Environmental Groups Push States to Strengthen Coal Ash Permitting Ahead of EPA Rules
Environmental groups are pressing states to implement EPA's discharge measures for power plants' coal ash storage sites even before the EPA formally revises its technology-based effluent limitations guidelines (ELG) for the facilities in 2013 and issues a planned waste rule for coal ash. In two cases recently filed before the Tennessee Water Quality Control Board, Earthjustice, Tennessee Clean Water Network and the Environmental Integrity Project petitioned to challenge National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued for two power plants operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The activists argue that the renewed permits fail to include technology-based effluent limitations for heavy metals and other pollutants as stipulated in EPA's guidance issued last June. The first such petition was brought against TVA's Bull Run Fossil Plant, located in Claxton, TN, late last year, and a second petition was filed against TVA's Johnsonville Fossil Plant near Waverly, TN, on March 10...Read More »
Waste Pro Acquires Emerald Waste's Florida and Alabama Operations
Waste Pro (Longwood, FL) has acquired the Florida and Alabama operations of Emerald Waste Services. The deal includes seven construction and demolition debris landfills, a transfer station and four hauling sites. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "This acquisition greatly strengthens our footprint in the Florida Panhandle as well as Southern Georgia and Southern Alabama. Additionally, Waste Pro now operates in 60 of Florida's 67 counties" said John J. Jennings, President and CEO of Waste Pro. The company also closed on its previously announced acquisition of Pelican Commercial Waste Services in the New Orleans area. Along with that deal, struck in February, Waste Pro acquired or reached agreements to buy 10 separate waste companies and landfills throughout the southeast, with operations in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana...Read More »
EPA to Analyze Environmental Justice Impacts of Waste Definition Rule
The EPA says it will accompany its new proposed definition of solid waste (DSW) proposal with an analysis of its environmental justice impacts. Mathy Stanislaus, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste & Emergency Response, told the Environmental Council of the States during its spring meeting March 29 that the upcoming proposal, which would exempt some wastes from strict regulation to encourage recycling, will be accompanied by an environmental justice analysis, "to look at some potential environmental justice issues with respect to the definition of solid waste." The agency sent its proposed rule change to the White House for review earlier this month. The rulemaking seeks to revise a Bush-era measure that environmentalists had challenged. The effort to craft a new definition has long been controversial to activists and industry alike. Many industry groups feel the definition needs to be clarified to increase industry options to reuse and recycle waste streams and to remove potential liability in doing so. But many environmentalists and environmental justice advocates worry that a definition that expands the scope of "solid" wastes would increase loosely regulated "sham" recycling operations, which are disproportionally located in poor and minority communities, potentially exposing nearby residents to hazardous substances. Nevertheless, Stanislaus said the agency is on track to release the proposal on June 20...Read More »
WM Opens $20 Million Single-Stream Recovery Facility in Philadelphia
Waste Management (Houston, TX) recently announced the opening of a $20 million single-stream recycling facility in Philadelphia. The 60,000 square-foot facility is expected to process more than 20,000 tons of recyclable newspaper, cardboard, aluminum, glass and plastic each month, waste that would otherwise be destined for landfills in nearby in Falls and Tullytown. Single-stream recycling, which allows commercial and residential customers to place all of their recyclables into a single container, has been criticized by some as leading to more contamination of otherwise clean recyclable items. However, the system's inherent simplicity facilitates significantly higher customer participation and greatly reduces collection costs. Like other modern single-stream facilities, the Philadelphia operation copes with comingled recyclables with an array of advanced technology that employs magnets, screens and optical scanners to separate sort and process the materials. Adding to its credentials, the Philadelphia MRF was constructed using sustainable building and design techniques and has received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The project is part of Waste Management's sustainability initiative to nearly triple the amount of recyclable materials it recovers, from approximately 8 million tons today to over 20 million tons by 2020...Read More »
Waste Industries Completes $750 Million Refinancing
Waste Industries USA, Inc. (Raleigh, NC) recently refinanced its existing credit facility with a $750 million senior secured facility comprised of a $325 million revolving facility due 2016 and a $425 million term loan B due 2017. Proceeds were used to refinance existing borrowings and pay related fees and expenses, leaving $200 million in available capacity that management plans to use for acquisitions, new facility development and general corporate purposes...Read More »
Clean Harbors Buys Energy and Wastewater Services Company for $203 Million
Clean Harbors Inc. (Norwell, MA) is acquiring Peak Energy Services Ltd. (Calgary, AB), an energy services company that also engages in wastewater treatment. Under the deal, Clean Harbors is buying the 97 percent share of the company it does not already own for C$196 million (US$203 million) in order to expand its energy-services offerings. Peak has more than 4,000 pieces of rental equipment and provides related services to the oil and natural gas business in both Canada and the United States. It is Clean Harbors' second in the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta this year following its C$247 million acquisition of Badger Daylighting in January. "By combining Peak and Badger together with our existing assets, we are building critical mass in the rapidly expanding energy services space. Given the complementary nature of their offerings and our acquisition expertise, we are confident that we can successfully integrate these two organizations and capture operational efficiencies. The combined company will have excellent long-term growth prospects," Clean Harbors CEO Alan S. McKim said...Read More »
