The Greening of Louisiana’s Economy · 2019. 3. 25. · practices also greatly influence how a society’s waste creation will impact the environment. This report will focus on

Louisiana Workforce Commissionwww.LMI.LaWorks.net/Green

September 2011

The Greening of Louisiana’s Economy:the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Sector

This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not neces-sarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

In 2009, Louisiana and Mississippi partnered to research economic

development opportunities and workforce needs associated with

the region’s green economy. Through a $2.3 million grant from the

U.S. Department of Labor, a consortium of the Louisiana Workforce

Commission, Louisiana State University, Mississippi Department of

Employment Security, and Mississippi State University conducted

an extensive study of economic activity that is beneficial to the

environment. This and other research products were developed as

part of that effort.

The Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Sector

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Description of Sector ................................................................................................ iiIntroduction to the Green Component of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Sector ............... 1Green Goods and Services ....................................................................................... 2 Renewable Energy ............................................................................................. 2 Energy Efficiency................................................................................................ 4 Greenhouse Gas Reduction ............................................................................... 4 Pollution Prevention and Cleanup ..................................................................... 4 Recycling and Waste Reduction ........................................................................ 5 Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation and Coastal Restoration .................................................................................... 6 Education, Compliance, Public Awareness and Training................................... 6Green Business Practices ........................................................................................ 7 Renewable Energy ............................................................................................. 7 Energy Efficiency................................................................................................ 7 Greenhouse Gas Reduction ............................................................................... 9 Pollution Prevention and Cleanup ..................................................................... 9 Recycling and Waste Reduction ........................................................................ 9 Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation and Coastal Restoration .................................................................................. 10 Education, Compliance, Public Awareness and Training................................. 10Economic Factors .................................................................................................... 10Public Policy ............................................................................................................ 11Technology .............................................................................................................. 12Job Growth and Workforce Development .............................................................. 12Key Players ............................................................................................................. 15Notes ....................................................................................................................... 16

Contents

On the cover: corrugated fiberboardPhoto CCPL: Joost J. Bakker

The Greening of Louisiana’s Economy

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Description of Sector

a A primary green job is defined as one where more than 50 percent of an employee’s time is devoted to one of the seven green activity categories: renewable energy; energy efficiency; greenhouse gas reduction; pollution reduction and clean-up; recycling and waste reduction; sustainable agriculture, natural resource conservation and coastal restoration; and education, compliance, public awareness and training supporting the other categories.

b Support green jobs are defined as those essential to an organization’s involvement in one of the activity categories, but not requiring more than 50 percent of an employee’s effort.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) describes the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector, NAICS 56, as providing commonplace support activities for the day-to-day operations of other organizations; activities that are handled in-house by establishments in many other sectors of the economy. Examples of services provided include office administration, human resources management, clerical services, cleaning and waste disposal. Firms in this sector are not, however, involved in strategic decision-making roles. Those duties fall within NAICS 55, the Management of Companies and Enterprises sector.1 In Louisiana, this sector employs 90,942 people representing 4.9 percent of total nonfarm employment.2 In 2009, private entities in the sector were responsible for $4.76 billion, or 2.3 percent of Louisiana’s gross state product.3

The Louisiana Green Jobs Survey was conducted during the fourth quarter of 2010 as part of this research effort to quantify and characterize the green economy in Louisiana. The survey provides a baseline measure of green employment. The survey results show an estimated 30,205 primary green jobsa in Louisiana across all sectors, which represent 1.6 percent of Louisiana’s nonfarm employment. An estimated 67,591 support green jobsb raises the total number of jobs involved in green activity categories to 97,796 jobs or 5.3 percent of nonfarm employment. The survey found that Louisiana’s Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector accounted for 4,992 primary green jobs and 3,316 support green jobs. These survey results reveal that 9.1 percent of jobs in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector are green with 5.5 percent primary green jobs and 3.6 percent support green jobs.


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Introduction to the Green Component of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services Sector

The Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector provides a wide range of ongoing support services to businesses in other industries. Many of the services provided by this sector were formerly handled in-house, but have been contracted out to increase efficiency. Examples of these services include clerical support, cleaning, landscaping, travel arrangements, security and human resources assistance. The other primary groups of businesses found in this sector are those providing waste management and remediation services. These businesses collect, treat, dispose of and remediate the wide variety of waste products created by residential, commercial, medical, construction and industrial activities.

