Containment

The city of Cleveland is seeking $219 million to permanently fix a crumbling slope above the Cuyahoga River that threatens the waterway's vital shipping traffic, a major sewer line, two roads, and several buildings. Learn more here.;

The Board of Directors of SIBUR Holding JSC formed and approved a newly established collegial executive body of the management organization - the Executive Board of SIBUR LLC. The decision on establishment of the Executive Board of the management organization followed a considerable number of issues in SIBUR LLC operation that require collegial consideration and decision making. At the same time the Executive Board of SIBUR Holding JSC will continue to consider issues of strategic development of the Holding as a whole. See the list here.

SIBUR contracted acquisition of 50% share in the charter capital of BIAKSPLEN LLC, one of the largest Russian manufacturers of biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP). BIAKSPLEN's production facilities include three plants located in Nizhny Novgorod, Kursk and Moscow Regions. The aggregate capacity of BIAKSPLEN product lines is 87 kta. In 2008 BIAKSPLEN consolidated sales reached RUR 3.9 billion. Read more about this acquisition.

"As a result of continuous focus on selected market segments, Trelleborg now has an increasingly concentrated and simultaneously profitable business. The company was early in adapting its capacity to the current market situation. We are now well-positioned and have a significantly more efficient structure and flexibility to meet future changes in the market," says Trelleborg's CEO Peter Nilsson in advance of the company's Capital Markets Day being held in Stockholm. Read more about the company's positioning.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an online discussion forum designed to enhance communication between EPA and the public on contaminated sites, waste management, and recycling issues. The forum, which is a public comment board, is another important component in EPA's ongoing efforts to increase transparency and public engagement.

With the expected economic recovery in 2010, do Québec entrepreneurs really believe that the effects of the economic crisis are behind them? What real issues have they faced in the past 12 months? What is their outlook for 2010? The next Confidence Index - Solidarity Fund QFL will shed some light on these questions. The questions and more will be discussed on December 4 in Québec. Among the speakers will be Groupe Solmax's Jacques Côté.

At the absentee meeting of shareholders of SIBUR Holding JSC it was decided to issue additional common shares in the total amount up to RUR 9 billion for shareholders SIBUR Holding JSC intends to issue up to 3,469,545 additional common shares. The estimated charter capital of the Company upon issue of the above number of additional common shares is supposed to increase to RUR 43,569.58 million. "Shareholders supported the current plans of the Company's organic growth through creation of new and upgrade of existing facilities", Alexander Dyukov, the Chairman of SIBUR Holding JSC said. "The owners of SIBUR find investing in petrochemical projects very promising".

Plastics Technology has changed its long-running monthly resin pricing column. The editors will now focus on "benchmark" grades of the four main "commodity" resins: polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride. The content of this article each month will be based on analysis of global feedstock, resin, and economic trends by resin purchasing consultants at Resin Technology, Inc. (RTI). RTI's input will add new "suggested action strategies" section for resin buyers. Also, a new pricing chart, based on data gathered by Plastics Technology, now focuses on the market prices of just the benchmark grades of commodity resins, supplemented by the latest North American short-term futures contracts from the London Metal Exchange (LME) for benchmark grades of LLDPE and PP. Learn more here.;

The newest IGS News is available! Volume 25, No 3 from the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) contains a message from IGS President Fumio Tatsuoka; another excellent report from Jorge Zornberg, this time on IGS in the Americas; reports on IGS meetings and actitives, including an announcement of an IGS Photo Contest to coincide with the soon-to-be relaunched website; 2010 IGS elected positions candidates; conference reports; chapter news; and much, much more. Read the latest in PDF today. Learn more here.;

Though the Brayton Point Road Landfill in Somerset, Massachusetts was capped in the 1980s and has performed well since then, the city is now seeking $90,000 to finish necessary repairs to the cap and to conduct related water quality tests. Unpermitted dirt bike use on the landfill recently caused scarring, which in turn eroded, which exposed the cap, subjected the liner to a tear, and led to 2,500 pounds of cap soil--including old fly ash--washing into an adjacent wetland. Learn more here.;

P4 Production LLC, a southeast Idaho phosphate mining company, has reached agreement with five federal and state agencies, as well as the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, to develop comprehensive cleanup plans for three phosphate mines near Soda Springs, Idaho. The agreement requires P4 Production (a subsidiary of the Monsanto Company) to complete remedial investigations and feasibility studies for the Ballard, Henry, and Enoch Valley mines. The Ballard Mine was operated from 1951 to 1969, the Henry Mine was operated from 1969 to 1989, and Enoch Valley Mine was operated from 1989 until recently. They are all currently inactive.

