UES NIMBYs Say Waste Transfer Station Is Anti-Vision Zero “Upper East Side NIMBYs are now invoking Vision Zero as their latest offensive against a dreaded waste transfer station, saying that garbage trucks rumbling into and out of the site are going to endanger pedestrians around a nearby recreation center. A study conducted by Asphalt Green—a non-profit athletic facility staunchly against the station—posits that the intended delivery route will be a death trap for the 400,000 children who traverse the intersection of York Avenue and 91st Street, who will have to fight for space with the 40,000 garbage trucks trundling toward the plant.” (Gothamist.com)

Waste, pollution cited in proposal to limit plastic bags in Columbia “The Sierra Club Osage Group cites waste and environmental pollution in its drive for limiting the use of plastic bags at Columbia stores that sell perishable food. The environmental organization has proposed an ordinance that would require shoppers to bring their own bags or pay at least 10 cents each per paper bag. Paper bags would need to be 100 percent recyclable and contain at least 40 percent recycled material.” (Missourian.com)

Toxic landfill gas building up at SC lakeside dump “Hazardous chemical vapors are leaking through the top of an industrial waste dump along Lake Marion and are suspected of contaminating shallow groundwater near the surface of the 36-year-old site. Nearly 20 different chemicals, some at concentrations above safe drinking water standards, have shown up in groundwater atop a plastic liner installed decades ago to protect the environment from the now abandoned waste dump near Pinewood, according to a recent consulting study.” (The State)

New transfer station 'on budget and on time' “The city’s new transfer station should be completed ‘on budget and on time,’ according to Public Property Director Roger Buell. Buell expects the garbage-handling facility to open in late November or early December, about nine months after construction started just north of the current transfer station at 570 S. 14th Ave. The $3.24 million construction project led by B-D Construction Inc. is nearly wrapped up, according to Buell, and the city is waiting for some specialized equipment to arrive.” (ColumbusTelegram.com)

Pa. landfill facing potential class-action lawsuit by N.J. neighbors details odor control efforts “Faced with a potential class-action lawsuit from Burlington County residents frustrated by the smell from a nearby Pennsylvania landfill, the owners of the facility detailed this week steps the landfill has taken to curtail the stench. Since early October, overall waste volume has decreased by 20 percent and sewage sludge volumes has decreased by 66 percent, said John Hambrose, spokesman for Waste Management's eastern Pennsylvania region, which operates the Tullytown landfill.” (NJ.com)

Dunmore council, Keystone landfill reach tentative agreement “Borough council and Keystone Sanitary Landfill officials have a tentative agreement on a new contract that would shape Dunmore’s compensation for co-hosting one of the state’s busiest landfills. Dunmore currently gets the state-mandated minimum payment from Keystone after a previous council agreed in 1999 to a deal that guarantees the borough no benefits. Neighboring Throop approved a contract the same year that brought the Midvalley borough a financial windfall.” (TheTimes-Tribune.com)

Is it time to organize solid waste collection in Bloomington? “Three trucks, or 27? There’s sentiment for the former, and plenty of support for the latter. Bloomington is aiming to change the way it collects residential solid waste, and the Bloomington City Council has formally initiated the process that may result in fewer garbage trucks traveling the streets of the city.” (Sun Current)

Lowell council plans to annex landfill “The Town Council is taking steps to annex 176 acres which include a construction and demolition landfill near Lowell's west end. In a 3-2 split Monday, the council, led by Councilman Donald Parker, D-3rd, voted to reject a voluntary annexation proposal from Lake County C & D Development Partnership and, instead, pursue standard annexation of the acreage owned by Republic Services.” (NWITimes.com)

St. Helens man fined for running illegal dump “Oregon regulators have fined a man $79,000 for running an illegal dump in St. Helens. Since 2006, Carl Brandenfels has accepted about 3,000 cubic yards of waste — including tires, roofing material, wood and yard waste, railroad ties, concrete, asphalt and other materials — at his property at 32934 Pittsburg Road, according to a state Department of Environmental Quality press release. He had no permit.” (TDN.com)

New Kensington receives grant for recycling performance “A grant totaling $6,944 was awarded to New Kensington for recycling performance, the office of state Sen. Jim Brewster said Friday. The grant was awarded based on the amount of recycled materials from 2012 and the city’s population. New Kensington was able to recycle 1,222 tons of material in that year.” (Pennsylvania Business Daily)