two plants in Colo.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Vestas Americas A/S plans to build two windmill component manufacturing facilities in Colorado to meet increasing U.S. demand for wind power. Both plants, a new blade factory and a nacelle assembly factory, will be...

Waste industry takes the smart road.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Being safe is big business. The solid waste management industry has increased its focus on safety in recent years. And with that emphasis comes a growing opportunity for companies to provide safety products and...

Exxon pays $2.64 million to settle EPA complaint.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Exxon Mobil Corp. has paid $2.64 million to settle a complaint by the U.S. EPA that the company disposed of and improperly handled polychlorinated biphenyls on an offshore oil and gas platform. The incident...

12 states sue EPA; Agency fails to control refinery emissions, attorneys general say.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman A dozen states and an environmental advocacy group are suing the U.S. EPA for failing to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases from oil refineries. New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo filed the lawsuit...

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... REALITY CHECK: Waste Management Inc.'s Davis Street Transfer Center in San Leandro, Calif., will be the backdrop for the upcoming Zero Waste Challenge this fall. Television station KTVU and the trash company are teaming up for a reality...

Compliance isn't enough: To succeed, exceed.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Simply complying with Occupational Safety & Health Administration rules is not enough for a company to have a successful safety program, according to one safety professional. "What you have to remember is that OSHA...

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... MASKED MAN: A recycling worker, tosses a motherboard into a box to be recycled at California Electronics Asset Recovery in Rancho Cordova, Calif.

WASTE INDUSTRY BRIEFS.
September 1, 2008... Solid Waste DOJ looking into WM bid for Republic The federal government wants more information regarding Waste Management Inc.'s efforts to buy shares of Republic Services Inc. The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of...

Pa. governor names new enviro secretary.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell has nominated John Hanger to be secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Hanger served as the president and chief executive officer of Citizens for Pennsylvania's...

Incentives spur workers to embrace safety.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Incentives can effectively improve the safety culture at a business, but only if they are used properly. Dennis Downing is president of All Star Rewards Inc., a company based in Lexington, Ky., that creates...

Conventions vote for green; Parties embrace eco-friendly alternatives.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Organizers of the Democratic and Republican national conventions taking place in Denver and St. Paul, Minn., respectively, are promising a "greener'' experience for delegates and other attendees. House Speaker...

NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY.
September 1, 2008... MORBARK has introduced the Model 30 NCL Chiparvestor, a compact version of its 30 RXL chipper. Eliminating the cab, loader and feed bed from the RXL results in a chipper that is lighter and easier to transport. With no feed bed, smaller...

Work deaths fall by half.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson On-the-job deaths dropped dramatically for trash collectors last year, according to new statistics from the federal government. Fatalities in the category of "refuse and recyclable material collectors'' fell by more...

ConAgra switches to recycled plastic for frozen meal trays.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A switch by ConAgra Foods Inc. to recycled-content plastic in frozen meal trays will divert 8 million pounds of waste from landfills each year, the company said. The Omaha, Neb.-based food maker is now using between...

COMING EVENTS.(Calendar)
September 1, 2008... Sept. 7-10 Global Waste Management Symposium 2008, Rocky Mountains, Colo. Contact Alice Jacobson (202) 364-3724 or visit www.wastesymposium.com. Sept. 8-10 Environmental Management Systems Implementation, San Antonio, Texas. Contact Jay...

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... ZERO EMISSIONS: Attendees at the Democratic National Convention get around downtown Denver in bicycle rickshaws. This year, both parties' convention organizers are making environmentally friendly transportation options available for attendees.

Calif. bill aims to stop recycling theft.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini The California State Senate has passed a bill to fight the theft of curbside recyclables. It passed Assembly Bill 1778, 21-16, to require recyclers dealing in large cash transactions for recyclables, including...

Recording device keeps watchful eye on drivers.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Caitlin Saniga Waste hauling companies can now have front row seats to their drivers' collisions and risky habits, and therefore correct them, thanks to a windshield-mounted recording device by DriveCam. "When people know they...

