Gregory Warren

Environmental Industry Associations The Environmental Industry Associations, Washington D.C. is home to two distinct groups, the Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC) and the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA).

WASTEC provides a forum for all waste industry manufacturers and distributors through its Project Work Groups (PWG). Established in 1972 as the Waste Equipment Manufacturers Institute (WEMI), and later joined by the Institute of Waste Equipment Distributors (IWED), WASTEC became part of the EIA in 1993 to represent the industry's technology interests.

Today, WASTEC is directed by an elected Board of Governors, which establishes policy and oversees the association's staff. In addition to the landfill equipment PWG, the Board has developed PWGs for collection and transportation, and processing equipment.

For more information about PWGs, contact Jack Legler, WASTEC at (202) 244-4700 or through e-mail: [email protected]

Setting Standards WASTEC provides landfill operations safety standards. ANSI Z245.41-1997, the safety bible for landfill facility managers, includes:

* Z245.1 (1992) Mobile Refuse Collection and Transport Safety Requirements for persons engaged in the manufacture, modification, operation, cleaning, maintenance, service or repair of mobile collecting equipment.

* Z245.2 (1997) Stationary Compactors Safety Requirements for persons engaged in the manufacture, modification, operation, cleaning, maintenance, service or repair of stationary compacting equipment.

* Z245.5 (1997) Baling Equipment Safety Requirements for mechanical, electro-mechanical and electro-hydraulic and hydraulic balers used in recycling and resource recovery processes, solid waste disposal and raw materials handling. This standard establishes safety requirements for the manufacture, installation, reconstruction, modification, maintenance and operation of balers.

To suggest standard improvements or receive standard interpretation, contact the Secretary, Accredited Standards Committee Z245, c/o Environmental Industry Associations, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Ste. 300, Washington, D.C. 20008. Phone: (202) 244-4700.

NSWMA The NSWMA represents for-profit companies in North America that provide solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal services, remedial and oil spill clean-up, and professional and consulting services.

Information available to landfill managers, including non-NSWMA members, can be found on: www.envasns.org

Website publications include:

* "Solid Waste Disposal Trends - Historical tracking of landfill tipping fees, numbers, capacity and membership;"

* "Interstate Movement of Municipal Solid Waste Volumes of Waste Moving Interstate;"

* "Basic data - Solid Waste Amounts, Composition and Management Systems;

* Waste Tech Conference Proceedings; and

* Books, such as "The Handbook of Landfill Operations" by Neil Bolton.

The NSWMA also hosts the annual WasteTech Conference, which deals specifically with technical waste management issues in landfills.

For NSWMA members, the Landfill Institute Washington Update newsletter also is available. This update of federal legislative and regulatory issues is sent to members 10 times per year.

Additionally, NSWMA members have access to technical and legal information such as analyses of regulations and legal decisions, as well as technical information packets on issues such as the effects of landfills on property values, environmental risks associated with landfills and end-uses for landfills.

For more information, contact Ed Repa, NSWMA at (202) 364-3773.