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                                                                    EXHIBIT 2.2

                                AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


                 This Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (this
"Amendment") is made and entered this first day of May, 1996 by and between USA
Waste Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Parent"), Riviera Acquisition
Corporation, a California corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent
("Subsidiary") and Western Waste Industries, a California corporation (the
"Company").

                 WHEREAS, the Parent, Subsidiary and the Company have
previously entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December
18, 1995 (the "Agreement")  relating to the merger of Subsidiary with and into
the Company;

                 WHEREAS, the Parent, Subsidiary and the Company desire to
amend the Merger Agreement as set forth below;

                 NOW, THEREFORE, for the mutual covenants and promises set
forth below and other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which
is hereby acknowledged, Parent, Subsidiary and the Company hereby agree as
follows:

                 1. The name "Agreement and Plan of Merger" is hereby amended
to be read "Agreement and Plan of Reorganization" in each place in the
Agreement where it so reads.

                 2.  In order to effectuate the merger of Subsidiary with and
into the Company in the State of California, the parties hereto agree to
execute and deliver the Agreement of Merger attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and
have such Agreement of Merger filed, with all necessary documentation, with the
Secretary of State of the State of California as soon as practicable after the
Closing (as defined in the Agreement).

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                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Amendment to be signed by their duly authorized representatives as of the day
and year first above written.


                                      USA WASTE SERVICES, INC.         
                                         
                                 
                                      By: /s/ John E. Drury
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                          John E. Drury, Chief Executive Officer
                                 
                                 
                                      By: /s/ Gregory T. Sangalis
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                          Gregory T. Sangalis, Secretary
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                      RIVIERA ACQUISITION CORPORATION
                                 
                                      By: /s/ John E. Drury
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                          John E. Drury, Chief Executive Officer
                                 
                                 
                                      By: /s/ Gregory T. Sangalis
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                          Gregory T. Sangalis, Secretary
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                      WESTERN WASTE INDUSTRIES
                                 
                                 
                                      By: /s/ Kosti Shirvanian
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                          Kosti Shirvanian, President and Chief
                                          Executive Officer
                                 
                                      By: /s/ Savey Tufenkian
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                          Savey Tufenkian, Secretary





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