OAKLEAF CEO Will Lobby to Prevent Higher Trash Taxes

East Hartford, CT (June, 2006)

Jim Barnes, President and Chief Executive Officer of OAKLEAF Waste Management was named to the Board of Governors of the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) at their May 2, 2005 annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. NSWMA is a trade association representing for-profit companies in North America that provide solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal services, as well as companies that provide professional and consulting services to the waste services industry. NSWMA's mission is to promote the management of waste in a manner that is environmentally responsible, efficient, profitable and ethical.

Barnes says, "I'm enthusiastic about joining the NSWMA board because I believe in their mission and I'm impressed with the services they offer their members--educational and training opportunities, research, and federal and state advocacy capabilities. My goal is to leverage our customer base of 400 commercial clients in support of NSWMA lobbyists who are working against proposed legislation that would increase trash taxes and, therefore, our customers' costs."

Barnes founded OAKLEAF Waste Management in 1995, and has served as President and CEO since its inception. OAKLEAF is an international waste management firm that provides out-sourced services to multi-location retail, restaurant, hotel, manufacturing and property management clients. OAKLEAF has more than 70,000 locations under management nation-wide.

As President of OAKLEAF, Barnes has received numerous national awards, including the "Inner City 100" award from Inc. 500, which is Inc. magazine's list of the nation's fastest-growing privately held companies. He has been featured in publications and trade magazines such as FORTUNE; Chain Store Age; Inc.; FAST Company; PRSM; and Waste News, and is a regular speaker and panelist at national conferences on facilities management. Barnes is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Integrated Process Technologies, a member of The Strategic Alliance Group, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Retail Maintenance Association.