Containment

The population of the US Northwest grew 20% in the 1990s and has continued on that breakneck pace. It's created a tremendous need for new water management solutions. Dams and reservoirs are being closely considered. Even environmental groups who are generally at odds with dam construction are signing on to new plans. Learn more here.;

GRI-21 will be held on 5 March 2008 in Cancun, Mexico at the Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort. The event will feature the latest installment of “Hot Topics in Geosynthetics” papers. The themes: agriculture and aquaculture. “We’re excited about it,” says Dr. George Koerner, Director Designate of the Geosynthetic Institute, Folsom, Penn. “Unlike fishing, aquaculture implies the cultivation of aquatic populations under controlled conditions. Geosynthetics are used directly and indirectly in all of these operations. They are tools to facilitate better aquaculture management.” For example, geosynthetics are used in pond lining, cage construction, spawning mats, filtration, habitat creation, and spat collection systems. “The conference,” Koerner says, “is positioned to strengthen and facilitate communication and information exchange on topics related to geosynthetic and emerging issues within the diverse, global aquaculture community.” This will mark the first time the GRI event has included aquaculture as a main topic and the first time the event is being held outside the United States. GRI-21 will be held in conjunction with the GeoAmericas 2008 (2 – 5 March 2008), the first pan-American geosynthetics conference and exhibition. GRI’s afternoon session (2:00 – 5:30 pm) will be for aquaculture. (The morning session will focus on agriculture.) The scheduled aquaculture topics and speakers are: · “Turbidity Curtains” – George Koerner, Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) · “In-land Hatchery in South Dakota” – a joint presentation from personnel of liner manufacturer Firestone and contractor and installer Comanco · “Geogrid Fishnets” – John Henderson, TenCate Geosynthetics · “Wave and Current Loads on Fish Net Cages and Pens” – Rich Weggel, Drexel University · “Anchored Geosynthetic Underwater Habitats” – Ian Peggs, I-CORP International · “Shrimp Farm Liners in Indonesia” – Boyd Ramsey, GSE · “Health Aspects of Fish Farms and Bacteria Removal” – Wayne Hsieh, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), Taiwan · “Geotextile Tubes as Artificial Reefs” – Grace Hsuan, Drexel University

For developing nations, meeting the environmental requirements of the international community can be difficult. The island nation of Malta is experiencing those pains in the waste sector. Landfills were closed to meet European Union accession demands, and the resulting disposal conundrum has caused environmental damage. Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are now being used to provide needed capping systems. Learn more here.;

geosynthetica.net's 2008 Education Box project has received a mention in the March issue of CE News. See the piece online in the New & Noteworthy section and learn how we're working to improve undergraduate geosynthetic education. A version for practicing engineers may be developed too. Learn more here.;

Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger is pushing hard for a proposed north to south California canal that would include conveyance and storage protections. It isn't known yet if geomembrane linings would be part of it, but they have done very well in conserving water in northern California irrigation districts. Last week, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Gov. Schwartzenegger discussed an $11 billion bond related to the proposed canal system. Learn more here.;

By request of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Council, the South African Chapter of IGS (GIGSA) will host GeoAfrica 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa, 2-4 September 2009. The theme of this regional conference will be "Geosynthetics for Africa." Download the preliminary flyer here, and visit the IGS website for information on other chapter, regional and global events. Learn more here.;

On Thursday, March 13, specialists in climate change and infrastructure will gather at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for a one-day event, "Adapting Community Infrastructure to Climate Change: Solutions for stormwater management and community forests." Stormwater, erosion control and water resource management are a few of the major topics. Download the event PDF here. Learn more here.;

Not long ago the US Department of Agriculture issued a recall for more than 140 million pounds of beef. That beef is winding up in landfills now, as in King County, Washington. The Seattle Times, interestingly enough, includes a note about the protective lining systems on modern landfills to further assuage public concerns about that beef. Learn more here.;

The Navajo Nation Council will meet shortly to renew discussions of a Tribal Superfund Law. This would essentially give the Navajo a way to address cleanup of industrial and mining pollution on their lands. It will also establish where Navajo and US federal and state jurisdictions might overlap--concern for which has kept the Superfund proposal at arm's length up until now. Learn more here.;

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.;

The infrastructure of the United States received horrible grades in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2005 Report Card. As Rep. Heath Shuler's (D-NC) statement to the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment hearing on the Water Resources Development Act of 2008 pointed out, the only passing grade given to the American infrastructure by ASCE was for waste management--the one sector in which geosynthetic technologies are required for use. ASCE estimates that it will take $1.6 trillion over 5 years to properly upgrade the troubled infrastructure. Organizations such as the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) are now working with lobbyists to bring these issues straight to legislators' desks. And on Thursday, February 14, the US Senate Banking Committee interviewed Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke about the US economy. Senators Dodd (D-CN) and Hagel (R-NB) both expressed concern about the state of the US infrastructure and how an economic slowdown could make the US fall even further behind the world in modernizing the infrastructure system. What we should take from it all is this: modern infrastructures need modern materials. The waste management's industry engineers and regulators have understood this and adapted. Keep an eye on infrastructure and legislation news developments here at geosynthetica, follow the updates to ASCE's report card, and take a look at ASCE's infrastructure blog.

