CMRA, Florida Coalition Reach Agreement To Join Forces
The Construction Materials Recycling Association, Lisle, Ill., and the Florida C&D Recycler Coalition have reached a tentative agreement for the state group to become a chapter of the CMRA. The Florida C&D Recycler Coalition will still continue its separate work supporting C&D recyclers in the Sunshine State.
The agreement, expected to be ratified by both associations’ boards of directors, will take effect July 1, 2001. The move will raise the CMRA’s total membership to about 130 companies and organizations, nearly double that from 1999.
The Florida coalition members will receive full CMRA membership benefits.
CMRA Looks Back and Ahead
The CMRA recently reported on its activities for 2000 and on some planned activities for 2001. These include:
Worked with the industry to modify the U.S. EPA’s proposed rule on lead-based-paint debris, a rule that potentially could have shut down half the industry by banning C&D recycling sites as disposal options for building debris. The CMRA organized a C&D recycling industry response to the proposed rule. Currently the rule is under review and probably will exempt C&D recycling operations, allowing them to continue to accept lead-based paint debris.
The association has become involved in efforts of the Recycled Materials Research Center, Durham, N.H., to develop specification guidelines for recycled concrete used as road base. These guidelines will be examined by all state DOTs as they determine whether to modify their specs based the heavy research going into this project.
A grant was received from the U.S. EPA to perform a project to promote added-value wood recycling by working with a recycler in Chicago to help them enter higher value markets.
Asphalt shingle recycling is now being focused on. The fear of contaminants in waste shingles is a barrier in some states, as regulators sometimes won’t allow shingle recycling for fear of spreading contaminants that recyclers contend are no longer in the waste stream. The CMRA is working with the U.S. EPA to find out how various states regulate shingle recycling, and to perhaps develop an asphalt shingle recycling information center.
Besides the new chapter in Florida, the association has two other regional chapters, one in New England run by Greg Wirsen of Green Seal Environmental. The Southern California Chapter, directed by Kelly Ingalls of KMI Building Associates, Glendale, Calif.
Along with the Solid Waste Association of America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Md., the CMRA is developing a C&D certification program, similar to the ones SWANA now does for MSW disposal and recycling. This will bring an added level of credibility and professionalism to the entire industry.
The CMRA’s web page (www.cdrecycling.org) is set up to support the C&D recycling industry.
Reduced rates are provided to CMRA members who want to attend the Annual Meeting, which is the most important event in the C&D recycling industry. The next meeting is January 21-24, 2001 in San Francisco. The 2002 meeting will be held in conjunction with the huge ConExpo/ConAgg show in March in Las Vegas.
An equipment financing program is under consideration to provide members favorable rates on leasing and purchasing options for capital equipment.
The CMRA represented the C&D recycling industry at many trade shows in order to raise the visibility of the industry. In 2000 CMRA had booth space at WasteExpo, NADC, NRC, and SWANA, among other shows.
The CMRA also released its 2000 closing financial data. Total assets for the year ended at $18,015.23, up from $10,636.74 the previous year. Accounts payable ended at $3,026.18, with a final balance position of $14,989.05.
Explore the January 2001 Issue
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