Containment

The solid waste industry has "gone green." Facing increased regulations, tighter budgets and community pressure, landfills are looking to reduce their environmental impact. One opportunity is through the use of ClosureTurf™, a ground-breaking closure system that has helped many landfills increase long term performance while simultaneously reducing their carbon footprint by up to 75%

More than two Europeans in three see climate change as a very serious problem and almost 80% consider that taking action to combat it can boost the economy and jobs, a special Eurobarometer survey published today shows. The poll, carried out in June 2011, found that the European public is more concerned about climate change than it was in 2009 - and that climate change remains a greater worry than the economic situation. Read more.

The third Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS) will serve as a forum for the presentation of applied and fundamental research, case studies, and policy analysis on waste and recyclables management. We invite the community of researchers, engineers, designers, academicians, students, facility owners and operators, regulators, and policymakers to participate. The GWMS will be held in a setting where all participants can share ideas and will include oral and poster presentations as well as social events to provide opportunities for technical interaction and discussion. Learn more and submit your abstract by November 4.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced a new standard, D7703: "Standard Practice for Electrical Leak Location on Exposed Geomembranes Using the Water Lance System." Electrical leak location methods are an effective and proven quality assurance measure to locate previously undetected leaks and check the integrity of a liner. Learn more here.;

Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE Amex:BKR) announced today that it has acquired RBF Consulting (RBF), a 540-person engineering, planning, surveying and environmental services firm based in Irvine, California. RBF significantly expands Baker's presence in the Western U.S. transportation, civil and environmental infrastructure markets and, through its water resources experience and expertise, provides a platform for Baker to build a national water and wastewater practice. The terms of the transaction were a total consideration of $50 million, of which approximately $45.7 million was paid in cash and approximately $4.3 million was paid in Baker common stock.

TenCate Geosynthetics North America is seeking a new Engineering Business Manager for its West Coast and Midwest territories. The EBM is responsible for marketing TenCate Geosynthetics' products and services to the specifying community, which includes geotechnical and civil engineers. EBM will be assigned target locations and will work with Region Manager(s) to develop and implement a plan for each location. Learn more about the responsibilities on Geosynthetica's Employment Page posting.

The Army Corps of Engineers and city officials of Dallas unveiled changes to the 100-year flood plan to upgrade the Trinity River levees. Although the changes were developed during a break that the agency took to study a new risk assessment approach, the new plan does not reflect a new strategy, according to Corps officials. "I can sum up two reasons of the pause. The first was to explore the new risk assessment process. And the second one was to continue to explore more cost effective methodologies for 100-year-fix," said Richard J. Muraski Jr., commander of the agency's Fort Worth district. Learn more here.;

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) today cemented its leadership in landfill energy production with the dedication of a solar energy cover on its closed Hickory Ridge landfill near Atlanta. The innovative flexible solar cover technology that increases renewable energy output at landfills will generate 1 megawatt (MW) of electricity and meet the needs of 224 homes. The 45-acre closure system, which includes 10 acres of solar panels, is the world's largest landfill solar energy cap and can be seen from planes using the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

International geosynthetics manufacturing GSE has released the details of its 3 November 2011 "Geosynthetics 4 Success" seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina. The seminar is part of a series of events the company has arranged in which expert independent speakers join technical personnel from the company to present on key subjects in the field. In Charlotte, the focus will be on the latest developments in geosynthetics and the use of geosynthetics in waste and coal ash containment applications. This discussion will include all aspects of new product performance, benefits, issues, and an update on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Coal Ash Rule. Learn more.

A Federal judge on Friday ruled in a CERCLA lawsuit that plaintiffs NCR Corp. and Appleton Papers Inc. are liable for an estimated $950 million in combined cleanup costs and reimbursement of natural resource damages related to PCB contamination at the nation's largest Superfund site, located in eastern Wisconsin. The cleanup operations have used an extensive amount of geosynthetics, such as geotextile tubes.