Prison workers exposed to lead, cadmium.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Prisoners and staff employed at an electronics recycling operation in an Ohio federal prison worked with inadequate engineering controls, respiratory protection, medical surveillance and industrial hygiene...

Partnership to recycle gypsum into drywall.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson Construction materials maker Lafarge North America Inc. and energy company Mirant Corp. are teaming up on a project that will recycle gypsum into new drywall. Mirant will provide synthetic gypsum to Lafarge's...

Republic to pay $1M for violations.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Republic Services of Southern Nevada has agreed to pay a $1 million civil fine to resolve Clean Water Act violations that allegedly took place at the Sunrise Mountain Landfill in Clark County, Nev. The company...

EPA allows facilities to disclose via Web.
September 1, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled a pilot project that allows regulated facilities nationwide to self-disclose environmental violations through a secure section of the agency's Web site. ...

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... RED-HANDED: A truck loaded with what appear to be scavenged recyclables is parked curbside on a street in San Francisco in March 2008.

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... GREEN DIGS: Beijing's Olympic Village, where 17,000 athletes were housed during the Olympic games, has received the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold Award in recognition of its environmentally friendly design.

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... COMPACT CHIPPER: Morbark has introduced the Model 30 NCL Chiparvestor, a compact version of its 30 RXL chipper. Eliminating the cab, loader and feed bed from the RXL results in a chipper that is lighter and easier to transport.

Photo caption.
September 1, 2008... WATER FILTER: Hach Co. has introduced a system to filter wastewater samples for oil and grease analysis.

Scientists search for "Garbage Patch'.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Walt Wiley A University of Hawaii research ship has sailed into the area of the Pacific Ocean where observers have noted a vast "Garbage Patch'' intent on finding the patch and beginning to understand what it is and what it means...

Environmental issues move up in line.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline this summer and increased media reporting on climate change have helped push energy and global warming issues to the forefront in this year's presidential campaign. "This is my...

Green groups push 3 Senate candidates.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman While most of the national attention is turned to the presidential race, environmental groups have banded together in an effort to elect three candidates they favor to the U.S. Senate. The League of Conservation...

Initiative calls for phase-in of lead-free wheel weights.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A new voluntary program expects to eliminate the release of millions of pounds of lead into the environment and the waste stream. The new National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative aims to phase in the use of...

Closer than you think; Nominees' views on environment not so far apart.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Environmentalists are painting this year's presidential election as offering a clear-cut choice between Democrat Barack Obama as protector of the environment and Republican John McCain as a friend of "Big Oil'' who...

Dentist accused of dumping waste.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini A Pennsylvania dentist allegedly is responsible for medical waste that washed up on along a one-mile stretch of New Jersey beach. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram has charged a Pennsylvania dentist with...

Everything's going up; Rising commodity prices, eco-awareness help recyclers counter energy costs.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Recyclers are not immune to today's higher energy costs, but increased value for recyclables and environmental awareness are helping to combat shrinking profit margins. "The impact with everyone, in any business, has...

Capital Briefs; A summary of recent develpments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.
September 15, 2008... LEGISLATION General Environment California: Senate Bill 1473 requires the Building Standards Commission to adopt green building standards and requires local entities to collect a fee from applicants for building permits for deposit in...

Green ideas thrive at GM plant in Michigan.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Andrew Grossman The lights on the factory floor turn off during breaks. Cisterns collect rainwater from the roof to use in the toilets. Workers build bird feeders and hike in the nature preserve that takes up part of the nearly 680...

Wireless could gain from others' eco efforts.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Kelly Hill As businesses examine energy and fuel costs as well as worker productivity, wireless companies have an opportunity to support the greening of the economy and make money at the same time by running applications over...

Galante gets seven years in racketeering, fraud case.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A trash company owner and central figure in a mob-enforced scheme to control the trash industry in Connecticut will spend more than seven years in federal prison. James Galante of New Fairfield, Conn., is a...

Solid waste industry plays important role during floods.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Megan Greenwalt In the wake of recent storms, flooding can be a major safety concern not only for communities but environmental and solid waste managers as well. In some cases, solid waste facilities play a major role in the...

