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Roads & Bridges, Congratulations Ted H, Welcome New Sacramento Operator

7/25/2008

 
ROADS & BRIDGES AWARDS: GREEN ADVANTAGE

Are you working on a road or bridge construction project? Such projects are becoming more important to many construction related businesses as the residential development market slows. What's more, there's more pressure than ever for these projects to be "green" -- which means your presence on these job sites can bring positive attention to them.

If you're involved with a highway or bridge construction project that's high profile, consider submitting it to Roads & Bridges magazine's annual awards. They select their top ten best each year for profiling in the magazine and online -- providing valuable exposure to contractors involved.

Awards nomination deadline is September 1, 2008. For more information, visit this link: Roads & Bridges Awards Nomination Form 2008

LOOKING FOR MORE CONCRETE PAVEMENT BUSINESS?

CWS has created a spec for transportation planning officials to help define how concrete washout services can be included in their project plans. Our spec was based on information provided by CalTrans (California's transportation department), a recognized leader in green project planning.

If you'd like a copy to help you in your local selling efforts, please contact us at {encode="[email protected]" title="[email protected]"}

MORE ENFORCEMENT NEWS

Last month, EPA levied fines on several of Hayden, Idaho's utilities and contractors for violating the Clean Water Act. Non-compliant concrete washout activities were specifically mentioned. Read more on EPA's site at this link:

Idaho Utilities Fined by EPA for Clean Water Act Violations

CONGRATULATIONS, TED HONCHARIK AND PACIFIC TANK LINES

Congratulations to CWS operator Ted Honcharik, whose company Pacific Tank Lines was recently named "Carrier of the Year" by Chevron.

WELCOME, ATLAS DISPOSAL: NEW OPERATOR IN SACRAMENTO TERRITORY

Atlas Disposal joined the CWS operator network last month. A local Sacramento area waste hauler, Atlas will now add the CWS solution to its menu of job site services. Atlas will be participating in a region already served by Elk Grove Waste -- helping to ensure CWS's full penetration of the market.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Q: What do I need to know about NPDES permits?

NPDES, or National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, is a permitting process to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act. In most states (45 out of 50), the state determines the exact requirements for compliance. Because these permits include requirements for managing concrete washout waste and wastewater, monitoring your own state's permitting process is critical to your business.

In most states, the permit requirements are reevaluated and rewritten every three to five years. Whether your state currently has aggressive compliance requirements -- or very weak requirements -- you can help your own business (and the local environment) by staying informed and involving yourself in the process. As reported last month, CWS has been working with the California State Water Board to ensure that the damaging effects of concrete pollution are fully understood. We have also recently contacted the Georgia Department of Environmental Quality and the Georgia Governor’s Office to ensure awareness of the issue of concrete pollution.

For more information on how you can bring attention to concrete washout issues in your state, feel free to contact Joe Capko at {encode="[email protected]" title="[email protected]"} or Mark Jenkins at {encode="[email protected]" title="[email protected]."}


Quote of the month:

"A lie makes it half way around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."
- Winston Churchill

YouTube, EPA News, Major Haftek Job, Territory Reminder, Financing, Influencing Regulators

7/1/2008

 
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WS VIDEOS NOW ON YOUTUBE

Two of CWS's videos -- our introduction for builders and contractors, and our spot from "The Environmental Channel" providing an overview of the concrete washout problem CWS solves -- are now available on YouTube. Check them out at: CWS YouTube Video. (Special thanks to Reef Mowers of American Concrete Washouts for this excellent suggestion.)

BIG FINES FOR HOMEBUILDERS PUT SPOTLIGHT ON INCREASING EPA STORMWATER ENFORCEMENT

Increasing EPA enforcement of the Clean Water Act signals a growing opportunity for CWS and its licensed operators.

In the latest major example of tougher enforcement, four of the nation's top ten home builders -- KB Home, Richmond American, Centex and Pulte -- agreed in June to pay more than $4 million in EPA fines. The builders acknowledged that they violated the Clean Water Act because of inadequate stormwater protection programs at their construction sites in 34 states around the country. Concrete washout waste was one of the common water pollutants cited. Both the EPA and leading homebuilding executives have indicated that they expect the decision to lead to much greater attention to stormwater protection among all builders. The homebuilders involved in the settlement have already committed to extensive stormwater training for employees, as well as more detailed pre-project planning to control pollution.

This latest settlement comes on the heels of a $1.3 million fine levied on Home Depot in February for water pollution at new store construction sites. Wal-Mart was cited several years ago, and dramatically improved its stormwater policies as a result. Several local CWS operators have benefitted from opportunities to help Wal-Mart properly manage concrete waste and wastewater at its big-box store construction sites.

CWS LANDS HIGH-PROFILE PROJECT

Congratulations to Roger Haftek of Haftek CWS, whose company began work on one of the nation's most-anticipated construction projects last month. Haftek CWS is providing concrete washout services for the World Trade Center rebuild project in New York City.

REMINDER: YOUR CONTRACT DETERMINES YOUR OPERATING BOUNDARIES

If you became a licensed CWS operator before late 2007, please remember that your contract defines a specific geographic area in which you are authorized to offer the CWS solution -- and, by contract, you are permitted to offer the service only in your defined territory (unless a one-time exception is specifically granted by CWS).

New operators who joined in 2008 are part of the "CWS 2.0" program, which is much less geographically restrictive. Your contract does indicate some areas in which you are not authorized to offer service, but you may operate in any area that is not explicitly excluded.

We offer a conversion option for operators who'd like to take advantage of the 2.0 program and immediately expand their operating area. Please contact Joe Capko at {encode="[email protected]" title="[email protected]"} or (916) 607-0005 for more information. Please also contact Joe if you have any questions about what area your current contract permits you to serve.

WELCOME DIANE WILLIAMS

CWS welcomed Diane Williams to the team as our controller last month. She is your primary contact for billing-related questions. Her impressive background includes more than 10 years experience in construction accounting, including experience with general contractors, sub-contractors and environmental contractors. If you'd like to introduce yourself to Diane, please feel free to drop her a line at [email protected] .

NEW FINANCING RESOURCE

CWS has established an additional financing relationship with 1st Source Bank for operators making large bin orders. They're experienced in construction and environmental finance and can pre-approve loans for convenience. Contact Diane Williams, CWS Controller, for more information about this exciting new option.

QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH

Q: How can I get more local regulatory attention focused on concrete washout pollution?

A: As evidenced by the EPA settlement with the home builders, enforcement is improving. However, it's not happening at an equal pace in every market. If you're not seeing adequate enforcement in your market, it's important to keep raising the issue at every opportunity. The squeaky wheel does get more grease -- and, the good news with government behavior is, once enforcement picks up, it tends to stay in place, so the threat of penalties becomes much more real to your prospects and existing customers.

Concrete Washout Systems' CEO Mark Jenkins recently wrote a letter to our own California Water Board that might be helpful to you in bringing more attention to concrete wastewater as an important pollution control issue. It lays out all the issues, so that our state officials understand the extent of the problem (as well as how we can easily and inexpensively solve it). We suggest you forward this letter to your own local authorities, with an introduction from you and your company as local providers of the Concrete Washout Systems solution.

To download Mark's letter, click here: Water_Board_Letter_-_Jenkins.pdf

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