Containment

The forecast for severe weather this week has prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cancel its two-day Greener Cleanup Symposium that was scheduled for 10-11 February 2010 at Drexel University in Philadelphia. The event would have explored the most environmentally safe methods to clean up and revitalize contaminated properties.

Just in time for the holidays, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delayed its decision on coal ash storage and facility design. It was anticipated that a rule would have been proposed in 2009, but the agency has asked for a bit more time. One of the solutions that many are hoping for is a requirement for geosynthetic lining systems. With landfills, required lining systems have made waste management the United States' best-rated infrastructure zone. Coal ash disposal would benefit from that care.

The Nor'easter storm that punished the east coast of the United States last week has exposed the old geotextile tubes that helped establish and secure the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey. But after surviving years of storms, this most recent event overwhelmed the tubes. The tubes remain, intact, but new sand will need to be brought in to rebuild the dune network. Learn more here.;

The Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG) has a number of interesting, international events and deadlines coming up. Geosynthetics may play a significant role in a number of the mining discussions facilitated by ACG. Also, the Centre has now developed individual websites for more of its events, making the key information easier to come by. Further, ACG is associated with numerous other events around the world. Read a breakdown of the forthcoming events.

EPA today announced draft allocations for nitrogen and phosphorus as part of a rigorous pollution diet for meeting water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, and restoring local rivers and streams throughout the 64,000-square-mile watershed. EPA plans to issue a draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or pollution diet for a 45-day public comment period on September 24. The final Phase 1 Watershed Implementation Plans are due November 29, and EPA will establish the Bay TMDL by December 31.

The latest issue of Water & Wastes Digest includes Mark Oriol's article on protecting pipes with engineered liners and coatings. He underscores quickly just how major of a need this preventative measure is: there are nearly 1.2 million miles of sewer lines in the United States alone. Among the liners he highlights you'll find GSE's StudLiner, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) embedment liner that uses extruded studs rather than ribs for anchor points. A system of this sort can deliver more than 50 years of service. Learn more here.;

Houston, TX – 30 September 2013 – GSE Environmental, a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered geosynthetic containment solutions for environmental protection and confinement applications, is excited to be featured...

A comprehensive heap leach design short course has been announced as part of the opportunities at Heap Leach Solutions 2014. Led by an international team (Renzo Ayala, Jonathan Bray,...

In 2003, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) rejected more costly solutions to fix the coal-ash landfill at TVA's power plant in Kingston, Tennessee. These solutions would have included the types of walls and containment liners used in other waste facilities but which are not required in most states for fly ash. After rejecting options that cost up to $25 million, the TVA installed trenches and other drainage mechanisms in an attempt to relieve the water pressure. Last month, the walls burst and flooded 300 acres of land with contaminated coal ash. Learn more here.;

rom 20-22 April 1977 the International Conference on the Use of Fabrics in Geotechnics was held in Paris, France. This watershed event included a paper from engineer Dr. J.P. Giroud in which he coined two terms that have become central to the field of geosynthetics: "geotextile" and "geomembrane." The Paris gathering introduced many new users to the fast-developing field of geosynthetics and, perhaps even more importantly, connected many companies, universities, and individual engineers who had already been furthering understanding of the materials—current and needed characteristics, manufacturing potential, applications for adoption, design methodologies, etc.

Porous pavement solutions have drawn considerable interest in communities for the green engineering benefits they provide. Grass and gravel porous pavers can greatly reduce stormwater runoff by enabling a...

During the Geosynthetics 2009 biennial conference in Salt Lake City, Utah (25-27 February 2009), the former PVC Geomembrane Institute (PGI) officially launched its new identity as the much more-expansive Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI). The FGI’s inaugural meeting was deemed a great success, and we expect news soon about initial membership and research projects. We now find that within the last seven days the FGI has launched a new website at www.fabricatedgeomembrane.com. Read more.

The News and Advance newspaper in Lynchburg, Virginia is conducting twice-weekly interviews with city council candidates. The April 14 published interaction deals with erosion control rules. Learn more here.;

ASTM International's Committee D18 on Soil and Rock has announced work item WK32272, "Standard Test Method for Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Hillslopes from Rainfall-Induced Erosion." This is a work item revision to existing standard D6459-07. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is offering a new benefit for members: Expert Chats. The first offering of this online-hosted, interactive event will be held 29 May 2009 from 2:00-3:00 pm (MDT). Phil Handley, REM, CPESC, of the San Antonio Water System will serve as the first expert in the informal chat series. (Continued.)

In October 2017, the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI), which is part of the Folsom, Pennsylvania-based Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) published the GRI-GM19b specification: “Seam Strength and Related Properties of Thermally...

The 14th National Brownfields Conference (Brownfields 2011) features two and a half days of networking and educational programming. This year the conference features more than 100 educational sessions, including lively panel discussions, engaging town hall meetings, dynamic roundtables, outstanding plenary sessions, special trainings, film screenings, book signings and more. Brownfields 2011 will be held 3-5 April 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Learn more about the educational offerings. Learn more here.;

The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) is very pleased to announce the details for a very unique facility tour in Southern Ontario and New York State to visit various waste management facilities. There will be seven facilities on the tour representing new and innovative technologies and/or management practices. The tour will take place 29 and 30 September 2009. Read more about it.

The American Public Works Association (APWA) 2011 conference and exhibition has extended abstract presentation proposals through 8 October 2010. General topics of interest include operations improvements, emerging trends and technologies, public works leadership, and the business side of public works. The event will be held 18-21 September 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Learn more and submit a proposal electronically. Learn more here.;

Mark Sieracke of Weaver Consultants Group will provide a special keynote lecture focused on Geosynthetic Protection and Covering on Thursday, September 8. The talk is part of CQA...

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding the DEP's issuance of erosion and sediment control permits. The agengy's database indicates that nearly all recent permits have been approved in a month, despite the long-standing problems with erosion and sediment migration into the historic bay area. The lawsuit follows the release of draft reports on creating a long-term plan for better environmental management of the bay. Learn more here.;

New Civil Engineers' (NCE) coverage of the Tensar flood damage response in Cumbria. Learn more here.;

International manufacturer of geosynthetics, synthetic turf and other materials TenCate has released its financial performance report for the first nine months of 2011. According to the statement, geosynthetics sales showed "a positive trend on all continents." The relative proportion of sales in South America and Asia rose, while Emas Kiara was integrated within TenCate Geosynthetics Asia.

The discipline of liner integrity surveys and assessments (LISA) has changed quickly and has had a dramatic impact internationally on the quality of waste and water-related geosynthetic containment systems....

A volatile organic compound (VOC) has been detected intruding through the geosynthetic cover of the Haverford Township, Pennsylvania Superfund Site. The off-gasing vapor has been identified as trichloroethylene. In its liquid form, trichloroethylene is a nonflammable, colorless liquid. It's used as a solvent for cleaning or degreasing metal parts. The US Environmental Protection Agency continues to monitor the site and is evaluating how extensive the vapor intrusion may have been. Fourteen nearby residences have been notified. Learn more here.;