Waste Management 2008 Annual Report Download - page 77
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Please find page 77 of the 2008 Waste Management annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.The tons received at our landfills in 2008 and 2007 are shown below (in thousands):
#of
Sites
Total
Tons
Tons
per Day
#of
Sites
Total
Tons
Tons
per Day
2008 2007
Solid waste landfills ................. 267(a) 106,731 391 271 113,449 417
Hazardous waste landfills ............. 6 1,384 5 6 1,473 5
273 108,115 396 277 114,922 422
Solid waste landfills closed or divested
during related year ................ 9 882 8 1,555
108,997(b) 116,477(b)
(a) In 2008, we acquired five landfills, closed five landfills and discontinued operations at four landfills.
(b) These amounts include 2.0 million tons at December 31, 2008 and 2.4 million tons at December 31, 2007 that
were received at our landfills but were used for beneficial purposes and generally were redirected from the
permitted airspace to other areas of the landfill. Waste types that are frequently identified for beneficial use
include green waste for composting and clean dirt for on-site construction projects.
When a landfill we own or operate (i) reaches its permitted waste capacity; (ii) is permanently capped; and
(iii) receives certification of closure from the applicable regulatory agency, management of the site, including
remediation activities, is generally transferred to our closed sites management group. In addition to the 273 active
landfills we managed at December 31, 2008, we managed 195 closed landfills.
Landfill Assets — We capitalize various costs that we incur to make a landfill ready to accept waste. These
costs generally include expenditures for land (including the landfill footprint and required landfill buffer property),
permitting, excavation, liner material and installation, landfill leachate collection systems, landfill gas collection
systems, environmental monitoring equipment for groundwater and landfill gas, directly related engineering,
capitalized interest, and on-site road construction and other capital infrastructure costs. The cost basis of our landfill
assets also includes estimates of future costs associated with landfill final capping, closure and post-closure
activities, which are discussed further below.
The following table reflects the total cost basis of our landfill assets and accumulated landfill airspace
amortization as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and summarizes significant changes in these amounts during 2008
(in millions):
Cost Basis of
Landfill Assets
Accumulated
Landfill Airspace
Amortization Landfill Assets
December 31, 2007 ........................ $11,549 $(5,834) $5,715
Capital additions ........................ 473 — 473
SFAS No. 143 obligations incurred and
capitalized ........................... 51 — 51
Acquisitions ............................ 46 — 46
Landfill airspace amortization expense ........ — (429) (429)
Foreign currency translation ................ (234) 61 (173)
Asset retirements and other adjustments ....... (169) 149 (20)
December 31, 2008 ........................ $11,716 $(6,053) $5,663
As of December 31, 2008, we estimate that we will spend approximately $500 million in 2009, and
approximately $1 billion in 2010 and 2011 combined for the construction and development of our landfill assets.
The specific timing of landfill capital spending is dependent on future events and spending estimates are subject to
change due to fluctuations in landfill waste volumes, changes in environmental requirements and other factors
impacting landfill operations.
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