Industry News

Maine DEP Backs Company’s C&D Wood Burning Plan

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in Maine has endorsed a proposed plan from Sappi Fine Paper to burn construction and demolition wood as a fuel source at its Westbrook, Maine, facility, according to a report in the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine).

The DEP has issued a draft order that would allow the mill to substitute the C&D wood for about half of the virgin chips it burns for steam power, according to the report.

According to the order, the facility will have to perform additional emissions tests. The mill has also agreed to have the debris inspected by a third party as it enters the facility.

Sappi first applied for permission to burn C&D wood in 2005. The plan has been met with concern from some residents, who formed a citizens’ group called Westbrook for Clean Air when the application was first made.

However, the company has said that it has the technology available to remove any dangerous elements from the material stream.

The plan still needs final approval from Commissioner David Littell, according to the news report.

North Carolina Considers C&D Recycling Legislation

North Carolina state lawmakers are considering a bill that would subject construction and demolition landfills to stricter regulation, according to a report in The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.).

If approved, the legislation could raise tipping fees for landfills that accept C&D debris, which could provide financial incentives to recycling the material, according to the report. Orange County, N.C., is currently the only county in the state that requires C&D recycling.

C&D debris accounts for about a third of the trash thrown away in the state, according to the report.

Phoenix Associates Acquires Southern Concrete Crushing LLC

Phoenix Associates Land Syndicate has announced that Southern Concrete Crushing LLC has been acquired and will become part of the growing Phoenix aggregate and mining division.

Paul Alonzo, president and CEO of Phoenix, states, "This acquisition will allow Phoenix to move into the huge demolition market along the Gulf Coast. Phoenix will now have its own concrete crushing facility for reprocessing and recycling demolished concrete from roads, bridges, etc.

"Additionally, Phoenix will have mobile crushing and screening capabilities. With this acquisition our company now holds one of the largest stock piles of material of this type available along the Gulf Coast (5.5 million tons), with estimated resale value of this material between $10-$21 per ton depending on which products is supplied," Alonzo adds.

More information is available at www.pbls.biz.

Dallas Contracting Completes Salvage Project

Dallas Contracting Co. Inc. of South Plainfield, N.J., has completed an equipment salvage and decommissioning project in Northern New Jersey.

The client was a privately held provider of bulk liquid handling services.

The project scope of work consisted of two separate phases: Phase 1—Equipment Salvage and; Phase 2—Decommissioning.

In Phase 1, Dallas Contracting performed the following equipment salvage work:

• Provided all labor, equipment and transportation to dismantle the bottle line and drum line.

• All equipment was disassembled and transported to a nearby warehouse for storage.

• The two kettles with mixers were rigged and transported to a yard area for storage.

• Three steel tanks and one fiberglass tank were removed and relocated in the warehouse for storage.

• Remaining equipment was crated, packed and secured onto trucks to be shopped to the client’s other facilities.

In Phase 2, the company performed the following decommissioning work:

• Cold cut all piping outside the west wall.

• All piping to be cold cut into manageable lengths.

• Salvage select pumps as designated by the client.

• Demolish all remaining electrical gear and conduit.

• Demolish all concrete curbs.

• Patch floors and all wall penetrations.

• Remove HVAC ducts in packaging area and install appropriate cap.

The project was completed on schedule and without incident or injury, according to the company.

Dallas Contracting offers demolition, concrete recycling and remediation services. More information is available at www.dallascontracting.com.

C&D Recycling Facility Opens in Topeka, Kan.

A construction and demolition recycling facility has opened in Topeka, Kan., according to a report in the Capital-Journal (Topeka, Kan.).

GreenPoint Construction Demolition Processing Center, owned by Brahm Demolition, accepts all types of C&D debris, including shingles, concrete, metals, sheetrock, masonry, carpet, wood and bricks.

The facility was opened to reduce the amount of C&D debris going to the city and county landfills.

