EnviroPolitics
A daily compendium of environmental and political information
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EnviroBusiness News…. July, 2006

Chemical companies end joint venture Specialty-chemicals makers Cytec Industries
(NYSE: CYT) and Royal DSM today announced the early termination of the companies’
American Melamine Industries joint venture and the end of related legal actions by the two
parties. Cytec, based in West Paterson, NJ, will assume full ownership of the plant’s assets
and liabilities and receive $7.4M for releasing all obligations under partnership agreements.
David Lilley, Cytec CEO said the company would continue to operate the plant, which
 manufactures melamine - a chemical often used to make plastic products - for both internal
use and sale to third-party customers. NJBIZ 7/31/2006  

Aqua America buys waste hauling firm Aqua America Inc. said Monday that its
Aqua Wastewater Management Inc. subsidiary has bought the assets of one of the
largest wastewater and septage hauling companies serving eastern PA for $5.6M.
Aqua Wastewater Management bought the assets of Charles M. Perna Inc., which also
does business as Perna Wastewater Management. The assets include nearly 50
waste-hauling vehicles, as well as customer lists, office equipment and customer contracts.
Philadelphia Business Journal 7/31/2006

PCB discharges blamed for hindering ship passages A new draft report blames the
discharge of PCBs into the Champlain Canal by the General Electric Co. for contaminating
parts of the waterway and hindering the passage of ships in some places. State Attorney
General Eliot Spitzer and state Environmental Conservation Commissioner Denise Sheehan
said sediments continue to pile up in the Champlain Canal, making it impassable in some
places to all but the shallowest-draft vessels. Normal dredging has been suspended since
the 1980s because of the high cost of removing and disposing of sediments contaminated
with PCBs. The Business Review (Albany) 7/31/2006

Sunoco Logistics gets stake in Midwest pipeline Sunoco Logistics Partners has
acquired a 55.3 percent share in a pipeline that runs from Texas to Michigan, the company
said late Thursday. Sunoco Logistics paid $65 million for 100 percent of a company,
Sun Pipe Line Co. of Delaware, that owns 55.3 percent of a 994-mile crude-oil pipeline from
Longview, Texas, to Samaria, Mich. Philadelphia Business Journal 7/28/2006

CONSOL profit doubles CONSOL Energy Inc. said profit in the second quarter
more than doubled, boosted by higher coal and natural gas prices and lower costs.
Net earnings for the Upper St. Clair, PA-based coal mining company (NYSE:CNX)
were $105.9M, or 57 cents per diluted share, compared with $41.1M, or 22 cents per
share, year-over-year. Revenue rose to $932.3M from $817.1M.
Pittsburgh Business Times 7/27/2006

Silvestri named new president of Plug Power Fuel-cell system maker Plug Power
Inc. has named a new president. Gregory Silvestri, 46, who has been the company's chief
operating officer, replaces CEO Roger Saillant as president. Plug spokeswoman Cynthia
White said details about the changes would be provided Thursday during the company's
conference call announcing Plug's earnings. "We'll be going over that tomorrow," White said.
Silvestri joined Plug in June 1999 as chief operating officer, with duties including creating
strategic partnerships with suppliers and overseeing Plug's manufacturing and assembly
operations. Before joining Plug, Silvestri worked at Norton Co. and Hewlett Packard.
The Business Review (Albany)  7/27/2006

Recycled Cathode Ray Tubes are no longer hazardous waste In a Final Rule
signed on July 19, the EPA streamlined the federal hazardous waste management
requirements for cathode ray tubes and CRT glass destined for recycling. These simplified
standards aim to increase the collection and recycling of CRTs. According to EPA, safely
recycling CRTs saves energy and conserves resources, allows the recovered lead to be
reused, and reduces the amount of lead in landfills. "A discarded CRT represents an
opportunity lost," said EPA Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine. "This rule will help
encourage the reuse and recycling of CRTs, which puts these resources back to productive
use, rather than into the nation's landfills." Environmental Resource Center  7/27/2006
Dow Jones announces recovered paper index Financial news company Dow Jones
is introducing a new index to its list of commodity indexes. The company has created the
Dow Jones Recovered Paper Index, which has been created as a transaction based,
volume-weighted measure of recycled paper prices. Recycling Today  7/26/2006