Waste Generator Briefs.
September 15, 2008... Paper IP to shut down machine at Okla. mill International Paper Co. will indefinitely shut down a paper machine at its Valliant mill in Oklahoma, a move that will cut containerboard production by about 430,000 tons annually. The...

Investors: Finding truly green funds isn't easy.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Sue Asci There are many shades of green and there are many varieties of green funds. And while fund companies are jumping on the environmentally conscious bandwagon, some financial advisers and investors are cautious about...

Coming Events.(Calendar)
September 15, 2008... Sept. 15-19 The Original Environmental Bootcamp, Salt Lake City, Utah. Contact Jay Collert (410) 897-0037 or visit www.aarcherinstitute.com. Sept. 18-19 Engineering Design and Performance of Bioreactor Landfills Seminar, Nashville, Tenn....

A Look Back.
September 15, 2008... 10 years ago: Waste Industries Inc. snags its first landfills for nearly $40 million, while Superior Services Inc. acquires PenPac Inc. and eight related collection and recycling companies in New Jersey. 5 years ago: Solid waste services...

GM aims for landfill-free status.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson General Motors Corp. figures half of the company's manufacturing sites will no longer use landfills within three years, and the automaker says there's even more work to be done beyond that goal. The landfill-free...

Stop playing politics.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Congress continues to struggle to come up with some real energy relief on oil prices. The House majority Democrats have made a compromise proposal allowing for controversial offshore drilling, but Republicans are far from impressed. The...

Inbox.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Pete Fehrenbach Dogged Standoff: The city of Dallas and commercial paper recycler AbitibiBowater appear to be headed toward a showdown in a dispute over restrictions the city wants to impose on the company's "Paper Retriever''...

The same, only different.(Brief article)
September 15, 2008... Byline: Allan Gerlat The national election is just a few weeks away, and environmental issues are part of the agenda. Just not a big part. And they aren't a big part of distinguishing the difference between the two presidential candidates....

Waste Industry Briefs.
September 15, 2008... Solid Waste WM proposes new pact in Wis. strike Waste Management Inc. is proposing a new five-year contract to striking workers in the Milwaukee, Wis., area. The two sides are at odds over pension benefits as the company wants to...

Why they're called truisms.
September 15, 2008... An old saying holds that "As General Motors goes, so goes America.'' Hopefully that will hold true regarding the automaker's recent push to recycle a greater amount of the waste it generates. GM said last week that it plans to have half of...

Supplier News.
September 15, 2008... Consortium to expand bioplastics recycling Primo Water Corporation, along with 19 other organizations, has launched a new group called the Bioplastics Recycling Consortium to address recycling opportunities with bioplastics. The...

Senate revisits Clean Air Interstate Rule.
September 15, 2008... A Republican member of the Senate Environment Committee has introduced a bill that would reinstitute an EPA rule rejected by a federal court in July that would reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in the eastern and Midwestern...

Dems propose more drilling.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman House Democrats, fending off months of criticism from their Republican colleagues, hope to schedule a vote this week on legislation that they said would boost drilling for oil off America's coasts. Republicans...

Driver accidents cost the recycling industry millions.
September 15, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini Safety is preached at most scrap yards and recycling operations, but accidents by the "unseen workforce'' has cost the recycling industry millions of dollars. "I've been a safety professional for 30 years, and I...

Personnel.(Aquatech International Corp., Gershman, Brichner and Braton Inc., Entertech Environmental Inc.)
September 15, 2008... AMERICAN FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION Elizabeth VanDersarl named vice president of government affairs; Scott Milburn named executive director of strategic communications. AQUATECH INTERNATIONAL CORP. Mike Gisclair named regional sales...

SUPPLIER NEWS.(Brief article)
September 29, 2008... Envirosight triples HQ facility's size Envirosight, a company that specializes in pipe inspection, has tripled the size of its headquarters in Randolph, N.J. The new facility houses an expanded customer service team, a 25-seat...

