13 Things You Need to Know For the Waste & Recycling Industry Today (Feb. 20, 2014)

DEP working another coal-industry spill, in McDowell County “As West Virginia environmental regulators plan more steps in response to last month's coal-cleaning chemical leak into the Elk River and a coal-slurry spill last week, state inspectors were on the scene Wednesday of another mining-waste accident. Department of Environmental Protection inspectors reported a spill of polluted water from a former McDowell County slurry impoundment that had been reopened by a company re-mining the site for leftover bits of coal.” (The Charleston Gazette)

Metsa: Recycling not session priority “Increasing state recycling rates may seem like a good cause most Minnesotans would support. But a recently released report by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has spurred a dicey debate between environmentalists, businesses and corporations who are all trying to answer one question: How much are Minnesotans willing to pay when it comes to recycling?” (Mesabi Daily News)

Coal Ash: Why it is Better Recycled Than as a Waste “One of the big issues propagated by the coal burning utility industry, is that regulating coal ash waste as a hazardous waste would hurt the market for recycling of coal ash. Even some in the environmental community believe that if something is hazardous as a waste, it would be hazardous in a product. This sounds logical but happens not always to be the case. There is a reason waste can be much more harmful than the same chemical in a product; it is the same as chemotherapy drugs; important and safe when used correctly, toxic when they are no longer used, so disposal must be done carefully. The key to the safe use of coal ash is encapsulation. Encapsulation is the technology that is used at EPA-regulated hazardous waste landfills to make sure that if the toxic waste gets wet, which it does, it is bound at the molecular level into an insoluble compound that will not allow the toxics elements to leach to contaminate underground water sources or surface waters.” (The Energy Collective)

Hazardous waste incinerator plan on hold “The company proposing to build a hazardous waste incinerator in Bristol Township has put its efforts on hold, the attorney for the company said this morning. Allen Toadvine, a lawyer for Route 13 Bristol Partners, said the firm needs time to gather more specifics on the proposed plant’s emissions, information the township zoning hearing board requested out of public health concerns.… The 50,000-square-foot plant would burn pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other waste within a mile of the Delaware and densely populated towns.” (Philly.com)

Incentive program boosts recycling, has positive financial impact “Seven Broward cities, along with their waste haulers, have partnered with green rewards company Recyclebank to give residents the opportunity to recycle for points redeemable for free items and discounts at local and national businesses through the company's online platform Recylebank.com. Hollywood became the second city in Florida and the first in Broward to offer Recyclebank's recycling incentive program in February 2010. It was followed by Sunrise in 2011 and then by Coconut Creek, Margate and Tamarac in 2012. Davie just launched the program in November of last year and Lauderdale Lakes in December.” (Sun Sentinel)

Expanded service increases recycling countywide “Local recyclers say conditions have improved greatly at area drop-off sites since the county began contracting with Rumpke of Ohio Inc. for the service. Convenience and expanded services provided through that contract have increased public participation, according to Lindsey Grimm, director of Licking County Recycling. The new service accepts more products than before and eliminates the sorting that once was required, Grimm said, while saving the county about $200,000 annually.” (Newark Advocate)

Board denies waste transfer station “The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to deny an application for a conditional use permit for the planned $2.5 million solid waste transfer station on Wednesday night in front of a large crowd at the City Hall Forum. About 100 residents attended the approximately 3.5-hour meeting, many holding signs that read “No Trash Transfer Recycling Station.” The residents applauded as board chair Fred Tiffany announced the conditional use permit had been denied.” (Springfield News-Sun)

Edgard landfill proposal has St. John Parish residents debating economics, eyesores “Economic development or potential eyesore? That is the question that is sparking sometimes heated debate among residents on the west bank of St. John the Baptist Parish, where a property owner wants to operate a construction and debris landfill in Edgard. Willow Bend LLC, which currently runs a 450-acre clay mining pit at 3901 River Road, has applied for a state permit to expand the operation to accept certain construction debris and to create a recycling center. Company officials said this would keep the land in commerce and create jobs.” (nola.com)

City to look at landfill rate increase “The York City Council will be looking at increasing the landfill rates, with the first hearing set for Thursday night. Heightened methane gas monitoring and venting at the landfill is going to be costly, city officials say, and rates will likely have to be increased to pay for it.” (York News-Times)

Village explores landfill energy “In the not too distant future, Georgetown residents could be using energy processed at a landfill. At last Thursday’s Georgetown Village Council meeting, Administrator Jeremy Germann announced that he and Mayor Dale Cahill were looking into building a landfill generation plant at the Brown County landfill. In late January, Germann and Cahall met with representatives of Energy Developments, a company with a large portfolio of landfill generation plans not only in Ohio but also in Australia and the UK, and Energy Developments walked away from the meeting optimistic towards building a new plant in Georgetown.” (NewsDemocrat.com)

Potential recycling mandate for apartments “Little Rock's green initiative could be growing as Mayor Mark Stodola is pushing for a law that requires all apartment complexes with more than 100 units to provide a recycling program for its residents. "We're getting close to 20,000 apartment units," said Stodola. "You can tell it's a very substantial element of the community, so it should really ratchet up the amount of recyclables that we have in our city." In 2012, the city changed its recycling receptacles from 18 gallon buckets to 64 gallon bins, and saw its participation soar.” (THV11.com)

Charles City files civil lawsuit against Waste Management “Charles City County filed a civil lawsuit against Waste Management of Virginia last Oct. 31, claiming a breach of contract. County attorney Randolph Boyd filed the suit on behalf of the county. Among claims listed in court files include payments to the county for trash delivered to the landfill. Claimed statements indicate Waste Management is supposed to pay a “host fee” of $440 per ton for the first 1,200 tons, with an increase to $550 per ton afterwards. Host fees in 2011 garnered more than $2.7 million in revenue for the county.” (New Kent * Charles City Chronicle)

Commissioners approve oyster shell recycling in Charles County “On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Charles County Commissioners approved oyster shell recycling in Charles County through the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP). This program allows Charles County residents to recycle oyster shells at the county recycling centers (Breeze Farm Recycling Center, Charles County Landfill Recycling Center, Gilbert Run Park Recycling Center, and Pisgah Recycling Center) and receive a tax credit of $1 for each bushel of shells recycled.” (TheBayNet.Com)