Mining

The mining of oil sands has been almost exclusively a Canadian natural resource activity, but the first commercial oil sands project in the United States has just been approved in Utah. Earth Energy Resources Inc. has just received a permit to mine a 62-acre pit in eastern Utah. The company plans to produce bitumen, a tar-like form of petroleum, from oil-soaked sands. Learn more here.;

This week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entered into two enforcement actions, both of which will contribute towards cleaning up uranium contamination at the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation. In one settlement, Rio Algom Mining LLC, a subsidiary of Canadian corporation BHP Billiton, has agreed to control releases of radium (a decay product of uranium) from the Quivira Mine Site, near Gallup, N.M. In addition, the company is to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the levels of contamination at the site. The total cost for this work is estimated to be approximately $1 million. Read more.

Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) are pleased to invite you to the 1st GSI-Asia geosynthetics conference. The conference will be held in Taichung, Taiwan 16-18 November 2010. The conference theme is "Geosynthetics in Infrastructure." In conjunction with the event, the Journal of GeoEngineering plans a special issue. Papers for that issue are still being accepted. Download the paper template in PDF.

Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) are pleased to invite you to the 1st GSI-Asia geosynthetics conference. The conference will be held in Taichung, Taiwan 16-18 November 2010. The conference theme is "Geosynthetics in Infrastructure." Primary topics include Mechanical Stabilized Earth Structures, Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering, Erosion Control and Sustainable Engineering, and Transportation and Pavement Engineering. The program includes a keynote lecture, special lectures, and discussion sessions. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Registration by September 30 for an advanced registration rate. Learn more here.;

As hearings continued through September 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks comments regarding the regulation of coal ash containment sites. The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) was among the first in line to address the issue Aug. 30 at the initial hearing in Arlington, Va. Read more, including remarks from GMA Members. Learn more here.;

Encana Oil & Gas USA Inc. has installed its first gas exploration well in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. And to ensure residents that security measures are taken to prevent a blowout (such as experienced in the Gulf of Mexico by a BP oil rig) the company is talking to residents about the design. In addition to fail-safe mechanisms on the well, safety measures include a geosynthetic liner on the well pad, automated controlled to reduce human presence need on site, and a secondary containment layer beneath the diesel tank. The company reports that nearly every system component has two or three containment measures. Learn more here.;

IGS-Thailand, the Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), and the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society (SEAGS), under the auspices of International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), are jointly organizing the International Symposium on Geotechnical and Geosynthetics Engineering: Challenges and Opportunities on Climate Change to be held 7-8 December 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. This event is co-organized by the Thailand Geotechnical Society (TGS) and Suranaree University of Technology (SUT). The symposium will gather academics, practitioners, partners, and stakeholders to discuss emergency and urgent issues related to climate change as well as the innovative mitigation measures in the context of geotechnical and geosynthetics engineering.

TenCate has released its full statement on first half 2010 performance. The company has announced that it has doubled its net profit in the period, in part bouyed by significant improvement in the Geosynthetics and Grass Division. Read more.

CETCO Remediation Technologies' Remediation University is a free full-day seminar and lunch consisting of comprehensive educational curriculum designed to provide practical and useful guidance to environmental professionals. This first half of the day will cover all aspects related to the subaqueous capping and treatment of contaminated sediments, including the use of marine mattresses for simplified construction and protection in highly erosive conditions, eliminating the need for costly and thick sand caps. Case studies and analysis from top industry professionals will be included. Each attendee will be provided with a "Certificate of Professional Development". Note: Space is limited, so register soon. Learn more here.;

From Kuo-Hsin Yang, Jorge G. Zornberg and Richard J. Bathurst: This paper examines the mobilization of reinforcement tension within geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) structures at working stress and at large soil strains. Fully-mobilized reinforcement tension is assumed in most current design methods for the internal stability of GRS structures. In these methods the mobilized reinforcement tensile load is assumed to be equal to mobilized horizontal soil forces computed using active earth pressure theory. However, comparison with reinforcement tension loads measured in the field has shown that this approach is conservative (excessively safe) by as much as a factor of two. This observation has prompted the current study in which stress data obtained from a numerical study and two instrumented large-scale GRS retaining walls were used to examine the relationship between mobilized reinforcement tensile load and mobilized soil shear strength. The results show that the ratio of reinforcement tensile load and mobilized soil shear strength is not constant Only when the average mobilized soil shear strength exceeds 95%, is reinforcement tensile capacity mobilized significantly. Nevertheless, less than 30% of reinforcement strength is mobilized when the average mobilized soil shear strength reaches peak soil shear capacity. These results help explain why current design methods lead to computed reinforcement loads that are very high compared to measured loads under operational conditions. Learn more here.;

The Geosynthetics Materials Association (GMA), in a formal response to the EPAs publication of a proposed rule aimed developing regulations to govern the storage of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCRs) has well supported the use of engineered geosynthetic lining systems as the most qualified measure of containment technology available today.

