Recycling News

Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. has acquired substantially all of the assets of Golden Recycling & Salvage Inc., a recycling firm based in Billings, Mt. The acquisition took place through Schnitzer’s SSI Big Sky LLC subsidiary. The company acquired will operate as Schnitzer Steel Billings.

“Schnitzer’s long term vision remains focused on our growth strategy. The purchase of Golden Steel & Recycling gives us a presence in the Montana market and positions us for further growth in the region,” says Don Hamaker, president of Schnitzer Steel’s Metals Recycling Business.

“Golden Steel & Recycling’s demolition services business nicely complements our core competency of metals recycling and allows us to expand our service and product offerings,” he adds.

“The acquisition by Schnitzer Steel presents an opportunity for substantial business growth in all of our product and service lines,” says Jim Gallup, the majority owner of Golden Steel & Recycling.

Schnitzer Steel’s recycling division operates 45 facilities in 14 states, including seven export facilities on both the East and West Coasts, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The company’s operating platform also includes an auto parts division and steel manufacturing businesses.

The company’s auto parts business sells used auto parts through its 45 self-service facilities in 14 states and in western Canada. Schnitzer’s steel division production totals around 800,000 tons of steel per year. Its end products include rebar, wire rod and other specialty products.
 

hold on to your shirt! its gonna be a qucik ride to the bottom!

545 vs 300,000,000 EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE. Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years. 545 PEOPLE By Charlie Reese Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does. One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes. Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the Speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist. If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red . If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ. If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way. There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses. Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees. We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess! Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. What you do with this article now that you have read it......... is up to you. This might be funny if it weren't so darned true. Be sure to read all the way to the end: Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table At which he's fed. Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes Are the rule. Tax his work, Tax his pay, He works for peanuts Anyway! Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat. Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work, Tax his dirt. Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think. Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries Tax his tears. Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways To tax his ass. Tax all he has Then let him know That you won't be done Till he has no dough. When he screams and hollers; Then tax him some more, Tax him till He's good and sore. Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid. Put these words Upon his tomb, 'Taxes drove me to my doom...' When he's gone, Do not relax, Its time to apply The inheritance tax. Accounts Receivable Tax Building Permit Tax CDL license Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Dog License Tax Excise Taxes Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Fuel Permit Tax Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon) Gross Receipts Tax Hunting License Tax Inheritance Tax Inventory Tax IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax) Liquor Tax Luxury Taxes Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Personal Property Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Service Charge T ax Social Security Tax Road Usage Tax Sales Tax Recreational Vehicle Tax School Tax State Income Tax State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) Telephone Federal Excise Tax Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax Telephone State and Local Tax Telephone Usage Charge Tax Utility Taxes Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft Registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?' And I still have to 'press 1' for English!? I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!! GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!

I am upset that the health care bill passed last night. Another huge expansion of government spending and government control is not good for our freedom or our health.

When I heard about the passage, I was reminded of the many hateful emails I received earlier this year demanding that the Libertarian Party make Libertarian Independent candidate Joe Kennedy drop out of the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race and endorse Republican Scott Brown. Doing so, "at this time, for this election, was more important than ever in order to save America from socialism," or so they said. Even though Scott Brown supported Mitt Romney's mandatory universal health insurance for Massachusetts residents, somehow electing a Republican, any Republican, instead of a Democrat was supposed to save America.

Even 30% of poll respondents on our website supported such a move.

I am proud that Libertarian Joe Kennedy stood firm and stayed in that race, despite the nasty messages and threats he received.

However, a lot of people gave in to that argument and voted for Scott Brown. What happened? The health care plan passed anyway. And on top of it, there's now another big-government senator voting for things like "jobs packages."

But if just 20% of Massachusetts residents had voted for Libertarian Joe Kennedy, I bet that would have sent such a loud message that it would have stopped this health care plan in its tracks. I think this is a clear reminder why we should all stand firm and vote for Libertarians, whether or not they're in close races.

I watched just a few minutes of the debate last night on C-SPAN. I could not stand hearing Republicans proclaim in the same sentence that we need to oppose government takeover of health care, and also to protect Medicare! What hypocrites. Medicare is government health care too. It was the 2003 Republican Congress and President George Bush that passed the $400 billion Medicare prescription coverage expansion (that later turned out to cost over $1 trillion).

