DECEMBER 21, 2009

Crain’s News Source for Environmental Management

wasterecyclingnews.com

ATDEADLINE NRC OKs restructuring plan

Calif. county to
enforce debris ban

By Amanda Smith-Teutsch

Landscapers and gardeners in Alameda County will have to be vigilant about separation of yard waste from trash or they will face fines starting next year.

The California county said it will begin enforcing its landfill ban, which requires that plant debris be separated and sent to “clean, green” areas of disposal facilities.

See At Deadline, Page 21

The board of directors of the National Recycling Coalition has approved a plan for restructuring the organization, putting to rest the possibility of the organization ceasing to exist by year’s end.

“We’re still alive, we’re still here, and we’ll continue to be the lead organization for our industry, the municipal waste and recycling industries,” Board President Melinda Uerling said.

One of the first tasks before the organization, besides raising money and re-engaging

its membership, is to re-establish itself as a leader in national environmental policymak-ing, Uerling said.

After a failed attempt to merge with Keep America Beautiful, the board of the NRC voted

See NRC, Page 21

IN THIS ISSUE

SOLID WASTE

Waste Management Inc. joins with concert organizer Live Nation to reduce waste and improve recycling at 66 concert venues across the United States. Page 4

The last two of 33 defendants who pleaded guilty in a Connecticut price-fixing scheme are sentenced. Page 6

SCRAP/RECYCLING

Mass.

upholds

burner

ban

By Amanda Smith-Teutsch

A group of students at the University of Pennsylvania teach fellow students how to create a more sustainable campus. Page 4

Dan Wright, a fish management field technician for Ohio’s Division of Wildlife, sinks an old Christmas tree and cinderblock reclaimed from construction and demolition debris into Ohio’s Berlin Lake. The division of Wildlife collects the discarded materials to build fish habitats. Trees are collected from surrounding Ohio counties after the holiday season and are used to build fish habitats in state lakes and reservoirs. Officials from Mahoning County in Ohio say they hope to collect 1,000 trees during the month-long program this year. See story, Page 4

While environmentalists are applauding the governor of Massachusetts for his decision to maintain a 20- year-old moratorium on the construction of new waste incinerators in the state, those in the waste-to-energy industry say the state is ignoring the environmental benefits of modern waste-to-energy plants.

“Since the moratorium was put

Patrick

See Ban, Page 21

EPA study: Toxic releases

Two California girls reuse plastic shopping bags and other plastic waste to make new bags. Page 22

decreased 6% in 2008

HAZARDOUS WASTE

ASARCO’s new owners pay $1.79 billion to clean up pollution left behind in the wake of the company’s 2005 bankruptcy. Page 3

By Jim Johnson

New analysis by the federal government indicates the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment dropped by 6% — or 257 million pounds — in 2008 compared to 2007.

The U.S. EPA is out with

its annual Toxic Release Inventory showing that 3.86 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released last year.

This is the first time that the EPA has reported its analysis during the same calendar year that data was collected.

The report includes infor-

mation about 650 chemicals at 21,695 locations. Total air releases fell by 14%, but releases to surface water increased 3%, the EPA said. The Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal ash spill at its Kingston, Tenn., facility