Containment

The US Army Corps of Engineers is working with the Port of Portland to dredge Mount St. Helens debris from the Cowlitz River for the first time in 18 years. The first phase of the project gets underway soon with containment berms to be constructed. Phase II has yet to be bid out by the Corps but is expected to begin in November. Learn more here.;

One of the most important dredging projects in the world is on the schedule: the Panama Canal. From the Pacific entrance alone project engineers aim to dredge 9.1 million cubic meters of material at a cost of about $180 million. The Atlantic dredging will run closer to $70 million. Site visits and bidding will begin shortly. Geotextile tubes are major product resources for dredging projects. To see a listing of geotextile tube providers, please cut and paste the following URL into your browser: https://www.geosynthetica.net/ProductsServices.asp#geotube Learn more here.;

Grassy Island in the Maumee River, Toledo, Ohio, is also known as Island 18. The island serves as the dump for all dredged material from the river. And it was there that a dike breached recently, spilling contaminated materials towards the river. A fabric containment fence has been installed around the island and the US Army Corps of Engineers is proceeding with cleanup and containment measures. Learn more here.;

A steel manufacturing facility in Burns Harbor, Indiana has received approval on a waste cell design. The Mittal Landfill while hold non-recyclable waste containing oil, zinc, grease and lead. A geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) and a 12-inch drainage layer will provide the containment protection. The burial site is expected to accept 14 million tons over the next 25 years. Learn more here.;

South Africa's Mining Weekly reports on the growing trend of heap leach pads in the continent's mining practices. Gold producer Simmer & Jack is set to install its first test heap leach pad shortly Mpumalanga. Spillage dams and PVC liners for the associated metallurgical plant will be used for containment. Learn more here.;

The forthcoming issue of Land & Water will feature a generic article on canal lining geosynthetics. The article, "Smarter Infrastructures" by Chris Kelsey, offers a general introduction to types of liner materials.

Need construction specifications that include geosynthetics? Many manufacturers offer documents at their websites. For example, visit Propex. Under "Landfill/Waste Containment," one finds documents regarding lagoon closure, lining system support, leachate collection, and more (found at the "continued" link below). Other manufacturers may be found at this link https://www.geosynthetica.net/ProductsServices.asp Learn more here.;

Henderson County, North Carolina is to take over its own erosion control monitoring from the state in October. The next step in the county's preparation is to research stormwater management plans and decide whether stormwater runoff is another area the county would like to monitor. Learn more here.;

It's hard to argue with the US General Accounting Office's numbers: 117,000 underground storage tanks are leaking potentially hazardous materials into soils and groundwater. Cleanup would range well beyond $10 billion. The use of geomembranes for secondary containment (not to mention primary containment within tanks!) could spare this threat to the environment and the long-term costs associated with cleanup and redevelopment. From Canadian Environmental Protection. Learn more here.;

Henderson County, North Carolina's neutral-revenue tax discussions are telling of the trend in county-level environmental management concerns. Listed among the county's top priorities are school funding, $30 million in new development, erosion and sediment control measures and enforcement, and waste management. Learn more here.;

Though green technology adoption is all the rage, retail and restaurant spaces account for only 1.5% of LEED-ready projects. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Some of the needs: green roofs, better stormwater management, rainwater conservation tanks, better parking lots, and more. Learn more here.;

The Business Coordination House (BCH) in India has released its latest quarterly newsletter. The wide-ranging issues include finding your product and service demand in the Indian market, Indian GDP, news of a forthcoming geotextile workshop, and much more. Download a copy here.

While geosynthetic providers have hoped for more market studies, few have been issued. But Principia, a business consulting firm, has issued a new study on plastics in construction. A section of the report includes an analysis of geosynthetics, and to judge by the release, the study pays closer attention to water containment. Learn more here.;

The Statesman reports that geotextile tubes are being installed along eroding shores in India on an experimental basis. One section of the test site will target eroding embankments in a 10 km stretch. If the project proves to be successful, similar schemes will be adopted elsewhere. Experts from numerous agencies contributed to the plan's design. Learn more here.;

