Industry news

Meridian Waste acquires C&D landfills

Meridian Waste, an integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services company based in Greensboro, Georgia, announced its asset acquisition of two construction and demolition landfills located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Poplar View Landfill, located at 1730 McMillan Station Road, and Riverside Landfill, located at 3330 Delrose Drive, both have easy access to downtown, major highways and area construction projects.

Meridian acquired the landfills from Knoxville Landfills LLC, which was advised on the sale by Capstone Headwaters, an independent investment banking firm based in Boston. Capstone says terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The Knoxville market presents an attractive expansion opportunity due to its strong economic outlook, record levels of commercial and business development and steady population growth,” says Wally Hall, CEO of Meridian Waste. “With our purchase of the only high-capacity landfills in the Knox County region, we are well-positioned to grow our market share and become a vital community partner and employer for the landfill’s existing employees.”

Poplar View Landfill and Riverside Landfill accept the following waste types: appliances (without compressors), asphalt, cardboard, common construction material, dirt, rock, concrete, furniture, metal, paper, shingles, roofing materials, wiring, brush and other landscaping waste, carpet, flooring, drywall, insulation, non-friable asbestos, plastic and wood.

Upon Jacksonville Beach, Florida-based Warren Equity Partners acquiring Meridian Waste in April, the company has expanded outside its previous core operations in the Richmond, Virginia, and St. Louis marketplaces into new service areas in northeast Florida; Augusta and Macon, Georgia; and now, Knoxville. The company says it will continue to pursue growth opportunities as it identifies and executes strategic acquisitions, local government contracting openings and organic growth through sales and service.

CDR Inc. honored with award for waste reduction efforts

Construction and Demolition Recycling, Inc. (CDR Inc.), South Gate, California, was honored with the California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA)—the state’s highest environmental honor—at an awards ceremony Dec. 5.

CDR Inc. earned the GEELA in the Waste Reduction category. The award recognizes the company’s exemplary achievements in conserving and protecting natural resources and reducing costs by incorporating efforts such as waste prevention, reuse, recycling, composting, stewardship and environmentally preferable purchasing and product design.

“We are beyond thrilled to receive this award. This is the result of years of hard work. It is proof that doing the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do, is not a forgotten concept,” says Carlos Herrera, the president and CEO of CDR Inc.

The GEELA is awarded to individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable, voluntary contributions to conserve California’s resources, protect and enhance the environment, build public-private partnerships and strengthen the state’s economy.

“This year’s GEELA honorees are examples of how innovation, determination and vision can address some of our most significant environmental challenges,” California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Secretary Matthew Rodriquez says. “From fighting climate change to reducing waste, their successful efforts are proving that environmentally sustainable practices can grow and support a healthy economy.”

The annual GEELA is administered on behalf of the governor’s office by the CalEPA, along with the California Natural Resources Agency; the California Department of Food and Agriculture; the California State Transportation Agency; the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; the California Government Operations Agency; the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency; and the California Health and Human Services Agency.

Construction, extraction fatalities dip in 2017

There were 43 fewer workplace fatalities in 2017 than in the previous year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2017 (CFOI) report released Dec. 18. The fatal injury rate also decreased from 3.6 percent in 2016 to 3.5 percent in 2017.

“While today’s report shows a decline in the number of workplace fatalities, the loss of even one worker is too many,” Acting Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Loren Sweatt says. “Through comprehensive enforcement and compliance assistance that includes educating job creators about their responsibilities under the law and providing robust education opportunities to workers, OSHA is committed to ensuring the health and safety of the American workforce.”

In addition to the decline in overall fatalities, crane-related workplace fatalities and fatal occupational injuries in the private manufacturing industry and wholesale trade industries reached their lowest points since the CFOI started in 1992.

Despite the overall decline in fatalities, deaths caused by drug overdoses continue to climb. The number of unintentional overdoses due to the nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol while at work increased by 25 percent—the fifth consecutive year overdose deaths rose by at least 25 percent.

“The scourge of opioid addiction unfortunately continues to take its toll on workers across the country, demonstrating the importance of this administration’s efforts to tackle this crisis,” Sweatt says.

Among workers in the construction and extraction industries, the overall number of deaths dipped from 970 in 2016 to 965 in 2017 (a reduction in fatal incident rate from 12.4 to 12.2 percent). As part of this total, supervisors of construction and extraction professional saw a decrease in the total number of deaths from 134 to 121 (a reduction in fatal incident rate from 18.0 to 17.4 percent); construction trades workers saw an increase in fatalities from 736 to 747; and extraction worker deaths stayed consistent at 41 year over year.

Employers can take advantage of OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program to help meet their safety obligations.