Oct. 1, 2001 Issue

Rebekah A. Hall

IN THIS ISSUE:

News:

- The Last of the World Trade Center Towers Comes Down

- Waste Management Inks Deal with Ryder

- FBI to Check Hazmat Truckers' Records

- Hijackers Linked to Hazardous Waste Transport

- Comments Sought, Panel to Meet on CCA-Treated Wood

- Senate Passes Fuel Additive Bill

Newsbriefs: Acquisitions, Awards, etc.

Events

For continuing news coverage of the waste industry's role in the national tragedy, visit http://www.wasteage.com

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NEWS:

The Last of the World Trade Center Towers Comes Down New York -- At the request of Mayor Rudolph Guiliani and the approval of architect Alphonse Diaz, crews dismantled the seven-story section of steel facade of the World Trade Center, the last part still standing.

Guiliani said the remaining chunk of facade had to be removed to make cleanup efforts safer and easier. He reassured residents that as much of the facade as possible would be saved in case it is wanted for a memorial.

Waste Management Inks Deal with Ryder

Miami -- Ryder System Inc. has announced it will supply Houston-based Waste Management Inc. with truck chassis parts through its aftermarket parts online business, Ryderfleetproducts.com.

Under terms of the agreement, Ryder will provide vehicle chassis parts to Waste Management's entire North American fleet and will build inventory levels at its three distribution centers to manage shipments of aftermarket parts to Waste Management maintenance districts.

For more information on this story, visit Fleet Owner magazine at http://www.fleetowner.com.

FBI to Check Hazmat Truckers' Records Washington, D.C. -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is starting a nationwide records check on all truck drivers licensed to carry hazardous materials, stemming from evidence that the hijackers implicated in this month's terrorist attacks had sought or held licenses to transport these materials.

According to a CNN.com report, the FBI is compiling a list of all companies licensed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to handle hazardous chemicals and plans to search each company's records to check all employees licensed to drive hazardous materials tankers and trucks.

Ashcroft has urged anyone with knowledge of "suspicious circumstances" regarding hazardous materials or crop-dusting aircraft to contact the FBI. Visit the FBI's website at http://www.fbi.gov for contact information.

Hijackers Linked to Hazardous Waste Transport

Washington, D.C. -- Attorney General John Ashcroft said Tuesday that individuals with possible links to the hijackers who attacked New York and the Washington, D.C. area on Sept. 11, 2001, either obtained or attempted to obtain licenses to transport hazardous waste materials.

At least two people detained in the investigations stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks had licenses to transport chemicals and other hazardous materials. And one of the confirmed hijackers visited a Florida crop-dusting company several times in the weeks before the attacks and had sought a government loan for a crop-dusting plane.

The crop-dusting incidents have raised concerns over whether the planes would be used for a biological or chemical attack on the United States. All crop-dusting planes were grounded on Sunday and Monday as a precaution and were back in the air Tuesday.

At the U.S. Truck Driver Training School in Detroit, president Joseph LaBarge told the Associated Press that two men arrested last week in conjunction with the attacks attended the school, and one of them obtained a permit to transport hazardous materials.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has advised people to be on the lookout for anything suspicious related to hazardous materials and crop-dusting aircraft.

Comments Sought, Panel to Meet on CCA-Treated Wood

Washington, D.C. -- Several draft guidelines for sampling and analyzing chemical residues from chromated copper arsenate (CCA) pressure-treated playground equipment have been released for public review and comment. Prior to sampling and analysis, a 30-day comment period, from Sept. 22 to Oct. 22, is open to solicit public input on the study's design.

Developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the guidelines will be used specifically in EPA and CPSC studies to analyze arsenic, chromium and copper from and adjacent to CCA-treated playground equipment because of specific concerns related to the use of CCA-treated wood and possible risks to children.

vIn a related story, a panel of independent scientists will meet on Oct. 22-25, 2001, to review the CCA-treated wood issues being considered by the EPA. The Scientific Advisory Panel will provide input regarding the EPA's development of a preliminary evaluation of risks to children from contact with CCA-treated wood and associated CCA-contaminated soil.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va.

Additional information about the meeting and the EPA's request for public comments can be retrieved by the Federal Register published on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.

For more information on CCA-related issues, visit Waste Age's Special Report at http://www.industryclick.com/microsites/index.asp?srid=10070&magazineid=121&SiteID=27.

Senate Passes Fuel Additive Bill Washington, D.C. -- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted Tuesday on a bill, S.950, that will phase out methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), an additive that makes fuel burn cleaner but that also has links to cancer and has been found to pollute groundwater.

