Environmentalists. Every Day. America's Solid Waste Industry

NSWMA’s Connecticut Chapter launched new website (www.CTrecyclingandtrashfacts.com) today, containing lots of information about new waste and recycling rules and reporting requirements in the state. Visit the new site here.

The U.S. EPA announced an extension for the reporting requirement deadline associated with its new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) data reporting program. EPA says that it is extending the deadline — originally March 31 — and plans to have the final uploading tool available this summer, with the data scheduled to be published later this year. EPA says it will provide more detail in coming weeks.

The Chairman’s Council is an excellent and enjoyable way to get to know other independent haulers, to learn about their companies, to discuss mutual interests and concerns and to exchange interesting “trash” stories. These tours are informative, thought-provoking and provide an informal setting where you can make new friends in the industry. Register today here.

The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) Healthcare Waste Institute and Landfill Institute recently submitted comments to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding its draft guidance, “Best Management Practices for Unused Pharmaceuticals at Health Care Facilities,” published in the Federal Register in September 2010. Read full release here.

Institutes of the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) recently submitted comments regarding proposed rules by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). NSWMA’s Landfill Institute offered comments on EPA’s proposed rule regarding amendments to the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gases, and NSWMA’s Healthcare Waste Institute recently submitted comments regarding OSHA’s blood-borne pathogens standard. Read full release here.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) sent joint comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson regarding a petition recently filed by the Center for a Competitive Waste Industry asking EPA to reorganize and restructure the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP).

More than 20 daily newspapers have published an op-ed drafted by NSWMA President and CEO Bruce J. Parker (Reason for optimism this Earth Day? For starters, let’s talk trash!”), including the Miami Herald, the Kansas City Star and the Sacramento Bee. In this article, Parker states, “Proper waste management is actually one of America’s greatest environmental successes. In the last two decades alone, we have witnessed a startling transformation in how we deal with all the garbage.”

The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) has filed comments with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding possible new rules addressing “combustible dust,” which likely will be proposed later this year. NSWMA’s comments expressed a concern that OSHA has included the solid waste industry as a target for regulation even though in September 2008, OSHA issued an advisory stating there was no history of combustible dust events at transfer stations, materials recovery facilities (MRFs) or landfills. Read more.

On May 5, NSWMA joined the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) in submitting comments on the EPA’s proposed revisions to AP-42, Fifth Edition, Volume I, Chapter 2.4 Municipal Solid Waste Landfills and the Background Information Document for Updating AP-42 Section 2.4 for Estimating Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. These emission standards are very important to the landfill industry because they affect federal, state and local air quality permits. NSWMA and SWANA expressed concern on the following issues:

- The rejection of non-methane organic compounds concentration data from NSPS/EG Tier 2 studies using the geoprobe method; and
- The rejection of data submitted in 2000 and 2001 and the failure of EPA to advise of the rejection until 2009.

The two associations hope that through the further review of new data submitted by their members and a thorough review of current published technical literature, EPA can revise the draft AP-42 and background information document accordingly.

Fortune magazine released a video that includes images of the landfill gas to energy project in Racine, Wisconsin, that powers SC Johnson’s nearby manufacturing facility. This video is located on the CNN/Money website.