New Report Compares U.S., UK Diversion Rates
A new study published by Resource Recovery Forum has found that the United Kingdom should concentrate on reducing landfill streams instead of increasing recycling rates. The report, "High Diversion-Is It Achievable?," compared waste strategies used by countries in Europe and North America, and found that the highest recyclers have set landfill diversion targets rather than recycling targets, as in the United Kingdom...Read More »
Kansas Issues Order To Monitor Closed Kansas City Landfill
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has determined that a closed Kansas City, Kansas landfill does not comply with state laws for dealing with solid waste. The state has ordered the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City to monitor the landfill and clean contaminated water at the landfill. This marks the first time the state has issued such an order on a closed landfill. County officials counter that the groundwater should not be cleaned to drinking water standards, and that the state should provide some measure of financial support...Read More »
Texas Levels Largest-Ever Fine Against Waste Management
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has imposed a $244,420 fine against Waste Management for violations at the company's Austin Community Recycling and Disposal Facility in Travis County. The company has addressed the issues raised by the commission, which include expanding its odor control and recordkeeping abilities. Although the fine is far less than the initially proposed amount of $800,000, it is still the largest against a landfill since the state gave the commission the authority to issue fines in 1986...Read More »
Norton Pays Fine Over Cleveland Landfill
Norton Environmental Co. has agreed to pay a $400,000 fine and improve the long-term monitoring systems of its Royalton Road Landfill in Cleveland, Ohio to settle a lawsuit filed by the Ohio Attorney General's Office. The 100-acre landfill has reached its capacity and is in the final stages of closing. The company decided to resolve the suit because it has several permits pending with the Ohio EPA, and is seeking a state permit to build a transfer station at the Royalton Road facility...Read More »
Casella Reports Net Loss For Fourth Quarter
For its fiscal fourth quarter, Casella Waste Systems has reported a net loss of $6.1 million, or 25 cents per share, as compared to a year-earlier loss of $3.1 million, or 13 cents per share. Revenue rose from $94.5 in 2003 to $109.3 million in 2004. For fiscal 2005, the company has forecast revenue of $450 million to $465 million, and EBITDA of $104 million to $109 million...Read More »
S&P Revises Debt Ratings For Allied Waste
Standard & Poor's (www.standardandpoors.com) has revised its outlook for the debt ratings of Allied Waste Industries (NYSE: AW) (www.alliedwaste.com) to "positive" from "stable," signaling that the company has a better change of upgrades over the next two years. That upgrade could in turn lower its borrowing costs. The company reaffirmed its BB corporate credit rating, the second-highest junk level...Read More »
Kansas Will Change Landfill Reviewing Procedures
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will be changing the way it reviews landfill applications after an audit revealed that it may not have strictly followed state laws on a project to build a landfill for Wichita's waste in Harper County. The state audit found that KDHE overall followed state law, but failed to check the accuracy of information submitted by Waste Connections, the company which is proposing the landfill. The department also did not ask local health authorities about their concerns regarding the project. In response, the department will enact a series of application changes...Read More »
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