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Casella Waste Systems has agreed to a list of reforms after the company was found to be in violation of New York State’s antitrust laws. State attorney General Eric Schneiderman says Casella unlawfully restrained competition through its restrictive contracting practices. The contracts under question involved the collection and disposal of solid waste from dumpsters. The Vermont-based waste management company does business across New York State, but is especially prevalent in Cattaraugus Chautauqua and Allegany counties. The company also operates in several places in Pennsylvania, including McKean County. One of the instances Schneiderman pointed out was that contracts required that the company serve as the exclusive provider to all customers’ waste hauling services for five years. Early termination of the contracts would result in customers paying up to six times the amount of their monthly bill. Besides the reforms, Casella also has to pay a $100,000 penalty to the state. The...

Casella Waste Management will be getting nearly $7 million to build a rail siding transfer station along the Buffalo & Pittsburgh rail line at the McKean COunty Landfill. Money for the Rail Transportation Assistance Program comes from the new Multi-Modal Fund, created by the state’s new transportation funding program. In all, $33.4 million was approved for rail projects across the state. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

MOUNT JEWETT – Paving work will get underway Monday on Hutchins Drive in the Hutchins area of McKean County. The work zone stretches for about one mile in Sergeant Township, south of the McKean County Landfill. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday crews will perform full-depth reclamation work, with the addition of a cement stabilization agent. Flaggers will be in the road to direct an alternating traffic pattern. Motorists need to remain alert for flaggers, sudden stops, and short travel delays. When work is complete, this section of the road will re-open to two-way traffic. Once the road treatment cures, a three-inch asphalt overlay will be placed. That paving is scheduled for the week of Oct. 7, weather permitting. Completion of the overlay work is expected by Oct. 12. All work is weather and schedule dependent. Allan A. Myers, a company of American Infrastructure, is the contractor for this $500,000 roadway improvement, which is being funded by Shell Exploration & Production C...

A partnership between Casella Waste Systems and Altela Inc., a privately held water desalination company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is expected to provide a solution to environmental issues surrounding treatment of fracking fluid from Marcellus Shale drilling. Casella-Altela Regional Environmental Services will recycle oilfield and natural gas wastewater into clean distilled water for future use. The company says the clean water will be the same quality as rainwater and can be recycled or reused in oil and gas operations. The first location will be at the Casella-owned landfill in McKean County. The company says placement of the treatment facility there will allow them to provide resource solutions to drilling companies. Since the Mount Jewett-area site is adjacent to an existing rail spur, the facility will enable both transport of large frac flowback water volumes to the site and clean treated water back to customers throughout Pennsylvania and New York, with minimal truck traffic. ...

Casella Waste Systems of Vermont has acquired the landfill in McKean County for half a million dollars in cash, and the assumption of certain contractual obligations. The company estimates the net present value of assumed contractual obligations and closure and post closure liabilities at about $4.2 million. The deal was finalized on Thursday, and was announced today. Casella chairman and CEO John Casella says acquiring the landfill out of bankruptcy proceedings adds a great strategic asset in the company’s western region, and allows Casella to minimize transportation costs and maximize permit utilization. http://ir.casella.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=553671