Blank Rome allies with Belgian firm Philadelphia law firm Blank Rome has entered a
strategic alliance with Interel, a government relations firm based in Brussels, Belgium.
Blank Rome has its own lobbying subsidiary, Blank Rome Government Relations, based in
Washington. Blank Rome officials said on Tuesday that the alliance was prompted by the
global nature of public affairs and government relations, and the growing need for international
companies and organizations that are often affected by decisions made in the European
Union and United States to coordinate between Brussels and Washington.
Philadelphia Business Journal  7/25/2006

AK Steel gets earnings back on track Despite higher raw materials prices and the
ongoing lockout at its Middletown (PA) Works, AK Steel posted a healthy profit for second-
quarter 2006. The steel maker reported net income of $29.M, or 27 cents per share, compared
to $9M, or 8 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Analysts had expected earnings per-
share of 22 cents. Pittsburgh Business Times 7/25/2006

Westinghouse buys remainder of PaR Westinghouse Electric Co. said it now owns
100 percent of subsidiary PaR nuclear after purchasing the remaining 19 percent of the
fuel handling equipment unit. No terms were disclosed. Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse
had purchased a controlling, 81-percent interest of St. Paul, Minn.-based PaR in May 2004.
Pittsburgh Business Times  7/25/2006

CONSOL spinoff CNX Gas adds production, drills new areas CNX Gas Corp.
plans to expand production and begin drilling for natural gas in two new areas, moves that
will give the newly public company opportunities to boost sales. The South Park, PA-based
company, which spun off from CONSOL Energy Inc. last year and began trading on the
New York Stock Exchange six months ago, will look to tap reserves on 248,000 acres it
owns in portions of Westmoreland, Armstrong and Indiana counties in PA. The so-called
"Nittany" area is primarily composed of coalbed methane gas similar to that drilled in
CNX's other areas. Pittsburgh Business Times 7/25/2006

Builders face higher costs and delivery delays as steel demand rises Increased
worldwide demand for steel means builders pay more and wait longer for this basic product,
local contractors and steel suppliers say. Paul Winnie, owner and president of
Arcon Construction & Management Services Inc. in Albany, said he has seen a 4½ percent
to 5 percent price increase every 30 days on steel prices. His suppliers told him to expect
a 5 percent to 10 percent price increase within the next 90 days. Meanwhile, the wait time
for steel materials and steel buildings--Arcon provides pre-engineered steel buildings--has
increased from six weeks to as many as 12 weeks, Winnie said.
The Business Review (Albany)  7/25/2006

Gerdau Ameristeel to invest $78M in FL plant The international steel-making
company, which operates mills in Perth Amboy and Sayreville, NJ, says it will invest
$78M on three projects within the next year at its plant in Jacksonville, Fl. A new electric
arc furnace scheduled to be operational in April will cost about $58M, and $4M will be
spent on six new rolling mill stands expected to be ready for installation in January.
The Baldwin mill will spend $16 million on a new bag house, a device that clears debris
off the molten steel and serves primarily an environmental purpose. It is scheduled to be
in operation by September. Vice President Don Shumake said the new furnace and
rolling mill stands, which are replacing 30-year-old equipment, will boost capacity from
about 640,000 tons a year to 720,000 tons annually. He said an additional round of
expansion that is being considered could push capacity to more than a million tons
annually. Business Journal of Jacksonville  7/24/2006

Hill International makes post-merger buy Hill International Inc., an international
construction firm, has firmed up an agreement to buy James R. Knowles Holdings, which
provides technical consulting and dispute-resolution services to the engineering and
construction industry worldwide, for the equivalent of $13 million in cash. The boards of
both firms approved the deal. James R. Knowles Holdings, based in Daresbury, England,
reported revenue last year of $55.9M. Hill (NASDAQ: HINT) of Marlton, NJ, said it already
 has received commitments from 80 percent of Knowles' shareholders.
Philadelphia Business Journal  7/21/2006

Coatings drive PPG PPG Industries Inc. said profit rose in the second quarter on growth
in its coatings and optical products businesses. Net income for Downtown Pittsburgh-based
PPG (NYSE:PPG) rose to $280M, or $1.68 a share, from $231M, or $1.34 a share, a year
earlier. Pittsburgh Business Times 7/21/2006

