Erosion Control Forum.com Blog

Toxic sediment

2011-12-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sediments are most often transported by water (fluvial processes), wind processes) and glaciers. Beach sands and river channel deposits are examples of fluvial transport and deposition, though sediment also often settles out of slow-moving or standing water in lakes and oceans. Desert sand dunes and loess are examples of aeolian transport and deposition. Glacial moraine deposits and till are ice-transported sediments
A grim reminded of the widespread result(s) of sediment is exacerbated with the all-too common warning of resulting and uncontrolled erosion.
A survey on the sources of sediment pollution resulting with the warning for citizens not to harvest vegetables grown on artificial wetlands.

We must take steps to mitigate erosion

WASHINGTON, October 13, 2011

2011-10-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

A new USDA study shows that farmers using combinations of erosion-control and nutrient-management practices on cultivated cropland are reducing losses of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous from farm fields and decreasing the movement of these materials to the Great Lakes and their associated waterways.

New USDA Report

Capitol Hill is a scrum of lobbyists fighting over a shrinking budget these days, and farm subsidies are under attack as never before. Some of those subsidies appear likely to die.
But let's talk about one kind of farm subsidy, one that environmentalists are fighting to preserve. Believe it or not, so are the people who run the water systems in American cities. This week, some of these groups wrote a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to keep funding these programs.

We're taking about "conservation" subsidies. Some people call them "green payments," and they add up to about $5 billion each year.

Under these programs, the government pays farmers to do things that are good for the environment, but aren't profitable. The biggest single source of green payments, the Conservation Reserve Program (which costs just under $2 billion each year), pays farmers to take cropland out of production for ten years or more and instead plant native grasses (or sometimes trees) on that land. At its peak a few years ago, 36 million acres were part of the CRP. That's an area the size of the state of New York. It's been declining in recent years. Now it's more like the size of Indiana.

Other programs pay farmers to turn cropland back into wetlands (good for wildlife and water quality), or to introduce farming practices that reduce soil erosion and fertilizer runoff or provide more habitat for wildlife.

Farm Subsidies Birds And Fish Would Choose

Asbestos contaminated soils: the health risk lurking in your backyard?

2011-03-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Asbestos was widely used in all types of buildings until about 30 years ago. As a result, asbestos contaminated soils are often present on brownfield sites – before, during and after redevelopment. We frequently come across high levels of asbestos contamination in gardens and community recreation areas. During dry weather, asbestos can easily become airborne as a result of any soil disturbance, for example from children playing, gardening and major construction activities. Asbestos contaminated soil can easily be transferred indoors on shoes or carried on vehicle wheels to public highways, causing additional, secondary exposures. Tailored risk assessments and asbestos management procedures, appropriate for the current/planned use of affected ground, are required to avoid increased risks of lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Although statistics show a growing number of people who have never worked with asbestos are suffering with an asbestos-related disease, most documented cases are caused by occupational exposure to the toxic mineral. This is due to the likeliness of repeated exposure, which occurs through standard operations in a variety of industries and jobsites.
Jobsites such as asbestos mines, processing plants and
… read more

Green Erosion Control Solutions

2010-11-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

Green Erosion Control Solutions and pollution prevention practices, remediate contaminants in mediums such as soil, sludge, slag, sediment, dust, flyash etc.

Ex situ soil separation processes (often referred to as "soil washing"), mostly based on mineral processing techniques, are widely used in Northern Europe and America for the treatment of contaminated soil. Soil washing is a water–based process for scrubbing soils ex situ to remove contaminants.

These include the requirements to develop erosion and sedimentation control plans, specifying plan content and erosion control structures for runoff harvesting, "best management practices" &: "best available techniques".

You will scour remedial action programs, environmental laws & regulations and erosion consulting & contracting services to develope comprehensive Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) as solutions for environmental contamination.

These methods protect families and the environment from toxic contamination.

Degraded rivers, unsustainable farming catalysts for soil erosion

2010-11-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Western Cape rivers are generally degraded and unstable, said Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s (DoA’s) Hans King.
He explained that this was caused by the flourishing invasive alien plant species in rivers, the disappearance of indigenous riverine plants, the narrowing of river channels, owing to developments in the flood plains, and the bulldozing of river beds by landowners.
King was one of the speakers at the International Erosion Control Association Southern Africa Chapter conference, recently held in George, in the Western Cape province.
He said that a clear dynamic of the rivers is the knock-on effect of erosion. Runaway erosion

Read this and 13 more erosion articles that cover desertification, climate change and much more

P.S.
Please spend a few minutes and send us your feedback as we strive to improve your viewing experience of both your blog and erosion website.
Many thanks.

"That's the million-dollar question."

