TVA Plans to Rail Millions of Tons of Coal Ash Waste to Central Alabama Landfill
Environmentalists are worried about a plan by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to ship millions of tons of coal ash from its massive spill in Kingston, TN last December to a private landfill in rural Alabama. According to a recent Associated Press article, The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) said it received notice from TVA this week that it planned to ship 3 million cubic yards of coal ash to the privately-owned Arrowhead Landfill near Uniontown, AL in Perry County. The landfill, which was only permitted in July 2006, is permitted to accept 7,500 tons per day and is served by rail, allowing for the relatively efficient transport of large volumes of waste from far afield. With ADEM's approval, the TVA would begin shipping 85 rail cars of coal ash every two days beginning June 16. The plan could run into trouble with environmentalists worried about heavy metal and hazardous materials contained in spent coal ash. Opponents could also raise environmental justice claims given that the destination landfill is located in a mostly African-American county in which 31 percent of the population lives in poverty...Read More »
Virginia Reports Drop in Waste Disposal Volume; Mirrors National Picture
As is the case nationally, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently reported a 5.2% decline in waste disposal in 2008 from the previous year. Wastes imported from other states, mostly Maryland, New York, the District of Columbia, North Carolina and New Jersey, dropped by 7.5%. DEQ spokesman Bill Hayden blamed the slower economy. In 2008, waste created within Virginia decreased by 842,000 tons to about 15.4 million tons, the report said. Waste imports dropped by 533,000 tons to about 6.6 million tons. According to the Waste Business Journal, the decline in volume is consistent with the national picture. WBJ said that last year witnessed the first decline in residential waste volumes in at least 20 years and that commercial and industrial waste generation, particularly those from construction and demolition wastes (C&D) that are closely tied to the economy, were off by as much as 20% over the year...Read More »
NSWMA and SWANA want EPA to Extend Exemptions for Landfill Gas
The NSWMA and SWANA are concerned that US EPA proposed revisions of National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) that apply to reciprocating engines appear to exclude exemptions for those located at area sources such as landfills and digesters. The two associations fear that new pollution control requirements would hinder new and eliminate numerous and necessary renewable energy projects. Without these projects, landfills or digesters would resort to flaring gas instead of capturing a renewable energy. "The proposed rule is inconsistent with the efforts of federal and state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and promote renewable energy and distributed generation requirements. Landfill and digester gas have always been used as a significant source of additional renewable energy to reduce GHG emissions and displace our dependence on fossil fuels," according to a joint statement...Read More »
Crowd Expected at EPA Hearing on New Rules for Cement Kilns
Environmentalists and public health officials plan to attend an EPA hearing in Washington on June 18 to address a new federal proposal to cut air pollution from cement kilns. The proposed standards also would set emission limits for total hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide from cement kilns of all sizes, and would reduce hydrochloric acid emissions from kilns that are large emitters. The majority of the toxic emissions at cement kilns come from the burning of fuels and heating of raw materials. When fully implemented in 2013, the agency hopes to reduce annual emissions of mercury by 11,600 lbs., an 81% reduction, hydrocarbons by 11,700 tons, an 75% reduction, and particulate matter, hydrochloric acid and sulfur dioxide all by 90% or more...Read More »
IESI-BFC Ltd. Sees Exercise of Over-Allotment Option
IESI-BFC Ltd., formerly BFI Canada, which only last week applied for listing on the New York Stock Exchange and announced a second public offering, announced that underwriters have exercised their over-allotment option and will purchase an additional 1.95 million common shares at US$10.00 per share. The gross proceeds from the exercise of the option will total US$19.5 million. The primary offering raised about US$125 million. The action speaks to the enthusiasm of investors who like the company's plans to expand further in the US, especially now that its balance sheet is in order. In February, for example, the company completed an $81-million equity offering that enabled it to retire a U.S. credit facility, removing concerns about a possible breach of debt covenants...Read More »
SWANA Recommends Changes to EPA Proposed Mandatory Reporting Rule
SWANA has recently submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding their proposed rule on mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases. SWANA is concerned that the rule, which calls for covered sources emitting over 25,000 tons of CO2e per year to report their emissions of a number of greenhouse gases, adds an unnecessary and redundant burden to landfills and waste-to-energy plants which already report their emissions to a variety of agencies. The ruling would affect active and closed landfills and waste-to-energy plants which would be required to begin reporting of their emissions as early as January 1, 2010. "More integration and coordination is needed with other similar programs throughout the United States so that the burden of additional reporting and monitoring may be reduced," said John Skinner, Executive Director and CEO of SWANA. He is also concerned that it would be too early to force such changes on facility operators who need time to train staff, and install new monitoring equipment, etc...Read More »
EnergySolutions Project Receives $84 Million in Funding from 'Stimulus Bill'
Hazardous waste services company EnergySolutions said that $84 million of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been allocated to the Moab UMTRA project to accelerate removal of uranium mill tailings away from the banks of the Colorado River. EnergySolutions was awarded the initial contract of $98.4 million in June 2007. Sixteen million tons of uranium mill tailings will be relocated 30 miles north of Moab to a location designated by the DOE. Currently 80 containers per day are transported by rail to the disposal site. The additional funding will allow EnergySolutions to dispose of an additional two million tons of mill tailings by 2011 accelerating cleanup by several years...Read More »
Casella Waste to Announce Fourth Quarter Earnings on June 15
Casella Waste Systems said it will announce fourth quarter financial results after the close of the market on Monday, June 15 and host a conference call the following day at 10 a.m. (ET) to discuss them...Read More »
Waste Industry Professionals Honored at WasteExpo
The Environmental Industry Associations, including NSWMA and WASTEC, lauded a number of industry pioneers and inducted five new members to its Hall of Fame. Among them, Thomas B. Rumpke was posthumously inducted. Also inducted were Richard "Red" Gagnon of The Master Garbologist, Mike Knaub of Schaefer Systems, John McLaughlin of Scranton Manufacturing and William J. Rumpke, Sr., of Rumpke Consolidated Companies...Read More »
Geocycle LLC Launches New Sustainability Service
Geocycle LLC, the waste management arm of Holcim (US) Inc., announced a new service to help customers achieve environmentally sustainable solutions. Their "Total Resource Management" service aims to offer companies solutions-oriented services focused on re-using, recycling and co-processing waste in the most beneficial manner...Read More »
Waste2Energy, Inc. Completes Reverse-Merger with Maven Media
Maven Media Holdings Inc. recently completed a reverse-merger with Waste2Energy, Inc. and will change its name to Waste2Energy Holdings, Inc. and adopt a new trading symbol. Waste2Energy shareholders received nearly 46 million shares of Maven Media common stock, or about 96% of the issued and outstanding shares while Maven Media received $509,000. New York-based Waste2Energy designs, builds and installs waste-to-energy plants that convert biomass and other solid waste streams into energy...Read More »
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