Special Series

South Dakota-based Raven Industries, one of just a handful of publicly traded manufacturers of geosynthetics, has posted its first quarter financial statement. While its engineered films division saw a decrease against the same quarter last year, significant investment in production capacity and new product lines is expected to bring strong support later this year. Learn more here.;

Dow Chemical has announced a new polyethylene (PE) resin for geomembranes. The company describes the resin as "high-performance" and notes its flexibility and high melt temperature. The release also refers to increased UV and chemical resistance, long-term durability, tensile strength, puncture resistance, easy weldability, and much more. Learn more here.;

Land & Water's Erosion and Sediment Control Network (ESCN.tv) is holding a "Roll With It" contest during the month of May. The contest runs on ESCN in conjunction with the airing of the Erosion Control Technology Council's (ECTC) instructional video on Dirt Time, a how-to show on for slopes, shorelines and channels. Weekly prizes will be awarded. Learn more here.;

Archaeological research at Point State Park in Pittburgh has uncovered the remains of historic Fort Duquesne's drainage system. Research on the find continues with geotextile materials being brought in to wrap and protect the 18th-century construction. Learn more here.;

The I-99 construction in Pennsylvania has resumed after a period of poor weather. The liner- and cap-dependent dry tomb in which the pyritic acid rock will be buried is being prepared. Some environmentalists are concerned about the amount of rock being sealed--675,000 cubic yards. But modern landfill design is serving as a guide for the project. Learn more here.;

North Carolina is about to end its decade-long lack of support for new hog waste lagoons. Legislation passed by the state house has earmarked $2 million in fiscal 2008 towards waste management, including lined lagoons. (Typical 4,000 swine farms use a 2.5-acre lined lagoon.) Other legislation and lobbying proposals are pushing for significantly greater funding. North Carolina is the United States' second-largest hog farming state. Learn more here.;

Dow Chemical has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Aramco) to jointly develop large-scale ethylene and ethylene derivatives production facilities in the Middle East where feedstock production is cheapest. The ethylene is used in the manufacture of synthetic materials and various chemicals. The Aramco-operated facilities should be in operation by 2012. Learn more here.;

East Coast Erosion Blankets has updated a series of its material and specification performance sheets. Download a PDF of the series here. Also, East Coast's blanket data may be viewed and sorted on geosIndex.com's temporary erosion control material data page. Learn more here.;

Countrywide's landfill in Stark County, Ohio has been beleaugered by an underground fire and environmental concerns. But a permit for the site has been renewed and the concensus now is that the landfill's liner remains intact and no pollution has been found in nearby wells. Countrywide now has seven months to correct the odor and fire situation. Learn more here.;

IAGI has updated the HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Geomembrane Installation Specification to include LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene) Geomembrane Installation within the same document. Please refer to this new document (available at the link below) for any questions you may have while drafting or reviewing your next project specification. This specification includes furnishing and installing HDPE and LLDPE geomembranes with a formulated sheet density of 0.940 g/cm or greater. Geomembranes with both smooth and textured surfaces are included. The information has been composed by IAGI in accordance with current quality control and quality assurance standards of the geomembrane industry. Final determination of the suitability of any information or material for the use contemplated and its manner of use is the sole responsibility of the user. IAGI is currently having the updated specification translated to Spanish and should be available by August on the IAGI website. Currently, the previous document which was for HDPE Geomembrane Installation Specification is still located on the website. IAGI is a non-profit organization that strives to provide a forum for geosynthetics installers to advance installation and construction techniques, and strengthen the knowledge, image and communication within the industry For further information about ECTC, contact Laurie Honnigford at +1-651-554-1895, e-mail laurie@ectc.org, or visit www.iagi.org. Learn more here.;

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is a showcase city for world construction. The 1400-meter Palm Jumeirah Vehicular Tunnel has just been constructed to connect the massive, manmade Palm Island and Crescent project with the mainland. Nonwoven geotextiles protect the tunnel and 2mm-thick HDPE geomembrane from Agru provides the waterproofing. Read more about it here. Learn more here.;

The Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) now offers free, downloadable drawings of RECP installation plans for slopes and channels. Files may be downloaded in PDF or in .dwg files for Auto CADD 2000 or later. For more information, visit ECTC's drawings page. Learn more here.;

