Republic Unveils State-of-the-Art Landfill Ash Metal Recovery Facility
Republic Services unveiled a state-of-the-art ash metal recovery facility at its Roosevelt Regional Landfill in Washington State. Lab USA designed the process which will reclaim metals found in ash previously lost through traditional methods of resource recovery. It is estimated that the facility will recapture 46,200 tons each of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. 46,200 tons is equivalent to roughly six Eiffel Towers...Read More »
EPA Submits Final Hazardous Waste Rule to White House
The US EPA has submitted its final hazardous waste generator improvements rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The final version includes changes to current Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations intended to improve compliance and effectiveness of the program. EPA made changes to the rule in response to concerns that the existing regulations do not fit all sectors...Read More »
Tests Reveal Leaching from Coal Ash Sites
Duke University scientists announced that coal ash ponds at 21 power plants in five states are leaching contaminants into surrounding water which they published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Toxic metals such as arsenic and selenium, which occur in ash, were found in water near ash ponds at all 21 power plants in the study. "With over 500 coal ash ponds in the southeastern U.S., the results presented in this study suggest significant releases of coal ash-impacted water to the environment," the study concludes. The study does not determine whether any contaminants have reached communities near the power plants. The Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit business that represents advocates in lawsuits against Duke Energy and other utilities over ash contamination, financed the study...Read More »
Apple Inc to Build Landfill-Gas-to-Energy Plant to Power its NC Data Center
Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA) has signed a signed a 16-year lease agreement with Catawba County, NC that will let it build a landfill gas-to-energy plant to power its nearby data center. In a related agreement the county agreed to sell about 40 percent of its landfill methane to Quadrogen Power Systems, which will treat the gas for use at Apple's facility. Beginning a few years ago, Apple developed plans to power its North Carolina data center using fuel cells running on landfill gas. It is part of an ambitious plan to operate using 80 percent on-site renewable energy...Read More »
Waste Management Seeks to Import Waste from Vancouver
Waste Management is seeking approval to import waste from Vancouver, BC to its Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill about 100 miles east of Seattle, WA. The landfill currently accepts close to 1,000 tons of waste per day primarily from surrounding counties as far as Spokane. "Any landfill, especially a regional landfill, is in the business to import waste - it's a business," said Dave Lowe, senior district manager with Waste Management. He said the landfill currently has 90 years of remaining capacity and that adding an estimated 50,000 tons per year of waste from Vancouver would reduce that by 15 years...Read More »
Veolia Buys Chemours Company Sulphur Recycling Unit for $325 Million
Veolia Environnement SA of France announced that it will buy U.S. company Chemours Company's sulfur-products division for $325 million, reflecting the French utility company's ongoing expansion into the management of industrial and toxic waste. In February, Veolia bought U.S. nuclear waste clean-up company Kurion for $350 million, entering the huge market for decommissioning nuclear plants. The Chemours division specializes in the recovery of sulfuric acid and gases during the refining process, which are then recycled into clean acid and steam used in a wide range of industrial activities. The division generated approximately $262 million in revenue in 2015 and had 250 employees across seven sites in North America. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2016. Chemours, which has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion was spun off from DuPont last year...Read More »
Sign up to receive our free Weekly News Bulletin