Containment

Brownfields 2011--the 14th National Brownfields Conference--will take place 3-5 April 2011 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The event is the largest, most comprehensive conference in the United States focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties. The US Environmental Protection Agency is significantly involved in the conference. Learn more here.;

geosynthetica is always interested in the latest news and articles regarding engineering and geosynthetics. Contact Chris Kelsey for submission information.

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., one of the world's largest producers of corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, has a new program on its website that automatically designs a Nyloplast® drain structure. Entering just minimal information enables the proprietary software to customize a basin for any project. Input sections include type of pipe, basin diameter, and details for each branch including diameter, angle plus invert height. The program then provides a drawing and list of components that can be immediately ordered or saved in the user's private account. The Custom Basin Configurator can be found at www.ads-pipe.com, or at www.basinconfigurator.com.

Following the dramatic failure of the Kingston, Tennessee wet-coal-ash storage pond, the US federal government initiated a survey of its many similar facilities. The survey details are available. Many of the 584 facilities are more than 30 years old. A 1999 survey by the EPA found that only about one quarter of these structures were lined. Since the Kingston disaster, considerable movements have been made in state legislatures to mandate the use of containment liners, just as they are required for the waste management field. Read more in this article at Solve Climate's blog. Learn more here.;

Though the threat of a hurricane at our Florida office this week caused us to prepare for shutting down our servers, we (and our industry's companies) managed to accomplish quite a bit. Newsletters were launched, conferences were furthered, second quarter statements were issued, and so much more. Catch up on the week's action in our review column. 8/22/08

The Wild Rose Fish Hatchery supplies more than 50 tons of fish to Wisconsin and the general Lake Michigan region. The century-old site had been in need of modernization to keep up with demands. New facilities (coldwater and warmwater) have been constructed over the past five years, and outdoor ponds have been lined with Firestone's PondGard pond liners for optimal resource conservation. Read the case study from Hatchery International. Learn more here.;

Recovery Act Funds (aka, Stimulus Funding) will be used to protect fish eggs at the Erwin National Fish Hatchery in Tennessee. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $22,952 contract to install new vinyl raceway covers. Learn more here.;

Immediately following 2014's 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics (September 2014, Berlin), a high-level, one-day workshop on exposed HDPE geomembranes convened at the headquarters of BAM, Germany’s Federal Institute for Materials...

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced the addition of one (1) free webinar credit to IECA's membership benefit offerings. Each new and renewing member of IECA will be vested annually with a free credit that can be used toward any live webinar IECA offers throughout the year.

The population of the US Northwest grew 20% in the 1990s and has continued on that breakneck pace. It's created a tremendous need for new water management solutions. Dams and reservoirs are being closely considered. Even environmental groups who are generally at odds with dam construction are signing on to new plans. Learn more here.;

TRI will host three geosynthetics CQA training short courses and two certification opportunities November 27 - December 1 in Austin, Texas The next CQA Week will present multiple opportunities for...

The hamlet of Arviat is scrambling to find ways to conserve water and find new sources of drinking water. The local reservoir's liner is leaking. To lessen the demand for trucked water, hamlet officials have decided going back to an old-fashioned method of supplying drinking water: cutting ice. The breach in the synthetic liner may be due to repairs from the previous summer. (Was a liner integrity test performed?) New work will be needed this year when the weather warms up. Learn more here.;

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has regulatory authority over more than 31,000 facilities across the state, all of which may now be readily identified on an interactive Web-based map. ADEQ launched its easy-to-use interactive map viewer, known as "EnviroView," earlier this month. The feature is available to the public and is accessible from the department's Web site, www.adeq.state.ar.us.

TenCate Geosynthetics has appointed Paul Firrell (44) as new managing director Europe, effective 1 January 2011. Mr Firrell has vast experience in the geosynthetics industry, including 18 years with GSE Lining Technology Inc., manufacturer of geosynthetic liners and related products and services. Here he was Managing Director of the company's EMEA and Russian operations and also held the role of Group Chief Operating Officer of the global business.

By Bruno Pedroni and Chris Kelsey – On June 9, a two-day workshop on Geomembrane Installation Quality convened in São Paulo, Brazil. Organized and promoted by Geosynthetica and its...

Installation expert Comanco has launched a corporate blog at which numerous project images and updates are regularly posted. Learn more here.;

CQA Week was established 10 years ago to provide technically advanced but immediately implementable, revenue-generating expertise for geotechnical engineering businesses. The focus is on providing the type of training that will...

An old, unlined dump in Washington County, Minnesota, will be dug out and lined and the waste reburied as part of a $27 million remediation plan. The site accepted waste in the late '60s and early '70s, including legal industrial waste containing PFBA chemicals. These chemicals are now polluting groundwater. The expensive correction is testament to the importance of modern lining systems and design techniques. Learn more here.;

Dr. Neil Dixon will deliver a keynote lecture, jointly authored with Dr. Gary Fowmes, at GeoAmericas 2016 (April 10 – 13, Miami). Their topic is "Global Challenges, Geosynthetic Solutions...

Erosion Control magazine has relaunched its website with greater interactivity built in. It's a big step for the 15-year-old publication. In the release about the site's interactivity, editor Janice Kasperson says, "We hope readers will think of the magazine in a new way -- not as a one-way delivery of articles and information, but as a community." Learn more here.;

From 10-14 December 2012, the next Geosynthetics Asia will be held. Organized by IGS Thailand and the Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), and held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), the event's theme will be "Geosynthetics for Sustainable Adaptation to Climate Change." Abstracts are due by 31 May 2011. Download the call in PDF. Learn more here.;

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $470,000 to tribal Indians in Oklahoma and New Mexico. The project will enable the tribes to develop and manage environmental programs in their perspective regions. Four different tribes received funding. The Pueblo of Picuris and Nambe tribes from New Mexico were awarded $120,000. In Oklahoma, the Otoe-Missouria tribe received $120,000 and the Apache tribe $110,000. Pueblo of Picuris and Apache are affiliated with Oklahoma. The projects will also include grant writing, quality assurance documentation, environmental training and community outreach and cleanups.

Erosion along the Brahmaputra River in India has reaped considerable disaster in the past 15 years. An article in the Assam Tribune indicates that erosion has claimed 28 villages, one police station, eight schools, four tea estates, one PWD road and wide stretches of agricultural land. A new project aims to stem some of that erosion by installing geotextile bags along multiple kms of the riverbank. Learn more here.;

The biennial, 2.5-day GeoU in Austin, Texas focuses on geosynthetics in civil infrastructure. The event co-locates short courses on landfill design, landfill CQA, and civil infrastructure (roadway design, walls...

According to Sam Lamont, Alaska Board Member for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), the demand for training in Alaska is almost outpacing the ability of private and public sector efforts to meet the need. That's where the Chaper has stepped in to do what they do best - educate. Thanks to their joint efforts, the Alaska General Contractors, the Alaska Department of Transportation and the PNW Chapter can now boast that there are now more than 2,000 certified stormwater practitioners in the state. The Chapter continues to field fielding an increasing number of calls requesting additional training for the state. CPESC and CISEC certification classes are planned for the fall. Learn more here.;