2010-10-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet completely melted, the East Coast of North America would experience sea levels more than four feet higher than had been previously predicted – almost 21 feet – and the West Coast, as well as Miami, Fla., would be about a foot higher than that. Most of Europe would have seas about 18 feet higher.

“If this did happen, there would also be many other impacts that go far beyond sea level increase, including much higher rates of coastal erosion, greater damage from major storm events, problems with ground water salinization, and other issues,“ Clark said. “And there could be correlated impacts on other glaciers and ice sheets in coastal areas that could tend to destabilize them as well.“
As the contours of climate change have started to come into focus, glaciologists — a tiny band of scientists in a long-neglected field — have suddenly found themselves briefing Congress, consulting with the United Nations. Perplexed graduate students, stuck in the field in Greenland, were asked to educate visiting dignitaries. The dawning realities of global warming made it evident that one of the gravest threats facing the planet depended upon a field of science that most people had never even heard of. "How fast will the ice sheets lose their mass into the sea?" asks Dr.Peter Clark, a professor of geosciences at Oregon State University. "That's the million-dollar question."
… read more

Dust Control | Soil Stabilization | MIDWEST

2010-10-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

We'd like to welcome Dust Control | Soil Stabilization | MIDWEST to your growing list of advertisers who choose to expand their product line and improve their Prime Viability and Google Rankings.

Midwest lives in, manufactures for, and delivers Earth-conscious solutions around the world to clients in the quarry, mining, construction, iron/steel, rail/mass transit and dozens of other industries whose success depends on overcoming dust, erosion, ice, or unstable soil conditions.

Our “Yes” is Your Guarantee

One phone call to Midwest is all it takes to be on the way to effective and environmentally-sound dust control, erosion control, soil stabilization and anti-icing solutions. Midwest is the can-do company that sees green as a primary color. We develop environmentally-safe products in our own lab so that our customers fulfill regulatory requirements as well as their own and their customers’ wishes to be gentle on our planet while getting the job done. Not so gentle on ourselves, we tenaciously pursue groundbreaking solutions for simple and complex problems and strive to deliver them with standard-setting service so our customers will never have to turn elsewhere.

www.erosioncontrolforum.com is proud of the products they supply as they truly represent the theme of this erosion website.

Water – essence of and for life!

2010-09-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Five things I learned at the Global Water Summit
Published 29th April 2010

1. There is no such thing as economic water scarcity, only political water scarcity. Ek Sonn Chan told the story of how the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority had been transformed between 1993 and 2009. The number of connections increased seven-fold, non-revenue water fell from 73% to 6%, collection efficiency rose from 48% to 99.9%, and total revenues increased from $300,000 to $25 million, with an $8 million operating surplus. After receiving initial grants and soft loans from international financial institutions, the utility is now self-financing. Tariffs increased steeply in the early years, but they have been held constant at around $0.24/m3 since 2001, because the combination of service expansion, reduced water losses and high collection rates has guaranteed a sufficient cashflow for debt repayment as well as capital expenditure. It is a great story that should be reproduced across the developing world – if politicians allow it to happen.

2. The oil companies are waking up to water. Joppe Cramwinckel of Shell explained that his company is one of the largest producers of
… read more

New Wetland Class

2010-09-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Whenever the drama ends at BP's Macondo well, the company still will be on the hook for the environmental harm from the spill, and teams of state, federal and BP scientists are meticulously gathering data about where the oil is landing.

Their goal is to figure out what restoration projects might be needed to make up for all the damage the oil is causing. Then the government will present BP with a plan of what projects are necessary. BP can do the restorations itself, or it can ask the government to handle them.
Nailon's glove is oily after sticking his finger into the soil.
Elizabeth Shogren/NPR

Nailon's glove is oily after sticking his finger into the soil. When oil soaks into marsh soil, the plants become more vulnerable to dying.

"At that point, we put a price tag on the … read more

NPR

I wanted to be the first to let you know about a new wetlands class we are offering this fall. It is entitled "Southeast Regional Supplement Wetland Training." The class is offered as a two-day classroom and field workshop. It is an intensive review of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain and the Eastern Mountains and Piedmont Regional Supplements to the US Army Corps of Engineers 1987, Wetlands Manual.

The class is being offered in Raleigh, NC on October 20-21, 2010. For more information please visit our website by clicking ==> HERE

Many thanks,

Marc Seelinger
The Swamp School

Erosion–Control Project

2010-09-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

The river has been severely eroding into the Miskowic property for years, taking away soil, fencing and trees.

Now, a major shoreline restoration, erosion-control project has been nearly completed on the Miskowic property and it shows promise in checking the erosion, according to Mille Lacs County Soil and Water Conservation District conservation technician Lynn Carter.

