Ohio EPA and Republic Settle Over Countywide Landfill
The Ohio EPA and Republic Services have settled their differences over the Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility in northeast Ohio's Stark County. Under the agreement, Republic will comply with state orders to mitigate landfill odors stemming from what some thought to be an underground fire and will pay about $1 million in fines and other costs. Republic will also close the 88-acre area where the problems occurred. Republic spokesman Will Flower said that the odors which have decreased in recent weeks, are most likely the result of a chemical reaction resulting from aluminum dross dumped at the site from 1993 to 2001. "Both Countywide and the Ohio EPA want to get this issue resolved for the benefit of the environment and the community," he said...Read More »
Toronto Officially Acquires Landfill Securing its Capacity
The City of Toronto has officially closed on its $220.3 million purchase of the Green Lane Landfill. The city expects to begin using the site in 2011, when its contract to ship waste to Michigan comes to an end. Critics charge that important information on the deal is being withheld and the deal is likely to cost much more than the stated price. Toronto is Canada's largest city and home to 2.6 million people...Read More »
San Francisco is First to Ban Plastic Bags "Witches' Knickers"
The City of San Francisco passed legislation to ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores and large chain pharmacies. The law, which is to go into effect in six months to a year, states that any large grocer or pharmacy with more than five locations in the city must issue only bags made of recycled paper, disposable plastic or a free canvas bag. For years the plastic bags, nicknamed "Witches' Knickers" for getting caught in the trees, have been a target of derision since they consume landfill space taking hundreds of years to decompose and increase demand for oil, and are rarely recycled...Read More »
Casella Seeks to Renew 20-year $108 Million Landfill Contract
Casella Waste Systems Inc. hopes to continue to operate the Southbridge (Massachusetts) Landfill under a proposed 20-year $108 million contract with the town. At issue is the share of the pie. James W. Bohlig, president of Casella, points out that Casella bears all the market risk as well as environmental liability. For its part, the town would reap about 20% of the gross revenues under a $5.53 per ton fee for the proposed 406 thousand tons per year of waste brought to the landfill...Read More »
CRRA to Receive $16.25 Million Settlement Related to Enron Investment
Hartford Connecticut-based law firm Murtha Cullina LLP recently agreed to pay the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA) $16.25 million for its role in the agency's Enron scandal. The firm had served CRRA from the agency's creation in 1973 until 2000 when the agency made its il fated and unsecured $220 million investment in now defunct Enron Corp. CRRA accused the firm of failing its fiduciary duties. Unfortunately, the settlement does little to fill the gap left from the investment for which about $152 million has been recovered...Read More »
Allied Waste and Waste Services Announce Completion of Buy Sell Transaction
Allied Waste Industries and Waste Services, Inc. each announced that they have closed on the previously announced $53 million transaction to swap assets in South Florida and Arizona. Under the deal originally announced on July 20, 2006, Allied agreed to trade its south Florida operations estimated to represent $65 million in annual revenue to Waste Services, Inc. In exchange, Waste Services, Inc. gives up two transfer stations and a landfill in Arizona...Read More »
Best Buy Announces Recycling Grant Program
Large electronics retailer, Best Buy, recently unveiled a recycling grant program to encourage non-profit organizations and communities to host recycling events. Grants will range from $500 to $1,500, depending on the size and scope of each organization's event program and the recycling need in the area. This adds to other Best Buy recycling programs including free drop-off kiosks, recycling events, services and haul-away programs and mail-in cell phone recycling...Read More »
Rep. Jefferson Introduces Hurricanes Katrina, Rita Environmental Justice Act
Rep. William Jefferson (D-Louisiana) has reintroduced legislation entitled the "Hurricanes Katrina, Rita Environmental Justice Act of 2007" (H.R. 1602). The legislation aims to ensure that federal agencies incorporate environmental justice considerations into their planning, policies and programs...Read More »
Waste Connections to Announce Earnings April 23
Folsom California-based Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) plans to announce first quarter earnings after the markets close on April 23, 2007. Company management will host a conference call the following day at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss those earnings and answer questions...Read More »
WCA Waste Corp. Completes Missouri Acquisition
WCA Waste Corp. says that it has completed the acquisition of Springfield Missouri-based Klean Way Disposal, Inc. WCA plans to internalize the waste collected from Klean Way's nine-truck operation into its own Black Oak landfill in nearby Hartville...Read More »
Allied Waste Named One of America's Most Trustworthy Companies
Allied Waste Industries was honored by Forbes as one of America's most trustworthy companies. This may not sound like much until it one realizes that only 100 companies out of 9,000 studied were selected. The study was performed by Audit Integrity, an independent provider of accounting and governance risk analysis of public companies. They employed more than 200 metrics to measure the highest degree of accounting transparency and fair dealing to stakeholders during 2006. Separately, Allied announced that it had completed its refinancing for which it hopes to save roughly $19 million in annual interest expenses translating into $0.02 in EPS...Read More »
ECO2 Plastics, Inc. Reports 2006 Year-End Financial Results
Plastics recycler ECO2 Plastics, Inc. reported a net loss of about $21 million on revenues of $61 thousand for the year 2006. This compares to a net loss of $15 million with no revenues in 2005. The company is still in the process of transitioning from prototype to full-scale commercial production. It boasts of an innovative process which eliminates the need to use water which reduces costs, improves quality and is more environmentally friendly...Read More »
American Ecology Declares 15-cent Dividend
American Ecology Corp., a provider of hazardous and non-hazardous waste services to commercial and government entities, recently declared a quarterly dividend of 15 cents. The dividend is payable on April 20 to shareholders of record as of April 13...Read More »
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