Special Series

EuroGeo4 is extending submission of abstracts. Instructions for authors submitting abstracts are provided on the website. Abstracts must be submitted via the website by 30th September 2007. Following acceptance, final versions of papers will be required to be submitted by 30th April 2008. geosynthetica is proud to be a Supporting Publication to this event. Learn more here.;

On October 17 and 18, a seminar on the closure and remediation of landfills will be offered at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany. Subjects include regulatory compliance, capping systems, and much more. Participants get a book from which the instruction material has been drawn. Also, a site visit is scheduled. The seminar is offered in German only. For more information, visit the website. Learn more here.;

At an education summit in Alamance, North Carolina, Eddie Grant of manufacturer Glen Raven noted that his company's biggest customer for geosynthetics is India. Grant's comments underscored the summit's stress on international awareness in education and business. With its current merger-in-progress with The Astrup Co. and John Boyle & Co., Glen Raven is a parent company of Strata Systems. Learn more here.;

A Costa Rican gold mine on a mountain side is experiencing sliding. Concerns are being raised now as to the stress the ground movement might be having upon the geomembrane liner for the heap leach pit. The curshed ore is stacked on the liner and irrigated with cyanide to pull out the precious metals. With some areas of the site moving a cenimeter per day, the site's lingering cyanide is a threat to groundwater. Learn more here.;

Developers Gene Wilburn and John Dean have progressed mightily in their upscale Hickory Point development, Cannonsburg, Kentucky. Erosion control blankets have been laid - 486 rolls in total - and the site is looking both visually sharp and sharply in compliance with erosion and stormwater codes. Learn more here.;

ACE Geosynthetics, the oldest geogrid and geotextile manufacturer in Taiwan, has updated its website design. Stop by and check out the sharp new graphics and easy navigation. And give a look to ACE's history. The company is growing fast in the international arena. Construction professionals may find ACE's product data on their site or via the online global industry data index at geosindex.com. Learn more here.;

The exclusively electronic issue of the GIGSA August 2007 Newsletter (1.3 MB pdf format) is now available for you to download at the GIGSA website. geosynthetica Underwriter NAUE is featured in the lead article. Read the newsletter now! Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) partnering with the Mountain States Chapter of IECA and Bernalillo County will present a full day course, “How to Write a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to Meet NPDES Requirements” held Thursday, September 20, 2007, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Government Center. Learn more here.;

A $100,000 endowed scholarship has been created in memory of engineer and erosion and sediment expert Carol Forrest. Forest was killed in an August 2006 helicopter crash. The scholarship will be available to San Diego State University College of Engineering students with an interest in the effects of stormwater and urban runoff on water resources. Learn more here.;

...that the first book on geosynthetics was “Construction and Geotechnical Engineering Using Synthetic Fabrics” published in 1980 by John Wiley and Sons? The authors, Bob Koerner and Joe Welsh, brought their book on this fast-growing field to light just ahead of Peter Rankilor's 1981 book "Membranes in Ground Engineering," which, though the title suggests geomembranes was concerned with geotextiles. One story has it that Rankilor's book was delayed by lost drawings, and while this may be true and while some prestige comes with being first, the delay it caused is not known; and many were moving rapidly at universities, in books, in journals and in field studies, to provide the core information that helped launch a discipline and industry.

Research and Markets is profiling what it considers the five fastest nonwovens companies in the world. This includes a major geotextile manufacturer. Learn more here.;

In a short editorial from the Accra Mail, the writer wonders what Ghana's politicians and engineers are prepared to do in regards to harvesting rainwater. The practice has been advocated by the United Nations. Read the editorial at AllAfrica.com and consider what water conservation strategies you might propose: lined retention ponds and storage basins? Flexible tanks? Floating covers? Learn more here.;

Earlier this month, American Excelsior introduced its newly designed website. The new site is easily navigable, very user-friendly, and full of information. Please visit their site now! Learn more here.;

Enbridge Energy is seeking approval to build a new pumping station in Seneca Township, Illinois. But the company must assuage resident fears. A 3000-barrel spill of oil in Wisconsin by the company has polluted groundwater. The company has proposed that the new facility would include a 41,000-barrel water-retention pond and an impermeable liner beneath half of the 21-acre site. Learn more here.;

Land & Water has published an article by geosynthetica's Chris Kelsey. The article, "Smarter Infrastructures: Liners for Water Resource Preservation," can be viewed online at the link below. geosynthetica Underwriters mentioned in this article include: Agru America, Atarfil, BTL, CETCO, Coletanche, Cooley Engineered Membranes, Firestone, GSE, Huesker, NAUE, Solmax and Terrafix. Learn more here.;

The latest International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) Newsletter issue 2007/3 (July – September) has been placed on the ICID website and can be viewed or downloaded using the direct link to the News Section below. Learn more here.;

Tensar Corporation will have an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of common stock. The Atlanta-based geosynthetic and construction services specialist filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday and anticipates trading under the ticker TXC on the New York Stock Exchange. Access the article at the link below. Learn more here.;

Informational videos are easier than ever to access, thanks to the Internet. Erosion Control Blanket has made its videos available through the company's website. View videos of the Rifle M100 staple system, the Mechanical Unrolling Device (MUD), and even the entertaining ECB commercials you've seen during ESCN.tv's weekly online broadcasts. Learn more here.;

As the summer work schedule winds down, take stock of the geosynthetic data at geosindex.com, currently visited by 25,175 users since June 1, 2007. Designers, specifiers and other professionals: access this data for free (registration never requested) and begin planning your projects for 2008. Manufacturers: update or add your data. Learn more here.;

