Weekly News Bulletin: Jul. 5-11, 2007

 

Waste Services and WCA Waste Trade Assets in Florida and Texas

Waste Services, Inc. and WCA Waste Corp. agreed to swap certain Texas and Florida operations. Under the agreement, Waste Services agreed to trade its Fort Bend Landfill, a transfer station, and collection routes and other assets in Houston Texas for $23.7 million in cash and in exchange for WCA Waste Corp.'s hauling and transfer operations in Fort Myers Florida. Waste Services plans to internalize waste from the Fort Myers market to its SLD landfill. Both companies called the transaction a "win-win."...Read More »

 

 

Wisconsin Waste Imports Decline Last Year; Higher Fuel and Recyclables Prices

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released a report that documents a decline in waste imports to the state last year. According to the report, other states especially Illinois and Minnesota, sent 1.9 million tons of waste to Wisconsin landfills. This was down by 229 thousand tons from 2.1 million tons last year and 2.2 million tons in 2004. According to Suzanne Bangert, director of the DNR's Bureau of Waste Management, which compiles the figures, the decline is likely the result of higher transportation costs from higher fuel prices. She also noted that higher prices being paid for recycled materials was probably keeping these materials from being landfilled. However, Wisconsin's lower tipping fees relative to neighboring states continues to attract waste there. State legislators are considering raising state fees on waste from $3 to as much as $10 to further discourage waste imports...Read More »

 

 

Waste Management Locks Out Bay Area Workers After Failing to Reach New Contract

Waste Management locked out hundreds of its San Francisco area employees represented by the Teamsters union after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract. The company and the union have been at odds over how workers are disciplined for safety violations. Since the Union could have called a strike, Waste Management preemptively hired substitute drivers to ensure continuous service to its customers...Read More »

 

 

Waste Management to Release 2nd Quarter on July 31

Waste Management, Inc. will release second quarter 2007 financial results and host a conference call on Tuesday, July 23...Read More »

 

 

Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority Ordered to Pay $35 Million

A court has ordered the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority to pay $35 million to its 118 municipality members in settlement of a class-action suit. According to the case: Towns of New Hartford v. Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, CRRA breached its fiduciary duty because it consented to sell electricity to now defunct Enron for which it lacked authority to do so and in the process, unjustly enriched itself. The court however found that CRRA did not violate any fiduciary duty but did violate state law by making loans with interest rates higher than the bond rates...Read More »

 

 

Salt Lake-Based EnergySolutions Acquires Nukem Corp.

Salt Lake-based EnergySolutions said Wednesday it has acquired Nukem Corp., a waste-management company providing products and services to the nuclear industries of the U.S., Mexico, South Korea and Canada. Terms were not disclosed. Based in Columbia, S.C., Nukem has approximately 70 employees with offices, facilities and projects in South Carolina, Tennessee and at nuclear sites across the country and internationally...Read More »

 

 

Covanta Hires Lobbyist on Energy and Climate Issues

With energy and environmental issues more top-of-mind to lawmakers, Covanta Energy Corp. has hired Jefferson FifthCo. LLC, a lobbyist, to represent the company's interests on issues related to climate change and energy policy among others...Read More »

 

 

Sludge Treatment Equipment Market to Reach $534 Million by 2013

Frost & Sullivan estimates the size of the North American market for sludge treatment and disposal equipment to be $409 million in 2006 and predicts these revenues to grow to $534 million by 2013. Regulations and governmental agencies increasingly are requiring the reuse and recycling of sludge and organic wastes including energy recovery, all of which are helping to drive the need for more sophisticated equipment...Read More »

 

 

Waste Connections to Host Conference Call to Discuss Second Quarter Results

Waste Connections will release financial results for fiscal second quarter 2007 at the close of markets on July 23 and host a conference call the following day to discuss them...Read More »

 

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