Survey Finds Increase in Hazardous Waste Fuels Managed in 1999

40 Facilities Report a Combined Eight Percent Increase in Volumes Treated in 1999

Contacts: John McMurray 952/831-2473, ext. 14
Cary Perket 858/488-4760

January 26, 2001 — For Immediate Release

Edina, MN — The EI Digest: Hazardous Waste Marketplace, North America’s leading research service on hazardous waste management, announced the results of its annual survey of the commercial fuel blending sector. Forty of the 95 hazardous waste fuel blenders in the United States participated in the survey. The 40 facilities reported an eight percent increase of hazardous waste fuels blended than in the previous year, amounting to 138 million gallons in 1999.

"The apparent increase is directly related to the strong economy in 1999. The amount of hazardous waste generated from manufacturing processes has a strong correlation to the level of manufacturing production," comments EI Researcher John McMurray. "Consequently, one would expect increases or decreases in the amount of hazardous waste available to create fuels destined for reuse to vary with the strength of the economy."

Hazardous waste derived fuels are utilized by commercial hazardous waste boilers, incinerators, and furnaces under regulatory permits. The fuels substitute for the use of other energy sources like natural gas, fuel oil and coal, as well as providing thermal treatment to hazardous waste. The number of commercial facilities using hazardous waste has actually decreased over the last decade. Additional decreases are expected over the next few years.

"The vast majority of TSD facilities offering solvent recovery services also provide fuel blending services," comments EI’s Senior Analyst Cary Perket. "Relatively inexpensive virgin chemical costs and the switch to less expensive solvents due to the phaseout of chlorinated solvents, make it more attractive to use spent solvents for their energy value rather than recycle them. Whether increasing crude oil prices will increase virgin solvent prices to the point where manufacturers will prefer the recycling option remains unclear at this time."

This report appeared in the EI Digest: Hazardous Waste Marketplace, a business research report published 10 times per year that covers hazardous waste management issues. Further information of the EI Digest can be found on ENVIROBIZ.COM (www.envirobiz.com), one of the Internet’s leading sites for proprietary and public environmental business information. Based in Edina, Minnesota, Environmental Information, Ltd. (EI) specializes in information and research on the environmental services and technology marketplace. EI provides original subscription-based research services. Among the services is the comprehensive compilation of the largest directory and database of environmental service firms, landfills and treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities in North America. For further information, contact customer service at 952/831-2473.

###