Containment

Approximately 50 people from North America, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain and Norway, attended Applied Market Information's (AMI) "Plastics in Underground Pipe 2009" conference in Orlando, Florida on 6 and 7 May. Pipe conferences are invariably good events to learn about the performance characteristics of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for extension to geomembranes and other geosynthetics. This conference was no exception. Read Ian Peggs' review.

Wyong Shire Council may soon pass an ordinance that would require individual home owners along the Central Coast to pay for the installation of geotextile-based shoreline protection. Erosion has been a significant problem, and home owners will now have to choose to protect the shore or perhaps move their homes. 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.

The recently launched StrataPro™ geotechnical software platform from Strata Systems, Inc. is a welcomed addition to the tools engineers can use to improve GRS design. Geosynthetically reinforced soil structures...

Sika increased sales by 17.2% in local currencies in the first nine months of the year. The company witnessed double-digit growth in all regions apart from Europe South. The result for the third quarter was also pressured by continually rising raw material prices and currency effects. Sika posted gains in local currencies in all regions. As was the case in the first half of the year, Sika could rely on sustained strong demand from the emerging markets.

CETCO Oilfield Services has announced that it is set to expand its presence in the growing market of Libya. The country is moving towards doubling its output of oil to 3 million barrels per day. Investment in Libya's oil and gas industry has increased 64% over the past few years. CETCO Oilfield Services is a sister division of CETCO Lining Technologies, which provides geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs), geomembranes and other geosynthetic materials and expertise. Learn more here.;

The contentious Site 41 landfill development in Barrier, Ontario, Canada has reached a highly unusual stage: a physical blockade of protestors. The site workers were on the brink of installing a clay and geosynthetic lining system, but work has had to be halted because of the protests and the timeline for construction is thinning considerably. It's costing the community roughly $80,000 per week. Learn more here.;

Zahra Ali, writing for the Express Tribune (and International Herald Tribune), writes on water shortages for people living in the Thar Desert, which bridges India and Pakistan. Wells are their only source of water and the water table is declining by 11% each year. Health problems are increasing since most of the water available is saline. Rainwater harvesting with geomembrane containment is part of a new answer. Engro Polymer and Chemical Limited (EPCL) is providing the materials. Learn more here.;

Abstract submissions are still being accepted for the 2nd Global Waste Management Symposium through 1 December 2009. Proposed topics for the 2010 GWMS include: facility design, climate change, leachate management, waste containment, energy recovery and much more. Learn about it here.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is furthering its work at an old dump in the Southington, Connecticut area. Gases have been detected migrating from the landfill. Another 560-foot-long space, seven feet down, will be capped with an impermeable liner as part of remedial action as furthering testing and long-term planning take place. A public meeting is planned for this spring. Learn more here.;

To keep current with the latest developments in the field of geosynthetics, a seminar titled "Geosynthetics India 2011," preceded immediately by "An Introductory Course on Geosynthetics," is being organized by the Indian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP). Topics include geosynthetic materials, testing and specification, reinforced soil structures, slope stabilization, filtration, drainage, roads, hydraulic structures, landfills and ash ponds, erosion control, ground improvement and more.

The agricultural officials in India have been hesitant to greenlight a Vannamei industry. Vannamei is the most easily farmed shrimp in aquaculture operations, controlling 90% of the global shrimp market. India is now introducing it at two pilot projects. The country's exports to the United States have dropped roughly 40% over the last two years--when Vannamei imports were welcomed in the US. Learn more here.;

The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) is close to awarding the contract for a landmark water storage project that will create a three months emergency supply for the Emirate’s one million inhabitants. Three basins will be constructed, filled with gravel and topped with a ‘geotextile’ cover over a period of 30 months. The cover will prevent evaporation and contamination. When completed, the five meter deep basins will allow water to seep into the groundwater via PVC pipes. Learn more here.;

The Charleston Gazette out of West Virginia has posted a new entry in its sustainability and environmental watch blog. This time around, the blog includes notes on changes expected to be made in pit fluid storage rules. Changes include: requiring all pits used to store contaminated water from drilling to have synthetic liners; forcing operators to remove all solid wastes, including liners, during reclamation of pits and impoundments; new design and construction standards for these pits; and requiring inspection of the pits by a registered professional engineer. Learn more here.;

While coal ash facility design has been all the talk, there are other challenging sites in need of re-evaluating the environmental security of. The Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) has published its White Paper #18: "Geosynthetic Lining Opportunities at Uranium Mill Tailings (UMT) and Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) Facilities in the USA." It's a cursory but fascinating snapshot of the extent of base liner, capping systems, and affiliated geosynthetics potential for these critical containment sites. From environmental protection to slope stability, the incorporation of geosynthetic technologies could be as beneficial here as they already are (and already are required) for municipal solid waste (MSW) facilities. Read the six-page white paper, with a break down of some facility scopes, here (PDF). Learn more here.;

Water and solid waste management are engineering concerns for which Solmax International has provided considerable experience and solutions. They are also concerns of any business's operations. Solmax's 2006-2007 environmental plan provides firm, noteworthy targets for how the company produces the materials that are so vital to municipal infrastructures. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has published Vol 30, Issue 3 of the IGS News. The issue is one of the largest in the society’s history and contains a...

Plastemart has published a review of Waterproof Membranes 2009 (and something of a preview of Waterproof Membranes 2010). This article includes, we're happy to say, reference to Geosynthetica's presentation on the incorporation of photovoltaics in waterproofing systems. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetica's Elizabeth Peggs sits down with Solmax Inc. President Jean-Louis Vangeluwe to discuss the company's bold move in acquiring GSE Environmental. The move brings together two of the most...

Amec Environmental is involved in the PCB cleanup project of the New Harbour dumpsite near Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. During a public meeting on June 11, Amec representatives said that a second liner may be needed to properly close the site. Learn more here.;

Forty-nine parties have agreed to a settlement with Attorney General Martha Coakley and several government agencies to clean up the Tewksbury, Mass., Sutton Brook Disposal Area Superfund Site. The remediation project is expected to cost approximately $30 million, which includes the cost of excavation and consolidation of contaminated soil and sediment, installation of a cap at two landfills and a vertical barrier for groundwater diversion. Learn more here.;

A lawsuit filed by the Yakama Nation and Heart of America Northwest Research Center in Washington State. The low-level radiation in waste needs to be covered, the edge of the proposed cap it has been discovered would likely extend beyond the site's 100 leased acres. A new approach will be needed. Learn more here.;

GeoAfrica 2009 is the first African regional conference on geosynthetics. The event, to be held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and hosted by the Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA), will take place 2 - 5 September 2009 in Cape Town. Organizers have just announced an extension of the early-bird registration rate to 30 June 2009. The conference is shaping up to be a grand one, with more than 100 papers over three days, a sold-out exhibit hall and plenty of networking opportunities.

The term "Film Tearing Bond (FTB)" for qualifying welded geomembrane seams essentially disappeared from the waste containment sector several years ago, but it still remains in the potable water sector. Ian Peggs, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, authors a tech note proposing "that we forever banish FTB."

Water quality and environmental activists have filed suit against the state of California for its failure to require either groundwater testing or liners for animal waste lagoons. There are currently no protections in place, the suit claims. California is a major agriculture and livestock state. Its dairies have come under intense scrutiny, though, as the farms have gotten larger yet environmental controls have not caught up. Learn more here.;