Saturday, February 04, 2006

More use of documents would have helped landfill article

Joplin Globe reporter Susan Redden's article on the proposed opening of the Southwest Regional Landfill in Jasper County could have used more documentation.
The story of Advantage Waste's efforts to gain state approval to open the facility is one that benefits greatly from the use of documents from various state and federal agencies as I showed earlier this month in two posts on the subject.
I pointed out that the timing of Advantage's push was somewhat suspicious and noted, as Ms. Redden did, the lawsuit filed by Allied Waste against Advantage in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Using loan and incorporation documents from the Missouri secretary of state's office, as well as filings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, the Turner Report showed stronger connections than originally indicated between Allied Waste and Advantage owner Craig H. Post.
Post's company, as I pointed out, did not exist until after a federal court ordered Allied Waste to divest itself of Springfield trash routes and the Southwest Regional Landfill as part of an an antitrust action filed after Allied agreed to buy BFI. Post confirmed that to Ms. Redden, but said it was approved by the Department of Justice. That may very well be so, but I would love to hear that from someone with the Department of Justice, especially since an Allied filing with the SEC last year indicates the company still owns the company that is now CHP Environmental, also owned by Post and his father, and also still lists the Southwest Regional Landfill as one of its possessions.
Documents do not always tell the entire truth, but when the environment is at stake, it pays to take every possible precaution before taking such a momentous step as permitting a company to own and operate a landfill.
Links to the earlier Turner Report posts on this subject are listed below:
Documents cloud Advantage Waste issue
Timing of Jasper County landfill push is suspicious

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