Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (NYSE: GSE) today announced that GEO Holdings Corp. has completed the acquisition of GSE. On May 18, 2004, a wholly owned subsidiary of GEO Holdings Corp. was merged with and into GSE, resulting in GSE becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of GEO Holdings Corp., an entity controlled by Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC. As previously announced, the stockholders of GSE have adopted and approved the merger agreement among GSE, GEO Holdings Corp. and GEO Sub Corp. and the related merger of GEO Sub with and into GSE. As a result of the merger, each outstanding share of common stock of GSE was converted into the right to receive $18.50 per share in cash, without interest. Mellon Investor Services LLC, the disbursing agent for the merger, will mail to the stockholders of GSE materials to be used to surrender stock certificates for payment. GSE stockholders are urged to read these materials in full, as such contain important information. Samir Badawi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GSE said, "The completion of this merger marks an important step forward for GSE. We look to further our commitment to meeting and exceeding customers' needs as well as to work with our suppliers and staff to take advantage of opportunities to increase our range of products and the markets we serve." "GSE is already a global leader in geosynthetic lining solutions with a reputation for technical innovation and superior customer service," commented Dan Hennessy, Partner at Code Hennessy & Simmons. "We are excited by the chance to work with the management team to grow the business to reach new markets and expand the Company's product line. We look forward to helping GSE achieve its true business potential." Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc., headquartered in Houston, is a global manufacturer and marketer of geosynthetic lining solutions, products and services used in the containment and management of solids, liquids and gases for organizations engaged in waste management, mining, water and wastewater treatment, and aquaculture. Additional information is available at www.gseworld.com . Founded in 1988, Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC is a private equity firm that manages approximately $1.5 billion in capital in four funds. CHS focuses on building shareholder value in middle-market manufacturing, distribution and service companies through strong relationships with management teams and sound investment strategies. Additional information is available at www.chsonline.com . - SOURCE Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc.

IECA seeks your valuable input regarding topics and speakers for EC05, IECA's annual North American Conference & Expo (20-24 February 2005) in Dallas, TX. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association is launching its annual Strength in Numbers membership drive. Learn more here.;

ASTM cordially invites you to the Committee D35 on Geosynthetics 20th Anniversary and Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 17th at the Westin Crown Center Kansas City, MO.

The Institudo do PVC in Brazil has a web site with Portuguese, English, and Spanish versions. Downloadable documents and newsletters are available, along with much more information. Learn more here.;

If you thought standards were important to geosynthetic materials, products, testing, installation, and commodity application designs, read on and learn why Bullfighting is not America's pastime. The following item is from the Spring 2003 issue of Invention and Technology. "Philip II wanted to give England and Spain a single ruler - but he should have done that for his ships. An article about the metric system in our Fall 2002 issue mentioned the Mars Climate Orbiter, which failed to work properly because of a misunderstanding over whether metric or Anglo-American units were being used. Now archeological research has uncovered a much earlier failure caused by the lack of a standard measuring system, one that may have changed the course of history in a very important way. In 1588 the mighty Spanish Armada sailed for England, planning to land troops and conquer the territory for the Spanish crown. The outnumbered Royal Navy's stout resisitance drove the Armada away, never to return, and for the next four centuries it was all downhill for Spain. Why did the Armada, seemingly much superior to the English fleet, fail so ignominiously? Historians have attributed the defeat to unfavorable weather, superior English tactics, and poor planning by the Spanish. Now Colin Martin, an archeologist at the University of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, has uncovered another reason. In the April 2002 issue of British Archeology, Martin tells how artifacts recovered from the Spanish ships San Juan de Sicilia and La Trinidad Valencera exhibit an appalling, and ultimately fatal, lack of uniformity. He examined rulers and shot guages, which were used to calculate the proper size and weight of projectiles for a gun's bore, and found that "devices from both ships are inaccurate in randonm, different ways. Martin explains: 'Unrelated weighing and measuring systems were used in different parts of Europe, and the Armada's guns were a chaotic jumble of types and sizes obtained from many countries. The apparently simple process of matching shot to guns, and distributing the right sizes to each ship, seems to have broken down almost completely.' Many other factors were at work in the Armada's defeat, but in view of this basic failure, it is unsurprising that 'some of the ships which returned [to Spain] had fired less than 25 percent of the ammunition issued to them.' If not for this fatal inconsistency, you couls be reading this magazine in Spanish, a point to remember the next time someone questions the importance of establishing technical standards."