Sites qualify for NY state shovel-ready grants Five sites in the Albany region
are among 23 statewide that will share in $2M in state grants under the Build Now-NY
program. The program is designed to let municipalities pre-permit potential development
sites, making them more attractive to businesses that want to set up shop immediately
and not face a lengthy permitting process. Sites eligible under the Build Now-NY program
can get grants of up to $100,000. They must match the state money.
 The Business Review (Albany) 7/20/2006

Gargano to chair commission on power Charles Gargano, chairman and CEO
of Empire State Development Corp., will chair the nine-member Commission on the
Future of New York State Power Programs for Economic Development. Two more
members of the commission have yet to be selected. Gov. George Pataki said the
commission, which was created in the 2006-07 state budget, is to report to the
governor and state Legislature by Dec. 1, 2006, on the state's economic development
power programs, including Power for Jobs. The Business Review (Albany) 7/20/2006

PA offers grants to businesses that use recyclable materials in products
Pennsylvania is taking aggressive steps to make environmental protection an engine for
economic growth with a $1M investment that will help manufacturers increase their use
of recyclable materials in the production of finished products. The Recycling Markets
Infrastructure Development Grant Program aims to increase the volume of recyclable
materials consumed in the production of finished goods and, by extension, increase the
demand for recyclable goods recovered in Pennsylvania. The program awards grants of
up to $500,000 for purchases of machinery or equipment that will increase consumption
of recyclable materials recovered in the commonwealth. The grants are available to startup
companies as well as existing businesses and nonprofit organizations that currently are
manufacturing a product or engaged in reusing an existing product utilizing recyclable
material from Pennsylvania. American Recycler 7/19/2006

U.S. Senate approves bills aimed at curbing Canadian trash The Senate last
week approved two Homeland Security bills that would substantially hinder trash trucks
entering the country from Canada. The first of the two bills introduced by Senators Debbie
Stabenow and Carl Levin of Michigan would charge trucks from north of the border an
estimated $420 (U.S.) fee per truckload of solid waste, with the ultimate goal of curbing
the 350 truckloads of Canadian waste that enter the country every day. Much of that waste
is produced by the city of Toronto and winds up in Michigan landfills. According to an
Associated Press report, the second provision would require U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to review its screening process for municipal solid waste. A Department of
Homeland Security report issued in March berated U.S. Customs for its lax inspections
of incoming waste loads, resulting in the unhindered import of significant amounts of
medical waste and illegal materials. Barring a major overhaul of the screening process,
the bill would empower Homeland Security to eventually stop trash trucks from entering
the U.S. altogether. Waste Age 7/19/2006

Bank of America donates $500,000 for alternative energy in China The bank
said the donation, made through the Nature Conservancy, is aimed at finding practical
solutions to reduce the cutting of wood from the country's most sensitive forests for home
heating, cooking and construction. Waste News 7/19/2006

Study critiques China steel subsidies A group of North American steel associations
has sponsored a recently released an economic study that claims the Chinese steel
industry has benefited from significant subsidies. The study states that Chinese steel
production, which jumped from 126 million tons in 2000 to 349 million tons last year
was due to China government policies. Recycling Today 7/19/2006  

Steel output keeps climbing World crude steel production totaled 490.7 million mt
through the first five months of 2006, 7.1 percent higher than the same period last year,
according to the International Iron and Steel Institute (Brussels). China is still driving growth,
producing 162.7 million mt of crude steel through May—almost 19 percent more than its
comparable 2005 production. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's steel output remained virtually
the same at 47.3 million mt in the January-May period, while India's production increased
17.4 percent to 17.5 million mt, IISI reports. Crude steel production in the 25 European Union
countries also grew in the first five months of this year, rising 2.4 percent to 83.5 million mt.
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries 7/19/2006 

CNX Gas lays out expansion plans CNX Gas Corp. discussed plans to expand gas
production inside and outside of the Appalachian region at its investors' conference, held
Tuesday at a Pittsburgh hotel. About 55 investors and analysts attended CNX's first investors'
conference. The South Park-based company spun off from CONSOL Energy last year.
Pittsburgh Business Times  7/18/2006

