Waste Management

Learn more about corporations VOTING to rewrite our laws.

Waste Management Inc. (WMI) "is the leading provider of comprehensive waste and environmental services in North America." [1] Peter Montague, Ph.D. provides an alternative perspective:

"Waste Management, Inc. (WMI), the nation's largest waste hauler, owns and operates at least 115 landfills nationwide. The company owns a part interest in many other dumps. At a time when it is univerally recognized that landfills pollute the environment, WMI is our most aggressive and committed landfiller. Many, if not all, WMI landfill sites seem likely to become superfund sites in the future. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will then hire a contracter to try to clean up these sites at substantial cost to the taxpayer. One major contractor in the superfund cleanup business is Waste Management, Inc., and they have, in the past, won EPA contracts to clean up sites that they themselves contaminated. In the muddied moral environment of official Washington, such arrangements hardly even raise eyebrows anymore.

"On the basis of their landfill operations alone, we believe it is correct to characterize WMI as the nation's largest polluter. A study of the waste hauling industry in 1986 by the Council on Economic Priorities also found that Waste Management is the least law abiding waste hauler in America. They have a record of environmental violations unparalleled among waste haulers.

"For the last five years WMI has been conducting a public relations program to blunt efforts by the environmental community to curb the company's worst excesses. WMI's latest endeavor involves direct payments to environmental organizations. Here is a partial list of the groups that applied for, and received, funding from Waste Management, Inc. during 1987 and 1988: National Audubon Society (New York), $35,000; National Wildlife Federation (Washington, DC), $35,000; Center for Environmental Education (Washington, DC), $25,000; California Environmental Trust, $15,000; Inform, Inc. (New York), $10,000; General Federation of Women's Clubs (Washington, DC), $1,000; The Nature Conservancy (Arlington, VA), $70,000; Sierra Club of California, $1,500; The Wilderness Society (Washington, DC), $5,000; Conservation Foundation (Washington, DC), $10,000; Keystone Center (Keystone, Colorado), $20,000; Natural Resources Defense Council (New York), $10,000; Environmental Law Institute (Washington, DC), $15,000; National Wildlife Federation, $2,500; World Resources Institute (Washington, DC), $5,000; Izaak Walton League (Arlington, VA) $3,000." [2]

In 2010, Waste Management purchased a controlling share in Garick LLC, a company that produces, packages, and transports compost, soils, and mulches, and provides consulting on the composting industry.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

Waste Management has been a corporate funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). See ALEC Corporations for more.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

People

• David P. Steiner Chief Executive Officer
• Lawrence O'Donnell, III President and Chief Operating Officer
• Robert G. Simpson Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - Previously, he was Director of Federal Taxes for Phillip Morris with the Kraft General Foods Division
• Richard T. Felago Senior Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Strategy
• Jeff Harris Senior Vice President, Midwest Group - Prior to joining WM in 1999, he worked 17 years with Browning Ferris Industries, Inc. and served 4 years with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
• Duane C. Woods Senior Vice President, Western Group
• James E. Trevathan Senior Vice President, Eastern Group
• David R. Hopkins Senior Vice President, Southern Group - Prior to joining WM, Hopkins was Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer for Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc.
• Patrick J. DeRueda President, Waste Management Recycle America - Prior to joining Waste Management, DeRueda worked with Browning-Ferris Industries for 14 years.
• Mark A. Weidman President of Wheelabrator Technologies Inc.
• Rick L Wittenbraker Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
• David A. Aardsma Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
• Lynn M. Caddell Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
• Barry H. Caldwell Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications - Prior to joining WM, Caldwell was Vice President, Government Relations for CIGNA Corporation. Previously, he was Vice President, Federal Affairs for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and Chief of Staff to US Senator Arlen Specter.
• Jimmy D. LaValley Senior Vice President, People
• James T. Schultz Senior Vice President, Employee and Customer Engagement
• Carlton Yearwood Vice President, Corporate Human Resources, Business Ethics and Chief Diversity Officer - Prior to joining WM, Yearwood was Managing Director of Diversity for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Previously, he was Director of Diversity for The Allstate Insurance Company.
• Cherie C. Rice Vice President, Finance and Treasurer

Source

Related SourceWatch Resources

• EPA's Revolving Door
• Charles J. McDermott
• Patrick Gross
• Gary M. Petersen

Contact

Web: http://www.wm.com