Special Series

The facility operators for the landfill in Frederick County, Maryland, currently have waste disposed nearly 570 feet above sea level and want to add another 107 feet to the waste pile. But lingering fears over vertical expansion are stalling the plans. Writing for the News-Post, Pamela Rigaux even cites an Ohio landfill's vertical expansion failure from the mid-1990s--underscoring the effect of a poorly planned or executed project upon an entire engineering sector many years later. Learn more here.;

The Chemplex Superfund site in Clinton, Iowa presents a number of challenges. The former high- and low-density polyethylene-manufacturing facility disposed of waste in unlined landfill cells. (Ironic?) Where liners were used, those liners were punctured by very poorly performed dredging operations within the impoundments. In short, little has gone well. The US EPA and state and local officials are meeting now to discuss remediation strategies. Learn more here.;

Though a dam break pushed mud and sentiment into the 4500-acre Balsam Mountain Preserve development in North Carolina, the development's current $300,000 fine for sediment violations stems from golf course runoff. Accidents and weather events may grab headlines, but incidents such as this highlight the long-term damage that stems from everyday practices and constructions. Learn more here.;

Officials in Tennessee are not concerned about radiation detected in Middle Point Landfill. Experts analyzed leachate gathered on the liner and found radioactive matter, and while it exceeded acceptable levels in drinking water, leaks were not detected and the waste itself was of a lower level of radiation than most people are exposed to through natural sources (such as granite countertops) each year. Learn more here.;

Erosion control blankets (ECBs) from Propex provided the stability for vegetation along the banks of a manmade lake in Oklahoma. The project, which was for an upscale 44-home development, is featured in the current issue of Land & Water. Read the article here. Learn more here.;

While coir geotextiles in India are not used in the same infrastructure projects as synthetic geotextiles, they are passing along the same engineering ideas of separation and protection - and, perhaps more importantly, they are providing much needed employment and skills training for a country that is expanding rapidly but not at the rate or with enough money to meet its needs. Coir geotextile manufacturing remains a bright spot. Learn more here.;

Research and Markets has added Technical Textile Markets report to its offerings. Four times a year, Technical Textile Markets provides an overview of the global man-made fibre, nonwoven and technical textile industries. This can include analysis of the geotextile industry. Learn more here.;

The Lake Tahoe Basin has been gutted by wildfires. Part of the blame seems to rest with bans on thinning the forest of dying or dead trees for fear of causing erosion. But residents haven't been very supportive of erosion control measures either, often delaying or ignoring erosion control ordinances out of an apparent lack of understanding of their benefits measured against potential costs. So not only has the region suffered serious fire damage, sediment pollution continues to affect its water. Learn more here.;

The exclusively electronic issue of the GIGSA Newsletter is now available for you to download at the GIGSA website. Feature Article - Land Rehabilitation Systems: Gabions to Combat Erosion. There is other interesting material on this site as well, so do take the time to visit gigsa.org! Learn more here.;

To judge by the sales of nonwovens production equipment, more companies are investing in these material technologies and finding markets open to them. Inteletex's profile of maker NSC Asselin-Thibeau suggests as much. For more information about nonwovens, give a look at Fiberweb's nonwoven geotextiles and Huesker's nonwoven composites. Learn more here.;

Maine-based Dragon Products, which quarries lime and operates cement kilns, has received approval to construct a 1.84-million gallon, HDPE geomembrane-lined pond for leachate management. The deal also comes with reclamation plans to restore the wetland that's to be turned into the pond. Learn more here.;

The Middle East's market is growing quickly. Some estimates place the geomembrane demand at 6% growth per year. And resin and feedstock production is expanding. The Middle East currently has 7% of the global thermoplastic production capacity but might reach 11% in the next couple years as many companies are opening lines there rather than importing raw and end materials. Learn more here.;

Gerd Ries was elected as Chairman of Edana by members for a one-year term of office, replacing Luc Maes. Pieter Meijer has been elected by the members as Vice-Chairman. Read the full release to learn about the new members of the board and the furture direction of EDANA.

In Rochester, New York, two reservoirs might be closed and a third covered. Federal regulations are forcing either upgrades--in this case, three cement storage tanks and $40 million in construction costs--or closure. The area has called a meeting to discuss closures and covers instead.

