Environmental Information Ltd.

New Study Redefines Commercial Hazardous Waste & Wastewater Marketplace

Report’s Findings a Contrast to Common Perception of Declining Role of Commercial Sector Due to Waste Minimization

For Release October 3, 2003

Contact: Mr. Cary Perket, President,

Environmental Information Limited, 858-488-4760,

Minneapolis, Minnesota & San Diego, California – Environmental Information Limited (Established 1983), is a research firm specializing in the hazardous waste marketplace, has just released a new comprehensive report that overviews annual demand and services available for commercial disposal, energy recovery, recycling, and treatment. The report helps answer fundamental questions about commercial hazardous waste management in the United States. Some of the most basic questions are:

1. How Much Waste Is Sent To Commercial Hazardous Waste & Wastewater Treatments? On an overall basis it exceeded 7 million tons in 1999. This volume includes waste sent to commercial energy recovery, deep well injection, fuel blending, incineration, land disposal, metals recovery, solvent recovery, stabilization, wastewater treatment, and other miscellaneous treatments.

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2. How do these volumes compared to amounts reported historically? In comparison to historical data, the recent data indicates increased demand for commercial hazardous waste and wastewater services happen through much of the 1990s. While the commercial sector has recently seen declining volumes due to the current recession, market data suggests that 1999 and 2000 were among the highest years ever for demand for commercial hazardous waste services like energy recovery and incineration.

3. Does this mean that waste minimization is failing? This is not specifically addressed in the report. However, our answer to the question, based on our general knowledge, would be probably not. It may actually be an indication that onsite efforts by manufacturers are working so well that they are abandoning their own onsite disposal, energy recovery, recycling, and treatment in favor of commercial facilities for what remains of their waste generation. In addition, new environmental standards on air quality emissions, particularly those targeting energy recovery and incinerators’ emissions, are forcing closure of marginal facilities.

4. In the big picture, what is the role that commercial facilities play versus management on-site by manufacturers? Over 450 millions tons of hazardous waste & wastewater are generated annually. Of this amount, over 420 million tons are hazardous wastewaters that are first treated on-site, and then discharged to surface waters or municipal sewage treatment plants. The vast majority of hazardous waste is also managed on-site, over five times as much as is managed at off-site commercial facilities.

5. Has the relative role of off-site management versus on-site changing management been changing? This was not specifically addressed in the report. However, the vast majority of manufacturers utilized off-site commercial hazardous waste management services for some of their needs. On-site management is not a viable economical option for most small hazardous waste generators; it is typically larger companies that have on-site management facilities.

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6. What region sends the most hazardous waste and wastewater to commercial hazardous waste facilities? Region 5, the upper Midwest EPA region that includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin send the most hazardous waste. The largest amount of hazardous wastewater comes from Region 6, more specifically from Texas.

7. What is the current number of hazardous waste facilities? The report identifies 343 specific facilities that actually provide commercial energy recovery, deep well injection, fuel blending, incineration, land disposal, metals recovery, solvent recovery, stabilization, wastewater treatment, and other miscellaneous treatments. In addition, there are numerous locations where hazardous waste and wastewater are stored or transferred through on their way to the facilities that provide the above disposal, energy recovery, recycling, and/or disposal services.

8. What is the most prevalent type of commercial hazardous waste facility? The largest number of hazardous waste facilities (other than storage/transfer) that was identified was in the metal recovery market. Many of the identified metal recovery facilities are relatively small companies specializing in precious or rare metals. This is the sector where there is the most uncertainty in terms of actual numbers because of permitting and reporting exemptions.

9. Has the number of commercial hazardous waste and wastewater facilities come into balance with the demand for services? This is not specifically addressed in this report, but the data in the report is useful to analyzing this situation. In our view, the overcapacity issue is nearly resolved in some types of disposal and treatment. There were an important number of closures of major facilities since 1995 in key sectors. For example, the number of commercial incinerators in the United States has been reduced to 14, with one of those facilities facing issues that may cause it to permanently close.

Report specifics: Commercial Hazardous Waste & Wastewater Market in the United States, by Karl Joyce & Cary Perket of Environmental Information Limited, is an original research report. The 103 page report provides information and graphs on the annual regional demand across the United States, as well as maps and tables summarizing commercial services for energy recovery, deep well injection, fuel blending, incineration, land disposal, metal recovery, solvent recovery, stabilization, wastewater treatment, and other treatments. The cost is $750. For further information call 858-488-4760.

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