Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501060063
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There's enough rules and regulations on the books to keep the environmental industry - consultants, engineers, recyclers and others - flourishing.
Jim Conner, general manager at Cycle Systems Inc., expects to add 15 or 20 people to his work force of 180 at Roanoke's largest recycling facility.
``Everybody wants to recycle,'' said Conner, adding that people are more aware of environmental issues and of the rising cost of dumping garbage in new landfills.
Last year, the demand for corrugated paper and mixed paper skyrocketed, along with the price. The reason, Conner thinks, is because a number of paper mills, like Westvaco Corp. in Covington, came on-line with equipment that uses waste paper. He said other paper mills are likely to make the switch next year, sustaining the demand for paper.
``The end result is, it's good for curbside recycling programs,'' which are often burdened with trying to get rid of paper, Conner said.
Demand for waste plastic, glass and metal also increased, partly because of export markets, and Conner expects that increase to continue. Cycle Systems, based in Roanoke with operations in Richmond, will likely increase this year's revenue of $20 million by 10 to 15 percent, he said.
John Mycock, executive vice president of ETS International Inc., was likewise optimistic about growth in the environmental consulting and engineering industry.
Some requirements of the federal Clean Air Act were passed five years ago but are just becoming reality. That will keep ETS in business for some time to come, Mycock said.
The Roanoke-based worldwide company does everything from ``climbing smokestacks and taking samples'' to taking client companies through the arduous task of getting an air pollution permit.
In Virginia alone, between 700 and 1,000 companies will have to get special air permits within the next year, Mycock said. Another 1,000 will have to get permits soon after.
ETS International is actually three companies: ETS Inc. primarily does air pollution permitting and control; ETS Analytical Services Inc. does lab testing for soil and water; and ETS Water and Waste Management Inc. does mostly infrastructure construction, like sewer and gas lines.
Revenues from the first two companies will reach about $5 million for the year at the end of May, Mycock said, and he expects that to grow.
The environmental industry is driven chiefly by government-generated rules, but Mycock said ETS is not necessarily blown about by political winds at the state or federal level.
The Superfund law, which targets the country's worst hazardous waste sites for cleanup, is up for reauthorization, and there's a move among conservatives to weaken the 1980 law, which may cut into ETS's lab work where Superfund samples are tested.
But the company is focusing on its industrial clients, who continue to need emission control equipment, monitoring, water sampling and other services. Further, Mycock said, ETS is expanding its training seminars to educate industries and localities.
One of the hot topics for next year, he said, is pollution prevention.
by CNB