The project was made possible with the help of:

• A Minnesota Clean Water Fund matching grant of close to $39,007, in which the Miskowics had to put up 25 percent of that in money or in-kind contribution.

• Organizing by the Mille Lacs County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), with input from the Department of Natural Resources.

• Engineering by a Joint Powers Board of Engineers.

• A week of labor by a youth group from the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. Also labor from master gardeners and people involved with conservation agencies during the afternoon of Aug. 2. The latter had attended a workshop on shoreline restoration during the morning of Aug. 2 at the Princeton Area Library. Part of the mentioned grant funded the workshop.

• Labor by the Miskowics and use of their equipment, which counted toward their 25 percent grant share.

The erosion at the Miskowic property has been occurring where the Rum River makes a sharp U-turn, typical of rivers in a mature age. When moving water makes a turn, the water speeds up on the outside part of the arc and that causes erosion of the river bank.

The shoreline is also at the bottom of a slope that had been devoid of deep-rooted vegetation.

The anti-erosion plan for the Miskowic property was developed over late 2009 and into the spring of this year. Joint board of Engineers/Technical Service 3 engineer Michelle Sternquist and engineer technician Al Bernhardt came up with the plan with input from the DNR, Carter said. The engineering group was established to help with such projects at a lower cost than what private engineers would usually charge, according to Carter at the Mille Lacs SWCD office.

Here’s what was done in the project:

• Excavation work was done in late July this year to reduce the steepness of the slope and build terraces on it. Terraces are flat, bench-like plateaus to slow the advance of draining water.

• Posts were sunk deep into the toe of the slope, around which uprooted trees and shrubs were attached with cables to make what is called a tree/shrub revetment. That breaks up the energy of the current as it passes by the bottom of the slope.

• Willow wattles were installed on the first bench at the bottom of the slope. Willow wattles are made by twisting long branches of willow together and tying them end to end. The two longest willow wattles were about 100 feet long. They are designed to help keep river water from pulling away embankment soil as the river level rises and falls.

• The entire slope was also seeded with native grasses and flowers and some oats, the latter to begin immediate growth to check erosion until the permanent plants can take over.

• A landscape fabric was laid out over the whole slope and then native plants that grow deep roots (some as much as 15 feet long) were planted. Holes were punched through the fabric and the roots placed through them and into the soil. In all, 6,400 native plants and 325 native shrubs were planted.

• This fall dormant willow stakes will be planted just behind the tree/shrub revetment with the idea they will become willow trees to also help check erosion along the river bank.

Attention was also paid to the lawn that lies atop the slope. About 10 feet back from the top of the slope, the shallow-rooted turf grass that has been growing there, was replaced with prairie grass and native vegetation.
The city of Princeton, as part of the state permit rules for its planned expansion of the Princeton wastewater treatment plant, must reduce a certain amount of bank erosion along the Rum River in the Princeton area. The purpose is to reduce phosphorous going into the river, which happens when river bank soil goes into the river, according to wastewater project engineers. A project like this could help work toward that end. Whether or not the city would ever use this particular plan, it did check it out, with Princeton Public Works Director Bob Gerold visiting the Miskowic site to look it over.

Comment from landowner

“I hope it works,” said Randy Miskowic last Thursday. “We spent a lot of time and money. If it doesn’t stop the erosion, we’ve enhanced it.”

Miskowic explained what he meant about enhancing it. He stated that when excavation was done to redo the slope, a lot of sand was removed from the slope’s toe. Enough sand was removed from the slope that it sits in a pile 30 feet high and 100 feet wide on the property, Miskowic said.

But the angle of the slope was improved so it now isn’t nearly as steep, Miskowic said, explaining that originally it dropped 33 feet vertically over a horizontal span of 25 feet.

Miskowic said he thinks the project “turned out really well,” and talked about how it withstood for the most part, the heavy rains during the second week in August. And that was before the planted vegetation had much chance to grow, he said.

Miskowic is likely looking forward to not having reruns of what has been going on along the river next to their residence during the 23 years the Miskowics have lived there.

The bank has eroded anywhere from six inches to three-to-four feet per year, he recalled. “I had been planting grass and throwing logs and any kind of trees and anything I had to hold the soil,” he said, referring to the area of the erosion.

But when the spring floods arrived, they would just wash it all away, and he came to realize, he said, that a solution would take more expertise than what he had.

Read this and more newsworthy erosion articles

What Causes Mudslides?

2010-08-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Mudslides can occur at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). And they can strike without any prior warning signs, making for a dangerous phenomenon.

"Mudslides occur in all 50 U.S. states and can happen at any time – with or without rainfall," said Lynn Highland, a geographer at the USGS National Landslide Center.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, changes in groundwater levels, alternate freezing and thawing, and the steepening of slopes by erosion all contribute to mudslides.

