NAID Task Force to Examine Data Destruction on SSDs

Task force to develop a standard for destroying data stored on solid state drives.

July 31, 2012
SDB Staff

Electronics

The Phoenix-based National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) has announced the formation of a task force to develop a standard for what constitutes “reasonable” destruction of information stored on solid state drives (SSDs). This task force, consisting of electronic data destruction industry professionals and outside consultants, will consider the attendant technology, knowledge, expense and likelihood of accessing or reconstructing meaningful data, according to NAID.

“Every data protection regulation in the developed world is based on the principle of reasonableness, a standard which can only be determined by understanding the risks and technology,” says NAID Chief Compliance Officer Holly Vandervort. “This task force will attempt to develop a body of knowledge that consumers can use to make informed decisions on their SSD disposition strategy.”

The task force will evaluate and establish the reasonableness of physical destruction as well as sanitization of SSDs. Sanitization involves the overwriting or removal of data on hard drives in a manner that allows the device to be reused.

In addition to setting a reasonableness standard for destruction of data on SSDs, the task force will evaluate methods, procedures and quality controls used in the process. Ultimately, the project will lead to a NAID whitepaper defending the consensus achieved by the task force and provide information for data custodians to form their own reasonableness standards for the destruction of information on SSDs.

“A limited number of studies on the effectiveness of SDD sanitization have produced contradictory findings,” says Robert Haskins, CEO of Gigabiter Inc., Norristown, Pa., and co-chair of the NAID task force. “While we will certainly evaluate these studies, we also plan to commission new research.”

Angie Keating, CEO of Reclamere Inc., Tyrone, Pa., joins Haskins as co-chair of the NAID SSD task force. Dag Adamson of LifeSpan Technology Recycling, Newton, Mass.; Gary Moore of Sprint, Overland Park, Kan.; J. Martin Garcia of Reagan Wireless, Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Craig Boswell of Hobi International, Batavia, Ill.; and Todd Barelmann, CSDS, of Cascade Asset Management, Madison, Wis., round out the task force.

“NAID is very proud to have assembled such a diverse team of secure data destruction professionals and stakeholders,” NAID CEO Bob Johnson says. “The quality and integrity of this team will undoubtedly lead to practical and trustworthy guidance for the destruction of data on SSDs.”

USDA to Track Ocean Shipping Container Availability

U.S. agency will use information provided by container lines in the WTSA.

July 31, 2012
Recycling Today Staff

Legislation & Regulations

The U.S. Department of Agricultural (USDA) has released its first Ocean Shipping Container Availability Report (OSCAR), which uses data provided by the container lines in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA).

According to WTSA, OSCAR aims to provide freight shippers with a snapshot of current equipment availability at 18 inland intermodal load locations in the form of aggregate net surplus or deficit totals for participating carriers. The report also will forecast the expected availability at each location two weeks out, based on advance carrier bookings.

The report is available on USDA’s website at www.ams.usda.gov/oscar.

“OSCAR represents a model industry-government collaboration, bringing added transparency to the export supply chain,” says Brian Conrad, WTSA executive administrator. “Putting the right data collection and reporting processes in place has required persistence and hard work by both ocean carriers and USDA, and WTSA lines appreciate the critical leadership role USDA has played in launching this valuable pilot project.”

According to the WTSA, the joint USDA/WTSA pilot project is an outgrowth of discussions begun in 2010 amid severe space equipment shortages in the transpacific trade as Asia-U.S. import demand suddenly spiked and ships idled in the global downturn returned to service. Most Asian container production capacity had closed, leaving carriers scrambling to locate and deploy containers and to reposition empty containers back to Asia once they had been unloaded. The situation left U.S. exporters short of vessel space and equipment, even as export demand in Asia was strengthening.

WTSA collects ndividual carrier data and submits it in aggregate to USDA, anonymously, for posting in weekly reports.

“The main purpose behind OSCAR is to provide visibility into how equipment flows trade-wide on a week-to-week and seasonal basis, so that exporters are able to work with their carriers to access containers in the most efficient way possible,” Conrad says.