It's Valentine's Day, so we encourage you to take precautions and avoid failures--geosynthetic failures, that is. Canadian Environmental Protection's first issue of 2008 includes an article on failure prevention (and liability protection). The issue also contains a prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) project, Strata's 18-ft.-wide geogrids, and prefab drainage in the Vancouver Olympics infrastructure upgrades. Learn more here.;

The German World War II submarine U-534 will be floated in pieces to Merseyside in the United Kingdom to a new exhibition site. The 60 x 20m (197 x 66 ft.) dock at which it will be installed will use rock and geotextile bases designed by Mott Macdonald. Learn more here.;

Over at the utilitarianly named website howstuffworks.com, one can find quite a bit of generic information on things from automotive repair to DVD formating; calculating economic GDP to lists of banned books. An article from professor Craig Freudenrich has also cropped up to explain how landfills work too. And Marshall Brain's entry on the matter has appeared in the WCF Courier this week. Perhaps we'll see other geosynthetic pieces soon? Learn more here.;

The oil and gas sector has been a hot area for development, but how long will it last? Is Middle East oil production dying? Is it still 40 years from peaking? The Wall Street Journal's Environmental Capital blog takes a vague glance at the matter and produces the safest of all responses: we don't know. Learn more here.;

The spike in demand for (and profit from) minerals and precious metals has caused a furious number of mining projects to be pushed. The environmental management costs--liners, erosion control, etc.--have contributed more as the scope of these mining sites expand; but a far greater cost crunch lies in the global competition for mining equipment and labor. There are shortages of both. Learn more here.;

Over at the PittsburghLive news site, a waste management article from the McClatchy-Tribune has been published. It covers the advanced technologies that go into making a modern, safe landfill. This includes geosynthetic lining systems, drainage and caps. It's not a technical article by any stretch, but it is nice to see a general news source recognize engineering. Learn more here.;

Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said on Thursday that the federal government is responsible for the Fernley Canal break near Reno, Nevada. The break flooded a couple square miles of homes and caused considerable damage. Reid went on to criticize the President's slashing of Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) project money and warned against the dangers of an aging infrastructure that fails to adjust to modern needs. Learn more here.;

Representative Heath Shuler, (D-NC) gave the following open statement in the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment hearing on the Water Resources Development Act of 2008. This hearing statement was made on February 7, 2008….“As a real estate developer, I am very familiar with the infrastructure requirements for a new development. One of the greatest tools we deployed was long lasting geosynthetics under newly paved roads. The performance of roads built with geosynthetics was always superior to those built without geosynthetics and geosynthetics are better for the environment as well as drainage around roads. Buttressing my personal experience with geosynthetics is evidence from the federal government about the benefits associated with utilizing geosynthetic materials. In the late 1980s the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation undertook a comprehensive series of tests and investigations to evaluate the use of geosynthetic systems to line canals throughout the western United States. The conclusions of the report highlight a 90% reduction in leakage and a lifespan of the systems of 50 years (U.S. Dept. Of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, report R-02-03). In the early 1980s, the U.S. EPA mandated the usage of HDPE liners as subsurface barrier layers in the nation’s landfills and waste storage facilities. This resulted in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) offering the highest grade given to the area of solid waste management in their “Report Card” on America’s infrastructure. The evidence suggested that requiring the lining of canals, pipelines, reservoirs and dams for water conveyance with geosynthetic materials will improve the lifespan of these infrastructure projects, reduce waste of an increasingly valuable resource and save the taxpayers money by improving the performance of these systems. I hope the Committee will strongly consider taking steps to promote the use of geosynthetics in the Water Resources Development Act of 2008." Learn more here.;

A bill introduced by Tony McConkey to the Maryland State House of Delegates would make geosynthetic liners a necessity for any site at which fly ash is dumped. The bill has come about after fly ash from coal burning was disposed of at an unlined site. That disposal resulted in widespread well contamination. The bill also requires leachate drainage management and protective caps. Learn more here.;

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are reviewing two Superfund sites in Duluth for remediation measures. Sediment flows and groundwater are being monitored, and a report is expected by September to detail whether dredging or capping will be the best approach. Learn more here.;

A proposed copper mine in the Yukon is meeting with stiff environmental opposition. The many-years spike in copper prices has made the $150 million, 8-year-life mine attractive to the company seeking to build. But environmental groups are asking for examples of how heap leaching and liners react overtime in cold climates. Manfacturers and engineers with experience should consider adding your knowledge to the discussion. Learn more here.;

Waste & Recycling News--which changed its name earlier this month from Waste News--has removed the registration process required to view parts of www.wasterecyclingnews.com. Viewers also will no longer need a password to access stories and features on the site. Learn more here.;

The dredging of PCB contaminants from the soils of the Hudson River is being scaled back. GE plans to do about one-third less than previously announced. Instead, "hot spots" of pollution will be the focus. Turbidity curtains, geotextile tubes and containment zones will be part of the cleanup, which is slated to begin in spring 2009. Learn more here.;

The government of India and INDA, a nonwovens industry association, are teaming up to organize nonwovens and geotextile workshops. The aim is to improve the technical textile knowledge base in the country. Learn more here.;