The support services provided to businesses by this sector can be helpful in a company’s pursuit of a more sustainable business operation. Waste and remediation services establishments within this sector play an even more crucial role in determining the overall sustainability of an economy. Waste management and remediation is an inelegant necessity, but through the goods and services these businesses offer and the manner in which they operate, they can help distinguish what is waste and what is a resource. Their business practices also greatly influence how a society’s waste creation will impact the environment.

This report will focus on the environmentally beneficial activities of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector in Louisiana in two major areas: goods and services, and business practices. Discussions of this sector’s involvement in environmentally beneficial activities will be provided where significant involvement by the industry is found. As with other components of this project, green was defined based on seven green activity categories:

1. Renewable Energy

2. Energy Efficiency

3. Greenhouse Gas Reduction

4. Pollution Reduction and Cleanup

5. Recycling and Waste Reduction

6. Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation and Coastal Restoration

7. Education, Compliance, Public Awareness and Training Supporting the Other Categories

Each activity category includes: the research, development, production and distribution of a final good or service; the supply of unique parts or inputs to a final good or service; and production processes and business practices regardless of the final good or service produced. The table on the next page indicates which environmentally beneficial categories will be featured in this report.


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Renewable Energy

Energy Efficiency

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Pollution Prevention & Clean Up

Waste Reduction & Recycling

Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation, & Coastal Restoration

Education, Compliance, Public Awareness & Training

Goods & Services • • • • •

Business Practices • • • • • •

Green Goods and Services

The goods and services offered by the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector are primarily concentrated in the areas of renewable energy, pollution prevention and cleanup, and waste reduction and recycling. As the primary managers and collectors of waste and recyclable materials, this sector is an important player in the development of more-sustainable practices and goods provided by other industries. This sector is also finding new ways to convert waste into sources of energy. In the wake of environmental disasters such as the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, this sector’s expertise in waste management helped to ensure that soiled cleanup supplies were properly handled, disposed of or recycled. Establishments in this sector, primarily supporting the day-to-day business operations of offices and other types of facilities, are also able to distinguish themselves from the competition by paying special attention to the environmental impacts associated with their services. Cleaning services and landscaping services in particular can assist their clients in creating a healthier and more environmentally sustainable workplace.

Renewable Energy

Expanding availability of renewable energy and increasing numbers of businesses providing this energy to customers are creating specialized workforce needs. Within the administrative and employment support services of this sector, some firms are offering staffing services tailored to meet the needs of renewable energy businesses. In Northern California, one such staffing agency exclusively serves the needs of solar, wind and biofuel businesses.4 Their expertise began by filling the niche needs of what was then the emerging semi-conductor industry, and they have since evolved to provide the specialized green collar workers for renewable energy companies. Similar establishments could emerge in Louisiana if the renewable energy market develops further. It is imaginable that they could facilitate the matching of skills honed in other industries with the needs of new green industries.


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Waste management and remediation organizations are providing renewable energy goods and services in two different ways: by converting captured gases from landfills into usable methane and by operating specialized facilities that convert waste directly into energy. Landfill operations create energy when the buried trash decomposes and releases methane gas. That gas can then be collected, filtered and piped to end users.5 According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there were 526 operational projects generating landfill gas in the United States as of October 2010. These facilities produced enough energy to power 1.7 million homes. In Louisiana, there are seven fully operational facilities producing energy from landfill gas located in Baton Rouge, Welsh, Avondale, Zachary, Westwego and two in Keithville. Louisiana is also home to seven other facilities that the EPA has classified as “candidates” for such systems which means that landfill gas-to-energy projects are either planned, being investigated, or that the facility meets certain waste volume requirements.6 These candidate facilities are located in Sorrento, Berwick, Monroe, Torbert, Washington, Independence and Walker. According to the EPA, the Baton Rouge landfill gas project produces 757 standard cubic feet per minute of natural gas, annual energy savings equivalent to heating 2,600 homes.7

An example of a landfill gas-to-energy project of special interest to Louisiana is Honeywell International’s chemical manufacturing facility in Hopewell, Virginia. To help supplement the natural gas energy and feedstock needs of its facility, a 23 mile pipeline was constructed from a Waste Management, Inc. landfill to the chemical plant.8

Baton Rouge curbside recycling program.Photo © Recycling Foundation of Baton Rouge.