Construction and reckless modification of land – such as not draining an area properly before building on or near it – can also create the conditions ripe for a mudslide, Highland said.

She added, prolonged, intense precipitation and run-off can contribute to landslides, as can wildfires. Fires lead to mudslides because burning can kills the plants' roots. Roots hold soil together, stabilizing the land and making it less likely to be swept away, according to Highland. In this way, overgrazing can also contribute to mudslides.

Because different areas of land have different soil compositions, as well as varying slopes and geographic characteristics, it is difficult to determine how prone a place is to mudslides and therefore near impossible to predict when one will hit – although they are known to occur in areas previously hit by mudslides, according to the USGS.

"The West Coast is especially susceptible to mudslides because of the earthquakes, rainfall and wildfires that happen in that region," Highland told Life's Little Mysteries. "In California, there is a 'mudslide season' lasting from December to April, during which time the rainfall is fairly predictable."

Because California wildfires leave behind charred slopes, the region is especially susceptible to mudslides during and immediately after major rainstorms. However, sometimes damage caused by a mudslide can take days or even weeks to surface.

An example of this 'delayed triggering' of deeper landslides occurred in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1998, when mudslides forced the evacuation of more than 100 people and destroyed several houses five days after the rain had stopped, according to the California Geological Survey (CGS).

More than 100 Californians have been killed by land and mud slides during the last 25 years, according to the CGS. Most of these deaths were due to people being buried by debris flows as they slept in lower-floor bedrooms that were near hazardous slopes.
… read more

Textile Related to Earth: Geotextiles

2010-08-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

As its name suggests Geotextiles refers to textiles related to earth or soil. When any permeable material used with rock, soil or earth it is termed as Geotextiles. The basic function of this technology is to prevent soil erosion to strengthening heavy concrete structures. This technology has not yet gained much attention in India, but is widely used in many countries for construction of bridges, roads, railway tracks to improve its strength. Many researchers have view that this technology is not newly developed but is in use from past thousands of years.

Formation of Geotextiles

Geotextiles can be formed of synthetic fibers, natural fibers or combination of the two. In past Geotextiles were made of natural plant fibers while today are usually formed of synthetic polymers such as polyester, polypropylene (PP), polyamides (PA) and polyamides (PA). Geotextiles made from natural fibers are less durable as they get decomposed with passage of time.

Choice of formation depends on the required properties and service life for which it is used. For example, natural fiber base Geotextiles is used for erosion control mats where durability is not a critical factor.

Natural Fiber Based Geotextiles

Natural fibers like Jute and coir have special applications. These different fibers degrade at different rates. Coir geotextiles degrade in 2 to 3 years while jute degrades in 1 to 2 years. Because of this property coir is used in situations where vegetation takes longer to establish, and jute is used in low rainfall areas as it can absorb more moisture. Also used for rural unpaved roads.

Advantages

1. Natural fiber-based geotextiles are environmental friendly.

2. Its biodegradable nature has certain cost-effective applications in erosion control and re-vegetation.

3. It is helpful in quick establishment of vegetation.

4. It also helps in dust control, sand dune formation, wind erosion control and stabilization.

… read more

Typical Soil Washing Process

2010-07-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Ex situ soil separation processes (often referred to as "soil washing"), mostly based on mineral processing techniques, are widely used in Northern Europe and America for the treatment of contaminated soil. Soil washing is a water-based process for scrubbing soils ex situ to remove contaminants. The process removes contaminants from soils in one of the followingtwo ways:

* By dissolving or suspending them in the wash solution (which can be sustained by chemical manipulation of pH for a period of time); or
* By concentrating them into a smaller volume of soil through particle size separation, gravity separation, and attrition scrubbing (similar to those techniques used in sand and gravel operations).

Soil washing systems incorporating most of the removal techniques offer the greatest promise for application to soils contaminated with a wide variety of heavy metal, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. Commercialization of the process, however, is not yet extensive.

The concept of reducing soil contamination through the use of particle size separation is based on the finding that most organic and inorganic contaminants tend to bind, either chemically or physically, to clay, silt, and organic soil particles. The silt and clay, in turn, are attached to sand and gravel particles by physical processes, primarily compaction and adhesion. Washing processes that separate the fine (small) clay and silt particles from the coarser sand and gravel soil particles effectively separate and concentrate the contaminants into a smaller volume of soil that can be further treated or disposed of. Gravity separation is effective for removing high or low specific gravity particles such as heavy metal-containing compounds (lead, radium oxide, etc.). Attrition scrubbing removes adherent contaminant films from coarser particles. However, attrition washing can increase the fines in soils processed. The clean, larger fraction can be returned to the site for continued use.