I was on a radio show this morning and a caller asked me, "Is there even any hope for America?" I want to thank him for asking me that, because I am reminded that America is still one of the freest and most prosperous nations on earth, even though that freedom and prosperity are at great risk. Things are getting tougher, but America is still a great place and our freedom is still worth fighting for even if we lose some battles along the way.

Somewhat related to this topic, we've had a poll on our website for a couple of weeks, which asks, "Which expensive government project do you support the most?"

Former Libertarian Presidential nominee Harry Browne used to say, "Would you give up your favorite federal programs if it meant you'd never have to pay income tax again?"

I hope you'll go to the poll and pick the Libertarian option: "None of the above. Cut spending on all of them." At the time of sending this message, that option has just 45% of the votes

-- the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) -- are expressing concern about the misuse of the plastics industry’s resin identification code. The code was created in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry for all rigid plastic packaging. Although its use is mandated by varying laws in 39 states, according to both associations, the code is the de-facto national standard.

Steve Alexander, executive director of APR, says, “Misuse of the code is an extremely serious issue for plastics reclaimers. We see bottles labeled with such terms as ‘Compatible with PET Recycling’ and wonder what that undefined phrase means. We also see bottles that are clearly not made from PET resin being labeled as ‘#1 PETE.’

“These rogue bottles can have a draconian impact on the plastics reclamation process. Many of these rogues have such low melting points that inclusion with PET bottles can shut down recycling operations,” Alexander adds.

“The SPI Code has long been used as a tool for recycling program officials to educate consumers as to what plastic packaging is being collected for recycling,” says Dennis Sabourin, executive director of NAPCOR. “The code has been largely self-policing and, until recent years, this has been successful.”

“While designed to indicate package resin, it is effectively the national standard for the labeling of plastic packaging for recycling purposes. Misuse and mislabeling of a package is a significant problem for reclaiming that category of packaging, and ultimately will cause considerable disruption in the markets for recycled plastic materials,” Sabourin continues.

A primary concern is that mislabeled material will be combined with properly labeled material, contaminating the entire bale. Long term, the mislabeling will cause major disruptions in marketing and handling recycled plastics.

“Buyers and sellers of plastic materials rely on accurate labeling of bottles. If reclaimers cannot be assured that they are truly buying a bale of just PET, HDPE, or other resin, then the buying of that material will likely cease. Given today’s economic climate, such contamination, if not addressed, will have significant implications for plastics recycling,” says Sabourin.

Sabourin added, “While the resin identification laws differ state to state, most, but not all, states have demonstrated that they will accept the coding of a “non conforming” package according to its compatibility within a particular recycling stream. Unfortunately, only Kentucky has set standards for recycling compatibility. Further, the financial implications of recycling compatibility are magnified when viewed in the context of Extended Producer Responsibility programs where fees are based on the cost of recycling a given stream of material.”

Alexander is calling on brand owners to continue to work with the APR to address, on a scientific basis, issues concerning the appropriate criteria for coding PET and HDPE bottles. “We are looking to deal with this issue before it becomes an even greater detriment to the recycling of all plastics packaging,”

