Containment

The 5th AgStar National Conference was held in Green Bay, Wisconsin in late April 2010. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now made most of the presentation PowerPoint files available online for free. Scott Tudman's presentation, "Lagoon Covers on Hog Farms in North Carolina," focuses on project experiences utilizing cover systems such as 60-mil HDPE. His short presentation includes cost, scope, benefits and more. Learn more here.;

The Storm Water Solutions magazine staff invites industry professionals to nominate the storm water and erosion control projects they deem most remarkable and innovative for recognition in the November/December issue. All projects must have been in the design or construction phase over the last 18 months. Visit the nomination page here. Learn more here.;

Summerville, South Carolina-based Thrace LINQ has added Matt Buck as a Market Development Manager in construction and industrial markets for its spunbond nonwoven products. Buck brings more than a...

Each year at the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA Region One) annual conference, Environmental Connection, there is an option to come a day early and take one of many...

TenCate, which manufacturers materials for industries such as geosynthetics, aerospace, defense and recreation turf, will take a minority holding in Australia-based TigerTurf. TigerTurf has considerable business in the Australasia region regarding professional sports fields, tennis courts, and schools; and works with major organizations such as FIFA. Other recent TenCate acquisitions and agreements in the synthetic turf market include Greenfields, Edel Grass and FieldTurf Tarkett. Learn more here.;

GeoAfrica 2013 will be held 18-20 November 2013 in Accra, Ghana (NY Times' #4 place to visit in 2013). This event will be the Second IGS Regional Conference on Geosynthetics in Africa. Attendees interested in transportation, mining, water and waste management are all certain to be on site for this event. Abstracts in English not exceeding 400 words should be submitted by email to Technical@GeoAfrica2013.com not later than 31 March 2013.

World marketed energy consumption grows 49 percent between 2007 and 2035, driven by economic growth in the developing nations of the world, according to the Reference case projection from the International Energy Outlook 2010 (IEO2010) released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Renewables are the fastest-growing source of world energy supply. Read more.

Aquaculture output in the Philippines continues to rise steadily. Tiger prawns and shrimp farming are major drivers of what has become the nation's second largest foreign exchange earner. Aquaculture accounts for roughly $100 million of revenue per year. Shrimp farm production is often maximized through the installation of lined pits. Learn more here.;

The annual geo-congress of the Geo-Institute of ASCE is being held in West Palm Beach, Florida right now. This is an almost unfairly convenient location for Geosynthetica, as we are headquartered in West Palm Beach (about 1 mile from the conference site). Last night, the exhibit hall opened with a reception for GeoFlorida attendees. Elizabeth Peggs has posted some photos from the exhibit hall opening.

The proceedings from Geo-Frontiers 2011 contain 500 papers presented at Geo-Frontiers 2011 in Dallas, Texas, March 13-16, 2011. Geo-Frontiers 2011 included three key events: the ASCE/Geo-Institute Annual Congress, Geosynthetics 2011, and the biennial NAGS Conference. These papers will be of interest to geotechnical researchers and practicing engineers, especially those working with geosynthetic materials. Cost $99 ($79 for IFAI members). Learn more here.;

The U.S. EPA has identified the hardrock mining industry as its priority for developing financial assurance requirements. Financial assurance requirements help ensure that owners and operators of these facilities, not taxpayers, foot the bill for environmental cleanup. These requirements will be developed under section 108(b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly called "Superfund." EPA plans to propose the rule by spring of 2011. The agency will publish a notice of this priority in the Federal Register, which is the first step toward developing the requirements.

Dairy giant Dean Foods has announced that it is building methane-harvesting anaerobic digesters. The 4,700-head Big Sky Dairy farm near Gooding, Idaho will have an operational energy system by early 2009. Dean Foods plans to use the electricity to power the farm and will sell excess power back into the local grid. It may serve as a model for other major corporate farms. Learn more here.;

By Mathieu Cornellier - Natural gas extraction from shale formations has grown exponentially in the past few years in the United States, and all signs show that this trend...

