EnviroPolitics
A daily compendium of environmental and political information
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EnviroBusiness News…. August, 2006

Biodiesel industry group certifies company with NY fuel terminal Sprague Energy, a
Portsmouth, N.H., energy company that operates a fuel terminal in Rensselaer, NY has been
certified as a biodiesel provider by the National Biodiesel Board. The board certified Sprague's
ability to provide biodiesel fuel that meets or exceeds industry standards for low sulfur diesel
fuel and heating oil. Sprague began offering biodiesel fuel, a blend of soybean oil and diesel
fuel, at its Rensselaer Terminal in March. The Business Review (Albany) 8/29/2006

Peco passing on natural gas price break to customers  Citing a decrease in wholesale
prices, Peco Energy Co. said Monday it will decrease its natural gas rate by nearly 11 percent
Friday, bringing it back to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels. The Philadelphia utility will lower the gas
rate to $1.29 per hundred cubic feet (ccf) from $1.45 per hundred cubic feet. Peco, which has
474,000 gas customers in Philadelphia's Pennsylvania suburbs, said the reduced rate will mean
savings of about $15 a month for the typical residential customer, who uses 80 to 100 hundred
ccf of gas per month. Philadelphia Business Journal 8/28/2006

Jeff York named to federal program position A. D. Marble
& Company has announced that Jeff York has been promoted to
the position of Federal Program Director in the company's
Conshohocken, PA office. He will manage marketing efforts and the
company's presence and development in the federal sector while
continuing some of his existing management work. York has been
with the firm for more than nine years as an environmental scientist
and project manager. A.D. Marble & Company provides a variety of
environmental and engineering services, including NEPA documentation,
Section 4(f) Evaluations, wildlife and forest management, landscape
architecture, wetlands, ecology, farmland assessments, CADD/GIS, historic structures,
archaeology, public involvement, agency coordination, roadway widening and stormwater
management design.  8/25/2006

Conservation Resources Inc. launches small grants program Conservation Resources Inc.
(CRI) today announced that it will be making its first round of small grants to non-profit organizations.
These grants are designed to provide assistance to exemplary non-profit land acquisition, stewardship
and restoration projects which are featured in CRI's Geographic Funds.  The purpose of these grants
is to provide seed money for the initiation of projects, to help cover certain costs which are not fully reimbursable by other existing grant programs, such as appraisal and survey expenses, and to
provide matching funds to support non-profit stewardship and restoration projects. Funding for the
grants has been provided by the William Penn Foundation, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation,
and the Victoria Foundation, as well as individual donors. For details, including application,
 Click Here   8/23/2006

Hogan to address underground storage tanks at NJDEP regulatory training course
Edward A. Hogan, a member of the Somerville, NJ law firm Norris  McLaughlin  & Marcus,  P.A., 
will  speak  at a Rutgers University seminar  entitled Underground Storage
Tanks: NJDEP’s Regulatory Training on September 7, 2006 at the Cook
Campus in New Brunswick, NJ. The DEP’s  Bureau  of Underground  Storage
Tanks has  approved  this  course,  which  meets the requirements  of  the 
state law for training required for certification or recertification  of  individuals
who conduct work on regulated underground storage tanks in the state.
For  more  information  on  this seminar,  please  visit the Rutgers registration
 web site at http://cook.rutgers.edu.
As  co-chair  of  the Norris McLaughlin & Marcus Environmental Law Group,
Hogan devotes his practice to environmental law and litigation, counseling
manufacturers, commercial  and  industrial  landlords and highly-regulated service  businesses in
all aspects of environmental law and litigation. He has  written  and  co-authored many  articles
and alerts on the subject of environmental  law. He has also presented seminars and presentations
on the subject since 1983. Hogan  is  or has served as Chairman of the Environmental Law Section
of  the  New  Jersey State Bar Association, the New Jersey OSHA & Business Communication 
Alliance,  the Technical Regulations Advisory Coalition, and the  Environmental  Committees of the
Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, the Ironbound Business Association, and the
New Jersey Business and Industry Association. A  resident  of Liberty Corner, Hogan earned his
J.D. from Georgetown University, his  M.F.S. from Yale  University School  of  Forestry and
Environmental Studies and his B.S. from Saint Peter’s College.  8/17/2006      

