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Pennsylvania American Water fined for December fluoride spill The PA DEP
has fined Pennsylvania American Water Co. $25,000 as the result of a December fluoride
spill at one of its water treatment plants. The company also must implement a series of
corrective actions to enhance chemical handling procedures and improve public notification
in emergency situations. PA-DEP  3/31/06

McCarter & English moves into Boston market New Jersey's largest law firm is
getting bigger. Newark-based McCarter & English is expected to announce today it has
reached an agreement-in- principle to acquire the 67-lawyer Boston firm Gadsby Hannah.
The move gives McCarter a double hit. It adds another office as the firm tries to establish
a presence up and down the Northeast Corridor, and it provides a conduit into the Boston
legal market, widely considered one of the nation's most important Star-Ledger  3/31/06

Biofuel company opens new terminal; credits executive order New York Governor
George Pataki was on hand Thursday to officially open the first biofuel terminal in New York.
The governor joined with Sprague Energy Corp. president John McClellan to turn the valve
which sent soy oil from two 10,000 gallon tanks into a special blending station at the
company's East Greenbush diesel and heating oil terminal. The terminal serves customers
in the Albany, N.Y., area as well as western MA and southern VT.
The Business Review (Albany) 3/30/2006

Coalition of environmentalists, energy companies oppose energy fund change
Environmental groups and energy companies are opposed to a New York state budget
proposal that would shift the allocation of renewable energy incentive funds from the NY
State Energy Research and Development Authority to the annual legislative budget process.
A coalition of businesses and environmentalists held a press conference Wednesday at
the State Capital to speak out against this plan. The Business Review (Albany) 3/30/06

Toll Brothers to open third component plant Toll Brothers Inc. said Thursday it has
expanded its home-component manufacturing business into Indiana as a way to serve the
Midwest markets in which it builds homes.
Toll Integrated Systems, a wholly owned house-
component manufacturing company, will develop a new manufacturing plant in Knox, Ind.,
and will be Toll Brothers' third manufacturing factory. The Horsham, Pa., luxury homebuilder
already maintains plants in Morrisville, Pa., and Emporia, Va. The new plant is expected to
employ more than 200 people by the end of next year. The plant will manufacture wall panels
and trusses, signature millwork and other home-construction components. Toll said in a
statement that its ability to take large shipments of lumber and other materials into its own
plant will help to reduce costs and improve quality. Philadelphia Business Journal 3/30/06 

NJ water supply regulations subject of convention address Robert M. Washburn,
of counsel
to Flaster/Greenberg and a current Professor of Law at the
Rutgers University School of Law -Camden, will be a featured speaker on
Thursday, April 27, at 1 p.m. at the 2006 Atlantic Builders Convention
(ABC). His seminar, titled “Water Supply Issues in New Jersey” will be
presented jointly with Joseph J. Hochreiter, CGWP -- a principal scientist
for Senior Environmental Consulting, LLC of Yardley, PA. The ABC, an
event of the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA), is being held in
Atlantic City, NJ at the Convention Center, April 26-28. Washburn also
will serve as moderator of two ABC panel discussions on April 27: 
 “Legal Trends -- Part I, Land Use Law” at 9 a.m., and  “Legal Trends -- Part II, Environmental
Law” at 11 a.m. Washburn's practice includes general real estate and development matters,
including utility law, land use, real estate contracts and financing, syndications, homeowners
association and condominium law, land use litigation, legislation and ordinance drafting and
review, Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act registrations, and appearances
before municipal bodies and administrative agencies. Washburn is a life member of the
New Jersey Builders Association Board of Directors, and is General Counsel to the Builders
League of South Jersey. 3/28/06

Calgon Carbon restates earnings Calgon Carbon Corp. said Monday it will have to
restate financial results for three quarters in 2005 due to $1.4M in legal invoices that were
not recorded in a timely manner. An investigation by the Pittsburgh-area company's audit
committee determined that its general counsel was the party responsible for not recording
the invoices. As a result the general counsel, which Calgon Carbon did not identify, is no
longer with the company. Pittsburgh Business Times  3/28/06

FirstEnergy buys wind power from Allegheny Ridge FirstEnergy Corp. announces
that it has purchased 80 megawatts of wind power from the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm.
The 23-year agreement -- along with other wind power contracts FirstEnergy has -- gives the
 utility 360 megawatts of renewable wind power it can offer customers, making it the largest
user of renewable wind power in the Mid-Atlantic region. FirstEnergy has been selling electricity
to Pittsburgh-area customers since 1997. Pittsburgh Business Times
3/28/06

