Tag Archives: ADS

Landfill PCB violation

What hazardous waste was accepted at Veolia’s Pecan Row Landfill that got a $27,500 fine from GA EPD this January? Veolia is ADS now, the same company to which Lowndes County granted an exclusive franchise for waste pickup. We already knew that landfill accepts coal ash from TVA. What else is in there, seeping into our drinking water aquifer, and with runoff going into the Withlacoochee River?

According to GA EPD,

Under authority of the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act :
Facility: Veolia ES Pecan Row Landfill/Valdosta; order issued to Veolia ES Pecan Row Landfill, LLC
Location: Lowndes County
Order Number: EPD-SW-2564
Date of Issue: January 30,2013
Cause of Order: Violations of Rules for Solid Waste Management/regulated hazardous waste acceptance; failure to properly conduct inspections
Requirement(s) of Order: Implement plan to prevent acceptance of regulated quantities of HW and PCB wastes at facility; ensure all employees handling waste recognize/identify labeled HW and PCB wastes at facility
Settlement Amount: $27500.00

According to U.S. EPA, Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB): Continue reading →

ADS buys three more waste companies, one in Valdosta

That’s five ADS purchases since Veolia. So much for Steve Edwards not being able to foresee any further acquisitions back in April. Somebody remind me, why was it a good idea for the Lowndes County Commission granting an exclusive franchise to a monopoly that’s only getting bigger, and already had little reason to keep prices down? County Commissioners certainly have not been able to explain it.

Allan Gerlat wrote for Waste Age 2 July 2013, Advanced Disposal Buys Three Waste Haulers,

Advanced Disposal Services Inc. continued its recent buying spree with the acquisition of waste haulers in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Illinois.

The Ponte Vedra, Fla.-based Advanced Disposal said in news releases it purchased Winsor Disposal in Kane Pa.; Valdosta Waste Services in Valdosta, Ga.; and Benson Disposal Services Inc. in Macon, Ill.

Here’s a list of just the ADS purchases I know of, not counting the rumor: Continue reading →

Budget Telling Tonight @ LCC 2013-06-25

Tonight you can go be told what the county’s budget will be, 5PM at the county palace. If you want to see the proposed budget, you’ll have to go their beforehand and view the one paper copy they are required by law to show you. They say they’re short of money, so why are they wasting taxpayer funds suing a legitimate business?

On the county’s online calendar: Budget Public Hearing (6/18/2013)

PUBLIC NOTICE
The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering
the Fiscal Year 2014 proposed budget on the following dates:

June 18, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

June 25, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Location:
Lowndes County Commission Chambers
327 N. Ashley St.
Valdosta, GA

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public review in the office of the County Clerk.
For questions please call 671-2400.

Kay Harris wrote for the VDT 19 June 2013, Lowndes County facing budget woes,

Continue reading →

Adjourn into trash excuses @ LCC 2013-06-11

Citizens still wanted to talk about solid waste after the Commission adjourned the Tuesday 11 June 2013 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session. Commissioners offered nothing but excuses.

Page asks for Wright to stay behind Commissioner Page asked for Mr. Wright to stay behind so he could talk to him. The Chairman adjourned; I didn’t hear or see any motion or second or vote. Aren’t those required by state law? Motion to adjourn? --Chairman Slaughter

The subsequent excuses included:

It’s not about right or wrong anymore.

Nevermind that most of the people in the room thought it was, as well as many of the citizens and voters in the county.

We have to follow the process.

Nevermind they didn’t hold Continue reading →

You’re losing the democratic process –Gary Wright @ LCC 2013-06-11

“I hope you’ll consider a democratic process working into your rules,” remarked a military veteran at Tuesday night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

After saying he was also concerned about how Deep South Sanitation is being treated, Gary Wright said:

Gary Wright There is a little bit of a lack of democratic process in your meeting groundrules. On your website I don’t know anything in there that said you have only thirty minute meetings for the entire thing. I don’t know if this happens whenever you have a meeting that’s only thirty minutes long; I’ve never been to one.