“Surplus or deficit data attributed to a specific carrier can easily be misinterpreted,” Conrad says. “Surplus containers on a given day might be pre-allocated to other customers or trades; a deficit in the same location might simply reflect priorities based on a carrier’s cargo mix, customer base or inland terminal arrangements. There are many underlying factors affecting a carrier’s equipment situation from week to week, and we wanted to ensure that these would not compromise the report’s value as a planning and reference tool.”

WTSA members include APL Ltd., Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd., COSCO Container Lines Ltd., K Line, Evergreen Line, N.Y.K. Line, Hanjin Shipping Co., OOCL, Hapag Lloyd AG and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

Robertson Equipment Receives Eriez’ 2011 Merwin Award

Eriez recognizes Ohio company for being its top U.S. field sales office.

July 31, 2012
Recycling Today Staff

Equipment & Products

Dave Heubel, director of North American sales for Erie, Pa.-based Eriez, has announced that Robertson Equipment, Strongsville, Ohio, has earned the company’s 2011 Merwin Award. Eriez presents the award each year to its most outstanding U.S. field sales office.

Heubel says, “There was extremely tough competition in 2011 for the coveted Merwin Award. Robertson Equipment had to beat out 27 other finalists, a first for From left: Dean Robertson, Dave Heubel, Susan Neylon, David Robertson, Kevin Papushak and Charlie Ingramour record-setting team of sales representatives.”

SECO won the Merwin Award in 2002 and then joined forces with Robertson Equipment in 2007, strengthening Eriez’ business in the territory and assuring continued long-term success and growth, according to Eriez.

“Robertson Equipment exceeded their full-year sales goals and did an overall superior job in 2011,” says Charlie Ingram, Eriez vice president of sales and marketing. “We are pleased to be able to recognize the exceptional performance of the Robertson sales team through this prestigious award.”

ReCommunity Opens MRF in Tucson, Ariz.

MRF, designed, manufactured and installed by CP Group, will be able to process 25 tons of recyclables per hour.

July 31, 2012
Recycling Today Staff

Equipment & Products Municipal / IC&I

ReCommunity, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., has started up its newest material recovery facility (MRF) in Tucson, Ariz. The MRF, designed, manufactured and installed by CP Group, San Diego, will be able to process 25 tons of recyclables per hour, according to ReCommunity. The installation was completed in July, and the facility is now in full operation.

The system is designed to process old newspapers, mixed paper, cardboard, beverage cartons, steel, aluminum and glass from the city’s residential recycling program.

“We are committed to leading the recovery revolution for forward-thinking communities by repositioning waste as a strategic community resource instead of a growing liability,” says Sean Duffy, ReCommunity president and COO. “Our ability to create significant positive gains for our community partners hinges on leveraging world-class operational and design expertise for our facilities.”

Duffy continues, “Tucson is a gleaming example of the end result of combining ReCommunity’s operational expertise and knowledge with CP Group’s design flexibility and experience. The result is a well-designed plant that will serve the Tucson community for years to come.”

The system includes advanced automated sorting capabilities that allow identification, separation and recovery of recyclables. The system features equipment and services from CP Manufacturing, MSS Inc., IPS Balers and Advanced MRF, all divisions of the CP Group.

Josh Wagner, CP Group project manager for the Tucson facility, says, “The Tucson plant runs on a dynamic mix of highly experienced ReCommunity operators and CP Group technology. The seamless plant startup was due to the cooperation and teamwork of both ReCommunity and the CP Group. We look forward to the continued successful operation of this system, which we are exceedingly proud of.”

The system features a three-deck scalping screen, a three-deck OCC screen, a three-deck glass breaker screen, a glass cleanup system, two new screens, a CP screen, an eddy-current separator as well as conveyors and platforms engineered and produced by CP Manufacturing.

MSS supplied Aladdin, its optical sorter that separates plastics by color and resin type and generates three output streams from one input stream.

IPS Balers supplied the multi-material two-ram baler. The TR-1388 has a patented pre-compression lid designed to increase bale density, minimize strokes and eliminate shearing, the company claims. The TR-1388 is able to process between 28 and 45 tons per hour.

Advanced MRF, which has been part of the CP Group team since January 2012, provided the entire electrical control platform and system integration.

The facility also features CP Group partners’ equipment, such as an air drum separator by Ken Mills Engineering and a film vacuum system by Impact Air.

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