SWANA CALLS FOR INCREASED WASTE SCREENING IN RESPONSE TO EPA'S UPDATED DEFINITION OF SOLID WASTE

With the issuance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule regarding the updated definition of solid waste, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has advised its members of the increased importance of waste screening practices at municipal solid waste facilities. While the goal of the rule is to encourage recycling of hazardous materials, the USEPA estimates that 1.5 million tons of hazardous materials would be excluded from the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act’s hazardous waste regulations. This could cause a potential loophole through which hazardous materials may escape regulation finding their way into municipal solid waste facilities, thus placing an increased importance on waste screening practices.

“Municipal solid waste managers need to know where their wastes are coming from and SWANA strongly encourages more vigilant practices to detect and screen out prohibited wastes,” said John H. Skinner, SWANA Executive Director and CEO.

After publication of the revised EPA rule, Skinner issued a cautionary notice to the International Board of Directors, the governing body of the Association. He also indicated that SWANA is updating its Waste Screening Training Course to provide improved guidance for SWANA members. This revised course will be finished by the end of this calendar year.

The full version of the notice can be found online at http://swana.org/www/Portals/Officers/SWANA_Notice_Regarding_EPA_Ruling.pdf

NSWMA AND SWANA COMMENT ON EPA GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING

NSWMA and SWANA Comment on EPA Greenhouse Gas

Silver Spring, MD, (June 2, 2008) - In a joint letter to the U.S. EPA, the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) commented on the agency’s draft mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and its potential impact on municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. As the EPA proceeds with requirements identifying reporting sectors in this rulemaking process, NSWMA and SWANA requested the following be considered:

• The solid waste sector has substantially reduced GHG emissions.
• A protocol for estimating fugitive landfill emissions should be established.
• Carbon sequestration should be accounted for in estimating GHG emissions of individual landfills.
• Strong enforcement authorities make third-party verification unnecessary.
• Biogenic GHG emissions should not be a mandatory reporting element of a federal program.

NSWMA President and CEO Bruce Parker said, “The waste management industry is aggressively responding to the challenges presented by climate change and how the industry’s carbon footprint can be reduced. We are leaders in the innovative production of renewable energy from the disposal of waste, and any reporting system should acknowledge the progress that we’ve made in this area.”

“Environmentally sound solid waste management practices can make an important positive contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions” added SWANA Executive Director and CEO John H. Skinner, “It is important that any reporting system encourage these practices” he added.

The EPA greenhouse gas reporting would mandate reporting of greenhouse gas among all industries, including municipal solid waste, above the EPA determined threshold. The EPA is still in the process of developing the rule’s guidelines.

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About NSWMA: The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) – a sub-association of the Environmental Industry Associations (EIA) – represents for-profit companies in North America that provide solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal services, and companies that provide professional and consulting services to the waste services industry. NSWMA members conduct business in all 50 states. For more information, visit http://www.nswma.org/.

About SWANA: For 40 years, SWANA, the Solid Waste Association of North America, has been the leading professional association in the solid waste management field. SWANA’s mission is “to advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste.” SWANA serves over 8,000 members and thousands more industry professionals with technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses. For more information, visit http://www.swana.org/.