From Phillip Godorov, Director, Interlaboratory Study Program: ASTM International and Committee D04 on Road and Paving Materials are currently looking for two laboratories to perform ASTM D545, Standard Test Method for Preformed Expansion Joint Fillers for Concrete Construction. We are in the middle of an Interlaboratory study for which we need two more labs to complete the study as planned, allowing us to calculate reproducibility results. We have just enough material for two more labs to join the study. Interested laboratories will participate in the production of data to be used to develop a Precision Statement for inclusion in the standard. Membership in ASTM International is not a requirement for participation. Involvement in this study will have a direct impact on the Standard, utilized by laboratories worldwide. Participating laboratories will be listed in the resulting ASTM Research Report. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the finished Research Report, which will include randomly coded data from all reporting labs. Only you will receive your labs id that cannot be identified to specific labs. Participation in this round robin study may be used to satisfy your accreditation requirements. The study will involve testing five materials: Blended Polyolefin Foam; Wood Based Fiberboard; Sponge Rubber; Cork; Recycled PVC. Three replicates of each material will be analyzed as part of the study. All required test materials will be supplied to the participating laboratories free of charge. If you would like to recommend a laboratory, or if you would like to volunteer your laboratory for inclusion in this study, please contact ASTM Internationals ILS Manager. I apologize to those members on the committee for which this e-mail does not apply, but unfortunately, ASTM does not have an easy way to separate those members that have or use laboratories. Thank you for your assistance with this important project. Learn more here.;

From the Dear geosynthetica Files: "Thank you for staying on top of [the project], you are a great help and I think you need a raise!"

This webinar series serves as a great overview for anyone in the erosion and sediment control industry and is eligible for credit towards IECA Trained designations in Construction Site Stormwater Management and Inspector in Training. Learn more here.;

The latest issue of Rocky Mountain Construction includes an article on the replacement of Colorado's oldest vehicle-traffic bridge. The $14 million project near Aspen has called for geosynthetic separation material to be installed with fill and reinforced concrete pipe as part of a temporary access point enabling construction traffic. Learn more here.;

A PVC pond liner is to be installed at a 112-home development in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania. The pond's previous liner was made of clay, but the clay failed and since thousands of gallons of stormwater have drained into the holes. Residents now fear sinkholes. Before the liner is installed, a geotechnical evaluation must be carried out. And with a $500 per day fine atop the other project costs, one wonders what the developer hoped to save in not using a common, easy to obtain, impervious synthetic liner the first time around. Learn more here.;

Buckley Island's existence in the Ohio River is threatened by severe erosion. The US Congress has approved $1.4 million for erosion control on the island. A stone-based system will be used along the shore, though the article at the Mariette Times does not indicate whether geotextiles will line the stone. Geotextile liners for stone-heavy erosion control systems stop water that has seeped through rock voids from causing further erosion. Learn more here.;

INDA, an American-based association for non-wovens producers, has established an office in India to lobby its government to support technical textile ventures such as geotextile production. The association has also launched an online India nonwovens forum to increase dialogue on the subject. Registration is required for forum participation. The article can be found below and the forum can be accessed by cutting and pasting this URL into your browser: https://imisw.inda.org/iMISCM/source/Communities/UserHomePage.cfm?Section=Listserve Learn more here.;

In Somerset, New York, an ongoing legal battle between the city and a power plant. The plant's old landfill, built more than 20 years ago, uses a liner considered substandard by current codes regarding liner designs and the waste going into the landfill. (Post construction, the plant began creating ammoniated fly ash, something the original cell had not been designed to hold.) A new landfill is going forth, it seems, with a proper liner system. Learn more here.;

A Brazilian company has introduced an ethanol-based plastic to compete with synthetic polyethylene. The new material is made 100% from renewable materials. The range of applications into which the material might be used is being closely guarded as the firm seeks end-product manufacturing partners. This is part of a growing trend of making plastics with higher percentages of renewable materials. The Associated Press reports. Learn more here.;

Storm Water Management and Permit Requirements, Thursday, June 21 2007 from 2:00 3:30 (EST). This AGC of America Audio Conference offers bottom-line information on complying with storm water requirements and the latest pollution control solutions. Register on-line or download a registration form. Learn more here.;

The latest issue of Naue News is available. The current issue includes an article on Naue's 5th Geosynthetics Colloqium in Bad Lauterberg, Germany; news of a British Board of Agrement (BBA) certificate for Secugrid, and case studies on riverbank protection, windfarm stabilization, railway support; and much more. Learn more here.;