Containment

The city of Tempe, Arizona is dealing with the failure of an inflatable dam, first installed in 1999, that failed this month. The dam was specified to last 30 years, but when the desert conditions seemed to be deteriorating the structure faster, the city and manufacturer entered into a new agreement. Following that agreement, the manufacturer exited the inflatable dams market. Now the city is unsure of where repair costs will come from. Learn more here.;

In its April-June 2010 interim report, Sweden-based Trelleborg's President and CEO Peter Nilsson writes, "Demand during the quarter continued to improve in the majority of our segments and order book levels are favorable. We continue to improve our market positions and build a stronger and more efficient Trelleborg. A strong organic growth of 21 percent and an efficient cost structure were some of the factors behind the exceptionally strong trend in the Group's margins. The EBITDA margin improved and was 13.3 percent for the quarter, compared to 8.6 percent in the year-earlier period, and 11.5 percent in the first quarter of 2010. At the same time we have had a good cash flow generation." Read more. Learn more here.;

A 22 July 2010 slip opinion Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York finds that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation did not make an error in approving the extension of operations at a CWM Chemical Services hazardous waste landfill (RMU-1) in Niagara County. Part of the dispute has surrounded the permitted use of a geosynthetic clay liner in site capping plans versus a much thicker compacted clay liner. (The GCL enabled waste capacity to be increased by 106,870 cubic yards.) In the opinion, Judge John Lahtinen writes, "DEC determined, and the record supports, that a GCL cover affords better protection, thus having a positive environmental impact. The agency also noted that allowing the GCL cover would decrease the truck traffic that otherwise would have been necessary to deliver clay for a GCL cover." Learn more here.;

The ongoing discussion over whether to let gas drillers bury “pit liners” where they sit has been put on hold while federal environmental watchdogs study the issue. The Colorado Petroleum Association (CPA) recently asked the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), which oversees gas and oil drilling activities, to change its rules to permit the burial of pit liners "on site." Pit liners are thick rubberized sheets used to line pits that hold water and other fluids and solids generated in the drilling process. Current COGCC rules require that the liners be disposed of according to existing local solid-waste guidelines. Learn more here.;

Baum Publications' Canadian Environmental Protection changed its name in 2010 to Environmental Solutions Magazine. Read the latest at ESM now. Learn more here.;

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 announced the release of the Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Governments (Toolkit). The Toolkit was developed collaboratively by the Agency's Regional Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Division and Water Protection Division and Pollution Prevention Office, with support from the EPA Green Building and Smart Growth Programs, the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response's Innovations Workgroup, and many external partners. The Toolkit is designed to assist local governments in identifying and removing permitting barriers to sustainable design and green building practices.

The Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee has given its blessing to a $34.97 billion spending bill for 2011. The Senate proposal exceeds this year's funding by $1.5 billion, with most of the extra funds going to maintain the nation's nuclear weapons systems and to fund nonproliferation programs; the Army Corps of Engineers would get $5.3 billion, and Interior water projects would receive $1.13 billion. Learn more here.;

THE first grains of sand have started spilling on to Mooloolaba Spit along Australia's Sunshine Coast from a new pipeline that will deliver about 10,000 cubic metres of sand over the next two months. The beach replenishment program is part of a series of measures aimed at saving the severely eroded Spit. Other steps include dune stabilisation and construction of a geotextile sandbag wall. Learn more here.;

A great deal of attention has been paid to the use of oil booms--a generally small-scale production item that has become central to large-scale containment of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the US government's response website, www.RestoreTheGulf.gov, more than 3.51 million feet of oil booms have been deployed. Another 820,000+ feet are on-hand for deployment. Also in the July 21 numbers: more than 41,000 responders and 4,300 vessels have been involved in the oil zone response. Learn more here.;

Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., introduced new legislation on July 14 with the goal of bolstering the energy sector. Among other things, the Securing America’s Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies Act, calls for a long-term extension of tax credits for ethanol and biodiesel, incentives for infrastructure and targets for advanced vehicle technologies. The bill has been endorsed by Growth Energy, the American Wind Energy Association, the Renewable Fuels Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the National Association of Corn Growers. Learn more here.;

Not much can be done to halt the volume of oil washing in on the Gulf of Mexico shores, but some counties are installing a double line of protection with floating booms further out and fabric fencing just off shore. Jackson County, Mississippi, for example, is installing 50,000 feet of fencing. Learn more here.;

The Carpinteria Valley and Montecito water districts (California) have received a $2.9 million settlement from engineering firm Penfield & Smith and the Cushman Contracting Corp. more than two years after a leak was discovered in the 21 million-gallon Ortega Ridge reservoir in which the two companies installed a four-acre aluminum cover in 2007. A leading plan for reservoir repair and use of the settlement money is the addition of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane liner. Learn more here.;

Western Tank and Lining submitted the lowest of three received bids ($277,623) for the installation of a geotextile-geomembrane landfill cover near Port Clements, British Columbia, Canada. Western will also install piping for leachate collection and gas venting as part of the work. The job should be complete by mid to late August. Learn more here.;

Military efforts along the Gulf Coast continue today as part of the federal response force to clean up the oil spill. About 1,900 Defense Department and associated personnel are deployed to the Gulf. They are providing ongoing support to contain the leak and clean up the spill, including military-owned skimmers and pollution control equipment. The American Forces Press Services has published a piece that shows one of the many ways the military is combatting the oil spill: through the installation of separation and erosion controlling geotextile underlay with rock wall berms.