Eight Leading Companies Form Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council
Eight large companies from across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries have formed a coalition to inspire and enable sustainable, cost effective recycling solutions for plastic products and materials used in the delivery of healthcare. The group is calling itself the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) and includes Waste Management, Inc., Engineered Plastics, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Co., Cardinal Health, DuPont, Hospira, Johnson & Johnson and Kimberly-Clark. The council is currently engaged in three projects aimed at recycling select plastics including an effort to define the healthcare value chain and identify issues and barriers that hinder plastics recycling. Another project is focused on creating design for recycling guidelines to articulate product and packaging design considerations that would enhance recycling. The group is also undertaking pilot projects at healthcare facilities to gather data for its economic analysis of plastic recycling...Read More »
Biofuel Company KiOR Files for $100 Million IPO
Biofuel company KiOR Inc. (Pasadena, TX) plans to sell up to an estimated $100 million of common stock in an initial public offering, to help fund a biomass-to-oil production facility. KiOR converts biomass into hydrocarbon-based oil, which it processes into gasoline and diesel blendstocks that can fuel existing vehicles at competitive prices. In February the company received a loan guarantee term sheet for a $1 billion biofuel project from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The project will include four biorefineries that are expected to convert wood biomass into some 250 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels including gasoline and diesel. Last year KiOR began construction of its first commercial plant expected to produce 11 million gallons a year in Columbus, MS and has projects in development stages in several southern US states. KiOR plans to use the proceeds of the offering to finish construction of the Columbus, MS facility.
The offering is being made through Credit Suisse, UBS Investment Bank, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Piper Jaffray, Citi, and Deutsche Bank Securities. KiOR is backed by Silicon Valley venture firm Khosla Ventures which holds most of the company's common stock and will continue to do so even after the IPO...Read More »
Apple Valley Waste Appoints Former Casella VP as New CEO
John Decker is now the CEO of Apple Valley Waste (Kearneysville, WV), a solid waste collection, recycling, and disposal services firm serving the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and nearby Maryland. His appointment as managing partner was announced March 24 in conjunction with the purchase of the company by private equity firm Summer Street Capital Partners LLC (Buffalo, NY). Decker is a 20-year waste industry veteran who most recently served as vice president of operations for Casella Waste Systems Inc. (Rutland, VT), where he helped lead Casella's operational improvements, growth and vertical integration strategy. "What attracted me to Apple Valley Waste was their commitment to their employees and the relationships they have developed within the communities they serve," Decker said. Decker will work with James ("J.P.") Phillips, a founding partner with the company who will continue as general manager. Phillips has been with the company since its inception 13 years ago.Both men partnered with Summer Street Capital to acquire the Apple Valley...Read More »
Safety-Kleen Systems Inc. (Plano, TX) has appointed Robert "Bob" M. Craycraft as its new President and CEO. He is also expected to be elected to the company's Board of Directors. Craycraft was previously president of Ashland Distribution, a $3.7 billion division of Ashland, Inc., where he led the company's chemicals, plastics, environmental services and composites businesses. "Bob has years of direct experience in industries that are relevant to Safety-Kleen - environmental services, chemicals, and oil and lubricants, so we're very excited about putting his extensive knowledge and experience to work for us.," Chairman Ronald W. Haddock said. Haddock has led the company since the retirement in December 2009 of Frederick J. Florjancic who led the company as it emerged from bankruptcy beginning in 2003. Safety-Kleen is a used oil recycling and re-refining, parts cleaning and environmental solutions company...Read More »
Laidlaw Energy Acquires Biomass Plant in New Bedford MA
Laidlaw Energy Group (New York, NY) has acquired control of a power plant located at a former Polaroid manufacturing facility in New Bedford, MA. The company plans to modernize the plant, which currently provides heat to local tenants, to increase its thermal efficiency and add the capability to generate electricity. It ultimately hopes to create a green energy park that will meet the energy needs of additional businesses and consequently generate several million dollars of additional annual revenue for Laidlaw once the upgrades are complete. Laidlaw Energy is in the process of developing other similarly independent renewable energy plants across the US with an emphasis on combined heat and power biomass projects...Read More »
Covanta Holding to Report First Quarter on April 20
Covanta Holding Corp. (Morristown, NJ) plans to announce first quarter financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 20. The company will host a conference call the following day at 8:30 am (EDT) to discuss those results...Read More »
IESI-BFC to Report First Quarter on April 28
IESI-BFC Ltd. (Toronto, ON) plans to announce first quarter financial results following the close of the markets on Thursday, April 28, 2011...Read More »
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