Containment

Mike Brown, a vice president and senior underwriter (Engineering) for Swiss Re, has published an article on potential water damage during construction and methods of prevention. One of the very interesting aspects of this is that he has published the article in Canadian Underwriters--an insurance industry publication. He notes, for example, the use of geotextiles to help stabilized exposed slopes. Learn more here.;

The Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) held its first short course ("Constructing with Fabricated Geomembranes") on 23 October in Denver, Colorado. Tim Stark reports that 66 attendees took part and numerous industry experts presented on topics from secondary containment to EIA geomembranes to welding and much more. Course participants were eligible for up to 6 PDHs. Read a write-up from Dr. Stark.

The Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) and the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) organize, in partnership with the Nonwovens Institute of North Carolina State University, a technical workshop dedicated to Italian technology for the nonwovens and technical textile industries. The event will occurr in Raleigh (11 and 12 November 2009) at North Carolina State University.

While it still focused almost exclusively on more temporary erosion control mats (such as coconut or jute-based), the Philippines geotextile manufacturing industry has restarted in the wake of landslides that claimed a number of lives. Weak demand for even coconut-based materials led to the closing of many facilities in recent years. Learn more here.;

At CIMTEC 2010--a multiple symposia gathering on new technologies and materials for various fields--one of the symposia in the 5th International Forum of New Materials is on the subject of "Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion: Materials and Technology Challenges." It will be held 13-18 June 2010 in Montecatini Terme, Italy. One of the four areas for which papers/presentations are invited is "thin-film photovoltaics." Another is "PV devices, modules, systems and applications." This may tie-in nicely with recent integrations between exposed geomembrane caps and thin-film solar laminates. Also, another symposium at CIMTEC will be "Materials Technology for Nuclear Waste Treatment and Disposal." This marks another important area in which geosynthetic capping systems are being used. Abstracts will be accepted through 7 November 2009. Download the PDF brochure with details on each symposium. Learn more here.;

The Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District (New York), in conjunction with Southern Tier West and the Chautauqua County Planning and Economic Development Committee, will hold a free workshop for municipal officials on Stormwater Management. Workshops will be held on October 28 and 29. Learn more. Learn more here.;

With the aid of geotextile tubes, Europe's first artificial surf reef has been completed off Boscombe in Dorset. However, the delayed £3m project cannot be officially launched until Bournemouth Borough Council has carried out tests with RNLI lifeguards on it. Bad weather on Wednesday meant scheduled training had to be cancelled, the council said. The surf reef, which has more than doubled in cost, is part of an £11m regeneration of the seafront. A launch date has not yet been set. Learn more here.;

After 35 years, Land and Water is now available in a digital format. To see a few of the articles in the newest issue, please follow the link below. Learn more here.;

Also from the October 24 issue of The Economist, an article on biofuel production, and how methods of production just may make these once-revered fuel solutions more environmentally destructive than traditional sources. Of note, the increased need for environmentally damaging fertilizer may cause more harm than good. Also, the need to strip soils for harvesting certain biofuel varieties, such as palm oil grow on peat, can be disastrous when measured against the benefits of biofuels. But careful, smart production can be an advantage. It takes much greater consideration, however, than just doing what off-hand sounds environmentally friendly. Learn more here.;

After considerable trouble with erosion and levee stability south of Marrero (Louisiana), the West Bank Levee Board has formed an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to shore up the oft-crumbling levee with geotextiles. Roughly 1,600 feet of the earthen levee has been threatened, with two failures having occurred in the last 20 years and which affected 600 feet of the structure. Geotextiles will be used now and the levee will be raised from 10 feet to 14.5 feet to guard against a 100-year storm. Learn more here.;

Mark Wilson, writing for the Courier Press, notes that an EPA report released in March 2009 concluded people who live near coal ash storage ponds with no protective liner have a 1-in-50 chance of getting cancer from drinking water contaminated by arsenic. Burning coal for energy is an intensive, environmentally challenging operation--and the United States uses billions of tons of coal per year. The waste produced in production must be stored. And those reservoirs are, as of yet, not regulated in the way municipal solid waste is. Learn more here.;

The Glendale Road landfill in Northampton, Massachusetts is almost full. Operators estimate that the facility will reach capacity in 2011. Residents must now decide whether or not to allow the landfill to expand into a 50-acre area. The issue, however, is not just about public comfort with increased landfill operations but about the proposed expansion area being over a recharge zone for an aquifer. The state's Department of Environmental Protection has determined that a double-liner system will provide adequate protection. Learn more here.;