Each year, Geosynthetica participates in a number of conferences. Participation may include exhibiting, presentations (or paper co-authorship), session coordination and attendance. Also, Geosynthetica serves as a media partner or cooperating organization to many of these events. A breakdown of some of these key events, from international events on GCLs and waterproof membranes to the multi-organizer Geo-Frontiers, follows.

Strata Geosystems India Private Ltd today announced that their manufacturing plant at Daman producing "high-tenacity Geogrid" has been awarded the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certificate, by internationally recognized certification body "TUV-Nord." The said standard is developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an international-standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations from 163 countries. Read more.

The 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GBR-C 2k10) is almost here! Germany-based SKZ, with scientific committee support from France-based Cemagref and the United States-based Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), will host the event in Würzburg, Germany 15-16 September 2010. These sessions, which will explore a vast amount of GCL applications, research, and performance, will be held at the historic Fortress Marienberg. Dr. Jorge Zornberg, president of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), will open the conference.

TRI Geosynthetics Services has announced that a Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Training Week will be held 4-6 November 2010 at Monash University and Extension, Melbourne, Australia. The schedule of events is as follows: 4 November 2010 -- "CQA of Geosynthetics" (including geomembranes, geotextiles, geocomposites, geogrids, geoappurtenances) -- Following this CQA training, a "mini trade show" will be held in the evening in combination with a reception. 5 November 2010 -- "CQA of Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCLs) and Compacted Clay Liners (CCLs)." 6 November 2010 -- Geosynthetic Certification Institute (GCI) CQA-ICP Certification Exam(s) offered. Learn more about how you can participate in the courses and trade show.

Mining operations in New Zealand are underbonded, many are complaining. Opponents of mining activities are even citing the low bonding issues as evidence of poor enviornmental controls. One project that has been cited is the Newmont Waihi Gold's final bond on the Martha open pit mine. It was capped at $10 million. Watchdogs contend it should have been $100 million, and if it had been it would have had more stringent controls such as geosynthetic liners on the tailings dam. It only has clay. Any environmental damage to the site greater than $10 million will have to be paid for by New Zealand government agencies. Learn more here.;

Mining operations in New Zealand are underbonded, many are complaining. Opponents of mining activities are even citing the low bonding issues as evidence of poor enviornmental controls. One project that has been cited is the Newmont Waihi Gold's final bond on the Martha open pit mine. It was capped at $10 million. Watchdogs contend it should have been $100 million, and if it had been it would have had more stringent controls such as geosynthetic liners on the tailings dam. It only has clay. Any environmental damage to the site greater than $10 million will have to be paid for by New Zealand government agencies. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) President Jorge Zornberg has sent out a message to inform IGS members that the new IGS Secretariat is Diana Davis. With her appointment comes a new address and phone number for the IGS office. Contact Diana Davis, Secretariat Manager, 605 Belvedere Rd., Suite #13, West Palm Beach, FL 33405 USA. Telephone +1 561 249 0088, E-Fax +1 561 828 7618, Email: IGSsec@geosyntheticssociety.org. Learn more here.;

The newest IGS News is available! Volume 26, No 2 from the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is content loaded, with significant reports from the IGS' quadrenniel International Conference on Geosynthetics, international chapters, election results, and much more. The issue also includes results from the first IGS Photo Competition, an in memorium column about the late Bernard Myles, IGS Award 2010 winners, regional conference announcements, and numerous other items. Read the latest in PDF today. Learn more here.;

The benefits of performing geoelectric leak location or liner integrity surveys (LIS) as the final stage of geomembrane liner construction quality assurance are well established. In fact, the NYS DEC, Division of Solid & Hazardous Materials is proposing regulatory changes to their solid waste management regulations that will apply the practice to the floor secondary (lower) liner of new landfill cells as well as to the primary (upper) liner. Read more about this growing movement.

SKZ, with scientific committee support from Cemagref and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), will host the 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GBR-C 2k10) 15-16 September 2010 at the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg, Germany. Technical sessions will address shear and mechanical behaviour of GCLs, chemical resistance of GCLs, testing of GCLs under unsaturated conditions, behaviour of GCLs in landfill covers (case studies), regulations, new concepts and developments in the use of GCLs, and GCLs for hydraulic and construction applications. Learn more.

ASTM International's Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has issued a work item, WK29716 - Standard Test Method for Determining the Integrity of Nonreinforced Geomembrane Seams Produced Using Thermo-Fusion Methods. This is a work item revision to existing standard D6392-08. 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.;

In advance of the publication of the half-year figures on Thursday, 26 August 2010 and on the basis of provisional results, TenCate announces that its operating result (EBIT) amounts to approximately € 27 million in the second quarter of 2010 (second quarter of 2009: € 11.1 million). The operating result for the first six months of 2010 doubled to an amount of approximately € 33 million. Taking incidental items into account, net profit too doubled in the first half year to approximately € 19 million. Within this, the company reports significant improvement from its Geosynthetics and Grass division. Read more.

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.;