GE, Plug Power terminate joint fuel cell distribution venture GE MicroGen Inc., a
subsidiary of General Electric Co., and Plug Power Inc., are terminating their distribution joint
venture, Plug Power said in a filing. Plug Power, which is located in Latham, NY, develops fuel
cell systems. The joint venture "was not an effective entity for marketing (Plug Power's)
products," according to Plug. With the termination of the joint venture, the exclusive product
distribution and service rights that GE had revert back to Plug. Plug will no longer pay GE on
Third-party sales and can now freely sell its products to partners and customers, the filing said.
The Business Review (Albany) 
3/28/06 


                 

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Sprague Energy gets into biofuel business Sprague Energy will officially launch a biofuels
component of its Albany, N.Y.-area diesel and home heating oil wholesale business next week,
with a ceremony at its East Greenbush terminal.
The Portsmouth, N.H., energy company has
spent just under $1M to install the equipment needed to receive and store soybean oil, which will
be blended with diesel fuel and home heating oil, said company spokesman Andy Lynch.
The company has invited New York Gov. George Pataki to attend the March 30 event, and
Peter Smith, president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
will speak. The Business Review (Albany) 
3/28/06

Draft rules for Northeast emissions cap-and-trade plan released New York and six
other Northeast states have released draft model rules that will be employed to implement a
regional plan intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative is the first mandatory market-based cap-and-trade program to control
carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, according to the NY-DEC. The program places
mandatory emissions caps on the electric generating sector and allows emissions trading.
The plan also calls for implementing energy efficiency programs and undertaking greenhouse
gas emission projects apart from power plant emission reductions. The Business Review
3/24/06

Germany's RWE to spin off American Water in IPO by 2007 BERLIN - RWE AG,
Germany's biggest electricity producer, said Friday it plans to spin off its American Water
Works Co. unit in an initial public offering by 2007.
The company said its executive board
decided on an IPO instead of selling the Voorhees, N.J.-based company outright. It did not
say how much money it hoped to make on the move. RWE - which provides electricity, water,
gas and environmental services to more than 120 million business and residential customers
in Europe and North America - said last year it was looking at divesting American Water and
its London-based RWE Thames Water.
Associated Press 3/24/06

Sunoco to pay Honeywell $95 million in price manipulation A federal judge ordered
Sunoco Inc. to pay Honeywell International Inc. $95 million, upholding an arbitrator's decision
that Sunoco had manipulated the price of a chemical. Last fall, an arbitrator found that Sunoco
had engaged in a "dishonest" breach of a contract by negotiating an inflated price with a third-
party buyer of single barges of cumene. The chemical is used to make phenol, which in turn is

used to make nylon. That allegedly inflated price was then used as the benchmark in calculating

the price for phenol, the arbitrator found. Inquirer 3/23/06 

 

Largest tire recyclers sought Recycling Today magazine is assembling information to publish
an updated version of its list of the 20 largest tire recyclers in North America in its April 2006 issue. 

The magazine’s staff is asking any readers involved in tire recycling who think they may belong on
this list to contact editor Brian Taylor at
btaylor@gie.net to request a copy of a brief form to qualify
their company for the list. Companies are being asked to provide a passenger tire equivalent (PTE)
figure for the number of tires recycled in 2005. Recycling Today 3/21/06

 


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Brogan takes over at DLA's Philadelphia office Litigator James Brogan has been named
Philadelphia office managing partner of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary. The 3,000-attorney firm
has 54 lawyers in its Philadelphia office at One Liberty Place. Brogan succeeds William Kiniry,
who has been responsible for the firm's growth in the city -- largely done through lateral additions
from large, city-based firms -- over the past decade. Firm officials said Kiniry, also a litigator, would
continue as a partner and "focus on global firm initiatives." Philadelphia Business Journal 3/21/06

New DVD seeks to counter anti-wind power arguments in New York Trieste Associates,
a Saratoga Springs environmental education and public relations company, has produced and is
distributing a 17-minute pro-windpower DVD. The DVD is being sponsored by Reunion Power, UPC
Wind, and Everpower Renewables -- companies involved in New York's growing wind power business.
The purpose of the video, titled "New York Wind," is to counter some of the arguments being made
by opponents of wind farms, according to Trieste Associates owner Marion Trieste. These include
turbine noise, safety issues, the impact of wind turbines on bird migration routes, and the negative
impact of hundreds of windmills in the rural landscape. "We need to set the record straight on wind
power and the positive gains that are before us," Trieste said. The Business Review (Albany) 3/21/06