JPS has completed its sale of Stevens Roofing and Geomembrane to Dow Chemical Co.'s Dow Building Solutions group. The transaction does not involve JPS's other operating units, JPS Composite Materials and Stevens Urethane. Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics and AGT International have signed a letter of intent for collaboration on the installation of TenCate GeoDetect® technology in a dike body at the Yellow River in Dayulan (Zhengzhou) in the Henan province in China. TenCate GeoDetect® is a monitoring system based on geotextiles with interwoven fibre optics, which registers changes in embankments and dikes. The system will be used in the AGT Flood Early Warning System.

At the open of promotional video for the March 28 geosynthetics panel discussion on failure and project value, the narrator quotes renowned investor Warren Buffet: Price is what you...

Solmax International advocates a safe process, from the geomembrane’s fabrication to its installation. To ensure safe container unloading of its products, Solmax now presents its method on video. With this process, the company aims to improve the effectiveness of the operations of its clients; and to reveal some economical options versus truck delivery (particularly in the western United States). A copy of the video of the safe unloading process is available on Solmax's website. A DVD copy can be sent by mail to customers. Learn more here.;

The US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) has undertaken an extensive $25 million levee rebuilding project along approximately seven miles of Grand Isle in Louisiana. Tropical Storm Ida landed about 100 miles away a few days ago and caused a levee breach. However, it must be noted that the failed levee area had not yet been updated with the new Geotube design. Construction has been progressing steadily from east to west but had not yet reached the portion of beach affected by Ida. No reconstructed zones with the new Geotubes have failed or suffered any damage. Learn more here.;

Over at What's New in Building (WNIBi) they've picked up a piece from Tensar International on the Burnley Further and Higher Education by College construction project. The £81 million development saved considerably in time and money with reinforcement geogrids and wall system technologies that Tensar has used on other brownfields projects. Learn more here.;

On 21 March 2011, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Inc. marks 20 years of international geosynthetic materials performance consulting work that has taken us to more than 35 countries--from Alaska to Australia, India to Israel, China, Namibia, South Africa and elsewhere. Now that we can look back with 20/20 vision, we've identified 20 defining moments in those 20 years.

The Williston City Commission has agreed to install a pond liner on a municipal golf course holding pond that has been leaking onto airport property. The drainage issue has impaired the airport's ability to improve runway capacity--a $14 million expansion project the city has been determined to begin. The liner will halt the leakage...so long as they install it properly. Though time presses, one hopes proper CQA is allowed. Learn more here.;

The slowdown in new housing construction in Ireland has prompted more home improvement projects, including greater construction of arenas and gallops for horse owners (of which Ireland has many). An article in the Irish Independent discusses how using geotextile separation materials helps keep the sites drain properly during wet seasons and, utlimately, keeps the horses healthier. Learn more here.;

Fredericton, Canada's ADI Group Inc. and its subsidiaries ADI Systems Inc. and Geomembrane Technologies Inc. announced they have been selected as a platinum winner in the Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies program. "To achieve platinum status, which involves being recognized as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies for six consecutive years, is a remarkable achievement," said Hollis Cole, CEO of ADI Group, in a release. Learn more here.;

Andrew Aho, Executive Director of the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA), writes: "Geotextile manufacturers are keen to update the specifying community regarding specifications that are outdated and no longer acceptable in the industry. Two tests retired by industry approval standards continue to creep into the occasional specification: the Mullen Burst Test and the Puncture Strength Test. The Mullen test was devised in 1887 by J.W. Mullen as a measure for the puncture strength of paper. Eventually it was adopted by the textile industry along with the Puncture Strength Text. In the 1970s these tests were available to the geotextile industry." Read more, including an open letter to specifiers of geosynthetics.

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson released EPA's fiscal year 2010 budget blueprint, which takes significant strides to ensure that our air, land, and water are safe and clean. Expanding on the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this $10.5 billion budget allows EPA to provide real solutions to our economic crisis. It significantly improves accountability and transparency, ensuring fiscal responsibility at a time when every dollar counts.