Containment

Ian D. Peggs, Ph.D., P.E., of I-CORP International is currently in Würzburg, Germany for the 3rd International Conference on Geosynthetic Clay Liners, September 15-16. The event has been spearheaded by three key independent organizations on its scientific committee: SKZ (Germany), Cemagref (France) and the Geosynthetic Institute (USA). Time permitting during the conference, Ian has agreed to share updates from Germany with Geosynthetica's readers. He filed the following on the evening of September 14. Read more.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Region One has issued the Call for Presentations for Environmental Connection 2015. The event is the annual conference and exhibition from IECA, and it...

By World Bioenergy - Official statistics show that China is the country that invests by far the most money in renewable energy. But the picture is completely different when...

Late last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water's issued a draft document for developing watershed total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Public comments are coming due on the “Handbook for Developing Watershed TMDLs." Please know that the public comment period closes on 18 February 2009.

The International Erosion Control Association’s (IECA) annual Environmental Connection conference will gather February 16 – 19 in San Antonio, Texas. Geosynthetica will be in the international exhibit hall in...

Mechanically stabilized earth constructions, such as MSE walls, have enabled economical, safe, more vertical constructions. Often, these designs have yielded shorter construction windows, offered vegetated faces, and reduced the...

The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s 124th Annual Trade Show and Convention, to be held Dec. 11-13 at the Billings Holiday Inn Grand Montana, will feature four unique Pfizer-sponsored “Cattlemen’s Colleges.” One key session will involve a Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative panel discussion on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Panelists will include representatives from Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montana State Department of Environmental Quality, Montana State University Extension, a livestock producer and will be moderated by Gene Surber. Learn more here.;

The PA Department of Environmental Protection announced today that Chief Oil and Gas LLC has paid $180,000 in civil penalties for a hydraulic oil spill and for failing to properly maintain a drill pit at a Marcellus Shale natural gas well in Jefferson Township, Somerset County. A June 10, 2010 site inspection by DEP found evidence of the discharge of hydraulic oil onto the ground. Operators are required to notify DEP of any spills of that nature because the oil is classified as a residual waste. Chief did not notify DEP of the spill and was not permitted to discharge residual waste at the site. Chief Oil and Gas has since successfully remediated the site.

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics will hold a seminar on geosynthetics in India 2 – 4 December 2015. The event will be held at the Bombay Textile...

At the open of promotional video for the March 28 geosynthetics panel discussion on failure and project value, the narrator quotes renowned investor Warren Buffet: Price is what you...

Propex Geosynthetics has released a new website in support of its ArmorMax™ Anchor Reinforced Vegetation System product line. The site features a wealth of information about ArmorMax, including features and benefits, case studies, a downloadable product brochure, and how the product is used as a permanent solution for structural and non-structural applications. Read more in and link to the site from the release.

Friday, January 28, is the last day to book your room at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida to receive the discounted rates available only to EC11 attendees. The Environmental Connection gatherings from the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) offer short courses, technical sessions, an exhibit hall, numerous networking opportunities, certification, and much more. EC11 will be held 20-23 February 2011. Learn more here.;

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 hosts two meetings this week to update Kalamazoo area residents on portions of the Kalamazoo River Superfund site. A general site update meeting will be held Tuesday, 1 December, in Plainwell, Michigan. A meeting focused on the Allied Landfill portion of the site will be held Thursday, December 3 in Kalamazoo. Read more.

Imagine Intelligent Materials Pty Limited (Imagine IM) is set to build Australia’s first commercial graphene manufacturing plant. This is significant for the quickly emerging field of graphene-enhanced materials, and...

The recent failures of major -- and relatively new -- public works in Massachusetts to hold up has raised questions about quality versus cost in the construction bidding process. Structural problems in Boston's Big Dig tunnel and the recent breaking of a massive water main have brought the issue to the forefront. "I'm just saying, can't we do anything right anymore?" said Jerome Connor, a civil engineering professor at MIT. Learn more here.;

The message about bioenergy's opportunities is being spread around the world. In the lead-up to the World Bioenergy 2012 conference and trade fair that will be held in Jönköping, Sweden at the end of May, the organisers Svebio and Elmia held a "Tea View" event to present the upcoming event to ambassadors and foreign trade offices. No fewer than 86 diplomats from 45 countries, including 11 ambassadors, came to find out more about bioenergy.

When considering a nonwoven geotextile fabric for your next project there are a number of elements as a customer you should be considering before you buy. The following will...

ASTM Internnational Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced work item WK38128, Guide for Identification, Packaging, Handling, Storage and Deployment of Fabricated Geomembrane Panels. The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee (D35.10 - Geomembranes). Learn more here.;

The disastrous coal ash spill that occurred a year ago at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston power plant in eastern Tennessee dumped a whopping 2.66 million pounds of 10 toxic pollutants into the nearby Emory and Clinch rivers -- more than all the surface-water discharges from all U.S. power plants in 2007. Learn more here.;

The International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) has published its first newsletter of 2012. This issue includes a welcome note from new IAGI President Todd Harman, an article on the Certified Welding Technician (CWT) "Renewal Process 2.0," an update to the IAGI Buyer's Guide, industry news, a call for entries for IAGI's awards, and an article from Elizabeth Peggs on the beta testing of Geosindex.com. Read the newsletter here (PDF)

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Aquaculture" report to their offering. The US aquaculture industry includes about 6,400 farms with combined annual revenue of more than $1 billion. No major companies dominate the industry, which is fragmented. Read more.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is calling for submittals for Environmental Connection 2011 (EC11), annual conference and expo of IECA. Combining quality education with a world-class expo, EC11 is the premier gathering place for the erosion and sediment control community, drawing attendees from over 20 countries and 150 exhibitors to Orlando, Florida, 20-23 February 2011. Deadline to submit an abstract is 20 May 2010. Learn more.

Low & Bonar PLC, an international performance materials group, has announced the acquisition of Xeroflor International GmbH ("Xeroflor"). Low & Bonar's company Colbond is heavily involved in various aspects of green roofs, and Xeroflor's pre-vegetated mat technology offers a strong complement to Colbond's business. High profile examples of Xeroflor roofs are at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada, the Ford Motor Company's truck assembly plant in Michigan, the Aldi logistics centre in St. Augustin, Germany and the Kastrup power plant in Denmark.

Geomembrane and fabrication specialist firm BTL has issued its annual letter regarding holiday closure dates. The company and its staff will close for a holiday mid-day on December 23 and will reopen on January 5. Read general manager Ron MacKenzie's letter here.

Ever since Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans area has had to deal with considerable construction debris. In some parishes, this has meant lax observance of waste burial laws. Regulation and enforcement is catching up, though. In Layfayette Parish, a construction debris site-turned-landfill is installing a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) system on the cell floor to begin to bring the site up to code. Learn more here.;