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In addition to producing usable natural gas from landfills, waste management and remediation, businesses are also involved in waste-to-energy facilities. In 2010, there were 86 waste-to-energy facilities operating in 24 states.9 One such operation is currently planned for the New Orleans area. Sun Energy Group, LLC is building the capability to generate electricity from solid waste. According to the company, they hope to help communities develop “environmentally friendly and economically advantageous solutions to their waste disposal and power needs.” When the facility opens in mid-2011, it will transform 4,000 tons of municipal solid waste a day into the energy necessary to power 60,000 homes through a technology called plasma gasification. The plasma gasification process results in no gaseous emissions while the waste is being destroyed. It produces a synthetic, low Btu fuel and a “molten stream of lava like substance” that is later molded into construction materials. Sun Energy also pledges to employ the latest recycling technology to cull reusable glass and plastic from their waste stream both for the positive environmental impact and reasons associated with their technical processes.10

Energy Efficiency

No evidence of significant involvement for this activity category was found in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector.


An additional advantage of landfill gas-to-energy projects at waste management facilities is the beneficial use of a greenhouse gas. According to the EPA, methane is 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.11 Without landfill gas-to-energy initiatives, the methane released from landfills can find its way into the atmosphere.

Pollution Prevention and Cleanup

The cleaning and other janitorial services offered by establishments in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector can contribute to the environmental performance of client businesses, particularly in pollution prevention and cleanup. Conventional cleaning products often contain chemicals that can irritate eyes, skin and the lungs. They can also contain hazardous materials that are released into the environment during normal use and through evaporation. Not only can these volatile ingredients harm janitorial workers and indoor environments, but they can also contribute to the toxicity of waters harming aquatic life by causing chemical disruptions to their lifecycles or by contributing to nutrient loading, which can deplete oxygen levels and alter ecosystems.12 So-called “green cleaning supplies” are less hazardous. They typically are biodegradable, low in volatile organic compounds, made from renewable resources, nontoxic to aquatic life, and minimally flammable.13 The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for existing buildings emphasizes green building operations, maintenance and retrofits. Green cleaning practices are specifically outlined and credited under the system.14 Therefore, when cleaning services utilize “green” cleaning supplies they can assist with a facility’s procurement of LEED status.

Companies in Louisiana providing green cleaning services include Commercial Janitorial and Enviroquest. Commercial Janitorial is a national company based in Louisiana offering Green Seal Certified chemicals to serve medical offices, restaurants and bars, industrial and manufacturing facilities, government and educational buildings, retail, commercial office


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c Leachate is a solution that results from the percolation of rainwater and other liquids through a landfill.

space, and entertainment venues.15 Enviroquest is a Lafayette firm serving the Acadiana and Baton Rouge areas that offers green cleaning programs in addition to conventional cleaning services.16

The pollution prevention and cleanup services offered by the waste management and remediation service industries of this sector became especially valuable in response to the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The waste created by that event included: contaminated boom, rags and personal protective equipment; oil tainted debris, soil, vegetation and dead wildlife; tar balls; wash-off fluids; skimmed oil; and many others.17 Many waste management firms in the state were already permitted, approved and equipped to receive the various waste products resulting from oil and gas activities. Following the spill, Colonial landfill in Sorrento, River Birch in Avondale, and Tidewater in Venice began receiving solid wastes from the oil spill and cleanup effort. The three landfills were selected by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for their safety record and leachatec collection systems.18 This sector also provides regular remediation services including:

• Cleanup, treatment and disposal of soils and groundwater contaminated by spills, releases and leaks of hazardous materials

• Cleanup, treatment and disposal of soils and groundwater contaminated by leaking underground fuel storage tanks

• Cleanup, treatment and disposal of soils and groundwater at legacy sites contaminated by historical disposal practices (e.g. RCRA sites, Superfund sites)

• EPA Brownfields Program - remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites for commercial use

Recycling and Waste Reduction

This sector includes establishments that are responsible for the handling, managing and disposal of wastes. Establishments in this sector provide waste services to municipalities, commercial facilities and industrial sites. Through contracts with municipal governments, this sector makes recycling services available throughout Louisiana. Lafayette, Baton Rouge and Shreveport currently offer curbside recycling to all of their city residents. New Orleans had curbside recycling before Hurricane Katrina, but experienced a long hiatus after the storm. Curbside service is expected to resume, however, in May 2011.19 Many other locations in Louisiana such as Tangipahoa Parish, Vermilion Parish, St. Charles Parish, the city of Lake Charles, and the city of Alexandria have drop-off recycling available. The city of Shreveport also operates a yard waste composting program. Yard waste is collected and managed until it becomes a valuable soil amendment that is later offered to the public as “Shrevepost.”20