Forester Communications--publisher of magazines such as Erosion Control, MSW Management and Stormwater--has launched a website for Forester Events. The company, as many in the field knows, manages events such as the annual StormCon conference. New symposiums in sectors such as energy, water conservation, municipal solid waste and grading and excavation contracting are forthcoming. Track the latest at the new Forester Events website: http://www.foresterevents.com/ Learn more here.;

Schemes proposed by 15 councils in the United Kingdom to combat flooding and coastal erosion are being backed by £11 million of Government grants. Projects range from creating new sand dunes to buying land to rebuild properties at risk. Erosion affects 30% of the coastline while other areas are at risk of flooding. Learn more here.;

After several weeks of testimony before the Canadian parliament over allegations Canadian extraction companies behave badly abroad, mining representatives had their turn to fire back last week. Among the speakers was Barrick’s Vincent Borg, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications. Barrick got a chance to refute claims of irresponsible tailings and acid rock drainage management at mines like the North Mara Mine in Tanzania--a site at which thieves have damaged the liner on multiple locations. (Liner sections are stolen for roofing.) Barrick has quickly replaced the liner in these events. Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics Asia has secured an order at Huntsman Tioxide in Teluk Kalong (Malaysia) for the supply of 105 TenCate Geotube® systems. These systems will be used in Malaysia as an environmentally-friendly solution for the dewatering and storage of calcium sulfate. The TenCate Geotube® containers will be produced by Ten Cate Industrial Zhuhai (China) and supplied through Ashland, a company that is involved in among other things the field of waste water treatment. Deliveries started in October and will continue for nine months.

A section of the Trinity River levee has collapsed, and that is raising new concerns about the integrity of the system that shields the city from flood waters. City of Dallas officials say that unlike most levee collapses they see, this one was caused by a water leak; a slow leak caused the erosion leading to the damage. This is the third levee collapse in recent weeks for the Dallas area. Learn more here.;

As a part of the ongoing commitment to growth in the underground storm water market, effective 23 November 2009, Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS), has agreed to acquire the remaining 50% interest in StormTech LLC. StormTech was created as a 50/50 joint venture between ADS and Infiltrator® Systems Inc. to engineer and manufacture chambers for use in underground storm water retention/detention systems. Since inception, StormTech has become the market leader in the retention/detention market. Read more in the release.

The latest issue of GIGSA News from the Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa is available. This issue includes stories on geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs), GIGSA Award Winners, a GeoAfrica 2009 report, liquid geosynthetics, GCLs in landfill applications, what not to do with GCLs, and indext testing. GIGSA is the South Africa Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). Read the issue in PDF here.

Land and Water Magazine's Erosion and Sediment Control Network (ESCN.tv) if hosting a webinar on 3 December 2009: "Online Marketing Webinar for Erosion and Sediment Control Industry." The webinar will show you how ESCN.tv can help you communicate one-to-one with your target audience. They note, "We will review how we measure engagement and demonstrate how this medium enhances branding, communication, and lead generation." Learn more. Email Kim Kline at kimlandandwater@gmail.com. Learn more here.;

The Board of Directors of AMCOL International Corporation has appointed Ryan F. McKendrick to the position of Chief Operating Officer of AMCOL effective 1 January 2010. Mr. McKendrick has been with the company for a total of 25 years. For the last 11 years he has led AMCOL's Environmental segment, including serving as President of CETCO. The Board of Directors of AMCOL has appointed Bob Trauger to replace Ryan as head of AMCOL's Environmental segment and serve as President of CETCO. Mr. Trauger has been with CETCO since 1991, most recently serving as Vice President, Engineering and International Development. Learn more.

500,000 engineering and manufacturing workers will be needed in the coming eight years to satisfy demand in the transport, construction, aerospace and defence industries, according to EngineeringUK. Learn more here.;

A system of infrastructure accounting is urgently needed to keep track of what is needed and where, accordint to the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE). Learn more here.;

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will hold an informational meeting and a public hearing Wednesday on Arcelor Mittal’s proposal to open a new solid waste landfill at its Burns Harbor plant. The landfill would consist of about 75 acres and would accept wastewater treatment plant sludge, blast furnace filter cake, basic oxygen furnace filter cake/sludge, coke oven dust, coal, coke, grinding sludge, rubble debris, and burnt lime. Learn more here.;

Qatar’s petrochemical industry crosses a major milestone with the inauguration of a world-scale linear low-density polyethylene plant – Qatofin - at Mesaieed. The country is set to become a major exporter of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) with Qatofin gearing up production at its Mesaieed facility. Learn more here.;

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) has worked with various Congressional figures over the past few years on key issues in the United States infrastructure. One area in which GMA has been particularly active is in bringing proper coal ash containment technologies to the attention of legislators. A new letter from GMA Executive Director Andrew Aho helps illuminate this issue and the exemplary work GMA has done. Representatives such as Heath Shuler (R-NC) have taken notice and are working diligently to improve Congressional awareness of this much-needed environmental protection. Read a letter from GMA and one to the EPA.