Containment

Organizers for StormCon 2009 remind readers that the deadline for the submission of abstracts is Wednesday, 3 December 2008. They invite your submissions for six key conference tracks: BMP Case Studies; Low-Impact Development; Stormwater Program Management; Water-Quality Monitoring; Advanced Research Topics; and Source Control. The conference will take place 16-20 August 2009 in Anaheim, California. Learn more here.;

SKZ's Irina Bender has written a short report on the recent "Lifetime of Geosynthetics" conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The two-day event in late October marked the first time this conference took place outside of Germany. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger chaired the sessions and was joined by experts such as Dr. John Greenwood (ERA Technologies), Hartmut Schröder and Peter Trubiroha (BAM). Mrs. Bender's report indicates that attendees (from 13 countries) reponded favorably to the discussions and showed a particular interest in geosynthetic performance with ponds and in tunnel linings.

Joel Sprague of TRI/Environmental has authored a piece about the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) Southeast Chapter Training and Field Days. The two-day October event included a full day at TRI's Denver Downs Research Facility, a large-scale testing facility for erosion and sediment control products and systems. Read the report and see photos from the event at ErosionControl.com. Learn more here.;

Erosion Control magazine editor Janice Kasperson writes about the eighth annual StormCon event, which will take place in Anaheim, California, 16-20 August 2009. Six conference tracks are being offered: BMP Case Studies; Low-Impact Development (LID); Stormwater Program Management; Water-Quality Monitoring; Advanced Research Topics; and Source Control. Read more about the event in Kasperson's write-up. Learn more here.;

Forester Communications is located quite near the wild fires currently racing through Califorinia. Veteran editor John Trotti has written an interesting report of first-hand observation and a thank you to the firefighters working to contain. Learn more here.;

Register online to participate in November 19's webcast on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) being broadcast by the Environmental Protection Agency. Four EPA officials will answer questions about the final CAFO rule. During the webcast, there will be an opportunity for the public to submit questions about the final rule to the EPA presenters. The two-hour audio web broadcast will be held from noon to 2 p.m. (EST) on November 19. Learn more here.;

Firestone Specialty Products produces geomembranes that are the durable, dependable solution for nearly any application. Whether for decorative commercial water features or critical containment applications such as agriculture, aquaculture, mining and other water containment, Firestone’s geomembrane systems are easy to install and built to last. The company has retooled the design and layout of its website. We encourage readers to give the new site, with its clean look and organization, a spin. Learn more here.;

A creosote-contaminated soil berm at a school in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada has been remediated with the placement of a geotextile separation layer and clean soil. The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) contained the area in 2007 after the forest products-polluted soil was discovered. Learn more here.;

Advance registration ends 30 November 2008 for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 88th Annual Meeting. The event will takes place 11-15 January 2009 in Washington DC. More than 10,000 transportation policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions are expected to attend. Learn more here.;

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) will offer a free informational webinar to detail its projected $2.6 billion, I-15 CORE (Corridor Expansion) in advance of the release of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the design-build project. The webinar will be a live broadcast from Salt Lake City on 2 December 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MST). The RFQ will be released and posted on the UDOT website on December 3. UDOT's previous I-15 work involved a significant amount of geofoam. Learn more here.;

The city of Franklin, Tennessee has a cracked and leaking reservoir. Officials now believe the best repair scheme will involve dredging the reservoir and lining it with a geosynthetic barrier. As the idea has only now been suggested, cost and timeline estimations have not been calculated. Learn more here.;

MEED--the Middle East Business Intelligence group--has arranged the Water Treatment and Reuse 2008 conference, an in-depth review of the Middle East’s expanding water industry. The event takes place 24-26 November 2008 in Dubai. The conference organizers have announced a keynote address will be presented by H.E. Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister, Ministry of Water & Environment, United Arab Emirates. Learn more here.;

Boom times in the developing world, particularly in the BRIC nations--Brazil, Russia, India and China--have led to a number of serious environmental challenges as industrialization has outpaced pollution controls. This is particularly true in India. In the 13 November 2008 issue of the Financial Times, reporter James Lamont takes an analytical view of pollution challenges in India and how the next generation is being asked to find the solutions both for future production and growth and for correcting the ill legacy being left to them. Learn more here.;

