EU plans to scrap clean air and waste recycling laws “EU plans to tackle air pollution that causes tens of thousands of premature deaths and make countries recycle more of their rubbish are to be scrapped, according to leaked documents. At risk are a clean air directive designed to reduce the health impacts from air pollution caused by vehicles, industry and power plants, and a waste directive that would set states the target of recycling 70% of waste by 2030.” (TheGuardian)

Some In Lee County Oppose Coal Ash Dump “Last night, Duke Energy employees hadn’t yet set up all their tables along the walls of the first-floor hallway of the Lee County Arts and Community Center when Mark Coggins walked in. And he was here for one reason. ‘To see if we can stop the coal ash from coming to Lee County,’ Coggins said.” (WUNC.org)

Hazardous waste treatment facility proposed in Pa. may impact Mercer, Burlington counties, some say “An Israeli water recycling company is proposing a hazardous waste treatment facility about 6 miles southwest of Trenton across the Delaware River in the Keystone Industrial Port Complex. Elcon Recycling Center, which has an office in West Windsor, went before representatives of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday night detailing plans to construct the facility on 22 acres at 100 Dean Sievers Place.” (NJ.com)

Crofton landfill opponents: 'This is winnable' “The Piney Orchard Community Association and Patuxent Riverkeeper, joined by other community groups and residents, will appeal a state permit for a rubble landfill in Crofton. The two organizations made the commitment at a public meeting Tuesday night on the Tolson rubble landfill, planned for 72 acres of a 184-acre gravel mine at the end of Capitol Raceway Road.” (Capital Gazette)

DCC exploring options for landfill “The Dunedin City Council is investigating a private-public partnership to manage the council's landfill at Green Island. It is also exploring options for the management of waste from the city after the year 2023, when the consent for the Green Island landfill runs out.” (Otago Daily Times)

Nelsonville removes mandatory curbside recycling from proposed franchise agreement “A new draft of a franchise agreement for trash and recycling collection in the city of Nelsonville removes mandates for curbside recycling and for haulers to only use the Athens-Hocking Reclamation Center to dump trash. According to Nelsonville City Code Director Steve Pierson, the final draft of the agreement has been sent back to the city’s utilities committee. He said it’s unclear if Council will vote on the matter this month or wait until the new year.” (AthensOhioToday.com)

Food waste costs Canada $31B a year, report says “More than $31 billion worth of food is wasted every year in Canada and when energy, water and other resource costs are factored in the true cost could be up to three times that much, a new report suggests. Consulting firm Value Chain Management International published a report this week that tabulates the total monetary cost of the millions of kilograms of food that goes to waste every year in Canadian homes, restaurants and grocery stores.” (CBC.ca)

$160 mil waste processing plans unveiled for Weston “Plans have been unveiled for a $160 million waste processing and energy facility in the Hunter Valley, to take rubbish from multiple regions from the Central Coast to northern New South Wales. Omega Energy is proposing to build the resource and energy recovery plant at the Hunter Industrial Ecology Park at Weston. The first stage would involve processing 90,000 tonnes of waste per year.” (ABC.net.au)

Michigan thinks burning tires counts as renewable energy “A Michigan bill aims to classify fuel made by burning tires and hazardous industrial waste as renewable energy, but environmentalists say that’s setting a dangerous precedent. Under the state’s Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act of 2008, Michigan utility companies are required to derive 10 percent of their energy from sources like wind and solar power by 2015; the new House Bill 5205 would make it easier for them to hit the target by expanding the definition of renewable energy to include types of solid waste.” (Grist.org)

Indiana does the recycling job the right way and wins “ROCKHAMPTON Regional Waste and Recycling (RRWR) today presented a piece of upcycled furniture to the deserving winner of the #WeRecycleRight photo competition. Council's Business Enterprise Committee Chair Councillor Neil Fisher said the competition celebrated National Water Week and invited the community to submit a photo of them recycling right.” (The Morning Bulletin)