Complex mixture of contaminants in the soil (such as a mixture of metals, nonvolatile organics, and SVOCs) and heterogeneous contaminant compositions throughout the soil mixture make it difficult to formulate a single suitable washing solution that will consistently and reliably remove all of the different types of contaminants. for these cases, sequential washing, using different wash formulations and/or different soil to wash fluid ratios, may be required.

Soil washing is generally considered a media transfer technology. The contaminated water generated from soil washing are treated with the technology(s) suitable for the contaminants.

The duration of soil washing is typically short- to medium-term.
… read more

Real-time Networked Coastal Erosion Monitoring System

2010-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

A consortium comprising WFS Technologies, Swansea Metropolitan University and Valeport Ltd has delivered the world's first ad hoc distributed network of seabed sensors for measuring the effects of coastal erosion. Sensor data regarding the movement of seabed sediment is communicated in real time using WFS wireless through-water radio modems, initially to a surface buoy and then via a GSM link to a server for display over the internet.

Radio provides reliable wireless communications in complex subsea environments such as shallow water and in the surf zone, making it ideally suited to coastal erosion monitoring applications.

More than half of the world's population lives within 60km of a coastline zone. As changing global climate and rising sea levels speed up coastal erosion, researchers need to monitor what is happening beneath the surface of the sea. Understanding coastal erosion has typically been by observation and measurement of exposed coastal areas rather than using quantitative data. The estimation of these effects has left us with only partial picture of what is really happening.

Historically, placing seabed instrumentation in the coastal erosion zone has proved challenging.

Seabed located sensors can be deployed to gather data, but provide no real-time data visibility and so may be subject to failure or movement in the dynamic environment. Wired systems have been attempted, but the deployment of a buried cable from shallow-water, up the beach means a considerable investment for each monitoring node and is prone to failure. The use of radio based wireless technology to relay data provides a robust, reliable and low cost real-time data monitoring solution, permitting remedial action to protect the coastline to be taken at the earliest opportunity.

… read more

Research explores fire, mercury link

2010-07-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Researchers recently received federal funding to continue a study aimed at exploring high levels of mercury found in fish at Vallecito Reservoir, which a researcher at the University of Colorado thinks might be the result of the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire.

The San Juan Generating Station in Waterflow and the Four Corners Power Plant in Fruitland are believed to be the primary source of atmospherically deposited mercury in La Plata and Montezuma counties.

CU's lead researcher Joseph Ryan thinks that a large wildfire could volatilize latent mercury that stuck to the top layer of soil.

The Missionary Ridge Fire burned more than 70,000 acres north of Durango in June and July 2002. Ryan said a fire of that intensity could have oxidized sulphur molecules that bind mercury in organic matter in the soil.

Ryan said a large wildfire could also introduce mercury into water another way, by speeding erosion and allowing the mercury to wash into a water source.

"Nobody's really looked at this before," Ryan said. "That's probably why the National Science Foundation is funding us."

… read more

Brownfield land

2010-07-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations.[1] Cf. Waste (law).
Example of brownfield land at a disused gasworks site after excavation, with soil contamination from removed underground storage tanks.

In the United States city planning jargon, a brownfield site (or simply a brownfield) is land previously used for industrial purposes or certain commercial uses. The land may be contaminated by low concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution, and has the potential to be reused once it is cleaned up. Land that is more severely contaminated and has high concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution, such as a Superfund site, does not fall under the brownfield classification. Mothballed brownfields are properties which the owners are not willing to transfer or put to productive reuse.[2]

…
In the United Kingdom and Australia, the term applies more generally to previously used land

… read New Report Shows Brownfield Redevelopment in Cities Leads to More Jobs, Increased Tax Revenue - 99 Cities Surveyed on the Merits of Recycling America`s Land

GeoHay suggested for Gulf Coast cleanup

2010-06-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

GeoHay is an environmentally friendly and green line of barrier filtration products which aid in the control of erosion and sediment. Our products are produced with 100% recycled carpet fibers and can be reused over and over again. GeoHay has been proven to be more efficient and more cost effective than silt fence or natural hay bales. Our products are produced in standard sizes, but can also be ordered to fit the specific needs of our customers. All GeoHay products come with precut stake holes for easy installation and are non-biodegradable.

GeoHay is currently being proposed as part of the remedy for the clean up in the Gulf. Please see the demostration of oil absorbtion in this video after the 1:45 mark.

WALTON CO, FLORIDA (May 14, 2010) - GeoHay products have been suggested for use in the Gulf Coast clean up. As it is shown in the video, our products will absorb or attach the oil while the clean water flows back out.

