Shareholders of Republic Services Inc. and Allied Waste Industries Inc. on Friday approved a merger creating the second-largest U.S. trash-hauling company.
Shareholders approved Republic Services' purchase of Allied Waste in an all-stock deal that was valued at $6.07 billion when it was announced in June. It's now worth about $5 billion due to the steep decline in share values.
The combination of the two companies will create a $9.24 billion rival to industry leader Waste Management Inc., which reported revenue of $13.31 billion in 2007.
The U.S. Department of Justice must still approve the deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter. A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said Thursday that the agency is still looking at the proposal.