PROPOSED BILL TO LIMIT RAIL POWER OVER SOLID WASTE FACILITIES
Saying he realizes "the Surface Transportation Board (STB) must have broad jurisdiction over rail transportation, but that jurisdiction should not be interpreted in a way that puts our environment at risk," Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) introduced a bill that would curtail the STB’s control over solid waste facilities operating along railroad lines.
The bill is in response to the solid waste rail haul facilities that have sprung up in New Jersey and that are planned or proposed for other states. These facilities claim to be governed by the STB’s broad authority over rail activity and, therefore, exempt from all federal, state and local control, especially regarding solid waste and environmental regulations.
Writing in the Federal Register, Lautenbach says, "Although transporting solid waste by rail can reduce the number of trucks hauling solid waste on public roads, handling this waste without careful planning and management presents a danger to human health and the environment. These transfer operations create thick dust, which is potentially hazardous and is breathed in by local residents and business owners. Some transfer facilities don’t have proper drainage on site, leading to the potential contamination of surface and groundwater and nearby wetlands."
William Turley, executive director of the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), which was one of the groups that strongly opposed the application to STB to set up one such site in Massachusetts, applaudes SB 1607, but adds that the bill will have a tough fight.
"The railroads and STB enjoy the sweeping powers granted them by government and, even though this is the right thing to do, both from an environmental and a common sense standpoint, those entities are not going to give up any of their power without a fight." But until these facilities are brought under local environmental regulations and the loophole closed, they will enjoy an unfair economic advantage over legitimate disposal and recycling facilities, he says.
PROGRAM LOOKS TO BOOST GYPSUM RECYCLING IN U.K.
The U.K.-based Waste & Resources Action Program (WRAP) has started work on improving the recycling opportunities for gypsum waste, sourced predominantly from scrap drywall, also known as plasterboard.
The aim of WRAP’s three-year Plasterboard Program is to support the separation, collection and reprocessing of used plasterboard together with a wide range of market development mechanisms.
The program, funded through Defra’s Business Resource Efficiency and Waste initiative, is also supported by the administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
During the first year, the focus will be on developing existing and new recycling processes and on expanding the range of commercially viable end uses. A tender competition for R&D projects, operational trials and demonstration projects will be launched to explore the opportunities for recycled gypsum in a number of different applications such as construction and agriculture, as well as examining opportunities for more efficient collection and segregation.
The R&D projects will look at early research into new applications, while the trials are designed to test the practical and market viability of existing and new processes on a commercial scale. The trial projects will also demonstrating the key benefits in a real life situation.
To shape the work of the Plasterboard Program as it moves forward, WRAP took the first step towards establishing a new industry in early August when it held a meeting in London known as the Plasterboard Forum.
The aim of the Plasterboard Forum is to enable full consultation at every level of the supply chain, from manufacturers, suppliers and users of gypsum products through to recyclers of gypsum waste.
A report on the outcome of the first forum will be available shortly on WRAP’s new Plasterboard Web site at www.wrap.org.uk/materials/plaster
board.
"We have to understand the needs and concerns of the supply chain, and the establishment of an effective stakeholder forum has been a priority for WRAP," says Liz Goodwin, WRAP’s director of materials. "Consultation will be essential to the delivery of sustainable recycling solutions for gypsum waste in future."
Moving forward, a key part of the WRAP’s Plasterboard Program will also be a range of support mechanisms for small businesses involved in reprocessing plasterboard or in using recycled gypsum. For instance, WRAP’s Business Development Service will offer business and investment advice to small businesses involved in reprocessing drywall or in using the reclaimed material.
SPANISH FIRM ACQUIRES WEBBER GROUP
Spanish-based Ferrovial has reached an agreement to buy all of the Webber Group, based in Houston.
Webber specializes in infrastructure civil engineering, aggregate recycling and extraction and supply of sand in Texas.
The acquisition will cost $220 million and depends on approval by the U.S. anti-trust authorities as well as the standard conditions in this type of transaction.
Joaquin Ayuso, Ferrovial’s CEO, says that the deal is highly strategic "as it is a continuation of our strategy in international markets and is a new opportunity for growth in the United States."
Pedro Buenaventura, general manager of Ferrovial’s construction division, says, "Webber specializes in building infrastructure and also has a very stable, high-margin business in the production and distribution of recycled aggregate. It also has a strong track record, a lean structure and a sound balance sheet. Webber has a seasoned management team with a corporate culture focused on cost containment and optimal use of materials and equipment."
Webber is one of the top three construction companies in Texas and is a leading producer and distributor of recycled aggregate.
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