Michigan state representative Andrea LaFontaine (R-Richmond) has introduced a bill to the legislature that would allow for the construction of single-liner systems for landfills sited over thick natural clay layers. The state currently requires double-lined systems for maximum environmental protection. Environmental groups are working to stop the legislation from succeeding. Learn more here.;

When filmmaker Hugh Hunt began production on the documentary "Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb," he sought a dramatic form of authenticity to understanding the 1943 RAF attack on dams in Germany's military industry-heavy Ruhr Valley. The raid utilized the unique "bouncing bomb," most of the technical aspects of which were lost in a 1960s flood. Hunt sought a construction site with water access on which he could construct a concrete dam--one he could subsequently blow up in a simulated attack. The dam was constructed of concrete lock block on an excavated site in Mackenzie, British Columbia with the help of BC Hyrdo. A geotextile backing on the dam helped stabilized the quick construction. Learn more here.;

Stormwater management is a fast-changing discipline and StormCon is the only professional conference and exposition focused exclusively on the latest stormwater program management innovations, BMP performance case studies, research, technology, and services. StormCon 2012 will be held 19-23 August 2012 in Denver, Colorado. Abstracts for the event are now invited. Learn more here.;

Clean Harbors Canada, Inc.'s Lambton facility experienced odour complaints from the nearby community and the Company has taken measures to reduce these odours in an effort to ensure that the problems are minimized in the future. Recent testing indicates that emissions from the site are within the Ministry of the Environment health standards. A geotextile cover on the leachate pond was part of the solution.

Ground stabilization specialist Tensar International has successfully defended its TriAx® product range against several patent infringements. To date, Tensar has pursued three separate cases through the Chinese legal system and prevailed in each instance. Learn More.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised standard D4759, "Standard Practice for Determining the Specification Conformance of Geosynthetics." This practice has been developed with strong emphasis on practicality and the realization that all geosynthetics are subjected to a vigorous quality control program prior to shipping. The standard has been revised to D4759-11. Learn more here.;

Drs. R.J. Bathurst (Editor) and J.P. Giroud (Chairman of the Editorial Board) of Geosynthetics International, an official journal of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), have announced the award for 2010's best paper: "Geosynthetic capillary barriers: current state of knowledge" by J.G. Zornberg, A. Bouazza and J.S. McCartney. The article appeared in Geosynthetics International Volume 17, No. 5, pp 273-300.

CRETE 2012 marks the 3rd International Conference on Industrial and Hazardous Waste Management. To be held 12-14 September 2012 at Chania (Crete, Greece), the event promises exploration of topics such as energy from waste, case studies, management of contanimated sites, environmental management, special waste containment, and many other subjects. International Waste Working Group (IWWG) members are eligible for a discounted registration. Abstracts are due 31 January 2012.

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) has launched a streamlined new website. The site includes a news feed, education resources, a calendar of event, partner links, and more. Among the GMA's most dedicated activities in recent years has been a strong government relations program in Washington, D.C. Learn more at the association website. Learn more here.;

The US Environmental Protection Agency's AgSTAR program has been critical in developing the biogas industry, many systems of which utilize geomembranes for manure containment and methane harvesting. The 7th National Conference will be held 27-29 March 2012 in Syracuse, New York. The conference provides state-of-the-art information about integrated manure management systems, anaerobic digestion, storage and application techniques, and more. Abstracts for the conference are invited through 7 October 2011. Learn more here.;

Papers are invited for the Third Symposium on Current and Future Practices for the Testing of Multi-Component Geosynthetic Clay Liners, which will be held 29 June 2012 at the Sheraton San Diego in San Diego, California. Sponsored by ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, the symposium will be held in conjunction with Committee D35's June standards development meetings. Learn more.

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 31 October 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. Visit the abstracts submission page on the conference website. Learn more here.;

Raven Industries Engineered Films Division announces the opening of their new Technology Solutions Center within their Sioux Falls, SD operation. The Center will provide full-spectrum product development through extensive research, analysis, processing and optimization of new product formulations. The Technology Solutions Center houses two state-of-the-art pilot extrusion lines. Read more.

Pacific Gold Corp. (PCFG) has announced that Nevada Rae Gold, Inc., (NRG) a subsidiary of PCFG, has received permission from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) for its' Engineering Design Change to build a field hosting 8 additional geotextile tubes at the Black Rock Canyon Mine. The Company has ordered the appropriate liners and parts, and the Company plans to begin construction on the field as soon as the supplies are on site. Once completed, an as built review by the NDEP will be required prior to the operation of the new field of geotextile tubes.

Due to overwhelming interest by engineers following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, the call for papers for the ATC-SEI Advances in Hurricane Engineering Conference has been extended to this Thursday, September 15. The joint Applied Technology Council and Structural Engineering Institute event is set for 24-26 October 2012 in Miami. Learn more here.;