… read more

Sea also your list of links

Spill Prevention and Response

2010-06-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

In this video, American Petroleum Institute (API) president and CEO Jack Gerard discusses the oil and natural gas industry's commitment to safety, as well as oil spill cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Other key resources:

… read more

To some degree, permeability will play a role in the migration of contaminant and on the design of almost any structure.

Applications including environmental containment, landfill, hazardous waste containment, mining, agriculture, and erosion control.

www.erosioncontrolforum.com is a full service environmental containment solution offering an integrated package of services in civil engineering, waste management and ....
… read more

Geomembrane liners:

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is typically a non-reinforced, cost effective membrane that provides many advantages for the user. For a non-reinforced material, PVC has high puncture strength and excellent abrasion resistance. In buried applications, PVC can provide a service life for over 20 years. In addition, PVC is resistant to a large number of industrial chemicals. PVC allows for an easy installation due to the availability of large factory fabricated panels and diverse field seaming capabilities which include chemical, hot wedge, and hot air processes. In addition to standard grade, PVC is available in oil resistant, UV resistant, fishgrade, reinforced, and potable water formulations.

Discover products ranging from geotechnical applications on land, in the water and underground to sources of manufacturers of geomembranes for landscaping, erosion control and groundwater.

… read more

These are only several items / ideas for assisting with this recovery.
Please submit any and all others here

Sand berm to protect Barataria Bay wetlands gets federal OK

2010-05-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Adm. Thad Allen on Thursday approved a proposal to build a 6-foot-high sand berm just south of Scofield Island as a temporary barrier to keep oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill from reaching wetlands in Barataria Bay.

The berm, which would be placed just west of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, is one of six oil-protective sand berms proposed by the state that were granted an emergency permit on Thursday by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The estimated $16 million cost of building the Scofield Island berm will be borne by BP or the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, and will be used as a test to determine whether the Louisiana strategy would work, Allen said. If the berm proves effective, Allen could consider authorizing other barrier islands.

If the state wants to build the other five, including two east of the Mississippi River and three more to the west, it will have to pay for them, with no guarantee of being reimbursed, Allen said.

"There are a lot of doubts whether this is a valid oil spill response technique, given the length of construction and so forth," Allen said Thursday at Port Fourchon. "But we're not averse to attempting this as a prototype."

Read More

Read your erosion website commentary

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response

2010-05-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

The impacts on wetlands as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are only now just being addressed. There is an "all call" for volunteers and professionals help to work on cleaning up with the mess. The following link is the unified command website that lists the activities and ways you can help.

LATEST INFORMATION
Rear Admiral Landry Approves “Top Kill” Procedure

Federal On-Scene Coordinator Rear Admiral Mary Landry, acting on the validation of government scientists and in consultation with the National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen, has granted approval for BP to begin proceeding with their attempt to cap the well using the technique known as the “top kill.”

This expedited step provides the final authorization necessary to begin the procedure.
Read More
The Department of Energy’s Scientific Response to the Oil Spill

Secretary Chu and the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories are providing round-the-clock scientific support to help inform strategies to stop the BP oil spill. Secretary Chu and his team of scientists are brainstorming ideas about the most effective scientific and engineering approaches to the problem, providing expert advice and technical support validation, testing assumptions and making engineering calculations to help BP think through their approach.
Read more

BP oil spill: Measures to mitigate wetland damage, stem flow continue.

2010-05-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

About 40 percent of the nation's coastal wetlands are clumped along southern Louisiana, directly in the path of oil that was still gushing from a ruptured underwater well. Roughly 3.5 million gallons has escaped in the weeks since an oil rig explosion, and some is bearing down on the marshes as workers rush to lay protective boom.

"No question we will see some widespread impacts," Garret Graves, chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, said after an observation flight. "If we allow this oil to get into our coastal areas and fundamentally change the ecosystem, the consequences are profound."

Removing oil from wetlands is a huge challenge. Bulldozers can't simply scrape away contaminated soil, as they do on beaches. Cutting and removing oil-soaked vegetation could further weaken the fragile vegetation that holds the marshes together. Absorbent materials and detergents have limited effectiveness, Graves said.

If a thick enough layer of oil coats hardy swamp grasses and shrubs, scientists say it could shut down their equivalent of breathing -- absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

"You could literally suffocate the marsh," said Alex Kolker, a coastal systems specialist with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.

Even worse, the oil could soak into the ground and poison roots, killing entire plants. With nothing to anchor it, the soil would wash away, accelerating a process that has cost Louisiana about 2,300 square miles of coastal marshes and barrier islands the last 80 years -- an area bigger than Delaware.

A spill-related loss of wetlands would ripple through the food chain they support, from tiny organisms to fish and birds.

"It's like you pull a thread on the shirt and it all comes apart," said Mark LaSalle, an ecologist at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point, Miss.

Or the damage could be less severe and the ecosystem could survive yet again.