Plastemart reports on the trends in polypropylene and polyethylene resins in the North American market for the week of August 27. Polypropylene supplies are showing higher volume and steady prices while polyethylene's volume remains good and prices slightly down. For the polypropyene article see the "continued" link below, for the polyethylene article, please cut and paste the follwing URL into your browser: http://www.plastemart.com/plasticnews_desc.asp?news_id=10754&P=P Learn more here.;

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the US Army to clean up Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. Problematic landfills, shooting ranges, and an old laundry are some of the most worrisome zones on the property. Four of the zones are on the National Priorities List (aka Superfund), but the EPA's latest order applies to much more. Learn more here.;

geosynthetica has invited our geomembrane manufacturers to respond to the following article found in the Des Moines Register. The commentary writer (from an engineering firm) writes: "Synthetic flexible-membrane liners are not water-tight, as the editorial stated. Manufacturing standards allow pinholes, and sheets must be welded together, providing potential avenues for leaks. The EPA recognizes these inherent flaws." Maybe you would care to comment or write a letter to the editor, as well? Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) announces seven candidates for the 2008 Board of Directors. Incumbents, Michael Chase, CPESC, CPSWQ; Julie Etra, CPESC and Tom Williams, MA, CPESC will run against Marvin Courtnage, CPESC; Sherri L. Dunlap, MBA, DEng, CPESC; Sandy Mathews and Brock Peters, CISEC for three open positions. IECA’s Board of Directors is the governing body of the association. It consists of nine members serving three-year terms with three directors being elected each year. It is the policy of IECA to maintain a balanced distribution of professional affiliations on the Board. However, the actual composition is determined by the membership through the nomination and voting processes. Meet the Candidates: Michael Chase, CPESC, CPSWQ, an erosion control specialist with Paradigm Engineering, currently serves IECA as the treasurer for the Board of Directors. As a member of the association’s Western Chapter, Chase served two terms as Chapter president. He has been actively involved in reviewing and commenting on new policies at the federal and state levels and said he feels it is important to stay abreast of new policies and how they may affect stormwater. “It is necessary for IECA to be in the forefront to add guidance and to aid its members in understanding newly proposed regulations for construction and industrial activities,” said Chase. Marvin Courtnage, CPESC, is the Southern California sales representative for Ewing Irrigation’s erosion and turf products. Prior to moving to California in 2006, Courtnage spent many years in Colorado and served on IECA’s Mountain States Chapter Board of Directors. He has a strong horticulture background and has served on the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado Denver Chapter Board and the Xeriscape task force sponsored by the Denver Water Department. Concerned over guideline changes to the Clean Water Act, Courtnage said, “IECA must be a leader in protecting all waters of the United States. I want to be instrumental in doing that as an IECA Board member.” Sherri Dunlap, MBA, Deng, CPESC, is Manager of Applied Technology and New Products at the Harris County Flood Control District in Houston, Texas. She is a founding member and past president of the South Central Chapter of IECA and previously served on the IECA Board of Directors as technical vice president. “I would like to continue the technical programs I was involved in while on the Board and lead the organization in outreach and educational opportunities,” said Dunlap. In addition to her involvement with IECA, Dunlap also is a member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Water Environmental Resource Foundation (WERF). Julie Etra, CPESC, is principal of Western Botanical Services, Inc. As an active member of IECA for nearly 20 years, Etra currently serves as the association’s vice president of international development and is a past president of the Western Chapter. “I am very passionate about our organization and its potential to be a truly global force through our membership, expertise and philanthropy,” she said. She is fluent in Spanish and teaches bilingual erosion control classes. Etra has authored over 12 publications and is currently leading pioneering work on noxious weed control and restoration of riparian plant communities along the Truckee River in Nevada. Sandy Mathews is an environmental analyst in the Environmental Protection Department of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where she works to bridge the theory of law and regulation to create programs that are compliant and work in the field. Until recently, she served as a director for IECA’s Western Chapter. Mathews also is involved with the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) where she currently serves as a member of the Executive Program Committee and leads its Construction Subcommittee. “I see being a director on the international Board as an opportunity to help create a strategic direction that focuses on the members and Chapters,” said Mathews. Brock Peters, CPESC, is a professional erosion control contractor and consultant. He currently serves on the Board of IECA’s Great Rivers Chapter and as a representative on the association’s Government Relations Committee. “As a Board member of IECA, I hope to increase membership by bringing the building and erosion control industries together. Bridging the gap between IECA and other well-established trade associations is imperative,” said Peters. He is currently serving terms on the Board of Directors for the Homebuilders Association of Lincoln (Nebraska) and the Nebraska State Homebuilders Association. He was recently selected by the National Association of Homebuilders to serve on the Environmental Issues Committee. Tom Williams, MA, CPESC, works as a restoration ecologist for Golder Associates, Inc., in Lakewood, Colo. As a current director on the Board, Williams has participated in the Future of the Association Strategy Team (FAST) and has served as the chair for the Vegetative Establishment Technology Section for the past seven years. As co-chair of the Endowment Fund Committee, Williams said, “If elected, my main focus will be on getting this important funding mechanism up and running. I really believe this is our best approach to finding the funds necessary to accomplish the more exciting projects we would all like to pursue.” Detailed biographies and a statement from each candidate is available online to IECA members. IECA members may cast their votes until November 1 through the IECA web site at http://www.ieca.org.

An article, titled Geotextiles Think Fast, authored by Ellen Wuagneaux, is available online on the Nonwovens Industry website. Click here to read the abstract. You will need to subscribe to read the entire article, however, registration is free. Learn more here.;

Borealis has launched a new high density polyethylene (HDPE) fibre grade for bicomponent applications. The new solution allows converters to produce stronger nonwovens with less material, delivering consistent, high quality products with enhanced comfort for the end users. Learn more here.;