American Ecology Reports Profit of $1.1 Million

American Ecology Corp., an Agoura Hills waste disposal company, reported $1.1 million in net income in the fourth quarter that ended Dec. 31 on an 8% increase in revenues to $14.2 million. In the year-earlier quarter, the company lost $21.4 million on $13.1 million in revenues.

The company said fourth-quarter results benefited from the sale of its National Ecology subsidiary and from the cyclic nature of the waste disposal industry, which favors the fourth quarter. It also noted that fourth-quarter 1988 earnings were negatively affected by a $23.5-million provision for costs of settling litigation involving the closure of some of its waste disposal sites.

For the year, American Ecology lost $3.2 million, compared to a $25.3 million loss in 1988. Revenues rose 10% to $46.3 million from $42.1 million.