Containment

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that for 19 years, a coal ash storage pond owned by the power company Ameren. The unlined pond in Labadie has never been linked to groundwater contamination, but a slow and steady leak from the site has been known of by Ameren and Missouri state regulators for nearly two decades. Similar ponds in Venice, Illinois are most likely to be capped (by state requirement), and a similar strategy may come to Labadie. Learn more here.;

Titan Environmental Containment has announced it will now offer HUESKER's Canal3 Geocomposite Liner products. Canal³® is a unique geosynthetic barrier solution that combines containment and protection in a single material. A geosynthetic barrier layer is encapsulated between exceptionally durable nonwoven geotextiles. It's an easy, reliable and cost-effective canal lining solution. Learn more. Learn more here.;

In recognition of its commitment to protecting the environment in which it operates, Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) has won an Environmental Protection Award at the prestigious International Bulk Journal Awards 2011, held last week in Antwerp, Belgium. Rising 4m above the water, the Environmental Breakwater at Khalifa Port cuts down sea-swell, contamination and unnecessary temperature change from any projected port use. The breakwater is constructed with a foundation of core materials covered with a strong geotextile and heavy riprap.

Reuters and Marketwatch are reporting that GSE Holding Inc. filed on Wednesday (November 23) with U.S. regulators to offer 9 million shares in an initial public offer (IPO). The filing follows a July 2011 filing from company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the intent to file the IPO, which is believed will raise nearly $144 million on a price of $13-$15 per share.

On November 10, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed House Bill 4875 into law--a law that removes the double liner requirement on landfills if the landfill is used for research and development projects. The construction of bioreactors, such as at the Smiths Creek Landfill (St. Clair County), is one of the project's being cited as a reason to remove the double-liner requirement, proponents say.

In its latest financial release, Raven Industries reports strong growth from its Engineered Films Division, which also manufactures geomembranes. The company notes that energy and agriculture end markets are leading the way, while geomembrane liners and covers continue to perform well and show excellent growth opportunities. New manufacturing lines at Raven are increasing the company's environmental protection portfolio in the areas of liquid containment and gas barriers (such as with EVOH layers incorporated). Read the release.

Infiltrator Systems, Inc. (ISI) has announced that it has agreed to acquire the assets of the septic chamber business of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) and its subsidiaries. As part of the acquisition, ADS has entered into a long-term, non-exclusive distribution agreement with Infiltrator Systems and will continue to market and sell the Arc(TM) and BioDiffuser(TM) product lines.

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced the new standard D7737, "Standard Test Method for Individual Geogrid Junction Strength." It is important to note that for this standard the test is performed in isolation, while in service a junction is typically confined. Thus, the results from this test method are not anticipated to be related to design performance. D7737-11 is published as part of ASTM BOS Volume 04.13. Learn more here.;

In its 3Q statement, Pacific Gold Corp. reports on its progress at Black Rock Canyon Mine in Nevada, where geotextile tube changes and approval and new liner requirements have slowed production.

Conway Resources Inc. ("Conway" or the "Corporation") (TSXV: CWY) is pleased to announce that development work at the Belleterre Mine is progressing well. The Corporation has finished installing the geomembranes in the two holding ponds that will be used to dewater the mine. It will now proceed with installation of fences to secure pond access, followed by the filtration plant in early December.

In 2003, the North American Geosynthetics Society's (NAGS) Award of Merit authorized research into the Use of Geosynthetics in Mining and Mineral Processing Industry. The Final Report that resulted from this research was submitted to NAGS in 2007. Recently, new requests for this research have come in. NAGS has shared the Executive Summary from that study. The full report is available for purchase ($50, CD) through NAGS. Contact Executive Director David Suits for more information: Nagsdirector@aol.com.

Prof. Krishnan Balan (Civil Engineering at College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India) reports that they are organizing a short course on Geosynthetic Applications Case Histories. This event will be held 6-8 December 2011 for the Departmental Engineers of India's Kerala State. An exhibition is being planned and interested manufacturers will have the opportunity to present case histories of their products in use and design procedures. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) Environmental Connection 2012 (EC12) event will be at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, 26-29 February 2012. In the latest newsletter from the world's largest annual erosion and sediment control show, the organizers reveal some new short courses, a field tour, registration info, hotel/travel info, and more.