MTBE has allowed states to meet a federal requirement that gasoline contain a 2 percent oxygen additive to cut down on air pollution. If approved, the bill would give each state governor the power to exempt his state from the 2 percent federal requirement, which farm state senators have seen as a threat to Midwest ethanol manufacturers. Corn-based ethanol is the only other fuel oxygenate available and apparently is safe to use. Without the requirement in place, ethanol demand would drop significantly.

Sponsored by Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., the bill also would authorize $400 million for monitoring and cleanup of MTBE contamination from leaking underground storage tanks.

Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., an opponent of the bill, said it only will increase the nation's reliance on foreign oil. The Department of Energy also has estimated that the bill may reduce U.S. gasoline supplies by more than 400,000 barrels per day.

NEWSBRIEFS: Acquisitions, Awards, etc.

Acquisitions

- Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery (Bollegraaf Beheer Appingedam BV), Appingedam, The Netherlands, has announced it is acquiring Lubo Screening and Recycling Systems BV and Lubo Machinery Trading BV, Lincolnwood, Ill.

- Peterson Pacific Corp., Eugene Ore., has acquired Blo-Tech Systems, Eugene, Ore.

Awards

- Rossignol, Montsurs, France, was awarded second prize for innovation at the Europropre 2001 trade show for its Collecplast waste container.

- The Illinois Recycling Association (IRA), Oak Park, Ill., has announced the winners of its 2001 Excellence in Recycling awards at its 21st annual conference and trade show. The winners are: Recycler of the Year, Lynn Wolgamoot, Vermillion County, Danville; Recycling Educator of the Year, Kay McKeen, SCRAP/SCARCE, Wheaton; Outstanding High School Environmental Clubs: Earth Club, Lake Park High School, Roselle, and CM Recyclers, Civic Memorial High School, Bethalto; Outstanding Use of Recycled Material, Bio Industries, Addison, Ill.; Outstanding University Program, University of Illinois, Chicago; Outstanding Service Provider, Abitibi Consolidated, St. Charles, Ill.; Outstanding Business Recycling and Waste Reduction Program, PPG Industries, Mt. Zion, Ill.; Outstanding Community Service Program, Resource Center, Chicago; and Outstanding Government Leadership, City of Naperville.

EVENTS

November 27-30, 2001

Environment Japan 2001 Chiba City, Japan. Contact: Jerry Mayeroff for the Japan External Trade Organization, 401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 660, Chicago, Ill. 60611. Phone: (773) 761-0868.

November 28-29, 2001

Business Energy Solutions Expo Orlando, Fla. Contact: The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). Fax: (770) 381-9865. Website: http://www.aeecenter.org/bese.

December 3-6, 2001

14th International Conference on Site Remediation and Environmental Management

Orlando, Fla. Contact: Paul Reneau, Gas Technology Institute (GTI), 1700 South Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, Ill. 60018-1804. Phone: (847) 768-0780. Fax: (847) 768-0501. mailto:[email protected].

December 4-7, 2001

17th Annual Pollutec International Exhibition of Environment Equipment, Technologies and Service for Industry

Paris-Nord Villepinte, France. Contact: Emmanuelle Cade, International Trade Exhibitions in France Inc., 1611 North Kent Street, Suite 903, Arlington, Va. 22209. Phone toll-free: (888) 522-5001. Fax: (703) 522-5005. mailto:[email protected]. Website: http://www.pollutec.com.

IN WASTE AGE'S OCTOBER ISSUE:

Features:

- WASTECON 2001 Show Guide: Your guide to working WASTECON, including the exhibitor list, floorplan and technical session descriptions.

- A Tale of Two Baltimores: Welcome to WASTECON 2001 in Baltimore. But which Baltimore?

- Boulder County Fights Back: One county in conservative Colorado overcame a mountain of political and economic obstacles to tell a successful waste diversion story.

Business Trends:

- Recycling Means Big Business for Buckeye State

- Attorney-Client Secrets Revealed?

- Alternative Insurance Paints a Pretty Picture

Business Briefs:

- Paper Recovery Rate Reaches an All-Time High

- Birth Defects Tied To Landfill Proximity

- Diesel Sulfur Panel Draws Controversy

Columnists:

- Profiles in Garbage: Newspaper, by Chaz Miller

- Circular File: Mandatory Garbage, by Chaz Miller

- MSW Manager: And the Trash Goes On, by Bill Knapp

- EIA: Fresno Landfill Has Value As a Landmark, by Alice P. Jacobsohn

- Legal: Carbone-anza?, by Barry Shanoff