Brennan Environmental, Inc.  names operation manager
Environmental consulting firm, Brennan Environmental, Inc. of Summit,
NJ, has named Ronald A. Kiska as Operations Manager. Kiska, who has
more than 17 years experience in project and business management, will
oversee the firm's day-to-day operations. Prior to the appointment, he was
an Operations Manager for Suburban Energy Services. For the past few
years, Kiska has served as head coach of the County College of Morris's
ice hockey team. He also is an ice hockey coach with the New Jersey
Colonials Youth Hockey Association in Morristown, NJ. Celebrating its
10th year, Brennan Environmental specializes in investigation,
assessment and environmental cleanup services. 8/11/2006

New York Architects' group to host first 'Green Building' expo The Albany, N.Y.-
regional chapter of a professional architects' group will host its first-ever exposition showcasing
environmentally friendly building technologies. The Green Material Expo has signed 30 vendors
who will display and discuss their products and services. Among the products are energy-efficient
windows, new insulation products and techniques, new roofing materials, natural flooring and solar
energy-related items. "With the influx of businesses and families expected in the Capital Region
over the next few years, we have a chance to work better with our environment by making sure our
buildings, new and old, are as green as possible," said Jodi Smits Anderson, one of the event
organizers. The (Albany) Business Review   8/10/2006

Toll Brothers sees Q3 sales, contracts fall off Luxury home builder Toll Bros. said
yesterday third-quarter sales fell and signed contracts were cut nearly in half as the housing
market continued to slow. Shares of the Horsham, PA.- based company fell more than 7
percent, and shares of other home builders also declined. Toll Brothers said home-building
revenue fell 0.5 percent, to $1.53B, and total revenue dipped 1.2 percent, to $1.54B. Sales
headed lower in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and California markets, while revenue in the Northeast,
Southeast and Southwest was up. In a sign that the housing market could see further erosion,
the value of signed contracts fell 46 percent, to $1.07 billion, with all regions in the country
weakening. The number of units was cut in half to 1,473 in the quarter. Star-Ledger 8/10/2006

Foster Wheeler Announces Record Quarterly Net Income Foster Wheeler Ltd. today
reported net income for the three months ended June 30, 2006, of $43.1M, or $0.61 per
diluted share, excluding a net gain of $79.6M from an asbestos insurance settlement, a
$12.3M charge relating to debt reduction initiatives completed in May 2006, and stock option
expenses of $2.0M. Including these items, net income for the quarter was $108.4M, or $1.53
per diluted share. For the first six months of 2006, net income was $59.7M or $0.85 per diluted
share, excluding the second-quarter items described above, as well as $1.8M of first-quarter
2006 stock option expenses and, for EPS calculations only, the fair value of additional shares
issued in January 2006 as part of the warrant offers. First-half 2006 net income including these
items was $123.0M, or $1.48 per diluted share. News release 8/9/2006 

 Wheeling-Pitt profit triples Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corp. said its second-quarter net income
more than tripled to $9.3M, or 63 cents a share, from $2.6M, or 18 cents a share, in the
year-earlier period. Revenue at the Wheeling, W. Va., steel maker rose 19 percent in the
three months that ended June 30 to $493.9M from $415.2M. Wheeling-Pittsburgh attributed
the rise to an increase in the sale of steel products, and a $7-per-ton rise in the price of
those products. Pittsburgh Business Times 8/8/2006

