10 Things You Need to Know For the Waste & Recycling Industry Today (May 28, 2014)

New Minnesota law means recycling bins head to work “Homeowners do it. School kids do it. Now, thanks to a law passed by the 2014 Legislature, businesses will have to order the bins and put up the signs for cans, bottles and plastic when recycling becomes mandatory on Jan. 1, 2016, for most Twin Cities commercial operations.” (Startribune.com)

False reading from radiation detector at recycling plant triggers large response “A report of a radiation leak at a Jersey City recycling facility triggered a large response from police, fire department hazmat trucks and emergency medical technicians, but the company believes the incident was caused by an erroneous reading from a radiation sensor.” (NJ.com)

Franklin County Board To Hear Appeal Against Ameren's Coal Ash Landfill Plans “Franklin County residents, along with the Labadie Environmental Organization, are voicing their disapproval of the county's decision to allow Ameren to build a coal ash landfill next to its coal-fired power plant in Labadie. The county issued its zoning permit for the landfill last month. The groups are appealing the decision at a county Board of Zoning Adjustment meeting Tuesday evening.” (St. Louis Public Radio)

Ban on plastic bags will begin in Louisville on January 1 “Tuesday evening, the Metro Solid Waste Management Board met to discuss a ban on plastic yard bans. Last month, members voted to ban plastic bags for yard waste, claiming that using less plastic is more environmentally friendly. During the meeting, members decided the ban will take effect on January 1, 2015.” (WHAS11.com)

Landfill fire in Nuevo Laredo, Texas “In the Nuevo Laredo, fire fighters battle a blaze throughout the night, until this morning. What fire fighters are calling a massive fire, was reportedly sparked at a city landfill. It spread and caused thousands of used tires to burn up and well as igniting the flames even more.” (KGNS.tv)

Alameda County agency fights to justify hazardous waste fee, and itself “The cars line up three days a week at the hazardous waste collection site, dropping off junk that cannot go in the regular trash: batteries, motor oil, paint thinner, rat poison. But unless every Alameda County homeowner begins paying $9.55 on their tax bills each year to cover the cost of disposal, the countywide Waste Management Authority insists it will have to sharply cut back the hours at its four drop-off sites in Oakland, Hayward, Fremont and Livermore. Much of that corrosive and toxic household junk, the agency warns, could end up dumped in our streets, parks and watershed.” (Contra Costa Times)

Two Central Mass. labs ordered to pay $1.05M “Two Central Massachusetts-based environmental laboratories, accused of failing to control hazardous air pollution emissions, agreed Tuesday to settle and pay the state a combined penalty of $1.05 million.” (WBJournal.com)

Landfill Facing $228K Shortfall “The Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board got only half of the $228,000 it requested from Stafford County and Fredericksburg. And there’s a chance the regional landfill could still lose that $114,000 already authorized. Fredericksburg previously authorized its $114,000 payment, but the Stafford Board of Supervisors decided against the subsidy.” (Fredericksburg.com)

Paper Or Plastic: Tulsa Green Waste Disposal May Change “The City of Tulsa has to make a decision in the next few months between paper or plastic when it comes to getting rid of green waste. Plastic bags are causing problems for Tulsa's trash service; they jam up the mulchers and a lot of people don't like dealing with them. The city might start letting people put yard waste in paper bags, or their own cans, which would be easier for the city to handle.” (NewsOn6.com)

Ohio EPA issues grant money to two tire recycling firms “The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $600,000 in grant money to fund two market development projects in the state. The two projects are expected to result in nearly 57,000 scrap tires being recycled. The program has been designed to provide financial assistance for businesses that propose projects to develop successful scrap tire markets or innovate with scrap tire-based products” (Recycling Today)