Waste News back issues from September 2008:
A LOOK BACK.
Sep 01, 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.
Sep 01, 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 centralized treatment of electronic waste ....
WASTE GENERATOR BRIEFS.
Sep 01, 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 Boise, Idaho-based company ...
Sale means more wind energy to be sent from Wyo. to Colo.
Sep 01, 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 Intertie Project sold 585 ...
Let common sense prevail.
Sep 01, 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 last week's Democratic National ...
MARAD launches initiatives.
Sep 01, 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 Environmental Excellence ...
Olympic Village grabs green-building gold.
Sep 01, 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 Design Gold Award in recognition of ...
CAPITAL BRIEFS.
Sep 01, 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 personal, noncommercial use as ...
Synthetic turf provider leads with safety.(Company overview)
Sep 01, 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 company's inception. ...
Eco-friendly shoe maker making impressive strides.
Sep 01, 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 leader in sustainable footwear, ...
OPINION.(on-the-job deaths)
Sep 01, 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 be proud of. The number of ...
AT DEADLINE.
Sep 01, 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. Austin Energy, a city-owned utility, ...
WM, TV station challenge customers with Zero Waste.
Sep 01, 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. customers who think they can reduce, ...
WN wins 3 editorial awards.(Brief article)
Sep 01, 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. ...
BFI Canada restructures to raise capital.
Sep 01, 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. "This is a decision ...
Danish windmill-part maker to build two plants in Colo.
Sep 01, 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 in Brighton, Colo., and should ...
Waste industry takes the smart road.
Sep 01, 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 services to those who ...
Exxon pays $2.64 million to settle EPA complaint.
Sep 01, 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 occurred in the Santa Barbara ...
12 states sue EPA; Agency fails to control refinery emissions, attorneys general say.
Sep 01, 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 Aug. 25 in the U.S. Court of ...
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 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 ...
Compliance isn't enough: To succeed, exceed.
Sep 01, 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 compliance is a minimum safety ...
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 2008 ... MASKED MAN: A recycling worker, tosses a motherboard into a box to be ...
WASTE INDUSTRY BRIEFS.
Sep 01, 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 Justice has sent a second ...
Pa. governor names new enviro secretary.
Sep 01, 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 Future, or PennFuture, for the ...
Incentives spur workers to embrace safety.
Sep 01, 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 incentive programs for various ...
Conventions vote for green; Parties embrace eco-friendly alternatives.
Sep 01, 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 Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who also ...
NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY.
Sep 01, 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 landings can be utilized, enabling the Model 30 NCL ...
Work deaths fall by half.
Sep 01, 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 than 50% in 2007 compared with ...
ConAgra switches to recycled plastic for frozen meal trays.
Sep 01, 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 30% and 40% post consumer ...
COMING EVENTS.(Calendar)
Sep 01, 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 Collert (410) 897-0037 or visit ...
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 2008 ... ZERO EMISSIONS: Attendees at the Democratic National Convention get around downtown Denver in bicycle rickshaws. This ...
Calif. bill aims to stop recycling theft.
Sep 01, 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 aluminum cans, plastic and glass ...
Recording device keeps watchful eye on drivers.
Sep 01, 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 are being watched, their behavior ...
Prison workers exposed to lead, cadmium.
Sep 01, 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 monitoring during a six-year period, according to ...
Partnership to recycle gypsum into drywall.
Sep 01, 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 drywall plant in Buchanan, N.Y., from ...
Republic to pay $1M for violations.
Sep 01, 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 also will build and operate a ...
EPA allows facilities to disclose via Web.
Sep 01, 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. This electronic self-disclosure ...
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 2008 ... RED-HANDED: A truck loaded with what appear to be scavenged ...
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 2008 ... GREEN DIGS: Beijing's Olympic Village, where 17,000 athletes were housed during the Olympic games, has ...
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 2008 ... COMPACT CHIPPER: Morbark has introduced the Model 30 NCL Chiparvestor, a compact version of its 30 RXL chipper ....
Photo caption.
Sep 01, 2008 ... WATER FILTER: Hach Co. has introduced a system to ...
Scientists search for "Garbage Patch'.
Sep 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 to ocean life. "We've heard ...
Environmental issues move up in line.
Sep 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 fifth [election] cycle at the Sierra ...
Green groups push 3 Senate candidates.
Sep 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 Voters, the Sierra Club, Clean ...
Initiative calls for phase-in of lead-free wheel weights.
Sep 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 lead-free wheel weights by 2011. ...
Closer than you think; Nominees' views on environment not so far apart.
Sep 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 thinks America can drill its way to ...
Dentist accused of dumping waste.(Brief article)
Sep 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 illegally dumping needles and other ...
Everything's going up; Rising commodity prices, eco-awareness help recyclers counter energy costs.
Sep 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 been pretty extensive,'' said ...
Capital Briefs; A summary of recent develpments in federal and state environmental legislation and regulation.
Sep 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 a fund to update building ...
Green ideas thrive at GM plant in Michigan.
Sep 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 undeveloped acres around the plant. ...
Wireless could gain from others' eco efforts.
Sep 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 their networks that help other enterprises ...
Galante gets seven years in racketeering, fraud case.
Sep 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 well-known name in the garbage industry ...
Solid waste industry plays important role during floods.
Sep 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 cleanup effort after a flood. ...
Waste Generator Briefs.
Sep 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 mill was acquired as part ...
Investors: Finding truly green funds isn't easy.
Sep 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 whether the funds are really green ...
Coming Events.(Calendar)
Sep 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. Call (800) 548-2723 or visit ...
A Look Back.
Sep 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 remains the ...
GM aims for landfill-free status.
Sep 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 expectation means more than 80 GM ...
Stop playing politics.(Brief article)
Sep 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 proposal would allow limited offshore ...
Inbox.
Sep 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'' recycling bins. The city says ...
The same, only different.(Brief article)
Sep 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. Republican John McCain and ...
Waste Industry Briefs.
Sep 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 move away from a ...
Why they're called truisms.
Sep 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 its manufacturing sites, about 80 ...
Supplier News.
Sep 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 consortium's mission is to develop an ...
Senate revisits Clean Air Interstate Rule.
Sep 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 United States. Sen. George Voinovich, ...