Containment

EPA has awarded $520,400 to Wayne, Nebraska, for improvements to its wastewater treatment plant project. Wayne's existing 25-year-old facility continues to generate odor complaints regarding the sludge treatment system. The grant will help construct a wastewater treatment plant which will address odor concerns.

When a BP oil rig suffered a catastrophic accident and released an enormous volume of oil into the eco-sensitive Gulf of Mexico, one of the primary tools used to contain and combat the spill both on the water and along shorelines was absorbent oil booms. Millions of linear feet of EarthKnit knitted tubes from Supertex, Inc. were used to help these booms succeed. Read about it on the EarthKnit website. Learn more here.;

Solmax International has worked closely with the mining industry in Chile for many years, but a deal reached last week with one firm is historic even for the company's long record of work in the region. The deal with one mining firm has secured 7,000,000 sq. m of PVC geomembrane from Solmax. Read more about it.

Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe, and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to testify about EPA's role in responding to the BP Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. As we all know, efforts by BP to stop the oil release continue. While there is no perfect solution to the environmental disaster that the Gulf of Mexico is facing right now, EPA is committed to protecting our communities, the natural environment and human health. That commitment covers both the risks from the spill itself, as well as any concerns resulting from the response to the spill.

The Otago Regional Council's launch of a rural water quality strategy for the region has been given added momentum by the findings of a major ORC study of the Pomahaka River catchment. The study underlined that sediment control was critical, as it could smother habitat, degrading river ecology, and be a source of phosphorus, which potentially increases algal growth in waterways. Read more.

In an effort to enhance the online experiences of its Institutes, ASCE has launched new websites for the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Each site features improved navigation and easier access to the information and services members demand. Discover new research, follow the Institutes' news, track upcoming events, view job openings, and much more. Visit the EWRI website at http://asce.org/ewri. Learn more here.;

On August 30, Chris Athanassopoulos, P.E. (CETCO) and John Seymour, P.E. (Geosyntec) will present a one-hour webinar on the current state of practice related to geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) chemical compatibility and present research on new GCLs with improved chemical resistance to coal combustion residuals (CCRS). Design considerations for vertical/lateral expansions over CCR ponds and landfills will also be covered. Registration is free.

The 3rd Annual Municipal Wet Weather Stormwater Conference will be held 16 – 18 May 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. The event, organized by the International Erosion Control Association (IECA)...

EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW) has released a new 11-minute video, "Building Green: A Success Story in Philadelphia." The video features numerous short interviews and showcases green building methods being implemented around Philadelphia, such as green roofs, porous pavers for infiltration, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, reducing stormwater runoff, and much more. Learn more here.;

The Erosion Control Technology Council, after two years of work and deliberations, has recently approved and published a comprehensive specification and application chart for hydraulic erosion control products. This specification is the product of consensus amongst the leading manufacturers of HECPs in the industry, and is designed to satisfy the needs of engineers, designers, hydro-seeding contractors and other end-users of these products. Formatted to be used in its entirety or easily modified as necessary by the end-user, this specification provides expert guidance from product classification and selection to product mixing and installation.

SKZ's renowned "Lifetime of Geosynthetics" event is to hold its first session in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Registration for the two-day event is now open with an early-bird discount available through September 24. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger will chair the seminar, which takes place 22-23 October 2008. The second day will include a tour of an artificial lakes site. BMC Gulf, Leister and Agru are the events main sponsors.

The International Geosynthetics Society’s French Chapter (CFG - Le Comité Français des Géosynthétiques) has published an English-language version of its key document Fascicle 10, “General recommendations for the use...

Monitoring wells indicate that as much as 1,200 pounds of sulfates a day are escaping through the bottom of a power company's coal ash pond. The pond lacks a geosynthetic liner and dates to the mid-1970s. A recent report, “Slow Motion Spills,” found that all eight coal ash ponds in Kentucky located near monitoring wells were polluting groundwater. An additional 36 ash ponds do not even have water quality monitors. Learn more here.;

CQA Solutions (CQAS) has built a strong reputation in the geosynthetics field for its approach to quality assurance on geosynthetic installations. This has included pioneering work on the “zero...

At the 41st conference and expo of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) held in Dallas, Texas, 16-20 February 2010, the IECA Board of Directors installed one new officer and held an election to determine who would hold the position of Treasurer. All other members of the Board of Directors will continue to serve in their current roles. The IECA Board of Directors is made up of nine members, each serving a three year term. Read more.

From 20 - 22 April 1977, the International Conference on the Use of Fabrics in Geotechnics was held in Paris, France. This watershed event included a paper from engineer...

Effective Monday, November 22, Tensar Corporation and its principal business unit Tensar International will consolidate their headquarters locations to operate more efficiently. The move, which takes the companies to the Northwinds development in Alpharetta, Georgia, ends more than a decade of separate locations within a business park in Atlanta's Northern Perimeter area. Read more.

Update on CEN/TC 189 activities -short report on the last TC 189 meeting in Lisbon (26 October 2001)

ASTM Committee D35 has published a work item revision to WK26896, "Revision of D5141-09 Standard Test Method for Determining Filtering Efficiency and Flow Rate of the Filtration Component of a Sediment Retention Device Using Site-Specific Soil." Learn more here.;

Mark Sieracke of Weaver Consultants Group will provide a special keynote lecture focused on Geosynthetic Protection and Covering on Thursday, September 8. The talk is part of CQA...

The seventh edition of RemTech Expo 2013 (www.remtechexpo.com), the most prestigious event in Italy on the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites , will be inaugurated by the Minister...

Denver, Colo. – The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Region One is pleased to announce its new Assistant to the Director and Sponsorship Development Manager, Nicolle Strong. Before joining the...

ASTM International's Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised standard D7466, "Standard Test Method for Measuring the Asperity Height of Textured Geomembrane," to D7466-10. The asperity height is an index property used to quantify one of the physical attributes related to the surface roughness of textured geomembranes. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Region One Board of Directors have announced a cooperative agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The agreement has...

AGRU America’s podcast series explores geosynthetic applications and polymeric material advances that beneficially influence the performance of infrastructure. The latest episode finds Cody Miles discussing geosynthetics in aquaculture. (Listen...