Middlesex Water Company reports second quarter earnings Middlesex Water
Company, a provider of water and wastewater services in New Jersey and Delaware, today
announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.17 per common
share. Earnings were $2.9M or $0.25 per common share, as compared to $1.9M or, $0.16
per share in the second quarter of 2005. Operating revenues for the quarter were $21.0M,
an increase of $2.6Mn over the same period in 2005. Operating revenues increased $0.6M
due to increased water sales resulting from hot, dry weather. Base rate increases received
in the regulated utilities, the largest of which was received in New Jersey in December 2005,
contributed $1.2M of the increase. Water consumption and related fees from customer growth,
primarily in the Delaware subsidiaries, added $0.7M to the increase, while additional revenues
from other sources contributed $0.1M. Operation and maintenance expenses for the quarter
were $10.8M, an increase of $0.4M over the same period in 2005. 8/4/2006

Brennan Environmental, Inc. celebrates a decade of success Brennan Environmental,
Inc. (BEI) of Summit, NJ, is celebrating ten years in business as an environmental consulting
firm. Founded by John Brennan in 1996, BEI credits its success to its ability to maintain long-
standing client relationships while adding to its client roster. BEI represents a variety of leading
corporations, law firms, insurance companies and financial institutions. BEI specializes in
investigation, assessment and environmental cleanup services. "Our 10 year milestone is a
true testament to our staff's dedication, professionalism and work ethic," said John Brennan,
president of BEI. "By providing high quality services at the highest economic value, BEI is a
valued partner to our clients.  Many of our clients have partnered with us since our first year."
Expanding from a one-person, one-client firm when founded to 12 employees today, BEI
boasts an impressive and varied client roster, from small and mid-sized businesses to
Fortune 500 companies. 8/3/2006

Aqua America announces earnings, increases dividend Aqua America Inc. said
Wednesday that its board of directors has voted to increase its quarterly dividend 8 percent
to 11.5 cents per share. The new rate will take effect with the Sept. 1 dividend, which is
payable to shareholders of record as of Aug. 18. It brings Aqua America's annual dividend
to 46 cents per share. Aqua America (NYSE: WTR) also said it earned $22.4M, or 17 cents
per fully diluted share, on revenue of $131.7M in the second quarter, compared to $22.2M,
or 17 cents per fully diluted share, on revenue of $123.1M in the second quarter of last year.
Aqua America is a water and wastewater utility holding company based in Bryn Mawr, PA.
Philadelphia Business Journal  8/2/2006

Severn Trent sells pipeline division Severn Trent Services Inc. said Wednesday it
has sold its Pipeline Products and Services group to ADS LLC, a subsidiary of
Nova Analytics Corp., for an undisclosed sum. "The sale of our pipeline business is an
important step in our international water growth strategy. It will allow us to focus on our
core technologies in the operating services and water purification markets," Leonard
Graziano, Severn Trent president and CEO, said in a statement. Severn Trent's pipeline
business, which includes sewer collection systems analysis, pipeline repair and
rehabilitation, has annual revenue of $25M. Severn Trent supplies water and wastewater
treatment products and services. It is based in Fort Washington, PA., and is a subsidiary
of Severn Trent PLC of Birmingham, England. ADS is based in Huntsville, Ala. It makes
flow measurement equipment and software. Philadelphia Business Journal 8/2/2006

Peco, power grid set demand records Peco Energy Co. set a new record for peak
demand Tuesday, but expected to break it Wednesday. The Philadelphia electric and
gas utility said its peak demand Tuesday was 8,884 megawatts. That broke its previous
peak of 8,638 megawatts set July 18. One megawatt of electricity can power 800 to
1,000 homes. Philadelphia Business Journal 8/2/2006

'This can't go on much longer' If state regulators balk at approving Exelon's $16B
acquisition of Public Service Enterprise Group, it would deprive consumers of more than
$1B in assorted benefits, PSEG's chief executive said yesterday. With the long- delayed
deal teetering on the brink of collapse, E. James Ferland touted the companies' latest
offer to the state Board of Public Utilities, the last remaining regulatory hurdle for a deal
that would create the nation's largest utility company Star-Ledger 8/2/2006 