Their rules don’t say that, but it’s not surprising there is confusion, given Continue reading →

Do the right thing –Steve Parker @ LCC 2013-06-11

The right thing is not letting one company take all the money to New York while putting another out of business, said a local resident at Tuesday night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Steve Parker When you get a company like Veolia or Advanced that’s taking all the money to New York, and then they come to my house and they leave, I put garbage bags beside my can and they won’t pick it up.

And then my guy, Cary Scarborough, comes and picks up everything, and you know what else he does guys? Continue reading →

I want a choice in who I use –Jerome Tucker @ LCC 2013-06-11

“Let me decide who I want to haul my waste,” said a former Chairman of the Industrial Authority at Tuesday night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Jerome Tucker

Bill Slaughter, Chairman Jerome Tucker thanked Commissioner John Page for bringing up the topic of freedom, since that was his main topic, too.

I’m here to talk about… where I have a choice who handles my waste…

Joyce Evans, District 1 Cary didn’t come to me looking for business. I saw his truck come along and Continue reading →

ADS revolving door with local and state government

Not paid enough as an elected official? Apply to Advanced Disposal for a job! Then you can run for the statehouse, win, and sponsor legislation about waste collection! Oh, look: there’s Steve Edwards again.

CummingHome.com updated 25 September 2011 a press release originally published 20 September 2009, Former Mayor Joins the Advanced Disposal Atlanta Marketing Team,

Advanced Disposal Services, Inc., a regional provider of integrated solid waste and recycling collection, transfer, and disposal services, is pleased to announce the hiring of Brett Harrell as the Municipal Marketing & Government Affairs Representative for the Metro-Atlanta area.

Mr. Harrell brings a multitude of experience to his new position having spent time as former Mayor of the City of Snellville where he administered the city’s solid waste and recycling program serving Continue reading →

More clues to how much garbage collection fees will go up

ADS proposed last December to Lincolnton, GA, to start trash collection with a rate very like what Veolia bid to Lowndes County, with increases every year after that.

The Lincoln Journal wrote 6 December 2012, Council hears proposal to privatize garbage collection,

The Lincolnton City Council heard a proposal to privatize the municipality’s trash collection service at its regular meeting held Monday, December 3. The Lincolnton City Council heard a proposal to privatize the municipality’s trash collection service at its regular meeting held Monday, December 3.

The presentation was made by Kevin Rupinta, general manager, and Steve Edwards, area municipal marketing manager, of Advanced Disposal, the Columbia County company that also serves Lincoln County.

The written proposal stated: “Since Advanced Disposal collects garbage in Lincoln County and runs through and around the City of Lincolnton, Advanced Disposal offers the following to reduce the city’s expenses:

(1) Purchase the city’s garbage trucks at an agreed upon fair market value.

(2) Purchase the city’s carts at an agreed upon fair market value.

(3) Provide garbage service for the city at rates that mirror those charged to the county.”

The rates quoted were:

Continue reading →

ADS buys At Your Disposal

ADS just bought a company called At Your Disposal, Inc. That’s interesting, because just six weeks ago State Sen. Tim Golden’s fraternity brother Steve Edwards, Atlanta Sales and Marketing for Advanced Disposal Systems (ADS), said he didn’t forsee any additional acquisitions. Additional after ADS’s purchase of Veolia six months ago, just after the Lowndes County Commission chose Veolia’s highest bid for waste collection, which was not as high as its soon-to-be-parent-company ADS’s bid for the same service package.

ADS PR of yesterday, ADVANCED DISPOSAL ACQUIRES AT YOUR DISPOSAL, INC. FURTHER EXPANDING COMPANY’S NORTH GEORGIA OPERATIONS

MINERAL BLUFF, Ga., (June 4, 2012) — Advanced Disposal Services Inc., a regional integrated environmental services company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, has acquired the assets of At Your Disposal, Inc. The purchase further expands the company’s footprint in the North Georgia marketplace.

“Acquiring At Your Disposal presented an excellent Continue reading →