"It's like when you get pneumonia," Kolker said. "There's a certain amount you can handle and bounce back, and there's a certain amount that will make you miserable but you'll survive, and there's a certain amount that will kill you."

All hinges on how much oil reaches the wetlands, and how soon workers can plug the leak from the stricken well pouring at least 200,000 gallons daily into the Gulf since the rig exploded and sank April 20.

From Texas to Florida, the Gulf region is laced with wetlands. But Louisiana's are most directly threatened by the encroaching oil and by far the most plentiful, even after the state has suffered 80 percent of U.S. coastal wetland loss.

Wetlands feed and provide nesting and spawning grounds for multitudes of waterfowl and fish. Menhaden, the top commercial fish species in the lower 48 states and an ingredient in products ranging from insecticide to chicken feed, spends its crucial first months of life nibbling decomposed marsh grass.

"Lose the marshes and we lose menhaden," said Andy Nyman, a wetland and wildlife ecologist at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.

Wetlands perform the kidney-like function of filtering chemicals and other pollutants from waters, and they prevent floods by soaking up excessive waters like sponges and releasing them when levels recede. Historically, they have shielded inland cities such as New Orleans from the worst of the Gulf's tidal surges during hurricanes and tropical storms.

As land area of wetlands has declined over the years, so has their effectiveness.

Beginning in the 1930s, levees built along the Mississippi River to ward off flooding curtailed flow of fresh water into estuaries, killing off plants unable to live year-round in salt water. That accelerated erosion and converted former wetlands into open water.

The river previously deposited layers of new mud to replenish the marshes. Now, the levees prevent that.

As part of our responsibility to show the immediate and long term effects of this catastrophic oil spill on accelerated soil erosion your website via measures to mitigate wetland damage, solutions to control beach erosion, and methods to re-vegetate those areas damaged by soil pollution helps in its recovery.

… read more

News of this theme will be posted here.

Soil Nail Launcher Inc - Landslide Solutions

2010-05-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Soil Nail Launcher, Inc. specializes in design, build, warranty and repair of virtually any slope stability problem in any kind of geologic setting.

Soil Nail Launcher, Inc. is a specialty contracting firm operating throughout the United States. Our expertise and proprietary tools including the launcher, modified tools and crane baskets, along with our innovative technologies, worldwide reach, and design/build/warranty service allows us to repair virtually any slope stability problem in any kind of geologic setting.

With our innovative approaches to slope stabilization, it is possible to cut costs in half and cut completion time by 90%, compared to traditional landslide repairs.

Storm water runoff is a drain on Cleveland Metroparks as they battle erosion

2010-05-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Developed land outside the Cleveland Metroparks has turned the 22,000-acre Emerald Necklace into the region's catch-basin for storm water runoff, damaging park property and costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
The runoff also is accelerating the erosion of hundreds of miles of waterways within the parks system, flushing as much as 45,000 tons of silt out into Lake Erie each year.

… read more

USDA Announces New Program to Restore Wetlands

2010-05-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

The US Department of Agri-culture has announced a new program, called the Wetlands Reserve En-hancement Program (WREP), to “restore, en-hance, protect, and manage habitat for migratory birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife.” WREP is offering at least $25 mil-lion for individual projects as well as projects that cover watersheds and lar-ger areas. The program gives priority to projects that achieve wetland resto-ration and improve wildlife habitat; use non-federal
resources to coordi-nate with local, state, tribal, or federal ef-forts; and provide innovation in wetland protection, restora-tion, and enhance-ment methods. “The wetland restoration and en-hancement actions,” said Tom Vilsak, US Secretary of Agriculture, “made possi-ble through WREP will maximize wild-life habitat values, water quality, and improve the overall environment.” A request for proposals is available on the USDA’s website, and the deadline for proposals is

… read more

Stabilizing Wet Soil with Lime Brings Amazing Results

2010-04-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

PanzRule posted the information below on the ConstructionKnowledge Forum last week and I thought it was too good not to share further. I used lime on a fast-track factory project a few years ago with excellent results. We finished the project on time, which couldn’t have happened without the lime soil mixing.The experience shared by PansRule below should be read by everyone who has to work to control construction schedules and wet/frozen soils.

Post subject: Soil Modification/Stabilization by Panzrule

I have been working on a site project that began in early October of 2009. If you can remember this winter here in Pennsylvania, we had a record winter in terms of snowfall. In conjunction with the snowfall we had what I would consider a cold winter. Now this is coming from a guy who spent the last 11 years working in an office who now was the acting site project superintendent, project manager and occassional equipment operator. So needless to say my opinion may be slightly skewed due to the time spent in the office becoming soft.

