Containment

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced the approval of a new standard: D7852 - Standard Practice for Use of an Electrically Conductive Geotextile for Leak Location Surveys. Developed by Committee D35.10 (Subcommittee on Geomembranes), the scope aims for the standard to be "applicable to all types of geoelectric surveys when there is otherwise not a conductive layer under the geomembrane." Learn more here.;

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting four public information meetings on the proposed study of the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and its potential impacts on drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing is a process that helps production of natural gas or oil from shale and other geological formations. By pumping fracturing fluids (water and chemical additives) and sand or other similar materials into rock formations, fractures are created that allow natural gas or oil to flow from the rock through the fractures to a production well for extraction. The meetings will provide public information about the proposed study scope and design. EPA will solicit public comments on the draft study plan.

Cooper Land Development, Inc., a luxury home development company headquartered in Rogers, Arkansas, has agreed to pay a civil penalty and implement a storm water compliance program at its construction sites to settle allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. According to a consent decree filed today in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, Cooper Land Development has agreed to pay a $513,740 civil penalty to settle the allegations that it failed to properly manage construction site storm water runoff and implement erosion control at five of its housing developments located in Missouri, West Virginia and Arkansas. The penalty will be paid in four annual installments, plus interest, according to the consent decree.

More than 800 attendees were on hand for the 2013 International Low Impact Development (LID) Symposium in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This was the sixth edition of this event. Dr....

A baffled crump weir flow control structure was used for the first time at a UK dam at the Burn of Mosset flood alleviation scheme. The Scottish project has been operating successfully under flood conditions and is enhancing the ecological status of the watercourse. To make the design safe, the earth fill surface was benched and covered with a needle-punched geotextile. A 600mm layer of coarse gravel was placed on the benched profile, covered with a 400mm layer of open stone asphalt and topsoil. From International Water Power & Dam Construction. Learn more here.;

In 1980, only 9 percent of global fish consumption came from aquaculture. Today, that number is 43 percent. In Scotland, aquaculture has actually overtaken sheep and pork to become the second-largest meat-producing sector, with a value of approximately £400 million ($630 million). The largest sector in Scotland is beef, with a value of £467 million ($730 million). Salmon consumption in Great Britain has risen 22 percent in the past two years. It's yet-another story that confirms the huge growth potential in aquaculture for ocean-base and inland hatcheries--particularly in Western nations. Learn more here.;

When Lake County, Florida experienced a surge in leachate at its landfill in 2003, an area wastewater storage facility accepted it. Now that company has closed and the site has become a Superfund site. The former company's neglect means that its clients must pay for cleanup. Lake County will contribute $125,000 (of $1 million+ needed) to cleanup the 37-tank farm. That's exactly what the county paid to dispose of the leachate originally. Learn more here.;

The NPDES Permit Writer's Course is a five-day course covering the key elements of NPDES Permit development. The course is taught by experienced US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff and contractors and has been one of EPA’s most successful courses over the past decade. Because of the popularity of the course, EPA has recorded Web-based presentations covering the material presented in several key modules of the live course. These recorded presentations enable participants who attended the NPDES Permit Writers’ Course to review the material on demand in a self-paced environment. Learn more at the Permit Writers home page. Learn more here.;

South Africa-based Kaytech Engineered Fabrics has announced the addition of Paul Pratt to its team of geosynthetics experts. Pratt joins Kaytech as a Technical Manager. Previously, he served as National Sales Manager for Fibertex South Africa. Paul Pratt's new company contact information is paul@kaytech.co.za, +27 (0)83 2810078.

By NAUE - In the course of the European Union (EU) accession process, the adaptation of waste management to the EU's legal framework can be a major challenge for...

In Two Rivers, Wisconsin, city officials are requiring a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner for a stormwater detention pond that is being constructed. The precaution is not for water conservation, necessarily. An old landfill, which operated from 1938 to 1961, is located beneath the site. With no knowledge of what is really buried at the site, the HDPE liner was thought to be the best solution. Additional sampling will be taken from the old waste cell. Learn more here.;

The Layfield Group of Companies has announced the formation of a new business unit: Engineered Membranes & Films (EMF). The move is part of a major capital expansion project at Layfield which includes a new state-of-the-art wide width geomembrane extrusion line. The new line will provide an additional 23 million pounds (10.5 million kilograms) of geomembrane capacity in various widths and thicknesses.