Foster Wheeler names new Global Sales and Marketing VP--Foster Wheeler Ltd.
announced today that David J. Parham has been appointed executive vice president of
Global Sales and Marketing (GSM) for Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group. Parham
has been with Foster Wheeler for 26 years. During his career, he has been responsible
for sales and commercial functions and has also had responsibility for operating units.
His sales responsibilities have included many years in international sales, most recently
as executive vice president commercial operations for Foster Wheeler North America.
He also has held sales and operational roles with Foster Wheeler Energy China and
was formerly president and chief executive officer of Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation.
Parham is a mechanical engineer and holds a Bachelors Degree from State University
of NY at Maritime College. Foster Wheeler news release 8/2/2006 

Ballard Spahr opens Phoenix site A little more than a year after Phoenix law firm
Fennemore Craig's partnership rejected a merger with Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll,
two of its top rainmakers left Tuesday to join Ballard Spahr and open a Phoenix office for
the Philadelphia-based firm. Ballard Spahr said it had opened an office with Stephen Savage,
Fennemore Craig's managing partner for more than a decade before stepping down last
summer, and Karen McConnell, a corporate and securities lawyer.
Philadelphia Business Journal  8/1/2006

International Paper Co. mill gets OK to test tire fuel The NY Department of
Environmental Conservation has announced that it will allow the International Paper Co.
Ticonderoga mill to conduct a two-week test burn of chipped tires as fuel, according to a
report in the Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vt.). The company had asked three years
ago for permission to test the viability of adding chipped tires to the No. 6 fuel oil and bark
it burns to power its paper making operations as a way to lower fuel costs, according to
the report. The decision has sparked opposition from neighboring Vermont residents
downwind from the plant, who have expressed concerns about possible health hazards
from the plant’s emissions. Recycling Today  8/1/2006

Crumb Rubber Company Set to Open NY Plant Crumb Rubber Manufacturing Inc.
is set to start production at its newest facility in Colonie, NY. The company, which has
two crumb rubber facilities on the West Coast, has purchased a building, and hopes to
start operations by this August. The company finalized the purchase of the building several
months ago. The newest facility is located at an 85,000-square foot building. Mike Harrington,
a spokesman for CRM, says that the facility is scaled to produce between 25-30 million pounds
of crumb rubber a year, which translates into recycling roughly 2.5 million passenger tires.
Recycling Today 8/1/2006

Alternative fuel research lab to be constructed at Saratoga tech park
Gov. George Pataki today announced plans for an alternative fuel research lab at the
Saratoga Technology + Energy Park .During the announcement at the Malta, N.Y.,
tech park, Pataki also said that a Canadian company that manufactures high tech
batteries would move into the area. The company, electrovaya, will occupy 5,000 square
feet of an existing building at the Saratoga Technology + Energy Park. Initially the
company will have 15 employees locally, but expects to expand that number to 75
people over the next five years. Also announced Tuesday was as a $10M program to
convert 600 of the state's fleet of vehicles into hybrids. Currently, 5,500 of the state's
fleet are already hybrids. Pataki said STEP would be to energy what Albany NanoTech
is to nanotechnology. The state at University at Albany's $3B Albany NanoTech research
site is home to research efforts of giants such as IBM, Honeywell and AMD.
 The Business Review (Albany) 8/1/2006

GE introduces resins for auto industry with 85 percent post-consumer content
The company said the new resins offer automotive manufacturers options to address the
environmental concerns of conserving energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and
reducing post-consumer waste Recycling Today  8/1/2006

PSEG announces second quarter 2006 results Delays in rate relief further reduce
PSE&G's 2006 earnings range. Energy Holdings' expectations increase as a result of
strong Texas market PSEG news release 8/1/2006                                                                                                         

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Previous months:
Enviro-Business - July 2006
Enviro-Business - June 2006
Enviro-Business - May 2006
Enviro-Business - April 2006
Enviro-Business - March 2006
Enviro-Business - February 2006
Enviro-Business - January 2006

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