Republic Services, parent company of Allied Waste and BFI, operates three municipal recycling centers in the state located in Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Metairie,21 and Waste Management, Inc. operates the recycling center in Lafayette.22


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Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation and Coastal Restoration

A recycling service unique to Louisiana that is made possible by cooperation from the waste management industry and public administration entities is the annual Christmas tree recycling program used to fortify the state’s fragile coastal wetlands. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Restoration Division initiated a program in 1989 to create a Christmas tree fence in the LaBranche wetlands of St. Charles Parish, a program that has since spread to many of the other coastal parishes.23 Trees are collected curbside from residents across Louisiana. They are processed and then placed in a “pen” at fragile marsh sites. The trees placed in the pen create a kind of fence that acts as a wave break to slow the erosion of wetland areas on the coast.

Education, Compliance, Public Awareness and Training

No evidence of significant involvement for this activity category was found in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector.

The city of Shreveport operates a yard waste composting program. Yard waste is collected and managed until it becomes a valuable soil amendment that is later offered to the public as “Shrevepost.”Photo CCPL: normanack/www.flickr.com/photos/29278394@N00/.


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Green Business Practices

The largest contributor to the environmental footprint of this sector is the creation and maintenance of waste management and remediation facilities, with landfills being the most recognizable example. Through the development of sustainable business practices and management strategies, these facilities can provide valuable improvements to the environmental footprint of the entire sector. Their size and location make them candidates for the development of wind energy and wildlife protection. The natural byproducts of waste management can also be harnessed as another renewable power source for onsite use or resale. The sector is also adopting technologies that improve the energy efficiency of its vehicles and remove barriers to client participation in recycling efforts.

Renewable Energy

Waste management and remediation companies are not only producing energy from the landfills they operate for external clients, but utilizing the power source for their own operations as well. According to the Environmental Industry Association, garbage trucks are adopting alternative fuels at a faster rate than any other truck sector in the country.24 A growing number of these vehicles are being fueled by the natural gas created inside landfills, known as biomethane. Waste Management, Inc. began using biomethane to fuel its vehicles in 2009 and plans on purchasing 100 liquefied natural gas powered vehicles in 2010.25

Landfill operations are also benefitting from wind and solar power applications. At Waste Management, Inc. facilities, wind and solar power are used to drive landfill gas control devices and leachate extractor pumps.26 Wind turbines and solar collectors are also being installed to produce and sell excess power. The Altamont landfill in California includes 180 turbines producing an average of 11 megawatts of power. Renewable power is also being applied to other aspects of waste collection. Waste Management, Inc. has developed solar-powered trash and recyclables compactors for use in high-traffic urban areas. As the receptacle is filled, the solar panels power compactors that improve the storage capacity of the receptacle by five times. When the receptacle does get full, a wireless system indicates that it is ready for pick up.27

Energy Efficiency

A major component of the waste management and remediation service industries is waste collection. These collection efforts require a fleet of vehicles traveling to client facilities or to the homes of residential customers. Because there is such a strong transportation component to these businesses, improvements to fuel efficiency are accompanied by cost savings. New York City, Chicago, Denver, Fort Worth and Houston have all begun testing hybrid garbage trucks and recycling trucks. Hybrid systems for garbage and recycling collection are designed to work alongside the special requirements of garbage collection: regenerative braking technologies and automatic engine start/stop systems to conserve fuel or charge batteries during the frequent stops made during collection.28


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Waste Management employee monitors the gas capture system at a landfill.Photo © Waste Management.