Veteran exec to lead American Water American Water, the nation's biggest water company,
yesterday named Donald Correll chief executive in a move that will put an experienced leader at the
helm at a time when its parent is seeking to sell the U.S. unit. Voorhees, NJ-based American Water
employs about 1,300 people in NJ and is also the state's largest water utility, serving more than 2M
(or 600,000 customers) in 176 communities throughout the state Star-Ledger 3/21/06 

American Water announces new leader The company announced today that it has named
Donald L. Correll president and CEO, effective April 17. Correll will replace George MacKenzie,
who has served as the Voorhees, N.J., company's interim president and CEO since Jan. 1.
MacKenzie will remain on American Water's board of directors. Correll is president and CEO of
Pennichuck Corp., a Merrimack, N.H., water utility. He has held those positions for three years.
Prior to joining Pennichuck, Correll was chairman, CEO and president of United Water of Harrington
Park, N.J., where he spent 25 years in various roles. Philadelphia Business Journal 3/20/06

Foster Wheeler Appoints Troy Roder Foster Wheeler Ltd. announced today that,
effective March 1, 2006, W. Troy Roder has been appointed president and chief executive
officer of Foster Wheeler USA Corporation (FWUSA), part of the Global Engineering and
Construction (E&C) Group. Mr. Roder reports to Umberto della Sala, chief executive officer
of Foster Wheeler's Global E&C Group. Foster Wheeler 3/16/06

More law firms raise pay for new associates Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
became the latest Philadelphia law firm to raise first-year associate salaries Thursday,
moving from $115,000 to $125,000, effective July 1. Firm management also decided to
increase the salaries of other associate classes in all of its seven offices by $10,000
and said a select number of senior associates will be considered for increases on a
case by case basis. Philadelphia Business Journal  3/16/06

Thomas Edison State College and PSE&G offer new science degree program
Thomas Edison State College and PSE&G have developed the nation’s first baccalaureate
degree program in energy utility technology, a program designed to help the energy industry
meet labor shortages expected over the next 15 years. The 120-credit Bachelor of Science
in Applied Science and Technology degree in Energy Utility Technology at Thomas Edison
State College has a curriculum that focuses on the technical core competencies integral to
the utility industry and the principles of business and management. The program leverages
PSE&G training and builds on the associate degree programs in energy utility technology
the company has helped to develop and implement at Mercer County Community College,
Essex County College and Middlesex County College. PSEG  3/15/06

New Jersey American Water expands assistance to the needy The water utility,
which already
pays a portion of a its needy customers' bills through its H2O - Help to Others
Assistance Program, is expanding that program
through rate reductions of some 20 percent
to qualified customers. The company says it hopes that up to 5% of its customers will be
able to benefit from the program NJ American Water
3/15/06

Foster Wheeler elects new director Robert C. Flexon has been elected to fill an existing
vacancy on the board of Foster Wheeler Ltd., effective May 1. Since March 2004,  Flexon has
been the executive vice president and chief financial officer of NRG Energy, Inc., a publicly traded
wholesale power generation company primarily engaged in the ownership and operation of power
generation facilities and the sale of energy, capacity and related products. From 2000 until 2004,
he held senior financial services positions with Hercules, Inc., a specialty chemicals manufacturer.
Flexon, a Certified Public Accountant, has an extensive background in auditing extending back to
his days as an Audit Manager with Coopers & Lybrand in the 1980s and in various key accounting-
related positions, including general auditor, with Atlantic Richfield Company from 1987 to 2000.
He will be a member of the Audit Committee. Foster Wheeler Ltd. is a global company offering,
a range of engineering, procurement, construction, manufacturing, project development and
management, research and plant operation services. It serves the refining, upstream oil and gas,
LNG and gas-to-liquids, petrochemical, chemicals, power, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and
healthcare industries. The corporation is based in Hamilton, Bermuda, and its operational
headquarters are in Clinton, NJ.
3/14/06

Aqua America earnings down in 4Q, up in all of 2005 Aqua America Inc. said Thursday
that its net income fell slightly in the fourth quarter of last year but grew 14 percent for the whole
year. The
Bryn Mawr, PA., owner of water and wastewater systems earned $22.2M, or 17 cents
per fully diluted share, in the fourth quarter. It earned $22.5M, or 18 cents per fully diluted share,
in the fourth quarter of 2004. Philadelphia Business Journal
3/10/06