All across Wall Street first quarter financials are being released. Geosynthetics manufacturer and service provider Propex has announced its 1Q results. Strong growth was seen in Brazil and Europe and in the overall concrete fiber market. The true effect of Propex's acquisition of SI and their global growth in products and services should become more apparent as the year progresses. Learn more here.;

Reporter Katie Heinz of WEAU in Wisconsin looks at the environmental concerns surrounding developments near old landfills - landfills that operated prior to modern requirements for liners. In Wisconsin, that mark was 1990. As development moves into previously rural areas, a number of environmental challenges may be discovered and remediation measures needed. Learn more here.;

Students at a Massachusetts high school have worked with an environmental artist to create something of a geobeast to soak up oil and pollutants in water. Flexible drain pipes were used for a skeleton, an oil absorbing layer was added, and the skin was made of geotextiles for durability. The unusual creation may sit in the Salem Sound until winter. Learn more here.;

Waste News is launching a new conference focusing on federal laws and regulations and how they affect business. The Septmeber 2007 event--Waste News Capitol Hill Summit, A National Conference on Environmental Legislation and Regulation--will take place in Washington, D.C. Co-organizer of the event is the environmental division of the law firm of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) now offers IGS clothing to its members. Log in at the IGS home page with your IGS-registered email and membership id number to see selections. Your support is appreciated. Learn more here.;

Sardinia 2007, the 11th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium held 1-5 October 2007 in S. Margherita di Pula (Cagliari, Italy). The Organising Committee is pleased to announce that a preliminary programme of the conference is now available on the website. Learn more here.;

The deadline on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's (TRPA) basin-wide requirement of BMPs on every property, public and private, is fast-approaching. The summer is expected to be a busy season of last-minute BMP acquisition and installation. To help with this, the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District (NTCD) offers free inspection and technical assistance to single-family homeowners. Learn more here.;

The bad luck continues surrounding Stark County, Ohio's landfills. The county engineer was recently denied funding for necessary road improvements around a site. And the much-publicized Countywide Landfill fire continues to cause odors and raise concerns. Republic Waste Services must pay a $1 million fine and prove that the landfill liner has not been damaged by the underground, aluminum waste fire. Learn more here.;

Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (GSE) announces 2007 first quarter results. Access the full report on GSE's website. Learn more here.;

Two updates to stories noted on geosynthetica last month: the Arkansas developer of the Overlook Estates has met all his court-ordered deadlines for bringing the 100-acre site up to code (click the continued link below for more on this story), and in Hickory, North Carolina a property owner has now been given 10 days to submit an erosion control plan to stop erosion at (or face daily fines for) a deteriorating site (cut and paste the following URL into your browser for more onthis story: http://www.hickoryrecord.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=HDR/MGArticle/HDR_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351054089 Learn more here.;

Research and Markets has added a Global Technical Textiles Business Update: 1st Quarter 2007 to its offerings. The supplement includes information on recent market challenges and acquisitions and addresses directions in technology. This builds onto Freedonia Group's forecast for a 4.4% annual rise in US demand for geosynthetics to 2010. Learn more here.;

The Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) has created a quick-reference section on their website for the Installation of Rolled Erosion Control Products (RECPs). The section, titled “RECP Installation for Slope and Channel PDF and DWG AutoCADD Drawings,” was created for engineers and designers to use during the development of their project specifications. ECTC designed this interactive guide in which the participant can download either PDF or DWG (AutoCADD 2000 or later) drawings that are essential in the installation process of RECPs. In addition to the drawings being made available, the section also briefly outlines the verbiage for the step by step installation of both slopes and channels. This project is one initiative in the ECTC’s drive for education and standardization within this growing industry. In 2004, ECTC learned from a survey of end users, government officials, inspectors, engineers, manufacturers of RECPs, and other industry professionals that the biggest obstacle to proper RECP function was poor installation. Because of this survey, ECTC decided installation education was in order. This project was created after the tremendous success and positive feed back regarding the ECTC produced educational RECP Installation DVD in 2006. ECTC is a non-profit organization committed to advancing the use of RECPs. For further information about ECTC, contact Laurie Honnigford at +1-651-554-1895, e-mail laurie@ectc.org, or visit www.ectc.org. Learn more here.;

IFAI has hired Beth Wistrcill as Manager of Geosynthetics Conferences. Beth comes from an excellent meeting planning background and most recently was a Senior Meeting Planner for Target Corporation. Welcome to the geo-industry Beth.