GreenPoint received a $150,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment through the Solid Waste Management Competitive Plan Implementation Grant Program, which helped fund equipment for the new facility, according to the report.

The GreenPoint Construction Demolition Processing Center is a subsidiary of Bahm Demolition Inc. The company also owns and operates Bahm Construction Inc. More information is available online at www.bahmdemolition.com and www.greenpointcd.com.

Entrepreneurs Announce Construction Company

David Ur and Joe Vaia have announced the formation of Northwest Construction and Excavating. The new full service construction company will focus on environmental soil remediation in the New Jersey, New York and Connecticut area.

Northwest will handle all three phases of soil remediation often required at regulated jobsites. These phases will include site investigation, creation of an action plan if soils are contaminated and screening soil data to see what facility can handle it. The company will also handle site preparation, hauling material to the proper facility and environmental site management, which protects clients from contaminated soil misplacements.

Headquartered in Rockaway, N.J., Northwest Construction and Excavating provides construction and environmental services such as soil/media removal, excavation protection systems, onsite remediation, consolidation, containment and capping, groundwater collection systems and UST remediation, among others.

More information is available online at www.northwestnj.com.

Garick Appoints Regional V.P.

Garick, a nationwide distributor and processor of sustainable natural resources products, has announced the appointment of Thomas L. Barnes as regional vice president of operations—Great Lakes Region. Barnes joined the Garick team in March 2007 and will focus on business growth in the Great Lakes region of the United States.

Previously, Barnes was president and CEO of First American Credit Union, a position he held from 1988. Before then, Barnes was president and CEO of Parker Community Credit Union from 1978 to 1987. Currently, he is chairman of the Greater Beloit Economic Development Corp.

Gary P. Trinetti, president and CEO of Cleveland-based Garick, says "We are excited to have Tom on board because of his dynamic background. He brings a lot of knowledge to the company and we are confident he will help Garick grow. With his strong management skills and extensive knowledge in the banking industry, he will be a great asset to Garick in acquiring additional companies."

AEM Names New Directors

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has named two industry executives to the AEM Board of Directors.

The new directors are: Richard F. Pedtke, senior vice president and president, compact vehicle technologies of Ingersoll Rand Co. in West Fargo, N.D.; and Craig E. Paylor, president of JLG Industries Inc. in McConnellsburg, Pa.

AEM directors help set the guidelines and operating policies of the association on behalf of its members in such areas as technical and product safety support, equipment statistics, public policy representation, trade shows, international support services, education and training programs, worksite safety/educational materials and workforce development activities, among others.

ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE Announce Virtual Trade Shows

The organizers of ConExpo-Con/Agg and the co-located event IFPE have announced that the events’ Web sites will feature an interactive "Virtual Trade Show" (VTS) that attendees can use to find the companies and products of most interest to them and assemble a customized itinerary of how they want to spend their time at the shows.

The VTS capabilities have been expanded since the shows were last held, and a new interactive "Map Your Show" floorplan feature has been added. ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008 and IFPE 2008 will be held March 11-15, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The shows’ VTS and floorplan maps are searchable by hall location, booth number, company name, type of product and trade names. Attendees can make the most efficient use of their time on site by using the sites’ My Show planner to map out booth locations, make appointments with exhibitors and schedule education sessions and meetings. Attendees will be able to access and modify their My Show planner on site at special product locators on the show floor.

All exhibitors are listed in the online VTS and floorplan maps, receiving added exposure to potential customers before and after the shows. Exhibitors can upgrade their listing with several options that provide additional company and product data to online visitors.

Attendees can also use the show Web sites to register in advance for the exhibits and education programs, make hotel reservations and obtain travel assistance. Also available is a free subscription to an industry e-newsletter covering the latest issues, trends and technologies as well as the show updates.

For the convenience of international visitors, online information is provided about the U.S. visa application process, official show delegations and official letters of invitation. Selected show information is available in a variety of world languages.

More information on the events is available at www.conexpoconagg.com or www.ifpe.com.