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According to the consolidated financial results for 2009, JSC SIBUR Holding revenues fell year-on-year by 7% down to 161.4 billion rubles with an EBITDA* decrease by 21.9% to 31.8 billion rubles. However, net profit increased by 20.6% and reached 19.3 billion rubles. The main factor behind the decrease in revenues and EBITDA was the fall in the demand for petrochemical products and the narrowing of the price range both in domestic and foreign markets. Net profit grew due to the sale of non-core assets (the methanol business), the decrease in spending on the profit tax and the use of financial insurance instruments based on changes in exchange rates.

A construction attorney has warned that Canadian contractors should be aware of risks associated with the rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. Geza Banfai, who specializes in infrastructure and construction litigation, said third parties often issue LEED certification and contractors may have little or no ability to manage the financial risks associated with delays in granting the certication. The certificate also may not be issued at all, he warned, which could increase the contractor's financial liability. Learn more here.;

Tennessee-based Propex Operating Company today announced that Opus™ Roof Blanket, a new category of steep-slope roofing underlayment that uses proprietary "blanket technology," was issued a report from ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. (ICC-ES). The ICC report number for Opus is ESR-3041 and indicates that the product is in compliance with Acceptance Criteria (AC) 188 Roof Underlayments and AC207 Polypropylene Roof Underlayments.

Emmbi Polyarns Limited reported a robust growth in revenues and profit after tax for the year ended, March 31, 2010. The company saw an increase in net sales by an impressive 30.44% from Rs. 39.73 Cr to Rs. 51.83 Cr during the same period for the last fiscal. The profit after tax for the year ended 31 March 2010 stood at Rs. 1.76 Cr, resulting into an increase of 38.73%, as against Rs. 1.26 Cr in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

At Asda's new €15 million, 40,000 sq ft superstore in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, customer car parking was created under the store to reduce land grab within the retail complex. By using Tensar International's Tensartech earth retaining technology on the sloping site, parking for more than 500 cars and the goods delivery yard was created at less cost and time than with traditional construction methods.

WK28897, "Standard Specification for Polyethylene Sheeting for Construction, Industrial, and Agricultural Applications," is a work item revision to existing standard D4397-09 from ASTM Committee D20 on Plastics. Learn more here.;

As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing national effort to assess the management of coal combustion residuals (CCR), EPA is releasing the final contractor reports assessing the structural integrity of impoundments and similar management units containing coal combustion residuals, commonly referred to as "coal ash," at facilities. Most of the impoundments have a "high" or "significant" hazard potential rating. Learn more here.;

Former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday pushed for retrofitting aging buildings to make them more energy efficient and promoted alternative sources of energy as a way to create jobs and grow the economy. For example, Clinton touted subsidies for solar usage in Germany for creating 300,000 jobs and said as many as 2.5 million could be created in the U.S. under a similar program. For every $1 billion invested in such industries as solar and wind, thousands of jobs are created, Clinton said. Learn more here.;

CETCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMCOL International Corporation and manufacturer of the renowned Liquid Boot® spray-applied gas vapor barrier system, has announced the availability of an innovative multi-system Gas Vapor Mitigation program. CETCO gas vapor mitigation systems are designed to effectively mitigate vapor intrusion that can adversely impact indoor air quality in structures built on Brownfield Redevelopment sites.

Corrugated pipe maker Advanced Drainage System Inc. this quarter has picked up two companies in North Carolina in an effort to become a one-stop shop for contractors. The Hilliard company and one of Central Ohio largest privately held businesses said it has acquired Pineville-based Piedmont Concrete. Last month, the company closed a deal to buy Foltz Concrete Pipe Co. of Winston-Salem. Learn more here.;

In Australia, the Wagga City Council is defending its $2.85 million budget for a key roundabout's construction. The Council has cited the need to spend $100,000 every six or seven years on significant rebuilds with conventional techniques; but the use of geosynthetics, such as geogrids, has a design life of approximately 30 years with significantly less maintenance needed in that service life. Learn more here.;

A geosynthetic tube erosion-prevention scheme in the Lakhimpur part of India is behind schedule and, officials estimate, might not be completed before the rain season. This would be a setback, as riverbank erosion has been severe causing before environmental harm and shipping interruptions. The reconstructed banks and dunes have so far used more than 1200 geosynthetic tubes. Learn more here.;

To comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR), the city of Rochester, New York will be making $23 million in upgrades to its reservoir system. Everything from regrading to new pipe installations will be performed. Included in the work, which consultant Malcolm Pirnie Inc. is leading, will be installation of 275,000 sq ft of new waterproof liner. Construction is to be "substantially completed" by November 2010. Learn more here.;

A plan to develop waterfront property in the village along the Connecticut River will move ahead after the Bellows Falls Historical Society recently was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The money, which was part of the almost $3 million Vermont received in the latest round of EPA Brownfields grants, will allow the historical society to create a trail system and public park along the river. The first phase of the project will include capping the contaminated soil, installing a geotextile layer, and developing a paved riverfront trail. Learn more here.;

Boston Cedar, Holbrook, Mass., was recently honored as the 2009 Distributor of the Year by Fiberweb, Inc., makers of the TYPAR® Weather Protection System. The award is based on outstanding sales and customer growth, marketing and promotion efforts as well as customer service. Fiberweb is one of the world's largest specialty nonwoven fabrics producers. In the construction industry, Fiberweb manufactures the well-known TYPAR brand for housewrap, geotextiles and roofing applications.

Newly published energy statistics for 2009 show that bioenergy today makes up a larger share of Sweden's energy use than oil: 31.7 percent bioenergy compared to 30.8 oil. These numbers confirm that Sweden is a world leader in the field of bioenergy. Biomass is used for heat and electricity, for biofuels for transport, and as energy source in industry. Almost all Swedish cities and towns have district heating using biomass as fuel.

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved additional financing to Iller Bankasi in the amount of €178.2 million (US$240 million equivalent) for the ongoing Municipal Services Project. The Municipal Services Project, in an amount of €212.9 million (US$275 million equivalent), was approved on 23 June 2005 and became effective on 18 May 2006. The project supports sustainable environmental services in selected municipalities.

The housing bust that has pockmarked the nation's landscape with half-built construction projects has done more than crash home values. Federal officials and environmentalists says abandoned developments are polluting nearby waterways with sediment, endangering fish and plant life and flooding areas where the silt has built up. Learn more here.;

Effective 1 June 2010 Colbond will raise prices 5-9% in North America for their entire product range due to the continued and unabated escalation of raw material, energy, and transportation costs. The company is in the process of informing customers. The increase has been necessitated by significant increases in the cost of the supply chain raw materials.

Approximately 700 shareholders participated in the Trelleborg Group's Annual General Meeting in Trelleborg on April 23. The theme of CEO Peter Nilsson's presentation was "A stronger Trelleborg." "The year 2009 was a dramatic one, with a sharp decline in demand, to which we swiftly and effectively adapted ourselves," said Peter Nilsson. "Dramatic times create opportunities and Trelleborg forcefully seized on these opportunities and emerged a stronger Group than before the crisis. We are well prepared for the future with contingencies for both a rise and decline in the market."

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is strengthening its position in Asia, increasing its global production capacity and focusing and enhancing the efficiency of its production in industrial niches by building a new, modern unit in Bangalore, India. The investment means that the business area is establishing a center of excellence for certain production processes and industrial niche segments in Bangalore, India.

The six major energy-using countries of East Asia could stabilize their greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 without compromising growth, a new World Bank report has found. The report, "Winds of Change: East Asia's Sustainable Energy Future," says major investments in energy efficiency and a concerted switch to renewable sources of power in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam could simultaneously stabilize greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy security while improving local environments.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to work with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to address key international environmental challenges. "The U.S. recognizes the importance of Asia in meeting today's global environmental challenges," said Michelle DePass, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs. "It is our hope that expanding our partnership with ADB will help focus the technical and financial resources necessary to address those challenges."

The good news for Chileans is that less than 1% of the 10,000 buildings three stories or taller, constructed since Chile’s 1985 earthquake, will have to be demolished as a consequence of the magnitude-8.8 Maule earthquake that struck on Feb. 27. The bad news is that the type of structural damage observed in many of the bearing-wall concrete frames of 12- to 26-story buildings is calling into question the effectiveness of Chile’s building code, which does not require confinement reinforcing steel for concrete members. A code change in the future is likely, say engineers who inspected the damaged areas. Learn more here.;

EPA will host a series of four free workshops during April and May in the four states of Region 7 for representatives of eligible participant groups in the 2011 Brownfields grant competition. Each half-day workshop will cover the basics of submitting a proposal to the EPA Brownfields Program and offer guidance for improving the quality of a proposal. The workshop will explain the different types of EPA Brownfields grants, who may apply for them, how the grant application process works, and tips for writing good grant applications.