Containment

The latest conference update from the Asia Mining Congress (23-27 March 2009, Singapore) is available. The current issue includes information on the latest speakers from mining, manufacturing, governments, and investment groups; workshops; sponsors; and the most current event brochure. Read the newsletter online. Learn more here.;

The Canada-based Daily Commercial News and Construction Record has published a piece about the artificial turf athletic field constructed for Toronto's French School. The installation has involved an artificial grass system that is stabilized and aiding in draining by a geotextile. Additional drainage support is built into the subgrade. Artificial turf installations have increased significantly in recent years at schools as the cost of the systems has come down and the benefits of lower maintenance and water conservation are realized. Learn more here.;

Mexican chemical and petrochemical firm Mexichem reported profits of US $108 million for the first nine months of 2008, which is relatively level with the same period last year. Mexichem has been busy with acquisitions in the past year, snatching up geotexile-manufacturers Geosistemas de Perú and Brazil-based Bidim and various other companies connected to mining, drainage and agriculture, such as Plastubos (Brazil), Dripsa (Argentina), Río Verde (Mexico), and Quimir (Mexico). Learn more here.;

The United Kingdom-based Contract Journal has published a piece on one of the most intriguing development schemes: the construction of an entirely new, tech-centric town. Ebbsfleet Valley in North Kent will be connected to London and Paris by high-speed rail and include its own "mini-Seine." The US $5 billion project will include some interesting engineering challenges to its water features, much of which will call upon geogrid reinforcement. Learn more here.;

Over at the Erosion Control magazine blog, we've found news of Shirley Morrow's new alphabet-sounding venture: ABC’s of BMP’s, LLC. Morrow (CPESC, CISEC) is an industry veteran with tremendous experience in training others. Now she'll bring that experience to her own business. We wish her well--and we found it apt that this future venture in erosion control was posted on October 28 but dated November 3! Looks like the future really is now. Congratulations and best of luck, Shirley! Learn more here.;

Over at e-Veritas--tthe website for the Royal Military College's (RMC) Club--they've posted congratulatory news regarding Dr. Richard Bathurst, who has been awarded this year's Quigley Award. The R.M. Quigley Award is awarded annually by the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) to an individual or individuals whose paper has been judged to be the best paper published in the Canadian Geotechnical Journal during the preceding year. The title of his winning paper is “Development of the K-stiffness method for geosynthetic reinforced soil walls constructed with c-ö soils." Learn more here.;

With the sudden decline of oil prices and companies in the mining and oil extraction industries facing tighter credit markets--credit that otherwise would support expansion plans--some companies are delaying projects. HazMat Magazine reports that two key oil sands projects in Alberta are putting upgrades on hold. The mining and conversion of oil sands has generally been considered profitable only at higher global prices for oil. Learn more here.;

The Associated Press' mobile news service has published a piece about the expanding role that landfill power generation is playing in the United States. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that close to 500 landfills harvest methane for power conversion; another block of 400 - 500 landfills are considered viable candidates for power generation. Readers with iPhones can download the AP's mobile news service via the iTunes Apps Store. Learn more here.;

Now you can get your Mining Weekly news on a daily (or even hourly) basis. Creamer Media has launched an iPhone-supported mobile version that may be accessed at any point for the latest news from MW's editorial team, Reuters news service and other sources. News is divided into world regions and breaking news files. The application, which is available as a free download from the iTunes Apps Store, works very well. Learn more here.;

Half of the cost of raising catfish rests in feeding them, and with the market pricing catfish so low many aquaculturists who had relied upon catfish have transformed their operations to row crops or larger animals (feed for which is actually cheaper). But the United States Department of Agriculture (USdA) has announced a large-scale catfish purchase for school lunch programs, and it's hoped that this will help stabilize if not lift prices and make this piece of the aquaculture industry more viable. Learn more here.;

BC Local has published an update on the Mount Washington Mine remediation work. The former copper mine has received a grant of $4.5 million from the provincial government of British Columbia. Part of the money is going towards the installation of a bituminous geomembrane capping system. Work is now underway. Learn more here.;

The Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo (CWRE 2008) takes place 5-6 November 2008 in Toronto. Organizers invite you to register today for a $40 savings on your conference fee. At CWRE, you'll learn more about the latest technologies and materials being used in the ever-merging sectors of waste and recylcing management. Learn more here.;

The Asia Mining Congress 2009 is offering a complimentary seat at the congress's Sustainability Awards dinner with all registrations placed through 11 November 2008. This critical mining conference--the fifth in the series--will feature more than 100 speakers. It takes place in Singapore from 23-27 March 2009. Learn more here.;

The November 2008 issue of WIRED includes a fascinating, numbers-rich special section on global agriculture. Graphs can be found on aquaculture growth, caloric intake growth (or decline) in certain countries, trade issues, energy requirements, irrigation demand, and much more. The subtext? The ag industry's infrastructure needs to meet these numbers. For example, liners and methane-capturing covers to control pollution and cover power needs on waste riddled, electricity-intensive dairies. Learn more here.;

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that in Georgia banks are facing stiff environmental fines for housing developments that have been foreclosed on. The problem stems from foreclosures that occurred mid-construction. As banks reclaimed land, the dirt piles left on site become serious runoff risks. The fines are coming back on the banks. (NOTE: Subscription required for access to the full article but a partial article has been posted freely.) Learn more here.;

We're a bit late on discovering this post, but we think it's worth a look. Mining engineer Ian Cawrse keeps a website/blog at which he tracks trends and mining issues. His 18 June 2008 entry on the Canadian mining industry's sustainability caught our eye. Learn more here.;

Construction magazine--one of the numerous regional mags in ACP's stable--has posted an article on an erosion control project in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay area. The revetment work relied upon global positioning satellite (GPS) technology for accurate installation of materials, including a tricky geotextile placement. Learn more here.;

The Shenandoah Valley-Herald has published a piece on the importance of best management practices (BMPs) in agriculture. Though the article is unfortunately vague about types of BMPs, the erosion control and animal waste containment issues connected to them are important. The state of Virginia provided $12 million for ag BMP support last year. Learn more here.;

Though the current global economic slowdown is cause for concern, it is giving country's pause to discover the environmental degradation of so many boom years. In India, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been studying the Meghalaya region and the degradation it has suffered due to poor mining controls. The Times of India reports. Learn more here.;

Waterproof Membranes 2008 is almost here! The event takes place in Cologne, Germany from 3-5 November. Companies from all over the world will gather to discuss the latest in geotechnical and architectural waterproofing technologies. Tunnels, greenroofs and membrane durability studies are key to this year's event. Will you be there? The latest conference announcement notes attendees will include Colbond, Dow (which acquired Stevens Geomembrane), GSE, Agru, and many others. Chris Kelsey will also be there covering the event for geosynthetica.net. If your company will have a representative there, please let Chris know so he can be sure to include your firm in the conference coverage.

The editors of the Journal of Flood Engineering (JFE) invite your submissions. JFE is a bi-annual, peer-reviewed technical publication of research and novel practical studies on flood and related topics. The Journal accepts papers dealing with all aspects of flood engineering and applied sciences. For more information, visit JFE's website. Learn more here.;

The Business Co-Ordination House (BCH) of India has released a review of its one-day seminar on geotextiles in India. The event was held 17 October 2008 in Mumbai, was well-attended, and received strong response from participants. Read more in the review. Learn more here.;

In Charleston, West Virginia, an emergency plan has been approved to keep a road from collapsing into the Kanawha River. The US Army Corps of Engineers is assisting the project to install geosynthetic reinforcement and soil protection along Kanawha Boulevard. Riprap will also be installed in an erosion control zone. Learn more here.;

The Albert Lea Tribune reports that the new, lined waste cell in this southern Minnesota city will begin accepting waste this week. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is overseeing the transfer of waste from an old, polluted cell that had been leaking into Edgewater Bay. Project officials report that everything at the 11-acre site is progressing nicely. Excellent photos from the site are included in the article. Learn more here.;

I-CORP INTERNATIONAL's Ian Peggs shares a quick and interesting observation from the field on geoelectric leak location methods and accuracy issues related to water puddle and water lance surveys.