Special Series

The G-I Committee Meeting for Geosynthetics will take place during the Geo-Denver conference on February 19, 2007 at 7:30-11:30 pm. Click here for the 2007 Annual Meeting Agenda.

Erosion and sediment control regulations vary from state to state, county to county and city to city. Industry professionals looking to stay abreast of the latest trends, changes and methods of compliance are receiving help from the International Erosion Control Association’s (IECA) award-winning regional Chapters. The following IECA Chapters have been recognized through IECA’s Partners for Excellence Program for providing outstanding service to the erosion and sediment control community in the areas of member services, Chapter management and education and outreach…

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics is developing a proposed new standard that covers the test procedure for evaluating the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains to enhance the consolidation of soils under specified conditions. A quote from NAGS executive director David Suits can be found in the release at the link below. Learn more here.;

The latest market reports from Freedonia indicate that plastic fencing will be one of the fencing industries' biggest growth areas; the study looks to 2010. Learn more here.;

The 60th Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) conference and 8th Joint CGS/IAH-CNC Groundwater Conference will be held 21 - 24 October 2007. For more information on the event, "Breaking Ground in the Nation's Capital," visit the conference Web site. Learn more here.;

Read the review sent by V.K. Kanjlia, Treasurer, Indian Chapter of IGS & Director Central Board of Irrigation and Power New Delhi, India for the recently attended Workshop on Retaining Structures with Geosynthetics, held December 13, 2006 Madras (Chennai), India.

The Alaskan village of Newtok is sandwiched between two rivers that are severely eroding their banks. Other villages in Alaska are subjected to similar dangers. The US Army Corp of Engineers estimates that at least three will need to be relocated at a cost of $355 million--unless erosion control solutions can be found. Learn more here.;

JEC Group reports on the success of recent nonwovens workshops in India. While the nonwovens field includes a great range of consumer products, such as hygiene and medical, it is in the geotextile sector in which the Indian market is expected to grow rapidly. The workshop was arranged with the help of Business Co-ordination House (BCH). Learn more here.;

TRI's 2007 Newsletter is now available on-line. Catch up with TRI's latest news and find out about their newest employee, Staff Engineer Rich Lacey.

geosynthetica.net has organized The Geo-Grill, to take place during GRI-20, on Thursday, January 18, 12:30 - 1:30. Each table has been assigned a leader from the presentations of GRI 20 and Geosynthetics 2007 or other key issues in the profession. This is available to you as part of your enrollment in either GRI or Thursday’s Short Courses . Bon Appétit et Discussion!

Principles of Storm Water Management and Erosion Control conference, held Dec. 13-14, 2006 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Minneapolis, MN.

Believe it: there remain a number of active, unlined landfills. In Canada, indigenous Chippewa tribal members are suffering from a string of severe illnesses that may be the result of both air pollution from nearby industrial operations and ground and water pollution from burial of toxic material in an unlined landfill. But they aren't the only ones wrestling with this waste. See a related story at this URL: http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDUzNjEyJnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg== Learn more here.;

The curiously named Flathead County Landfill has seen double-digit increases in annual waste disposal...though 2006 proved to be a mild year by recent standards. It saw only a 7.5 percent increase in collected waste. The rate is taxing disposal capacity and making some wonder whether the 400,000 square foot, lined expansion from two years ago was enough. Learn more here.;

Europe's geosynthetic standards committee, CEN / TC 189, met in Brussels in mid-December with a few key issues to address. Fred Foubert, CEN / TC 189 Secretary, has sent us an update.

The landfill expansion debate in Shawnee, Kansas has grown so fierce that some residents have spread the story that the odor might cause cancer. Despite this, the expansion may finally go forth with the liner set for an autumn 2007 installation. The last of the public discussions will soon be held with council members stressing it is only for technical issues. Learn more here.;

An online Terminology Dictionary is now accessible to all technical committee members free of charge on the ASTM website. While the content mimics the print volume ASTM Dictionary of Engineering Science and Technology, this online dictionary offers the benefits of an electronic format including periodic updates as well as excellent search functionalities that will be a valuable resource in your standards development work. You may search for terms by technical committee or across all ASTM technical committees. Search results are returned quickly and in a sequenced order highlighting first those results that most closely match the searched term. All terms included in the Dictionary at this time are from terminology standards developed by ASTM technical committees. Terms defined in other ASTM standards (i.e. test methods, specifications, practices, guides and classifications) are not included; however, staff is exploring the feasibility of this option as a future enhancement. To access the Terminology Dictionary, go to www.astm.org and login. Select My Committees. Then, select the last link in the My Tools box titled Terminology Dictionary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your staff manager. We are excited about the launch of this new tool and hope that you find the Terminology Dictionary to be helpful. Of course, we welcome your feedback on its utility and function at any time. Thank you for your participation in ASTM International standards development work and best wishes for a very happy, healthy New Year. - Kathie Morgan, General Manager, Technical Committee Support, ASTM International Learn more here.;

