CMRA NEWS

April, 2012

CMRA, Biomass Plant Operators Visit EPA Over NHSM Rule

On April 10 representatives from a coalition made up of the Construction Materials Recycling Association, Biomass Power Association, and California Biomass Association visited with James Berlow, the rule manager at the U.S. EPA for the Non Hazardous Secondary Materials Rule (NHSM) to specifically discuss C&D biomass under the proposed regulation.

The organizations are very concerned that EPA’s rule will provide either a level of paperwork and bureaucracy that will hinder the continued use of the fuel, or force the boilers to either set up more expensive emission controls to use the fuel (which probably won’t happen) or stop using it. As the boiler operators like and know the fuel, they are working diligently to keeps its use going. The CMRA and others are urging for that to happen, the EPA needs to give C&D wood the same exemption a few other non-traditional fuels, such as resinated wood and tires, are getting under the rule.

EPA appears willing to make sure use of C&D biomass continues. The hang up is that the current rule is not written wide enough to allow that, and a new rulemaking would have to take place. Even if the agency were so inclined to exempt the fuel in this rule, it would take a lot of work on the part of the bureaucracy, and there is a short time frame because the pressure is tremendous to get this rule in effect.

If C&D biomass is not exempted under the rule, as could be expected, the coalition has begun work to get an immediate petition to EPA for a national exemption so that the fuel can continue to be used, and EPA has indicated it would welcome the opportunity for that to happen. This would allow the continued use of C&D wood as fuel while a new rulemaking for C&D wood could be performed.

For more information, contact the CMRA at 630/258-9047; info@cdrecycling.org.

Turner Construction Company’s Michael Deane
Named 2012 C&D Recycler of the Year

The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) has named Michael Deane, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Turner Construction Company, as the 2012 C&D Recycler of the Year, the highest honor the association can bestow. He was honored at a special ceremony during the fundraiser for the C&D industry’s advocacy arm, the CMRA Issues & Education Fund.

“Michael Deane has had a first hand view of the challenges and advantages of recycling C&D materials,” says John Adelman, CMRA President and CEO of CPRC Group, Scarborough, Maine. “He has guided one of the largest general construction companies in a number of sustainable areas, but in C&D recycling he has realized the importance of ensuring the legitimate recycling of the materials generated at construction and demolition sites.” According to the CMRA, he has developed an online program to track waste at those sites. In addition, he has served on the USGBC National Board of Directors as well as the C&D Recycling subgroup. He truly understands and supports the recycling of the C&D material generated at construction sites, and even though the company is not in the C&D recycling industry, he has worked to provide a common sense approach to recycling throughout North America. It is for these reasons CMRA recognized Michael Deane with its annual C&D Recycler of the Year award.

In accepting the award, Mr. Deane said, “I am honored to accept this award from the CMRA on behalf of everyone at Turner. Turner made a commitment in 2005 to recycle waste on every project. We knew it was one area where we could make a real difference to reduce the environmental impacts of construction projects. This award is really for the 5,000 Turner employees who work to recycle and report activity on our jobsites every day. They are the reason we have been so successful.”

Latest Members to join the CMRA Announced

Despite the difficult economic times the CMRA has managed to maintain most of its membership base, unlike many other trade associations. The CMRA board attributes that to work the organization has been doing serving C&D recyclers. Below is a list of companies that have most recently joined the CMRA.

All Phase Services, Inc.—Delray Beach, FL
Bandit Industries, Inc.—Remus, MI
Baumann's Recycling Center—Garfield Heights, OH
Clean Earth, Inc.—Hatboro, PA
Commercial Waste & Recycling, LLC—Oakland, CA
Company Wrench—Carroll, OH
DeFeo Associates—Warren Township, NJ
EnviroSolutions, Inc.—Manassas, VA
Green Acres C&D Recyclers, LLC—Savannah, GA
Greenberg Traurig, LLP—Philadelphia, PA
Harvest Power—Waltham, MA
Hazex Construction, Inc.—Henderson, KY
Henson Disposal, Inc.—Bloomington, IL
J-2 Contracting Company—Greeley, CO
Landfill Reduction & Recycling—Appleton, WI
Lords Excavating, Inc.—Belt, MT
Modern Recycling—Model City, NY
PC Scale Tower—Oxford, PA
Recovery Technology Solutions, Inc.—Eden Prairie, MN
Royal Recycling, Inc.—Monona, WI
Terra Firma Materials, LLC—Edinburg, TX
Terra Select, Inc.—Orem, UT
Worldwide Recycling Equipment Sales, LLC—Moberly, MO