A commercial landfill in Bethlehem, New Hampshire has been found to have leaks in its containment system. Operators had for months denied leak were occurring and had been fighting with the state Department of Environmental Services, which had denied expansion based upon suspicion of a leak. Learn more here.;

The City of Snohomish currently operates two inground reservoirs that supply domestic water to the south zone of the City. MPC Containment will soon begin installation work on a new floating cover for one of the floating reservoirs. Exposed geomembranes, while serving a tremenedous purpose on exposed cap applications, can be considered long-term solutions but should never be considered permanent fixtures. Monitor the cover for its integrity. Be prepared for the possibility of replacement…just as you need to be for asphalt, concrete, and other construction materials! Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics North America is recognized with two 2009 International Achievement Awards (IAA) presented by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) for its exceptional specialty fabric projects. TenCate received an Outstanding Achievement Award for its Disposal of Coal Mine Slurry Waste Using Geotextile Containers project and one for its Eganville Waste Water Treatment Plant Dewatering project. These projects were recognized in the competition's 'geosynthetics' category.

There have been rapid advances in the markets for photovoltaic cells worldwide including the development of the use of polymers in a variety of applications. Take, for example, the use of solar cells atop the exposed geomembrane cap at the Tessman Road landfill in San Antonio, Texas. Applied Market Information (AMI) has announced a new conference to address this growing sector: Polymers in Photovoltaics 2010. The event will be held 20-22 April 2010 in Cologne, Germany. A Call for Papers has been issued. Dr. Sally Humphreys (sh@amiplastics.com) will accepts abstracts through 20 October 2009. Learn more at the conference website. Learn more here.;

"Geosynthetics Evolved" is the credo of the newest manufacturer to enter the geosynthetics industry. SYNTEC, based in Baltimore, MD, is a newly formed company with many familiar faces. In a recent transaction, SYNTEC acquired the environmental division of TENAX Corporation. Read more about this new venture.

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) in Folsom, Pennsylvania is involved in many critical aspects of the geosynthetics industry, such as research, accreditation, specification development, and much more. It consists of 71 member organizations (both public and private), nearly half of which are international. And now…the Institute's website has been given a new look. Check it out. Learn more here.;

Solmax International Inc., a worldwide manufacturer of polyethylene geomembrane, announces that the lengths of some of its standard textured products have been optimized. This initiative, which began in 2008 for products shipped by container, is now also in effect for our intermodal and truck deliveries. This not only enhances our land shipment loading, but also means that the inherent transportation costs of your projects will be reduced.

Millions of tons of toxic coal ash is piling up in power plant ponds in 32 states. An Associated Press analysis of the most recent Energy Department data found that 156 coal-fired power plants store ash in surface ponds similar to one that ruptured last month in Tennessee. On Friday, a pond at a northeastern Alabama power plant spilled a different material. Read more. Learn more here.;

New Civil Engineer (NCE) Insight is a magazine targetted to students, parents, advisors, and others on potential careers in civil engineering. The Autumn 2009 issue is available online. Read it today. Learn more here.;

The inactive Flying Cloud Landfill in Eden Prairie, Minnesota has leaks and needs a new cover; but to accomplish this the landfills has needed a new owner. Republic Services is in the process of transferring the site to the state. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) aims to take over the site and install a $15 million cover system with geosynthetics. Learn more here.;

Amid a privatization campaign in Iran in past years, companies linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard have won tens of billions in no-bid government contracts under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, himself an alumnus. This includes the deeply entrenched Khatam al-Anbia, an engineering firm working in mining, construction, oil and gas, and other lucrative sectors. International sanctions on Iran might further strengthen the Guard by removing the little international competition it and its companies face. Learn more here.;

The Benton County Landfill in Blairstown, Iowa has been slowed in attempts to move into a new cell before winter. Sudden snow has threatened to derail essential excavation work ahead of the installation of a 200-foot by 400-foot geomembrane installation. The $250,000 project has been financed through a loan. Learn more here.;

The town of Ayer, Massachusetts is in contentious talks with Pan Am Railway over the company's construction of a railway area. The company was hesitant to provide samples of the crushed concrete in a rail car standing area, and the town was upset that a containment liner was not installed beneath the standing zone. Learn more here.;