Allegheny Energy invests in scrubbers Allegheny Energy Inc. said it will invest about
$550M in scrubbers at its Hatfield's Ferry Power Station. The Greensburg, PA-based company
(NYSE:AYE) has entered into contracts with Barberton, Ohio-based The Babcock & Wilcox Co.,
which will be responsible for the design, engineering and construction of the scrubber equipment,
and Boise, Idaho-based Washington Group International, which will provide other related
engineering, procurement and construction services. Pittsburgh Business Times 7/14/2006

Thruway travel plaza will soon have ethanol-blend fuel pump Ground was broken
Thursday for what will be the first ethanol fueling station on the New York state Thruway,
at the New Baltimore Travel Plaza in Greene County. Gov. George Pataki, who participated
in the ceremony, said the plan is for renewable fuel pumps to be installed at all 27 Thruway
travel plazas. He proposed the initiative during his 2006 State of the State address.
The Business Review (Albany)  7/13/2006

Fund-raiser for NY farmland preservation planned A nonprofit dedicated to preserving
New York farms will hold its annual Saratoga Springs fund-raiser July 29. American Farmland
Trust will conduct a benefit art sale and cocktail evening at Saratoga Golf and Polo Club. The
event will feature the work of 100 artists including Tracy Helgeson, George Van Hook, Clarence
King, Ann Scott and Carolyn Justice. The cocktail reception will be hosted by Michael Fieldman
and Joe McMahon, owner of McMahon Thoroughbreds in the town of Saratoga. The proceeds
from the event will be used to finance American Farmland Trust's Northeast Office in Saratoga
Springs, which focuses on local farmland preservation issues, said Jerry Cosgrove, the regional
director. The Business Review (Albany) 7/11/2006

Rohm and Haas, Dow Corning agreement extended Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas Co.
and Dow Corning Corp. said Monday they have renewed a joint development agreement to create
products used to manufacture semiconductors. The two chemical companies initially formed the
alliance regarding spin-on silicon hardmask anti-reflective coating products two years ago. Since
then the collaboration has produced its first commercial spin-on hardmask material. It is allowing
customers in Asia to precisely transfer patterns onto different materials during traditional etching
processes, the companies said. Philadelphia Business Journal 7/11/2006                      

D.C. firm to lead development of Pittsburgh riverfront project The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
on Monday chose a team led by a Washington, D.C. firm to develop two square blocks of Downtown
riverfront. As part of the ongoing development of the Cultural District, the trust has been searching for
a developer of the area bounded by Seventh Street, Penn Avenue, Ninth Street and Fort Duquesne
Boulevard. Pittsburgh Business Times 7/10/2006

New program will focus on reuse or demolition of urban buildings A new program announced in the waning hours of the state Legislature's regular 2006 session will be called "Restore New York's Communities," a state assemblyman said Monday. James Brennan, a Brooklyn Democrat who is chairman of the Assembly's Committee on Cities, said $5M will be available through the program this fiscal year, $100M in fiscal 2007-08 and $150M in 2008-09. Brennan said the program, to be run through the Empire State Development Corporation, will be designed to fund the removal of dilapidated buildings from urban areas of the state, or to have them renovated for reuse as residential or commercial properties The Business Review (Albany) 7/10/2006 

New York State issues new Superfund and brownfield regulations Revised draft regulations for the state Superfund program, the Brownfields Cleanup Program and the Environmental Restoration Program have been issued, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Thursday. The new draft regulations
have been updated in some cases with comment generated at public hearings since November 2005, when
the first version of the regulations were issued. The law authorizing the programs was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. George Pataki in 2003. The Business Review (Albany) 7/6/2006

Power Plug employees take in Gore flick Plug Power Inc. footed the bill to send 280 employees to the movies Thursday. But not just any movie. Plug employees had a private screening of former Vice President
Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth." The movie, which is primarily a lecture-style talk on global warming's impact, was a rallying cry for the Plug Power (Nasdaq: PLUG) employees who are working on an alternative energy product, fuel cells, in line with the movie's theme. The Business Review (Albany) 7/6/2006

Sunoco buying back more stock Sunoco Inc. said Thursday its board of directors has authorized it to repurchase another $500M worth of its stock. With the move, the Philadelphia company is authorized to repurchase $609M of its stock. The other $109M is the amount remaining on a $500M share repurchase program that Sunoco's board approved in March of last year. Philadelphia Business Journal 7/6/2006  