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The waste management and remediation service industry is not associated with high levels of carbon dioxide production although it does rely on trucks to collect waste, recyclables and compost that produce CO2. The greenhouse gas most associated with this sector is methane. According to the EPA, municipal solid waste landfills are the United States’ second largest source of human-related methane emissions (22 percent of 2008 emissions).29 The sector has been improving its ability to capture, utilize or sell these methane emissions as a green power source. Other techniques have also been introduced in the management of landfills to help limit these emissions. Flaring the gas on site, for example, helps to cut emissions in half. The environmental services industry also reports success with microbial methane oxidation, which involves specialized bacteria inside the landfill’s cover that help consume the methane before it is released.30 The EPA also offers a landfill methane outreach program to provide voluntary assistance to landfill managers to help reduce these emissions and develop systems to collect and utilize the gas.31

Pollution Prevention and Cleanup

Pollution prevention is an important aspect of proper waste management. Modern landfills are highly engineered structures that have been permitted and conscientiously situated to avoid potential environmental damages. Regulations help to ensure that they are located in geologically appropriate areas, that liners and membranes are put in place to protect groundwater, that environmental conditions are monitored, and that operating practices ensure maximum protections to public health and the environment.32 Rules govern what wastes are acceptable for deposit in landfills with household hazardous waste and “white goods” (appliances such as refrigerators and window air conditioners that contain potentially dangerous coolants) reserved for special handling.

Waste management and remediation companies can also contribute to pollution prevention efforts by transitioning to cleaner-burning vehicles. Most of the 140,000 garbage trucks in the United States are diesel powered and have benefitted from the adoption of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel standardized by the EPA in 2006. Trucks in some markets are also using a variety of biodiesel blends to further reduce engine particulate and airborne emissions.33

Landscaping and janitorial service providers can also play an important role in the prevention of pollution at client sites. By carefully training their employees on proper chemical use, storage and disposal, and through environmentally preferred purchasing of fertilizers, pesticides and cleaning supplies, these support service providers can help protect against pollution.

Recycling and Waste Reduction

Improvements to the business practices of waste management and remediation businesses can help increase public participation in recycling efforts. The introduction of single-stream recycling has simplified the recycling process for residents by allowing all materials to be placed into a single receptacle. By eliminated the necessity of sorting materials or separate containers, recycling has become more accessible.

This sector is also working with manufacturers to help reduce waste. Waste Management, Inc. partnered with Tropicana, Dean Foods and the Carton Council to launch an initiative to


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recycle plastic/paper juice containers. Through a new process, Waste Management is able to separate the paper and plastic layers from the cartons and recover the paper fibers for new uses.34

Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation and Coastal Restoration

Landfill operations can be large and are often located away from population centers. These conditions also mean they can interfere with wildlife areas and other natural resources. In 2007, Waste Management, Inc. set a goal of certifying at least 100 of its facilities with the Wildlife Habitat Council and establishing another 25,000 acres for conservation and habitat by 2020. By the end of 2009, the company had already set aside 24,000 acres for conservation and by 2010, they had reached 100 wildlife-certified facilities.35

Education, Compliance, Public Awareness and Training

Achieving and maintaining compliance with environmental protections and regulations is a major undertaking for waste management and remediation service providers. Obtaining the proper permits for landfill operations can take five to seven years and cost millions of dollars.36 Establishing a landfill or other waste disposal site also requires extensive environmental studies and engineering designs in order to ensure optimal protections for human health and the environment.

Economic Factors

This sector’s involvement in environmentally beneficial activities is heavily influenced by economic factors. As their clients become more environmentally conscious as a result of consumer demand or regulation, there are expanding opportunities for establishments in this sector to specialize in providing traditional services like waste disposal, recruiting services or janitorial and landscape services in a more environmentally responsible fashion. There are also opportunities to offer new products and green their own business practices through more efficient utilization of byproducts like methane in gas-to-energy systems.

Instituting a program to produce electricity from methane or sell it directly can help offset the cost of systems required for managing landfill methane.37 Systems that can produce energy from landfills still require significant financial investments. According to the EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program, the installed capital costs of a landfill gas collection and flare system is close to $24,000 per acre with annual operation and maintenance costs of $4,100 per acre. The electricity-generating equipment required to return the gas to the power grid also carries costs that vary with the size of the project. Direct-use systems can avoid the cost of electricity-producing equipment but are only viable if end users are near enough to the landfill where the gas is produced. Direct-use systems can be designed to use the gas to power boilers, heaters or furnaces. These arrangements, however, require gas compression, pipelines, condensate management and possible equipment modification by the end user.38

Return on investment from these projects depends heavily on buy-back rates established by utilities, which the EPA estimates at between 2.5 and 7 cents per kilowatt-hour.39 Premium pricing for renewable energy or greenhouse gas credits can also add value to this commodity


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in applications that assist utilities with meeting Renewable Portfolio Standard agreements, provide renewable energy certificates or provide carbon credits. Efforts to ensure financial returns on landfill gas-to-energy projects also help encourage additional environmental benefits through zealous efforts to capture and process all available methane resources.

