CETCO is supporting a free, November 15 webinar on US Federal Coal Ash Rules — Engineering and Design Considerations. The discussion will be led by Dr. John Daniels (Univ. of North Carolina – Charlotte), John Allen, P.E. (CETCO), and Bob Trauger, P.E. (consultant).
Topics to be covered include:
- EPA CCR Rule Overview
- Ongoing rule litigation and State implementation plans
- Understanding the Rule’s design and performance requirements
- Innovative methods and materials for achieving cost-effective compliance
REGISTER ONLINE
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm (EST)
COAL ASH RULES
The geosynthetics field has become essential to utilities for compliance with the new coal ash rules administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).
“The rule is pretty clear about the composite liner being the standard for implementation,” said John Allen in a July 20 podcast https://www.geosynthetica.net/podcast-coal-combustion-residuals-gcls/. “If someone chooses to go with the alternate composite liner, they have to demonstrate a few things to make sure that the alternate composite liner is equivalent to the composite.”
Key considerations concern interpreting “appropriate chemical properties” in the coal ash rules, appropriate shear stress in a geosynthetic barrier system, an appropriate liquid flow rate, and other equivalency values.
“This is all done relatively easily in design,” Allen says, “but you do need some supporting data to demonstrate that equivalency.”
One of the ways in which the geosynthetics field is achieving these alternative barrier goals is through lining system innovations, such as in the use of polymer-modified bentonite in geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). CETCO is a leader in that arena, in general geosynthetic engineering and in partnership with the coal ash industry.
It’s all part of how coal ash residuals (CCRs) are being properly handled and disposed of now, and it’s a geosynthetic design solution that shows potential for influencing and improving other containment applications.
THE PRESENTERS
Dr. John Daniels is Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNC Charlotte. He also Chairs the National Ash Management Advisory Board for Duke Energy. Previously Dr. Daniels was a Program Director in the Directorate for Engineering at the U.S. National Science Foundation, where he was responsible for funding research in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering as well as engineering research centers.
John Allen serves as the technical service manager for CETCO®, where he specializes in geosynthetic clay liners and hydraulic barriers and their applications in waste containment. He is a registered professional engineer with 15+ years of geotechnical engineering experience. He is an active member of ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics and ASCE’s Geo-Institute.
Robert (Bob) Trauger has 25+ years of experience in environmental engineering, project management, operations management, sales and sales management, and executive leadership. He has authored and presented numerous papers on the subjects of environmental containment, geosynthetic materials, and applied bentonite technologies.
DATE: November 15
TIME: 2:00 pm EST
COST: Free
REGISTER ONLINE
Learn more about CETCO engineering and geosynthetics expertise, response to coal ash rules, and more at the CCR information page on CETCO’s website.