Hybrid car rebates going, almost gone, in Pa. for fiscal year Demand for Pennsylvania's
hybrid-electric vehicle rebates will soon outpace funding, the DEP announced Thursday. To date,
more than $1.3 million in rebates has been awarded from the $1.5M allotted for the 2005-06 fiscal
year. The state expects to run out of funding in April. An additional $1M will become available at
the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1. Philadelphia Business Journal  3/10/06

GE, Department of Energy to collaborate on offshore wind turbine GE Global Research
in Niskayuna, NY announced it has entered into a $27M partnership with the U.S. Department of
Energy to design a next-generation offshore wind turbine. GE said the turbine will be optimized for
minimal cost of energy but is expected to be between 5 megawatts and 7 megawatts. GE is touting
the planned new wind turbines as being "one of the most powerful wind turbines in the world." GE's
revenue from wind power projects topped $2B last year. The Business Review (Albany) 3/10/06

"Environmental Protection and Land Use, Balancing Green Policy and Politics" is
the title of a feature article in the January 2006 issue of the New Jersey Reporter magazine written
by Michael Catania, a former environmental bill writer (think: Pinelands Act, Spill Fund) in the NJ
Legislature's Office of Legislative Services and a former Deputy Commissioner at the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection. Catania is now president of Conservation Resources Inc.
The article provides his view of the environmental challenges and opportunities that face the new
Corzine administration including: the future of smart growth; appropriate use of eminent domain;
effective regulations to discourage inappropriate development; preserving open space and farmland;
stewardship of public lands; and the fate of Petty’s Island. Read the entire article here. 3/9/06

Langan Engineering opens new office in Las Vegas Langan Engineering and Environmental
Services is proud to announce the opening of its eighth and newest office in Las Vegas, Nevada,
where Langan has been providing geotechnical engineering and deep foundation consulting services
since 1998.  “Client responsiveness, along with our technical excellence and practical experience,
define who we are and what we do.  To increase our responsiveness and meet the needs of our growing
client base, we are expanding our presence in Las Vegas,” according to Rudolph P. Frizzi, P.E.,
a Principal with the firm. Langan’s new office, in the heart of town at 3900 Paradise Road, Suite 183,
will be managed by Michael E. McGettigan, P.E., who will be assisted by several seasoned engineers
who have relocated to the new location.  Mr. Frizzi and Roger A. Archabal, P.E., a Senior Associate,
will continue their involvement with Las Vegas projects having done so since the firm first began working
in the region.  Sonia H. Mimoso will lead the office’s marketing and business development. Founded in 1970,
Langan has its headquarters in Elmwood Park, N.J.  Other offices are located in New York City; Miami, FL;
Philadelphia and Doylestown, PA; New Haven, CT; and Trenton, NJ.  With over 540 employees, Langan is
one of the country’s fastest growing consulting firms and is ranked by Engineering News Record as 110
among the top 500 engineering firms, up from 174 in 2001.  Industry information experts ZweigWhite
named Langan one of the “Hot Firm 100 A/E/P Design Firms” in the United States. For more information
about Langan and its Las Vegas office, contact Rudy, Roger, Mike or Sonia  at 702-415-2040. 3/9/06

Aqua America subsidiary announces upgrades Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. said Tuesday it plans
to spend more than $76M this year upgrading its water systems in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and
Montgomery counties. The amount is part of $136M that the largest subsidiary of Aqua America Inc.
plans to spend this year upgrading water systems in PA. Philadelphia Business Journal 3/8/06

Direct Energy enters upstate New York market Direct Energy Services LLC of Stamford, Conn.,
has become the latest energy retailer operating in New York state. The company announced Tuesday
that it is supplying power to customers in the National Grid (formerly Niagara Mohawk) territory, which
includes much of upstate New York, as well as Orange and Rockland counties and the downstate
Consolidated Edison territory. The Business Review (Albany) 3/8/06

BASF extends Engelhard offer The stalemate continues between New Jersey-based Engelhard and
BASF, the big German chemical maker trying to acquire Engelhard.  In a statement, BASF said yesterday
it is "disappointed" it has been unable to reach a confidentiality agreement with Engelhard to discuss
financial details. BASF also said it has extended the deadline for its cash tender offer of $37-per-share until
March 17 from a previous deadline of Friday. Star-Ledger  3/7/06

Flaster/Greenberg shareholder to address affordable housing regulations Carl S. Bisgaier
will be a featured speaker at the Atlantic Builders Convention on Thursday, April 27. His seminar, titled,
“In the Trenches at COAH (Council on Affordable Housing)” will be presented during the three-day
New Jersey Builders Association convention, to be held April 26-28 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.
Bisgaier, who received a Life Achievement Award from Legal Services of New Jersey for his efforts in
Mount Laurel affordable housing litigation, represents major commercial and residential developers
throughout the State of New Jersey in connection with real estate transactions, applications for zoning,
land use approvals, real estate litigation, and affordable housing. 3/7/06 