Penton Media's 2010 Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS), an international forum for the presentation of peer-reviewed applied and fundamental research and case studies on waste management, announces the Keynote Speaker for the event 3-6 October 2010 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. The Keynote Presentation will take place Monday, 4 October at 8:30 am and will feature Thomas H. Christensen, Ph.D.; Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark.

To accommodate our continuously expanding operations in Vaughan servicing Ontario and Eastern Canada, Layfield is pleased to announce the opening of its new fabrication and warehousing facility, opened in June 2010. The new facility will offer many benefits, including increased warehousing capacity; easy access to major shipping corridors; new capability to provide quick turnaround fabricated liners with seams up to 250 ft in length; more than 36,000 sq ft of space to stock multiple geosynthetics and other products. Phone contact information remains the same.

The Sunshine Coast council in Australia is debating how to save its eroding Noosa Spit. After mixed feedback and considerable discussion, the council seems to be leaning towards the installation of an artificial reef made of geotextile bags. The council first reported considering this option in August 2009. Learn more here.;

GeoAmericas 2012, the second Pan-American Geosynthetics Congress, will be held 1-4 May 2012 at the Libertador Hotel in Lima, Peru. It will be organized by IGS Peru, under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The congress will highlight the main topics in the geosynthetics industry and applications. Keynote lectures and selected papers will be presented on the main themes: Geosynthetics in Enviromental Applications; Geosynthetics in Dynamic Applications; Geosynthetics in Hydraulic Applications; Geosynthetics in Mining Applications; Geosynthetics in HIghways Applications; Geosynthetics in Sanitary Applications; Case Histories; and New Geosynthetics Products. Learn more.

GeoAmericas 2012, the second Pan-American Geosynthetics Congress, will be held 1-4 May 2012 at the Libertador Hotel in Lima, Peru. It will be organized by IGS Peru, under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The congress will highlight the main topics in the geosynthetics industry and applications. Keynote lectures and selected papers will be presented on the main themes: Geosynthetics in Enviromental Applications; Geosynthetics in Dynamic Applications; Geosynthetics in Hydraulic Applications; Geosynthetics in Mining Applications; Geosynthetics in HIghways Applications; Geosynthetics in Sanitary Applications; Case Histories; and New Geosynthetics Products. Stay current with the latest at the event website, www.geoamericas2012.com. Learn more here.;

Sika announced today a global price increase for various products from its entire product portfolio. The price increases will become effective immediately or as contracts allow. Global price adjustments are necessary due to significantly increased raw material costs and will be adapted to the regional raw material price situation. Sika's local sales representatives will contact customers individually to explain details of the price increases.

In Camillus, New York, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) are talking to the public about a plan to dredge contaminated sediment from Onondaga Lake and transport it to a treatment site with double-walled, high-density polyethylene tubes measuring 16 inches in diameter. The water would be filtered out and treated, and the sediment would be stored in geotextile tubes in the sediment consolation area (SCA). Learn more here.;

After more than five months of closure, the Esquimalt Lagoon bridge in Colwood, British Columbia--on Victoria Island--has been repaired. On the north side of the bridge, the asphalt was removed and fill material excavated out. The area was repacked and the sides reinforced with geotextile to prevent fill material from being drawn out. The repair took less than two weeks. Learn more here.;

The Army Corps of Engineers is considering a plan to use coal ash to fortify flood-defense barriers along a 200-mile stretch of the Mississippi River in Missouri and Illinois. Environmentalists say the ash would likely degrade and pollute the water, but the Corps' engineers say the lime-ash mixture under consideration would be a safe and cost-effective way of strengthening the levees. Learn more here.;

Tensar International has released the latest issue of GeoTalk. This issue marks the opening of the corporate publication's 20th volume. The feature stories address how geogrids reduce overexcavation in subgrade reinforcement applications and save cost on aggregate need; an alternative to expensive overlays; the advantages in the new SpectraPave4-PRO™ software; a review of the reinforcement challenge from GeoFlorida 2010; the Triton® Marine Mattresses and Filter Mattresses system aces its "college" test; and more. Read it online today. Learn more here.;

Penton Media's 2010 Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS), an international forum for the presentation of peer-reviewed applied and fundamental research and case studies on waste management, announces the technical program for the event 3-6 October 2010 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. The GWMS will feature 105 educational oral and poster presentations. Conference organizers have now announced the keynote speaker: Thomas H. Christensen, Ph.D., Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. Learn more.