Containment

For 15+ years, engineers have come to Austin, Texas in April to attend geosynthetics CQA training courses hosted by TRI Environmental. This year, some are wondering where this well-respected...

Modern landfills are far superior to the dumps that marked the landscape just three or four decades ago. Geosynthetic lining and drainage systems and stringent regulations have transformed the waste management industry into the strongest area of the United States infrastructure. In Scotland County, North Carolina a new landfill proposal would correct an old unlined facility. It would change the current leakage rate from 5.7 million gallons per year to an estimated 114 gallons per year. That's a pretty telling statistic. Learn more here.;

Geofabrics Australasia is launching the SmartDitch® system in Australia in July with a series of information events. SmartDitch® is a versatile channel lining system for water flow control. Made from UV-resistant high-density...

The International Erosion Control Association's membership voted to re-elect Charles R. Riling, Jr., and Brock Peters, CISEC to the Region One 2013 Board of Directors. Joining Riling and Peters to the 2013 Board of Directors is new board member Craig S. Benson. The IECA Region One Board of Directors is made up of nine members, each serving a three-year term. Board positions will be decided at the Board meeting to be held at Environmental Connection 2013, IECA's annual conference and expo, February 10-13, 2013, in San Diego, CA, USA.

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) held its 26th annual national conference, Dam Safety 2009, September 27 through October 1 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida. ASDSO's annual meeting is one of the world's leading conferences dedicated to the safe design, construction and maintenance of dams and levees. This year's conference attracted approximately 800 attendees from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and several nations.

The Dow Chemical Company announced today the formation of Dow Construction Chemicals a new business within the Dow Advanced Materials portfolio that combines certain capabilities of legacy Rohm and Haas Company, acquired in April of 2009, and legacy Dow Wolff Cellulosics, formed in 2007, to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to manufacturers of building and construction products around the world. Dow Construction Chemicals offers deep, broad technology platforms and extensive application know-how in acrylic, redispersible latex powder, and cellulosic chemistries. The business is focused on providing additive and formulation solutions to manufacturers of construction products such as elastomeric roof coatings, external insulation and finish systems (EIFS), specialty cements, insulation, caulks and sealants.

On September 15, 2010, Propex Operating Company, LLC filed suit against Western Excelsior Corporation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The lawsuit filed alleges both Patent and Trade dress infringement as well as Unfair Competition by Western Excelsior. Propex is seeking an injunction and damages.

Malaysia-based Star Online reports that Khazanah Nasional Bhd aims to become the largest shrimp producer in Malaysia by the end of 2009. The company's Blue Archipelago Bhd has launched a plan to expand or develop the capacity of three shrimp aquaculture facilities, such as the previously underperforming Kerpan farm. They espouse a highly controlled production method. Geomembrane-lined aquaculture pits are used frequently in controlled developments and can help increase yields. Learn more here.;

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has announced the launch of its Coretech® barrier membrane technology platform, which enables the engineering of versatile and lightweight chemical and biological-protective composites. Among the cited uses of the technology is Coretech® EnviroGuard for chemical or fuel containment bladders or tank liners.

Our former quarterly reports on ASTM Standards and Work Items updates are now monthly to keep pace with ASTM's activity and to contain the page size for better readability. The first installment in August 2008's weekly updates include three revised standards from Committee D35 on Geosynthetics and 15 revised standards and one work item from Committee D18 on Soil and Rock.

ATLANTA – August 5, 2013 – Tensar North American Green, the world's leading provider of comprehensive erosion and sediment control solutions, is launching the VMax® W3000™ high performance turf...

The annual Waterproof Membranes conference from AMI returns 17 – 19 November 2015 at the Maritim Hotel in Bonn, Germany. The conference organizers have just released the program for...