With its long history of industry, New Jersey has perhaps an unavoidably high number of polluted sites. Capping systems, such as geosynthetic caps, have become not only for environmental containment but for new development. Plenty of debate continues about the point when redevelopment should be denied, or when greater cleanup is needed. But as it stands, New Jersey has had many capping successes. Click the link below to read the article or cut and paste the following URL to view the chart displaying New Jersey's successful capping sites: http://www.northjersey.com/caps/ Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has launched a new career center aimed improving connections between the erosion, sediment control and stormwater management industries and the specialized workforce required to fill job openings in this field. By teaming with JobTarget, an industry leader in job board development and management, IECA has expanded from basic classified listings to a full service career center offering advanced services for both job seekers and employers. The center offers free resume postings for all job seekers. An anonymous resume feature enables them to list their experience and qualifications in a protected environment. By giving both active and passive job seekers the ability to anonymously post their resumes, the IECA career center allows job seekers to stay connected to the employment market while maintaining full control of their confidential information. Another new feature is the job alert system which provides e-mail notification of new job opportunities based on selected search criteria. Currently, nearly 100 positions have been posted to the new IECA career center. Positions titles range from Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control (GESC) Inspector to Auto CAD Designer-Stream Restoration/LID to Staff Civil/Water Resources Engineer. Positions in the academic field as well as internships for students also have been posted. “There is a wide range of employers seeking candidates with the specialized skill set that IECA members possess,” said Becky Milot-Bradford, association development director for IECA. “We are fulfilling our member’s requests for a quality career center while answering the needs of the industry.” Employers are able to connect to this qualified pool of candidates risk free by searching the bank of resumes and paying only when they find a candidate who is interested in the position they have available. “It’s a winning situation for both employers and job candidates,” said Milot-Bradford. To view the new IECA career center, post a resume or a job, visit the link below. Learn more here.;

Olympia, Washington's Cooper Crest neighborhood was supposed to be a low-impact, exemplary new development that demonstrated low erosion, contained runoff in detention ponds, and provided plenty of vegetation. But residents have found the soil tricky, the runoff plentiful, and the hillside vegetation difficult to retain. From the Olympian. Learn more here.;

The E.Coli contamination scares in the United States are having an unusual consequence: encouraging more chemical use and harder erosion solutions. Farmers don't agree with those changes. New solutions from geosynthetic and erosion control companies may help curb fears, manage manure, contain runoff, and provide softer, greener edges to erosion control. Learn more here.;

The historic Stardust Resort and Casino in Las Vegas was demolished last week, becoming the fourth tallest building to be imploded. Geotextile curtains were used to contain the spray of debris. Read about it in the Las Vegas Business Press. Learn more here.;

The Maccaferri Group has acquired Sargon Geosynthetics Ltd. Sargon, based in New Delhi, has provided geosynthetic solutions to India's infrastructure market for many years, working in erosion control, road and rail improvement, water and waste containment, and much more. Maccaferri is a global manufacturer of geosynthetics and has worked steadily in the Indian market through its Maccaferri Environmental Solutions Ltd. division.

Greenwich, Connecticut is recovering from heavy storms that caused significant erosion damage to residential and park areas. New erosion and vegetation recovery methods are sought along with better stormwater management solutions. Read about it in the Greenwich Time. Learn more here.;

The February newsletter for Business Coordination House (BCH) is available online. Included are two geosynthetic-related articles - the first on page 7, India: 1st Integrated Municipal Solid Waste to Energy Project with Scientfic Landfill using Geosynthetics and the second on page 14, Use of Polymeric Geotextiles in Rural and Command Area Roads.

Jeanne Viall's article at All-Africa.com describes the experience of encountering greenroofs in South Africa from the impression to the design (with its geomembrane seal) to the importance of greenroofs in stormwater management and energy conservations. Learn more here.;

Since 1986, Biobarrier® has been the product of choice for re-directing tree and shrub roots from walls, sidewalks, foundations and landscapes. Biobarrier Root Control System is placed in a trench between roots and the area to be protected and is guaranteed for 15 years. “ When we introduced Biobarrier, it was a different kind of product for the market,” said Jerry Dunaway, Biobarrier sales manager. “It still is unlike anything else. We think it is also the most effective and cost-efficient method of inhibiting root growth. For example, it generally costs about $900 to replace 15 linear feet of 4-foot-wide sidewalk. Using Biobarrier along that same stretch of sidewalk costs less than $50.”

CETCO Lining Technologies Group announces the addition of prefabricated PVC panels to its portfolio of products for engineered liner systems for waste and liquid containment applications…