The Hilton Costa Mesa Hotel is unable to accommodate the ASTM 2007 January Committee Week. The meeting has been moved to another hotel in the same area of Orange County, CA. The dates of this meeting HAVE NOT changed and remain January 28 - February 2, 2007. The new hotel is: Hilton Anaheim, 777 Convention Way, Anaheim, CA, 92802. Tel: 1-714-750-4321. For hotel information, visit their website at the link below. The Anaheim Hilton will be able to provide the meeting space we require and they are excited and ready to host our meeting. The hotel is located close to many tourist attractions and is served by the following airports: John Wayne Airport, distance from hotel: 14 miles / Drive time: 20 minutes Super Shuttle: $15, Taxi approximately $35. Los Angeles International, distance from hotel: 35 miles / Drive time: 45-60 minutes Super Shuttle: $15, Taxi approximately $85. HOTEL RESERVATIONS - If you have a confirmed reservation at the Hilton Costa Mesa (using the ASTM Code) your reservation will automatically be transferred to the Hilton Anaheim. It will take a couple of days to transfer reservations from the Hilton Costa Mesa to the Hilton Anaheim. You may call 1-800-222-9923 for confirmation beginning on Friday, January 5th (3:00pm EST). If you provided an email address when you made your original reservation you will receive a confirmation by email. If you do not receive an emailed confirmation by Friday, January 5th (3:00PM EST), call Hilton Reservations at: 1-800-222-9923 to receive your confirmation number. Instructions below for attendees who: Did not make reservation using the ASTM Code, made reservations at alternate hotels in Costa Mesa, or have not made any reservations and plan to attend this meeting The Anaheim Hilton is now sold out as a result of taking the existing ASTM Reservations. The following reservation service has been set up to assist you with your room reservations: A Room With A View: 1-800-780-4343, or 1-817-453-8038 (International), 1-817-453-9140 (24 Hour Fax), Email: ARWAV@charter.net. ARWAV will review with you hotels available near the Anaheim Hilton and the rates at the various overflow properties. The Hilton Cost Mesa Hotel apologizes for the inconvenience and will offer the following incentives to ASTM attendees: Attendees with previously confirmed reservations (under the ASTM Code) relocated to the Anaheim Hilton with have their room rate reduced to $99, with the rate difference subsidized by the Hilton Costa Mesa; On Tuesday, January 30th, the Hilton Costa Mesa will sponsor an upscale reception, held at the Hilton Anaheim, with food for all ASTM attendees; The Hilton Anaheim is located within walking distance or a short trolley ride from Disneyland and Downtown Disney which has many restaurants and shops. Every attendee pre-registered for the meeting will receive a $50 Disney Dollar coupon which can be used in Disneyland, or any Disney restaurant, or Disney shop. Coupons will be distributed at the ASTM Registration Desk. If you haven't already pre-registered for this meeting - please do so now at: http://myastm.astm.org. Learn more here.;

At Point State Park in Pennsylvania, geotextile layers are being used to preserve a historic stretch of the Fort Pitt wall. The geosynthetics will be used along key sections of the wall and in the 12-foot-deep tracery trench to separate the wall from fill material. This is part of a $7.1 million improvement project for the 36-acre site. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetic lining systems have prooved to be superior guardians of groundwater around landfill operations, but it's still good to know that recycling programs, particularly for household hazardous waste, are showing strong gains. Electronics, batteries, and harsh cleaning chemicals represent an ever-growing percentage of landfilled household waste. Learn more here.;

Earn up to 13.0 professional development hours (PDHs) with Geosynthetics 2007's short courses. Two full days of high-quality short courses are scheduled. Each day (one environmental, the other transporation-oriented) offers a possible 6.5 hours of PDH credit. For more information, visit the short course page at the ink below. Learn more here.;

Performance Fibers, based in South Korea, is expanding its polyester fiber capacity by 20 percent. Performance Fibers materials are used in, among many things, geosynthetics. Reported in Bharat Textiles. Learn more here.;

In Hawaii, geotextile fabrics have been used to protect nesting albatrosses from lead contaminated soil. A $1 million remediation project is underway on Midway Atoll. Read about it and the albatross protection program in the Star Bulletin. Learn more here.;

The National Transporation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) includes an excellent resource page on soil reinforcement. It includes geotextile information, project work plans, meeting minutes, test program information, and more. TRI is the GAI LAP-accredited lab NTPEP uses. Learn more here.;

2nd Annual Global Executive Mining Maintenance Summit. Agenda and brochure now available online. Learn more here.;

Chittenden County, Vermont, produces nearly half of the state's waste, yet its residents are balking at the prospect of constructing a double-lined landfill system. In a sobering article for Burlington's residents, Mariana Lamaison Sears of the Burlington Free Press writes about waste generation, disposal methods, double liner systems, and the need for action on all fronts. Learn more here.;