Tensar International has added the synthetic drainage layer product RoaDrain™ to its roadway stabilization solutions portfolio. The sales and marketing rights in the Americas are now exlcusive to Tensar. The product is designed for high-performance drainage below roadways, rail trackbed and other paved areas. Installed in subgrades, it serves to reduce subgrade degradation and, thus, increase pavement service life. Read more in the release.

Raven Industries Engineered Films Division announces the installation and start up of newest blown sheet line; the world’s largest seven-layer barrier system. Raven is well known for innovative manufacturing technologies along with a comprehensive range of production capabilities and is the first to install a system of this magnitude in barrier technology. Raven has worked extensively over the past 18 months alongside industry experts Davis Standard LLC during the planning, design, and development of this highly complex engineered equipment. Raven's new line is capable of processing the widest and thickest (EVOH, Nylon) barrier structures available in the industry today, producing films up to 32 feet in circumference and sheeting up to 80 mils thick with optional surface texturing available. This machine houses a unique 60-inch diameter, seven-layer Centrex die manufactured with the latest extrusion technology and engineered to provide maximum versatility utilizing seven individual extruders for the production of barrier sheeting.

ASTM International's Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has released a new standard, ASTM D7703, Practice for Electrical Leak Location on Exposed Geomembranes Using the Water Lance System. The practice standardizes a geoelectric method used to detect potential leaks in exposed electrically isolating membranes in the field in containment applications. The Committee's first vice chairman, Tim Bauters, P.E., Ph.D., says "... pinpointing of leaks can prevent costly site closures, delayed permitting/opening and, in the worst case, cleanup costs."

Geofabrics Australasia and Monash University have posted a two-part (two "chapter") educational video series on geosynthetics in coastal protection applications. Part 1 (above) looks at the history and properties of the materials used; Part 2 (below) looks at installation. The series takes full advantage of the longer video capability now allowed on video-hosting sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. This coastal protection series runs a combined 57 minutes. Slides and live video have also been incorporated into the lecture presentation. Other videos from the lecture series will be available soon.

The third Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS) will take place 30 September - 3 October 2012 at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, Arizona and will serve as a forum for the presentation of applied and fundamental research, case studies, and policy analysis on waste and recyclables management. The organizers invite the community of researchers, engineers, designers, academicians, students, facility owners and operators, regulators, and policymakers to participate. The deadline for submission of abstracts has been extended to December 1.

The 5th European Conference on Geosynthetics (EuroGeo 5) will be held 16-19 September 2012 in Valencia, Spain. The Spanish Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) will organize it, and the event will be held under the auspices of the IGS. Authors interested in presenting a paper at the Conference must provide an abstract before 30 November 2011, addressed to the Conference Secretariat, through the Conference website. Abstracts received by fax or mail will not be considered. Abstracts must be written in either English or Spanish. View the event brochure.

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.

Oil spills and discharges most commonly happen during the oil storage container transfer process, and during fuel and chemical deliveries. Even though the majority of spills involve less than 100 gallons, most facilities that maintain above-ground storage of more than 1320 gallons of oil are still required to have oil spill plans in place as part of EPA and other regulatory rules. Read more from Interstate Products Company.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the worldwide subsidies to fossil fuel consumption in 2009 amounted to no less than 300 billion USD, while at the same time the global support for renewables was almost 60 billion USD. Gaps in support and other key issues in renewable energy will be at the heart of the World Bioenergy conference, taking place in Sweden in late May 2012. Geosynthetics are increasing utilized in renewable energy applications, such as for manure lagoon methane capture, solar energy caps on landfills, and wind farm access roads.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its final research plan on hydraulic fracturing. At the request of Congress, EPA is working to better understand potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Natural gas plays a key role in our nation's clean energy future and the Obama Administration is committed to ensuring that we continue to leverage this vital resource responsibly.

Sika increased sales by 17.2% in local currencies in the first nine months of the year. The company witnessed double-digit growth in all regions apart from Europe South. The result for the third quarter was also pressured by continually rising raw material prices and currency effects. Sika posted gains in local currencies in all regions. As was the case in the first half of the year, Sika could rely on sustained strong demand from the emerging markets.

Colbond has appointed Marc Krauth as Vice President Sales & Marketing. He will be responsible for global sales, marketing and product management organization. Krauth brings about 15 years of experience in strategy development and implementation at DSM, Owens Corning and Sonoco. His extensive market knowledge of several of Colbond's core segments should significantly ease the transition to the new role.