                 

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EPA hearings seek public comment on proposed particulate matter standards EPA will hold
three one-day hearings to gather public comment on two proposed rules – "National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Particulate Matter" and "Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring Regulations." The proposals
were published in the Federal Register on Jan. 17, 2006 (71 FR 2620 and 71 FR 2710).  The hearings
will be held concurrently in Chicago; Philadelphia; and San Francisco, on March 8, 2006 from 9 a.m. to
9 p.m. Philadelphia hearing:
Holiday Inn Historic District, 400 Arch St - 215-923-8660  3/7/06

Companies can't delay in putting future environmental liabilities on the books A new
interpretation of an old accounting rule is taking a chunk out of the earnings of some of Pittsburgh's
largest companies. FIN 47, which defines the Financial Accounting Standards Board's interpretation
of how companies must account for conditional asset retirement obligations, requires that both public
and private companies include on their financial statements any future environmental liabilities. This
means that they must take into
account the fair value of what it would cost to sell, dispose of, abandon
or recycle their assets, according to the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Already, the change
has prompted local companies to take millions of dollars in charges against earnings, including a $5.9M
charge for Allegheny Energy and a $2 million charge for Allegheny Technologies Inc. The impact of the
new
rule will likely be most significant in 2006 as companies report their 2005 earnings and must account
for past purchases with future environmental liabilities. Pittsburgh Business Times 
3/6/06

A rescue mission for ozone Two South Jersey scientists believe they have developed an answer to
international environmental concern over methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting gas commonly used as
a pesticide. Rather than researching the development of alternatives to the product, something the federal
government has invested more than $160M in over the past 15 years, scientists Peter Joyce and Roman
Bielski have been experimenting with a scrubbing system that breaks down the lethal gas.
Gloucester County Times
 3/5/06

Blank Rome firm adds $10K to starting pay It joins the parade of law firms raising starting salaries
for attorneys in Philadelphia, saying Thursday that it was moving from $115,000 to $125,000 a year. The
firm also said it would increase first-year associate salaries in New York and Washington, D.C., to $135,000
and was still debating what kind of adjustments to give more experienced associates.
Competitors
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, Drinker Biddle & Reath, Duane Morris and Wolf Block Schorr & Solis-Cohen
all made similar moves to $125,000 in recent weeks. Morgan Lewis & Bockius and Dechert, long the
Philadelphia market leaders in associate pay because of their higher profitability, recently moved starting
wages from $125,000 to $135,000.
Philadelphia Business Journal  3/4/06

EPA proposes more consistent regulation of ethanol production plants EPA is proposing to apply
the same air permitting requirements for facilities that produce ethanol for fuel or human consumption
. Ethanol
is produced at corn milling facilities for use as fuel or human consumption.  While the processes are similar,
these facilities are currently treated differently under Clean Air Act permitting programs.  EPA's proposal would
provide equal treatment for corn milling facilities, regardless of whether they produce ethanol for fuel or human
consumption. 
EPA will accept comment on this proposal for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.
For more information: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html  
3/2/06

Dechert law firm matches Morgan Lewis in starting pay The Dechert law firm Wednesday said it
has matched Morgan Lewis & Bockius in raising first-year associate salaries from $125,000 to $135,000--
the highest starting wage paid by any Philadelphia law firm. Dechert officials said all of the firm's other
associates would receive raises as well but declined to specify how much. The change is retroactive to Jan. 1.
When Morgan Lewis went to $135,000 two weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before Dechert matched.
 Philadelphia 'Business Journal  
3/1/06

EPA to cut toxic emissions from gasoline, vehicles, and portable gas containers The agency says
 that toxic fumes from gasoline, vehicles and gas containers would drop significantly and further reduce health
risks under proposed  new emissions standards announced today by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
By 2030 EPA's proposed Mobile Source Air Toxic (MSAT) regulations and fuel and vehicle standards already
in place will reduce toxic emissions from passenger vehicles to 80 percent below 1999 emissions.
More information
3/1/06

South Jersey Gas earnings hike due to housing boom While a warmer winter season and some energy
conservation by customers may have contributed to lower gas usage, South Jersey Gas Tuesday announced
a 10-percent boost in net income over 2004, attributing a portion of the growth to the housing market boom

Glouco Times  3/1/06


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