Effective Monday, November 22, Tensar Corporation and its principal business unit Tensar International will consolidate their headquarters locations to operate more efficiently. The move, which takes the companies to the Northwinds development in Alpharetta, Georgia, ends more than a decade of separate locations within a business park in Atlanta's Northern Perimeter area. Read more.

A power company near Louisville, Kentucky has proposed to construct a 60-acre coal ash landfill near the Ohio River. The new landfill is designed to hold 5.8 million cubic yards of waste and is planned to 16 years of service life. The design is also flexible to accommodate changes that may be mandated in future years in Kentucky, such as the potential addition of a wastewater treatment facility. A "hard plastic liner" is said to be in the design and secondary containment measures can be added. Learn more here.;

The Appalachian Center for Mountain Winegrowing at Appalachian State University has received a $9,500 grant from the North Carolina Wine and Grape Council. The Appalachian Center for Mountain Winegrowing staff will evaluate two methods of under-row soil erosion control: cover crops and erosion control blankets. Results from the study will be shared with growers to help them select erosion control strategies for their sites. Learn more here.;

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) has added an innovative new product to its Arc line of plastic leaching chambers to meet the needs of septic leach field installers. The new Arc 36LP is specially designed for challenging installations such as high groundwater conditions or other site restrictions. Installing systems requiring shallow burial depths has several advantages, including greater separation from the groundwater, enhanced aerobic bacterial action and improved percolation rates. The new Arc 36LP chamber leverages more than 40 years of experience designing state-of-the-art engineered structures.

By American Environmental Group - AEG began work on providing geosynthetic installation services for a heap leach pad expansion project for a gold mine in northern Nevada. The mine encompasses...

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Geo-Institute held its annual event in West Palm Beach, Florida 20-24 February 2010. And I am very pleased to report that the event was vibrant with a broad range of activity and healthy level of attendance. One of the remarkable characteristics of this event was the diversity of both attendee specializations and subject matters covered. Every facet of industry and academia seemed to be represented by the 850+ attendees. The 3.5-day technical program was so completely full that at times it was difficult for attendees to choose which of the sessions to attend. Read more from Elizabeth Peggs.

The 3rd Annual Waste-to-Fuels Conference & Trade Show will be held in Jacksonville, Florida 18-20 April 2010. The event focuses on informing the public and private sectors of the economic and environmental benefits of converting waste materials to alternative fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol as well as energy recovery. Topics include municipal solid waste (MSW)-to-fuels and energy recovery; biomass-to-fuels; landfill gas; agricultural waste-to-fuels; and more. Abstracts are invited through January 22. Learn more here.;

The December 2010 issue of NAUE News is perhaps the company's most ambitious to date, in terms of content range. The introductory article addresses the departure of long-time managing director Prof.-Ing. Dr. Georg Heerten, who is retiring from his primary day-to-day operations with NAUE. Project stories in the issue look at countering the danger posed to a community by the sudden appearance of a sinkhole; high-speed railway improvement; foundation protection; landfill sealing; dam restoration; and much more. These projects are set in Australia, Germany, Romania, Burkina Faso, and elsewhere.

Low and Bonar PLC, the international performance materials group, and National Petrochemical Industrial Company, a subsidiary of Alujain Corporation, today announce that they have agreed the terms on which they are to establish a joint venture company in Saudi Arabia for the design, manufacture and sale of geotextile products for the fast growing civil engineering markets in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Learn more.

During EuroGeo 6 (September 2016, Slovenia), Dr. Ian D. Peggs chaired a special panel discussion on geomembrane wrinkles, bridging, uplift, and ballasting. Following, and with the permission of the event...

Plastics Information Direct (PID)--part of Applied Market Information (AMI)--is having a book sale. The company hopes to make greater room on its shelves for 2009's new editions. This means it is getting rid of some special texts that will not be replaced. Visit the bookstore online. Learn more here.;

After considerable trouble with erosion and levee stability south of Marrero (Louisiana), the West Bank Levee Board has formed an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to shore up the oft-crumbling levee with geotextiles. Roughly 1,600 feet of the earthen levee has been threatened, with two failures having occurred in the last 20 years and which affected 600 feet of the structure. Geotextiles will be used now and the levee will be raised from 10 feet to 14.5 feet to guard against a 100-year storm. Learn more here.;

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has reapproved standard D4491, "Standard Test Methods for Water Permeability of Geotextiles by Permittivity." Permittivity is an indicator of the quantity of water that can pass through a geotextile in an isolated condition. Learn more. Learn more here.;