GREENVILLE — The most effective way, many believe, to address climate change is to educate future generations about the importance of protecting and preserving the planet’s finite natural resources. Gina DeMarco, the district manager of the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, subscribes to that theory. She has spent the past two decades educating and empowering students from third grade to their senior year in high school about environmental advocacy. “We want students to understand what a watershed is, what non-point source pollution is and the importance of protecting the quality of our water,” DeMarco said. Since Rhode Island’s largest drinking water supply, the Scituate Reservoir, sits in the middle of DeMarco’s conservation district, it only makes sense, she said, that the organization focus on community outreach and education. The Northern Rhode Island Conservation District is one of three in the state. The Southern Rhode Island Conservation District, which is based in Slocum, focuses on stormwater management. The Tiverton-based Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District focuses on agricultural issues. In all, there are 3,000 conservation districts in the United States. To engage students about such topics as non-point source pollution, rain gardens, plunge pools and environmental stewardship, the three-woman northern district staff leads various educational programs in and out of school, with the help of educators, environmental experts, community volunteers and business leaders. Students in grades 3-8 in Scituate, Foster and Glocester get weekly visits from these people and others who lead them in games, puzzles and discussions on range of environmental issues. Scituate High School science teacher Shannon Donovan teaches an environmental science class. With the help of two foresters — Christopher Modisette and Paul Dolan, both Scituate residents — the class’s 10 students, currently are taking inventory of the trees that stand between the athletic fields on Danielson Pike and the high school on Trimtown Road. These junior and seniors are identifying property boundaries, researching the history of this woodland area, determining the species of trees on the property, identifying invasive plants and studying applied forest ecology. Last year, Donovan’s environmental science class installed two plunge pools approximately 20 feet by 30 feet and 18 inches deep to control and slow the flow of stormwater runoff on Rockland Road. The project was accepted into the state Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Spot program and is maintained by students. A total of 104 Scituate High School students also are currently participating in the Get Wet! program, which works with local students to create a long-term groundwater quality database for communities where there is shared use of groundwater resources — such as the public drinking water supply and private wells that make up much of the Scituate Reservoir watershed. Using portable laboratory tests kits supplied by the University of Maine, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the students this week began conducting screenings of their tap water to determine its chemistry — nitrate, alkalinity, chloride, pH and hardness levels. The goal of the program is to increase awareness, understanding and interest in the town’s water resources. The district’s annual Water Festival, which will be held May 4 this year at Camp Aldersgate on Snake Hill Road in North Scituate, teaches youngsters about watershed stewardship and conservation

Smurfit-Stone closes two mills

Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation permanently closed its Ontonagon, Michigan and Missoula, Montana mills.

The Ontonagon mill ceased operations in September when it began taking market-related downtime. The Ontonagon mill has 182 employees and the Missoula mill has 417 employees.

“These decisions were made to ensure the Company’s long-term growth and profitability and do not reflect on the hard work and commitment of the employees at the Ontonagon and Missoula mills,” said Steve Klinger, president and COO.

The Ontonagon mill, which produces 280,000 tons of medium annually, and the Missoula mill, which produces 620,000 tons of liner annually, are high-cost facilities that do not provide adequate returns over the long term for the Company.

The company expected to incur a restructuring charge of approximately $284 million, of which approximately $246 million is non-cash, in the fourth

RI Raised Livestock Association

2010 Annual Meeting

Monday, March 29, 2010

6:00 p.m.

West Greenwich Elks

Rt. 3, West Greenwich

RIRLA has planned an evening of

Information and Education

for RI Farmers

♦ Learn more about the Association and what we are doing for our

members as well as what is in the future

♦ Network and talk to businesses, government and non-profit

agricultural service providers like T.J. Hay & Grain, NRCS and the

Farm Bureau

♦ Find out how to obtain permits to sell your meat

♦ Hear about the upcoming pasture walks and other educational and

networking events

♦ Tell the Association what you would like to see the Association

offer to farmers in 2010 and beyond

♦ Last but not least….GET INVOLVED!

Please pass this flyer on to any and all farmers who might be interested!

The Mission of the RI Raised Livestock Association is to promote and ensure the preservation of our agricultural lands, our rural economy

and our agrarian way of life by creating an organization that will secure a viable infrastructure and provide for the efficient and sustainable

production, processing and marketing of quality, value added, locally produced meats in the state of Rhode Island

china is back into the market buying occ hot and heavy! everyday a buyer calls with a new price topping the last. where will it peak and when will it crash is the key!

http://www.salmonsafe.org/

It is what it is !    from one of the all time great coaches ever in any sport . B.B.

http://www.ecori.org/

this one is very good 

 

 