Public Policy

Policy and regulatory actions also play an important role in encouraging the environmentally beneficial actions of the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector. Before landfills can be sited and built, a number of environmental regulations and protection rules must be satisfied. Additionally, the Clean Air Act requires many landfill owners to collect and flare methane emissions. Owners and operators of these regulated facilities may choose to install landfill gas-to-energy systems to beneficially use the methane and potentially profit from its production.40 Landfill operators will also soon be subject to the EPA’s greenhouse gas reporting program. The program mandates annual reporting of methane generation, emissions and destruction, as well as carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions. The first reports under the program are due to the EPA by March 31, 2011.41

Federal incentives for the production and utilization of landfill gas include the Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) passed in 1992 and amended in 2005 and the

LSU Recycling Bin.Photo © Kaju Sarkar.


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Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC) most recently renewed in 2009. Nonprofit electrical companies, public utilities, state governments and native corporations selling electricity are eligible for REPI. Qualifying operations can receive annual payments of 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour of renewable power produced for the first 10 years of operation.42 The PTC is a similar incentive for commercial and industrial establishments that will pay 1.1 cents per kilowatt hour of renewable electricity produced by landfill gas for the first 10 years of service.43 Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, those eligible under PTC are able to take the federal business energy investment tax credit or receive a grant from the U.S. Treasury for new installations in place of PTC incentives.

Technology

Technology is a key driver for improving the affordability and effectiveness of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs established by the waste management and remediation service industries of this sector. Improvements to hybrid technologies and engines designed to operate on alternative fuels are helping to make energy efficient garbage and recycling trucks more functional and affordable. New technology can also help recover new materials for recycling. Advances are also helping landfills collect and use landfill gas more efficiently. “Bioreactors” are newly designed landfills in which liquids are added to the waste and circulated to encourage faster decomposition (and methane production).44

Job Growth and Workforce Development

Considering primary and support jobs, green employment in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector is projected to increase by 14.8 percent over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2020. In the first year, green employment is expected to increase from 8,308 in 2010 to 8,455 in 2011. The increase in green employment in 2011 is larger than subsequent years as a result of additional stimulus funding. Following 2011, growth in green jobs is expected to occur consistently over the projection horizon. Green employment is expected to increase to 8,578 in 2012 and 8,924 in 2015. Green employment is expected to continue increasing at a similar rate beyond 2015, reaching a total of 9,535 in 2020.

This growth in green employment is significantly faster than anticipated growth in total employment in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector. The most recent industry projections for Louisiana estimate that total employment will increase by 7.6 percent over the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018. Those 2018 projections were revised in 2011 to reflect new information available since the initial projections release including new developments identified through the Green Jobs Consortium research effort.

Green activities in the Administrative and Support Service industries of this sector are not expected to create significant growth in total jobs. Establishments within this sector may


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expand their service offerings to provide green cleaning, landscaping or travel services in order to appeal to client requests, but those changes are likely to reflect more of a gradual greening of existing jobs than a wholesale shift to new types of positions. Establishments that do adopt green services as a part of their portfolio will likely need to train their existing workforce to use new, environmentally sensitive products and practices. These trainings will likely be done in-house rather than requiring outside certifications or education.

Businesses in Waste Management and Remediation Services industries will likely rely on more highly skilled and trained staff to operate and maintain renewable energy projects at their facilities, but only to the extent that methane flares and conversion projects are actually adopted. Louisiana could see growth if the potential and capable landfill sites decide to implement landfill gas systems.

Finally, it should be noted that the anticipated employment growth of green jobs in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services sector will be comprised of a combination of the creation of new green jobs and the gradual greening of existing jobs. While the contribution of each factor has yet to be determined, training

Energy generators using landfill gas.Photo © Waste Management.


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providers should consider the unique training needs brought on by each of these changes. For some green occupations, existing workers will need training to enhance their skills. For other occupations, curricula may be needed to provide a more comprehensive training for new workers or those entering a new occupation.

Key Players

Air and Waste Management Association: www.awma.org Professional organization that provides development, networking and knowledge building services to members in 65 countries.