In 1997, 10-year-old boy's science experiment revealed that PCBs had polluted Big Spring Creek near Lewiston, Montana. The source: painted raceways at a state fish hatchery. A settlement has just been reached with landowners who suffered property value declines. The problem has also been corrected: the raceways have been lined. Learn more here.;

Duke Energy Carolinas will no longer pursue a plan to place up to three demonstration wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound. Instead, the company and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will refocus their collaboration to study and help enable large-scale offshore wind development on the ocean side of the North Carolina coast. Learn more here.;

CISEC, Inc. will be presenting its inspector training modules and administering its nationwide certification examination through the Federal Highway Administration's Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Programs (LTAP/TTAP). The 58 LTAP/TTAP centers can now provide inspectors, designers, and regulatory agency personnel more opportunities to receive training in CISEC, Inc.'s professional sediment and erosion control inspector program and, if qualified, sit for the CISEC nationwide certification examination. Read more in the release.

Carlisle Energy Services, which has spearheaded solar energy-generating exposed covers on landfill cells in the United States, announced in an August 30 letter to clients and industry partners that...

The Geosynthetic Institute's Dr. Robert Koerner (Director Emiritus) and Jaime Koerner (Special Projects Manager) have issued the Geosynthetic Research Institute's (GRI) White Paper #23, "U.S. State Environmental Agency Status with Respect To Reviewing and Permitting Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Landfill Berms." They write in the open that "Many state departments across the country are being asked to approve permits for the construction of large mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) berms usually located at the perimeter of a specific solid waste landfill." Their survey yielded responses from 30 state agencies, giving this white paper significant feedback on the current state-of-practice in terms of regulatory acceptance, preparedness, concerns, and more. Download a copy here (PDF).

South Dakota-based Raven Industries is renowned producer of geomembranes for a variety of civil engineering applications. The company is involved in a great many more product markets too, such as agricultural and construction films. The January 2011 issue of Applied Market Information's magazine Film and Sheet Extrusion has recognized Raven's capabilities by naming the company "Extruder of the Month." Find it on page 42 of the digital issue. Learn more here.;

The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs reports that the UN and the government of Vietnam are working together on a plan to better defend Vietnam against typhoons, flooding and even sea level rises. The article at IRIN News notes how geosynthetic flood defenses are being used for the first time in the south of the country. For example, geotextile have been installed beneath riprap embankments. Learn more here.;

The commercialization of innovative and modern biological waste to energy systems and technologies is promoting a new wave of growth in the green energy sector globally. The biological waste to energy plant represents an excellent option to treat biological waste and produce energy. Indeed, many governments acknowledge that these plants are an ideal solution to help fight climate change and guarantee energy independence. Driven by government regulation and support, demand for biological waste to energy plants in the world is growing and the market is becoming more competitive. According to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan the market for biological waste to energy plant in Europe -- which is the largest in the world -- is expected to reach $3.6B in 2016 under an optimistic scenario.

The newly formed World Ocean Council will lead the "Sustainable Ocean Summit" 15-17 June 2010 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The event is the only international, cross-sectoral industry conference on business leadership and sustainable development of the marine environment. The conference theme is "Reducing Risk, Increasing Sustainability: Solutions Through Collaboration." Learn more here.;

Tensar International has released the latest issue of GeoTalk. This issue marks the opening of the corporate publication's 20th volume. The feature stories address how geogrids reduce overexcavation in subgrade reinforcement applications and save cost on aggregate need; an alternative to expensive overlays; the advantages in the new SpectraPave4-PRO™ software; a review of the reinforcement challenge from GeoFlorida 2010; the Triton® Marine Mattresses and Filter Mattresses system aces its "college" test; and more. Read it online today. Learn more here.;

Because of a political union between the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the United States, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) personnel from Region 9 help monitor issues such as environmental contamination and erosion and provide or propose programs for implementation within the CNMI. Officials from the EPA are currently conducting a mid-year review of CNMI Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) programs for erosion control, wastewater management, brownfields, and more.

Seaman Corporation has launched a website redesign for its XR Geomembrane products, which have more than a 30-year record in the field. Some of the significant changes include: New...

The International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) Malaysia Chapter has been awarded a grant from Shell Malaysia. The award, which is one of seven offered this week to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), comes as part of the corporation's Shell Sustainable Development Grants program. The IECA Malaysia Chapter was recognized for its capacity-building project on mangrove planting on Carey Island. The chapter conducted its work for an Orang Asli (aboriginal) village.