As of May 3, 2004, GRI-GM18 is temporarily suspended. The durability portion of this generic specification on flexible polypropylene geomembranes has come into question. Learn more here.;

Layfield Plastics Incorporated, a member of The Layfield Group of Companies, and CW Neal Corporation are pleased to announce the successful completion of Layfield's acquisition of the business assets of CW Neal Corporation.

Lexington, KY: 5/7/2004 The Association of State Dam Safety Officials invites all persons interested in the safety of dams to attend Dam Safety 2004, ASDSO’s 21st annual conference, to be held September 26-30, 2004 at the beautiful Pointe South Mountain Resort, near Phoenix, Arizona. This year’s conference promises to be bigger and better than ever. ASDSO received a record number of abstracts, and a number of suggestions from a new Advisory Group, composed of representatives from state and federal agencies as well as private industry. As a result, the technical program will be expanded to include a full three days of sessions and workshops. Preceding the technical program will be the annual business meeting of state dam safety representatives, a golf outing at the four-star Phantom Horse Golf Club course, and an evening reception in the Exhibit Pavilion. The conference will close on September 30, with a choice of two field trips: Flood Control District of Maricopa County Dams (White Tanks Flood Retarding Structure No. 3 and McMicken Dam) or Bureau of Reclamation and Salt River Project Dams (Stewart Mountain and Granite Reef dams). Conference sessions will begin on Monday morning, with the annual ASDSO report, and a much-anticipated presentation, Mesa Verde Prehistoric Reservoirs, by keynote speaker Kenneth R. Wright, CFO and Chief Engineer of Wright Water Engineers. The Tuesday morning general session will focus on National Dam Safety Program projects. Hal Van Aller, Geotechnical Engineer with the Maryland Dam Safety Division, will give a detailed report on one of these projects, Best Practices for Design, Construction, Evaluation, and Maintenance of Conduits Through Embankment Dams. On Wednesday, September 29, ASDSO will depart from its traditional format and offer two all-day special workshops, as well as three technical sessions. The two special workshops, International Progress in Dam Breach Evaluation and Dam Removal and Environmental Issues, promise to be interesting and informative additions to the conference. The conference will also feature more than 20 additional sessions, with over 60 presentations on a number of topics, including: 1) Dam Security Issues – Co-existence of dam safety and security, practical dam security 2) Dam Failures and Incidents 3) Dam Failure Modes 4) Dam Breach Modeling 5) Emergency Preparedness – Automation, warning systems, urban dams 6) Hydrology: Extreme Events 7) Geographic Information Systems Applications for Hydrology and Hydraulics 8) Dam Construction – Materials and technology, design, contracting, sediment runoff control 9) Spillways – Model studies, rehabilitation, emergency response 10) Scour and Erosion 11) Seepage Control 12) Geotechnical Issues 13) Seismic Rehabilitations of Dams 14) Dam Safety Regulatory Programs – Enforcement, inventories, inspection 15) Dam Inspections – Remote sensing, underwater inspection, remotely operated vehicles 16) Dam Owner Issues – Partnering for dam repairs, development and hazard potential classification, and flood control 17) Three “Spotlights on the Poster Forum,” to be held in the Exhibit Pavilion. ASDSO warmly invites you and your guests to renew old acquaintances and make new friends at Dam Safety 2004. For the full conference agenda, and information about other conference events, including the annual awards banquet and guest activities, please click on the link below or contact ASDSO at 859/257-5140, or info@damsafety.org. Learn more here.;

T-CLIC (TRI-CORP Liner Integrity Center) is planning a research project to evaluate the mechanical durability of five new PP geomembranes and two old ones (that have cracked in service). Tests will include oven aging and UV resistance according to GRI.GM18 and chemical immersion, probably in chlorinated water. All tests will be performed with specimens stressed and unstressed. If you are interested in contributing to this project or in seeing the test results please contact Ian D. Peggs at icorp@geosynthetic.com.