Employees at Baton Rouge recycling sorting facility.Photo © Recycling Foundation of Baton Rouge.


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National Solid Wastes Management Association: www.environmentalisteveryday.org

Waste Equipment Technology Association: www.environmentalisteveryday.org

Landfill Methane Outreach Program: www.epa.gov/lmop U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program providing voluntary assistance to landfill managers with methane emissions reduction. Promotes and assists with the landfill-to-energy systems.

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality: www.deq.louisiana.gov Louisiana state agency responsible for the regulation of solid and hazardous wastes.

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.louisiana.gov Louisiana state agency responsible for the regulation of nonhazardous oil field wastes.

Louisiana Solid Waste Association: www.lswa.us Begun in 2004, the professional group pursues educational and training opportunities for those in the industry.

Republic Services, Inc.: www.republicservices.com One of the nation’s largest waste management companies. Operates Allied Waste services in Baton Rouge, Scott and Metairie as well as North Baton Rouge landfill in Zachary, Colonial landfill in Sorrento, and St. John pickup station in LaPlace.

SDT Waste & Debris Services: www.sdtwds.com Louisiana firm serving 25 cities and parishes in the state.

Waste Management, Inc.: www.wm.com Another of North America’s largest waste management firms. Active in Monroe, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Slidell, Raceland and Walker.


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1 “Sector 56—Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation.” North American Industry Classification System. U.S. Census Bureau. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/sssd/naics/naicsrch?code=56&search=2007%20NAICS%20Search>.

2 Louisiana. Louisiana Workforce Commission. Labor Market Information. Employment and Wages 2nd Quarter 2010. Louisiana Workforce Commission. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.laworks.net/LaborMarketInfo/LMI_WageData2002toPresent.asp?year=2010&qtr=2>.

3 United States. Department of Commerce. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Economic Downturn Widespread Among States in 2009: Advance 2009 and Revised 1963-2008 GDP-by-State Statistics. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2010. Regional Economic Accounts. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/gsp_newsrelease.htm>.

4 “Welcome to Certified Green Technologies.” Certified Green Technologies. Certified Business Service. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.certifiedgreentech.com/index.php>.

5 “Waste-based Renewable Energy.” Green Environmental Stewardship - Landfill Gas, Renewable Energy - Solid Waste Management - Environmentalists Every Day. Environmental Industry Associations: NSWMA & WASTEC. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/solid-waste-management/green-environmental-health-safety-stewardship/renewable-energy-landfill-gas.php>.

6 “Energy Projects and Candidate Landfills.” Landfill Methane Outreach Program. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/projects-candidates/index.html#map-area>.

7 “Landfill Gas Energy Project Profiles.” Landfill Gas Energy Project Profiles | LMOP | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/projects-candidates/profiles/eastbatonrougeparishlfgen.html>.

8 “Honeywell-renewable-energy-landfill-gas.” Solid Waste Management, America’s Solid Waste Industry - Environmentalists Everyday - Green Waste Disposal, Landfills, Green Energy. Environmental Industry Associations: NSWMA & WASTEC. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/solid-waste-management/green-waste-industry-professionals/Honeywell-renewable-energy-landfill-gas.php>.

9 “Waste-based Renewable Energy.” Green Environmental Stewardship - Landfill Gas, Renewable Energy - Solid Waste Management - Environmentalists Every Day. Environmental Industry Associations: NSWMA & WASTEC. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/solid-waste-management/green-environmental-health-safety-stewardship/renewable-energy-landfill-gas.php>.

10 “Renewable Energy: To Generate Electricity.” Sun Energy Group. Sun Energy Group. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.sunenergygrp.com/renewable_energy.shtml>.

11 “Methane | Climate Change | U.S. EPA.” Methane. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/methane/>.

12 “Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products | Environmentally Preferable Purchasing | US EPA.” Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/cleaning.htm>.

13 “Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products | Environmentally Preferable Purchasing | US EPA.” Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/cleaning.htm>.

14 “LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance Rating System.” USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council. U.S. Green Building Council, 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=221>.

15 “About Commercial Janitorial.” Commercial Janitorial. Commercial Janitorial. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.commercialjanitorial.com/about.aspx>.

16 “Our Services.” Enviroquest. Enviroquest. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.enviroquest.org/Services.html>. 17 United States. Environmental Protection Agency and Coast Guard. Recovered Oil/Waste Management Plan

Houma Incident Command. Waste Management on the Gulf Coastline. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/waste/r6_waste_plan_kmr20100615_1524.pdf>.

