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                                                                Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS WILL COMPLETE KTI TRANSACTION AS PURCHASE, RATHER THAN
POOLING OF INTERESTS

     RUTLAND, VERMONT (September 23, 1999)--Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
(Nasdaq: CWST) announced today that it will complete its merger with KTI
(Nasdaq: KTIE) as a tax-free stock purchase, rather than a pooling of
interests as originally planned.

     The boards of directors of both companies have approved an amendment to
the terms of the merger agreement reflecting the change.

     "Over both the short- and long-term, completing the merger under
purchase rules of accounting gives us greater strategic flexibility to
deliver the overall performance we expect for our shareholders," John
Casella, chairman and chief executive officer of Casella Waste Systems, said.

     Because of the change in accounting treatment, KTI's results of
operations will consolidate only with Casella Waste Systems' results from the
point of the merger forward.

     In addition, the company also said it expects the change will not have
any negative impact on earnings per share on a post-merger basis.

     Casella Waste Systems, headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, is a regional,
integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services company that provides
collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services in Vermont, New
Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, upstate New York, and northern Pennsylvania.

     For further information, contact Joseph Fusco, Vice President; Jerry
Cifor, Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at (802) 775-0325; or
visit the company's website at www.casella.com.


     THIS PRESS RELEASE, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE CONSUMMATION OF THE
MERGER AND ITS FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL IMPACT AND PROJECTED FINANCIAL
RESULTS, CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RISKS
AND UNCERTAINTIES. AMONG THE IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL
RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE INDICATED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS ARE A SUBSTANTIAL DELAY IN THE EXPECTED CLOSING OF THE
TRANSACTION, KTI'S OPERATING RESULTS, THE COMBINED COMPANY'S ABILITY TO
REALIZE EXPECTED SYNERGIES FROM THE TRANSACTION, THE ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY
INTEGRATE THE TWO COMPANIES AND OTHERWISE TO MANAGE GROWTH, A HISTORY OF
LOSSES, THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY, ACQUIRE AND INTEGRATE ACQUISITION TARGETS,
DEPENDENCE ON MANAGEMENT, THE UNCERTAIN ABILITY TO FINANCE THE COMPANY'S
GROWTH, LIMITATIONS ON LANDFILL PERMITTING AND EXPANSION AND GEOGRAPHIC
CONCENTRATION, A GENERAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, CHANGES IN THE LAW AND
REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT, COMPETITION, AND THE RISK FACTORS
DETAILED FROM TIME TO TIME IN CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS' AND KTI'S PERIODIC
REPORTS AND REGISTRATION STATEMENTS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION.