EPA demands new permit from New Hampshire biomass plant The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that a Hopkinton, NH-based wood-burning power plant must reapply for a new state permit before it can operate, according to a report in the Union Leader. The EPA has agreed with action taken by the state Department of Environmental Services (DES) in March, requiring Bio Energy to submit to a stricter permitting process to burn construction and demolition debris. This decision is the latest in a protracted legal battle over Bio Energy’s operations. According to local media reports, the company had operated a wood-fueled power plant from 1983 until 2001. It then shut down and pursued permits to allow it to burn wood from the C&D debris stream. Permits were issued by the state Department of Environmental Services (DES) and later revoked when the DES said the company had withheld information during the permitting process. The plant had hoped to begin burning clean wood chips in January, but has remained closed since May 2003 because of ongoing litigation and permit issues. Recycling Today  7/6/2006

Alco taking full ownership of smelters in Washington and Maryland Alcoa (NYSE:AA) has announced it has reached agreement to acquire the minority interests in its Intalco and Eastalco aluminum smelters in Ferndale, Washington and Frederick, Maryland. Affiliates of both Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and YKK Corporation will sell their combined 39 percent stake in the two smelters, which will result in Alcoa having sole ownership of the two facilities. Alcoa will receive undisclosed cash consideration to cover liabilities relating to the prior operation of the smelters. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
News release  7/6/2006

Reliant to upgrade Pennsylvania power plants Reliant Energy Inc. plans to install emissions control systems at two Pennsylvania power plants for an estimated cost of about $350 million. Houston-based
Reliant (NYSE: RRI) has said it could invest up to $625M through 2011 implementing emissions controls
at company power plants. The energy provider will install a wet flue gas desulfurization system, or scrubber,
at the company plant in Springdale, Pa. In addition, the company plans to financially contribute to a combined emissions reduction effort taking place at a plant near Indiana, Pa., which it jointly owns with six other entities. Reliant operates the facility on behalf of the owners. The associated capital expenditures will be made over time, with the majority being incurred from 2007 to 2009, according to Reliant. Reliant Energy provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the United States.
Pittsburgh Business Times  7/5/2006

Duquesne Light sees bright future with Macquarie Duquesne Light Holdings Inc. wasn't looking
for a buyer, just some capital for expansion. But an Australian firm that already purchased utilities in Hawaii, Chicago and New England had its eye on the Pittsburgh-based electric company, and a bid 22 percent above Duquesne's share price was too good to refuse. Pittsburgh Business Times 7/5/2006

Calgon Carbon to appeal patent ruling Calgon Carbon Corp. said it will appeal a New Jersey federal court ruling that invalidated its patent for using ultraviolet light to treat drinking water. Pittsburgh-based Calgon Carbon holds patents on the use of UV for disinfection of drinking water in 26 countries. Pittsburgh Business Times  7/3/2006

Aqua America takes over troubled water systems Aqua America Inc. said Monday its North Carolina
subsidiary has acquired two troubled water systems under a state program that provides it with incentives to fix
them. Aqua North Carolina acquired a water system that serves 70 residents in the Coral Park community near Lincolnton in Lincoln County and a water system that serves nearly 100 residents in the West Haven Mobile
Home Community near China Grove in Rowan County. The company will spend nearly $40,000 to build a new
well and install a new water main in the Coral Park System and more than $60,000 to install a new tank, pipe,
pumping equipment, electrical services and meters in the West Haven System. Aqua North Carolina can recover
the expenditures under a special program established by the North Carolina Utilities Commission for troubled
water systems. The company said the amount it paid to acquire the systems was negligible. Aqua America
(NYSE: WTR) is based in Bryn Mawr, PA., and serves more than 2.5 million residents in PA, NJ, NY, OH, VA,
ME, NC, SC, FL, IN, IL, MS and TX. Philadelphia Business Journal  7/3/2006 

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Enviro-Business - June 2006
Enviro-Business - May 2006
Enviro-Business - April 2006
Enviro-Business - March 2006
Enviro-Business - February 2006
Enviro-Business - January 2006

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