The latest conference update from the Asia Mining Congress (23-27 March 2009, Singapore) is available. Registrations placed before 30 November 2008 qualify for 10% discount. Read the latest on the event in the online newsletter. Learn more here.;

A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Saltstone Facility along the Savannah River near Aitken, South Carolina, is making room for 36 million gallons of low-level radioactive salt waste. Ground has been broken on the $8.8 million underground storage facility. The design being used draws upon similar industrial containment approaches, only with a few safety enhancements, including cylindrical tanks (eliminating the wall stresses associated with rectangular storage cells) and a lining system that uses high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes and geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). Learn more here.;

New York's Crown Point Reservation is a historic landmark. Geomembrane-lined coffer dams are being used to enable some critical bulkhead reinforcement work and a zebra mussel-removal scheme below water. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is also improving drainage works and stabilizing the shoreline. Learn more here.;

Over at Marketwatch.com, they've picked up the ReportLinker.com press release regarding the study, "Geosynthetics: Materials, Applications and Markets." This market study was original published in March 2008 and relies somewhat on 2007 statistics. But there is no indication that estimations on material needs have been amended based upon changes in the global credit market and government spending estimations. Read about the report directly at RL's website. Learn more here.;

Organizers for TechTextil North America have updated registration information for exhibitors and attendees at the conference website. The event will be held 21-23 April 2009 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the many sectors included in the show one will find geotechnical and building material suppliers. Learn more here.;

Waste News has published its annual list of the largest landfills in the country, state by state. View it online. Free digital editions are available but registration is required. The largest landfill breakdown is published on pages 15 - 17 of the 10 November 2008 issue. Learn more here.;

Voters in the American state of Minnesota have approved a sales tax increase that will go directly to clean water initiatives. The amendment passed with 56 percent of the vote. It is expected to generate roughly $250 million to $275 million in each of its first two years. Key funds will target wetlands preservation and restoration, trail building, and clean water initiatives including potable water protection. Learn more here.;

The Bulletin of Bend, Oregon has published a little Q & A with geomembrane specialty company BTL. In the past year, BTL has moved into an even larger facility--this following a short stint at what seemed to be a large enough new home but that didn't meet BTL's capabilities and client needs. The profile and interview includes discussion of the economy, industry challenges and projections for 2009. Learn more here.;

It wasn't so long ago--the early 1980s--when large new landfill cells in the United States were constructed without protective liners. In Columbia County, New York, two 30-acre, unlined cells from 1982 have been found to be leaking waste into groundwater. The neighboring, more modern cells, which include geosynthetic liners and leachate collection systems, are still performing well and preventing leakage. Remediation work will be needed along with capping. Some sites in the US and Canada are now reburying old waste in lined cells while sifting through waste for recyclables. Learn more here.;

The Northwest Evening Mail, which serves the Lakes District in the northwest United Kingdom, has published a piece about the waterproofing of Seathwaite Tarn, a Victorian-era dam. The 100+-year-old structure is being given a modern facelift--or rather, a modern face. A Czech Republic-based office Carpi is installing a geomembrane skin to the tall, 138-meter-wide dam. Learn more here.;

The November-December 2008 issue of Stormwater magazine includes an article on "Maintenance of Stormwater BMPs." As the authors note at the beginning, "few guides exist pertaining to [BMP] operation and maintenance." This is true. The authors call this a "build ’em and walk" approach, and it's something professionals need to better address. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are certainly not "best" if they are not used and monitored properly. Learn more here.;

Waterproof Membranes 2008 is underway. It's the second in what is anticipated to be a longer-term series organized by Applied Market Information (AMI). And there was something about the program for Waterproof Membranes 2008 that really caught our eye. Key subjects this year include green roofing, sustainability, membrane durability and geotechnical applications. Others in the geosynthetics industry and related construction industries have seen this too, as our first night at the event revealed. Read the report from the opening night's reception. Learn more here.;