Don’t Let the Food-Labeling Movement Fool You The nation’s local food movement is defined by words and phrases that aren’t necessarily as friendly as they sound. Labels often are designed with marketing, not sustainability, humanity or even health, in mind. Phrases such as “free range,” “grass fed,” “cage free” and “certified organic” can be deceiving. When the food-labeling movement began in the 1970s in California, it was intended to let consumers know that their produce wasn’t tainted with herbicide and pesticide residue. Back then, buying food certified with the California Organic Standard meant you were an “earthy-crunchy, bean-sprout and granola-eating hippy.” It also meant you were in a small percentage of consumers who worried about chemical use in the production of their food. That group of concerned consumers started to grow in the late 1980s, when reports about a cancer-causing chemical called Alar being sprayed on apples to keep them on the trees longer and to enhance their crunch and look went public. A decade later, when super-sized food manufactures like General Mills and Coca-Cola discovered that words and phrases such as “organic,” “farm raised” and “old-fashioned” produced profits, there was an explosion of food labels claiming this or promising that. These mega companies started buying up organic companies to diversify their portfolios, and, since then, the labeling of food continues to be watered-down. “It’s scary what is going on out there with our food system,” Kathryn DeMaster, a visiting assistant professor of environmental studies at Brown University, recently told a crowd that had gathered in AS220’s community arts space in downtown Providence to hear her speak about food justice and consumer choices. The crowd of about 50 people consisted mostly of students from Providence College, Johnson & Wales University and Brown University, a group of high school students from Providence and North Kingstown and a handful of more-seasoned consumers, including a journalist who will remain unnamed. DeMaster teaches a course entitled “Humans, Nature and the Environment: Addressing Environmental Change in the 21st Century,” and her 45-minute presentation last week dealt with such issues as: Which is better: local or organic? What do labels mean? Who gets access to what kinds of foods in urban areas? The well-attended event, she said, “speaks to how interesting and engaging these topics are. We all eat.” We just don’t know how much pesticide and herbicide is sprayed on our food, how much hormones and antibiotics are injected into it and how much big agribusinesses such as Monsanto control it. “There’s a lot labels tell us and don’t tell us,” DeMaster said. “Labels have specific meaning and politics behind them.” For example, she explained that the label “free range” doesn’t mean chickens, pigs and cattle enjoy their limited existence roaming lush-green pastures and sunlit farmyards. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations for free-range certification apply only to poultry. The USDA requires that chickens and turkeys raised for their meat have “access” to the outside. There is no requirement for access to pasture, and there may be access to only dirt or gravel. There also are no requirements for the size of this “outside range” or the amount of time an animal must have access to the outdoors. There is no legal definition for “free-range” chicken eggs, and the term doesn’t explain what an animal eats. It’s likely genetically modified feed massed produced by Monsanto, not bugs. Many “free-range” chickens are raised quickly for profit, in about seven weeks, DeMaster said. For the first five weeks, they’re not allowed outside — exercise would decrease the size of their breasts, which provide the more-popular white meat — and live in smelly and often filthy chicken houses that may allow sunlight in. “After five weeks, a small door opens that allows in light and strange noises,” she said. “But after spending five weeks inside, they’re afraid. Most never go outside.” The term “free range” and other similar labels such as “low stocking density,” “pasture raised,” “humanely raised,” “grass fed” and “cage free” are less husbandry terms and instead manipulated as advertising gimmicks. “Grass fed” certification by the USDA, at least, doesn’t deal with the use of hormones and antibiotics, confinement of animals and environmental stewardship. “Cage free” simply means chickens can’t be raised in conventional practices, such as in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) like battery cages. Many of these animals, though, are raised in cage-like boxes without access to the outdoors or sunlight, according to DeMaster. They often have their beaks forcibly mutilated. The use of the term “certified organic” is no less confusing or manipulative. Federal organic legislation defines three levels of organics. Products made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods can be labeled “100 percent organic.” Products with at least 95 percent organic ingredients can use the word “organic” — even if the other 5 percent was bathed in a concoction of pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics. Both designations can display the USDA organic seal. A third category, containing a minimum of 70 percent organic ingredients, can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.” Much like our cumbersome and loophole-ridden tax system, our food-labeling system was crafted with the help of special interests and big business. The more confusing the better — at least for the political donor class. The solution? Get to know your local farmers, DeMaster said. “The best way to know what you are eating is to talk to a farmer,” the Wisconsin native said. “That was the rally crying in the ’70s and ’80s and we’re moving back in that direction.”

February 25, Thursday Meat Cutting Workshop - BEEF – RI Raised Livestock Association Westerly Packing, 15 Springbrook Rd., Westerly, RI 02891 2:00 p.m. Join RIRLA and the Trombino family for an educational demonstration on cutting a beef carcass. The live cutting demonstration is sure to increase your knowledge of what you can get from your beef. RIRLA members $10, non-members $20. Reserve your space, participation is limited. Contact Kim: 401-575-3348 or director-rirla@cox.net

RIRLA annual meeting Monday, March 29, 2010 West Greenwich Elks, West Greenwich, RI Doors open at 6 p.m., meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. From 6-7 p.m. attendees will have the opportunity to network and talk to vendors.

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• on the move
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