18 Buchanan, Susan. “Question: Where Is the Oil-spill Waste Disposed? Spill Waste Being Buried in Local Landfill but Not in Mississippi on The Louisiana Weekly.” Welcome to The Louisiana Weekly. Louisiana Weekly, 16 Aug. 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://www.louisianaweekly.com/news.php?viewStory=3170>.

19 Eggler, Bruce. “Large Recycling Bins May Not Fit in Older New Orleans Neighborhoods.” NOLA.com. New Orleans Net LLC, 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/03/some_skeptical_about_large_rec.html>.

Notes


17

20 “Public Works.” Department of Operational Services. City of Shreveport, LA. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.shreveportla.gov/dept/pw/pwcmpost.htm>.

21 “Find Services Near You.” Disposal.com | Republic Services, Inc. Republic Services, Inc. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.disposal.com/FindServices.aspx?state=LA>.

22 “Find a Waste Management Facility Near You | Waste Management.” Waste Management – Trash Removal, Garbage Collection, Recycling and Dumpster Rentals. Waste Management, Inc. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wm.com/facility-locator.jsp?cat=6&state=LA>.

23 Granger, Chris. “New Orleans Christmas Trees Being Recycled for Wetlands Restoration.” NOLA.com. New Orleans Net LLC, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. <http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2011/02/new_orleans_christmas_trees_be.html>.

24 “Innovative Truck Technologies.” Green Environmental Stewardship - Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Environmental Industry Association. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/solid-waste-management/green-environmental-health-safety-stewardship/alternative-fuels-vehicles.php>.

25 Today, We’re Reinventing Our Business Model & Re-Envisioning the Nature of Waste Itself. Welcome to Waste Management: Sustainability Report 2010. Rep. Waste Management, Inc., 2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wm.com/sustainability/index.jsp> 31.




29 “Basic Information.” Landfill Methane Outreach Program | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-info/index.html>.

30 “Climate Change and the Solid Waste Industry.” Solid Waste Technologies, Regulations and Issues - Climate Change. Environmental Industry Associations: NSWMA & WASTEC. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/issues-solid-waste-technologies-regulations/climate-change/index.php>.

31 “Landfill Methane Outreach Program.” Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/index.html>.

32 “Landfills.” Landfills | Municipal Solid Waste | Wastes | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/landfill.htm>.


34 Today, We’re Reinventing Our Business Model & Re-Envisioning the Nature of Waste Itself. Welcome to Waste Management: Sustainability Report 2010. Rep. Waste Management, Inc., 2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wm.com/sustainability/index.jsp>.

35 Today, We’re Reinventing Our Business Model & Re-Envisioning the Nature of Waste Itself. Welcome to Waste Management: Sustainability Report 2010. Rep. Waste Management, Inc., 2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wm.com/sustainability/index.jsp>.


37 “Frequent Questions: LFG Energy Projects.” LFG Energy Projects | LMOP | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/faq/lfg.html>.

38 United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Landfill Methane Outreach Program. Project Development Handbook: Project Economics and Financing. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency, 2010. Project Development Handbook. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/publications-tools/handbook.html#04>.

39 United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Landfill Methane Outreach Program. Project Development Handbook: Project Economics and Financing. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency, 2010.


18

Project Development Handbook. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/publications-tools/handbook.html#04>.

40 “Frequent Questions: LFG Energy Projects.” LFG Energy Projects | LMOP | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/faq/lfg.html>.

41 “Gasette.” Gasette | LMOP | US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/lmop/newsroom/gasette/index.html>.

42 “Renewable Energy Production Incentive: About the Program.” U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Home Page. U.S. Department of Energy. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/repi/about.cfm>.

43 “Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC).” DSIRE: Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. North Carolina State University. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US13F&State=federal&currentpageid=1&ee=1&re=1>.

44 “Waste-Based Renewable Energy.” Green Environmental Stewardship - Landfill Gas, Renewable Energy - Solid Waste Management. Environmental Industry Associations: NSWMA & WASTEC. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/solid-waste-management/green-environmental-health-safety-stewardship/renewable-energy-landfill-gas.php>.

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The Greening of Louisiana’s Economy · 2019. 3. 25. · practices also greatly influence how a society’s waste creation will impact the environment. This report will focus on