Court Issues Permanent Injunction against Dallas Flow Control Law
A federal court has granted a permanent injunction against the City of Dallas' flow control law. It would have dictated that all waste collected in the city be brought to the city's landfill. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Dallas granted the injunction as requested by the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and several haulers who argued that the law violated their existing 20-year franchise contracts with the city, reached in 2007. As such, it violated the Contract Clause of the U.S. Constitution as well as Texas state law and the Dallas city charter, they argued. The court determined that the city enacted the law for economic gain "at the expense of the franchisees' rights. This is an unreasonable exercise of its police powers," the court said in its ruling...Read More »
EPA to Develop Pharmaceutical Waste Rule under RCRA
The US EPA has articulated plans to develop a rule for ensuring the safe disposal of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (HWP) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) instead of adding the provisions to its universal waste rule as previously proposed. Mathy Stanislaus, head of the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) wrote a letter to the agency's Office of Inspector General (IG) saying his agency would "propose a rule designed to facilitate proper management of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals in the health care industry. We anticipate proposing a rule in August 2013." His agency also plans to review if any existing pharmaceuticals should qualify for regulation as hazardous waste. A report by EPA's IG in May found eight chemicals in pharmaceuticals that meet EPA's criteria for regulation as acute hazardous waste currently not being regulated as such and notes more than 100 drugs that federal occupational safety organizations have identified as hazardous that EPA has yet to review...Read More »
Covanta Completes Expansion of Honolulu Waste-to-Energy Plant
Covanta Energy Corp. (Morristown, NJ) has finished expanding its large waste-to-energy plant in Honolulu, Hawaii called H-Power. The company added a third boiler which increased the facility's capacity by 900 tons per day to 3,000 tons. That is enough to process all of the island's post-recycled municipal solid waste and will produce about 90 megawatts of power, or enough to satisfy 8 percent of the island's power needs...Read More »
Coincidence or Hardball? Advanced Disposal vs. Jacksonville
As Advanced Disposal negotiates with the City of Jacksonville, FL about incentives for keeping its corporate headquarters there, a separate issue has arisen as to whether the company owes the city as much as $1 million related to the disposal of yard waste. The issue centers on whether yard waste applied as cover material constitutes recycling which would make it exempt from fees owed to the city for disposal at its Old Kings Road Landfill. The issue, which smacks of hardball, comes at an awkward time as the company is seeking incentives from the city to expand its headquarters there following its acquisition of Veolia's US waste business and integration with Interstate Waste Services. Advanced is also entertaining offers from Milwaukee, where Veolia's base of operations, Atlanta and Charlotte. St Johns County, just south of Jacksonville, may also be submitting an incentive package...Read More »
Wastequip Reorganizes Business Units around its Customers
Charlotte, NC-based Wastequip announced that it is reorganizing its operations into four stand-alone business units: steel and environmental containers and hoppers; mobile products including tarps, hoists and vacuum trucks; plastics, including Toter brand carts and containers; and technical equipment that includes compactors, balers and intermodals. The company, which is under new ownership and a new CEO appointed last June, hopes to be more responsive to the needs of its customers by aggregating its product lines according the needs of its distinct types of customers. Wastequip's brands include Wastequip, Toter, Galbreath, Pioneer, Accurate, Cusco, Mountain Tarp and Parts Place...Read More »
EPA Launches Voluntary Program to Encourage Responsible E-waste Recycling
The EPA has launched a voluntary program to encourage companies to use certified recyclers to handle all of the used electronics that they collect, within three years of signing the Sustainability Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge. EPA says the program will make using third-party certified recyclers the industry standard and will also reduce greenhouse gases and other pollution from the mining and manufacture of components used in electronics, including precious metals, copper, plastic and glass. Environmental groups however, say EPA's program does not go far enough to stop the shipping of electronic waste to developing countries, where environmental safeguards are lax to non-existent. Used electronics often contain lead, cadmium, mercury, organic solvents, hexavalent chromium, beryllium or other toxics. The US generates almost 2.5 million tons of electronic waste per year, making the safe management and recycling of used electronics increasingly important, according to a Sept. 20 statement from EPA...Read More »
McGill to Open Organics Recycling Facility in South Carolina
McGill Environmental Systems (Harrells, NC) announced plans to open its seventh organics recycling facility in Berkeley County, SC. The company says the fully-enclosed, state-of-the-art processing facility will accept 500,000 tons per year of a wide variety of biodegradable materials from municipal, commercial and industrial generators for conversion into premium compost products for the professional sports turf, landscaping and stormwater/erosion control markets. It will utilize a scientifically-enhanced composting process based on an aerated static pile method developed by Rutgers University, augmented by computerized controls and a biofiltration system. The company also operates facilities in North Carolina, Virginia and Ireland...Read More »
Newalta to Raise $70 Million Equity Financing to Expand
Industrial waste processor Newalta Corporation (Calgary, AB) plans to raise $70 million by selling 5 million shares at $14 apiece. The company expects to use the proceeds to fund its ambitious growth plan comprised of customer-driven capital projects, after reducing indebtedness. Some of the funds may also be used for general corporate purposes. "We have many excellent organic growth investment opportunities across all areas of our business, particularly in expanding our U.S. business and our heavy oil contract operations," said Al Cadotte, President and CEO of Newalta...Read More »
California Adopts Law Allowing Landfills to Self-Insure
California has adopted a new law that allows landfill operators to self-insure or rely on "captive insurance" to comply with California's environmental rules. Environmental groups had opposed the law out of concern that it could expose the state to significant liability risks if landfill environmental controls fail and regulators have to take over management of facilities. AB 480, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 28, requires the California Department of Resources, Recycling & Recovery (CalRecycle) to accept the use of captive insurance for up to 50 percent of the financial assurance required of an operator of a landfill...Read More »
Container Recycling Institute Founder Pat Franklin Dies
We mourn the loss of industry pioneer Pat Franklin, founder of the Container Recycling Institute (CRI) who died on Oct. 14 after being struck by a pickup truck in an accident. A former teacher and political activist, Franklin founded CRI in 1991 after advocating for container deposit legislation at the local, state and national level for 15 years. Following her retirement as executive director in 2007 she continued to advocate for recycling laws and consulted to government and industry. "Pat was a shining light in the recycling movement," wrote Jenny Gitlitz, former CRI research director, in an e-mail...Read More »
Waste Management Opens CNG Fueling Station in Ohio
Waste Management (Houston, TX) as part of its fleet wide conversion to natural gas has opened a $3.8 million CNG fueling station in Canal Winchester, Ohio (just outside Columbus). The station will support an initial fleet of 30 CNG-fueled trucks that the company purchased for $9.75 million at a cost of $325,000 apiece. The trucks have 21 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than diesel, with no particulates, and are lighter and run quieter, the company said. By the fourth quarter, the company plans to operate 2,000 CNG trucks throughout North America.
Waste Management announced earlier this year that 90 percent of the company's new fleet purchases over the next five years will be for CNG vehicles as the company expands its fleet of CNG vehicles to 30,000 from its present number of 1,700...Read More »
Waste Connections to Report Third Quarter Results on Oct. 22
Waste Connections, Inc. (The Woodlands, TX) plans to announce third quarter financial results after the close of the market on October 22. The company will host a conference call the following day at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern) to discuss those results...Read More »
Progressive Waste to Report Third Quarter Results on Oct. 26
Progressive Waste Solutions (Toronto, ON) plans to announce third quarter financial results prior to the opening of the markets on Friday, October 26. The company will host a conference call later that morning at 8:30 a.m...Read More »
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