TV conversion will be headache for landfills.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Those scary-sounding public service announcements telling millions of TV viewers that they will be left in the dark this February when broadcasts switch from analog to all digital foreshadow an even scarier...

S.F. pushes for producer responsibility.(San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is calling for a new legislation )
September 29, 2008... Byline: Walt Wiley San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is calling for legislation that would enforce a system of "cradle-to-cradle'' extended producer responsibility for manufactured products. The board adopted a resolution Sept. 16...

Director search continues.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini The National Recycling Coalition had hoped to introduce its members to the group's new executive director during the 27th Annual Congress & Exposition, but the search continues. The NRC's search committee has talked...

COMING EVENTS.(Calendar)
September 29, 2008... Sept. 29-Oct. 1 New Model Truck Product Conference, Dearborn, Mich. Contact Kathy Kvasnak (248) 489-7090 or visit www.ntea.com. Sept. 29-Oct. 1 CPI Polyurethanes 2008 Technical Conference, San Antonio, Texas. Call (703) 741-5103 or visit...

PERSONNEL.(Gershman, Brickner and Bratton Inc., Evergreen Holdings Inc., Bryte Technologies.)
September 29, 2008... BIOBLEND RENEWABLE RESOURCES Sam Burkett promoted to president. BRIGHT TECHNOLOGIES Tom Stebbins named operations and process specialist, Specialty Equipment Division. CLEANTECH BIOFUELS INC. Michael Kime promoted to chief operating...

NEW PRODUCTS.
September 29, 2008... ASAHI/AMERICA INC. has introduced customized valve boxes to provide protection for all Asahi/America valves and valve assemblies. The thermoplastic boxes are fully enclosed for the highest degree of protection against natural elements and can...

WASTE INDUSTRY BRIEFS.
September 29, 2008... Solid Waste Firms join to provide waste-rail services EnviroSolutions Inc., the Anastasio Group and CSX Transportation are forming a joint venture to provide waste handling and processing services via rail. "Our new partnership...

Civic-minded; Honda cut waste 80% in 7 years.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson American Honda Motor Co. Inc. has cut the amount of waste generated for each automobile produced by almost 80% since 2001, the company said. Honda is out with its new environmental performance report, including the...

Bill Gates purchases bigger chunk of Republic.
September 29, 2008... One of the nation's most well-known businessmen continues to invest millions of dollars into Republic Services Inc., gobbling up a substantial portion of the company that is planning to merge with Allied Waste Industries Inc. Microsoft's...

Clean energy: It's all good; Investment in green projects would create millions of jobs, report says.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Jim Johnson A $100 billion investment in clean-energy projects could create 2 million jobs in the United States in two years, according to a new report released by a consortium of environmental and labor groups. The report,...

Ike closes Houston refinery.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Joe Truini The nation's largest biorefinery, located in Houston, has avoided major damage from Hurricane Ike, but the facility likely will remain closed for the next couple of months. GreenHunter Energy Inc. shut down its...

Moving company offers recycling services; Nor-Cal expands to pick up electronic waste for recyclers.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman Nor-Cal Moving Services, one of the San Francisco Bay area's largest moving companies, recently moved into an unexpected neighborhood: The electronics recycling business. The company doesn't do the recycling...

CAPITAL BRIEFS.
September 29, 2008... LEGISLATION GENERAL ENVIRONMENT California: Assembly Bill 1338 relates to several budgetary issues including pesticide assessment, county funding, Cal-EPA greenhouse gas emissions, invasive species spread by boat, environmental...

Senate panel passes sewage, climate bills.
September 29, 2008... Byline: Bruce Geiselman The Senate Environment Committee passed a flurry of measures addressing water quality and climate change during a Sept. 18 hearing. One of the bills, the Sewage Right to Know Act, formally known as Senate Bill...

A LOOK BACK.
September 29, 2008... 10 years ago: Paper Recycling International, one of the nation's largest recycled paper brokerages, dissolves. 5 years ago: A confirmation hearing for Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, President Bush's choice to head the U.S. EPA, focuses more on the...