text: **We operate in a highly competitive industry and may be unable to compete eÅectively.**
  
  We operate in a highly competitive business environment. Some of our competitors have signiÑcantly 
  larger operations and may have signiÑcantly greater Ñnancial resources than we do. In addition, the solid waste 
  industry is constantly changing as a result of consolidation which may create additional competitive pressures 
  in our business environment. 
  
  We also compete with municipalities that maintain their own waste collection or disposal operations. 
  These municipalities may have a Ñnancial advantage over us as a result of the availability of tax revenue and 
  tax-exempt Ñnancing. 
  
  We compete for collection accounts primarily on the basis of price and the quality of services. From time 
  to time our competitors may reduce the price of their services in an eÅort to expand their market share or to 
  win a competitively bid municipal contract. 
  
  In each market in which we own or operate a landÑll, we compete for solid waste volume on the basis of 
  disposal or ""tipping'' fees, geographical location and quality of operations. Our ability to obtain solid waste 
  volume for our landÑlls may be limited by the fact that some major collection companies also own or operate 
  landÑlls to which they send their waste. In markets in which we do not own or operate a landÑll, our collection 
  operations may operate at a disadvantage to fully integrated competitors. 