Because of the wet & frozen soil conditions throughout the winter and the owner’s need to maintain the project schedule soil modification was used. To be totally honest, I was skeptical of the process. I had never seen this process used and by the prices that I recieved for purchasing the material, I was petrified!

We applied a blend of hydrated lime and lime kiln dust. The amount of this product

… read more

BoRit one year later

2010-04-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

One year ago this week, the Environmental Protection Agency placed the BoRit asbestos site on its Superfund National Priority List, setting in motion a process that will have a long-term impact on the area.
Sites on the NPL have "known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants," according to the EPA's Web site.
By placing the site on the NPL April 8, 2009, the EPA began efforts to remove immediate risks at the site and started a long-term analysis of it to determine a final solution for the asbestos contamination.
The EPA’s action to address immediate risks, termed the removal stage, began last spring. The removal action has been divided into three phases, two of which have been completed with plans for the third being prepared.
Phase I stabilized the stream banks of the Wissahickon Creek by placing geotextile fabric and erosion mats along the banks.br>Phase II, which began in September and wrapped up last month, concentrated on the area near.

...read this and many more erosion articles

Seawater desalination — a green technology?

2010-03-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

The need for resource-saving, low-impact “green” desalination technologies is evident as the use of desalination accelerates in many parts of the world. The concept of “best available techniques” (BAT) aims at the identification of state of the art technologies, processes, or methods of operation which indicate the practical suitability for preventing or reducing pollution of the atmosphere, water and soil, as well as the quantities of waste, and for reducing the impact on the environment as a whole. This paper describes ...

Read the full article

Arizona Legislature Considers Stuffing Used Tires into Abandoned Mines

2010-03-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

Given the state of the economy you’d think they’d be pinching every penny but it appears that the State of Arizona has money to burn – perhaps literally. Last week the House voted in favor of a bill that would use old tires to fill abandoned mines. The bill’s supporters cite the growing problem of used tire dumps, but apparently they don’t keep up with the latest business news. Magnum D’Or and InfoSpi are just two of the rapidly growing number of companies that see the potential for recycling those tire dumps into real money – and creating more green jobs to boot.

Read the entire story

EPA rules try to rein in runoff

2010-03-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Those towering snowdrifts will soon melt into headaches for land developers and homeowners alike, but the Environmental Protection Agency will add a catch to the muddy mix.
A final rule the agency issued in November to reduce water pollution from construction sites became effective in February. The regulations to improve water quality and reduce the amount of sediment washed from construction sites will be phased in over four years.

Read more

Earthquake Rebuilding with Recycled Tire Logs

2010-03-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Don't grind old tires; slice 'em and roll 'em up into rubber logs to use like lumber. From footwear to handbags and earthship homes, recycled tires have found various forms of an afterlife, but that doesn't come close to dealing with the vast numbers of waste tires generated each year. Most "recycling" of tires involves rubber grinding which is a source of pollution and a huge energy guzzler. But designed to be indestructible, tires have a useful after life. So how can millions of discarded Bridgestones and Goodyears help fortify the rebuilding of Haiti, and now earthquake-ravaged Chile?

Tire Logs. Re-Tread Products produces a low-tech version of recycling tires that has several applications. With the advantage of the "bend don't break" flexibility of the material, Tire Logs have proven effective in various civil engineering projects, including earthquake-resistant building, sea walls, highway noise barriers, and sandbag replacements for erosion control. They also eliminate toxins from chemically treated wood that leaches into the water system and without the ineffecient energy that grinding rubber into new materials produces.

Read on

SCI’s New Dust Control Operation Established in Ecuador Helps Environment and Fights Global Warming

2010-03-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

Austin, Texas, 02/24/10 – Soils Control International establishes front lines for environmental advancement in Ecuador. SCI will be delivering dust control, soil stabilization and erosion control to the advancing country.

Soils Control International (SCI) has recently established a distribution point in Ecuador to provide dust control to the country and surrounding areas. The importance of dust control with regards to the environment have been well studied and determined to be of upmost importance when dealing with dirt and gravel type roads. It is the intention of SCI to help emerging countries to manage their resources as well as their finances by offering a product that not only helps the environment but also their pocket book.

Soils Control International has been in the dust control and soil stabilization business for almost a quarter of a century. The majority of their operations have been with governments of third world countries trying to make lives better for their citizens. SCI has developed a dust control and soil stabilization product that has revolutionized the industry. There is no longer that need to use hazardous materials such as waste oil and industrial byproducts. SCI’s Main dust control product is Labeled Top-Seal™ Liquid Soil Stabilizer and Sealant. It is one of the only road dust control products on the market that has recognized as environmentally save and very effective in the stabilization of soils as well as the control of dust.

Read mure

Soil pollution

2010-02-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Soil pollution comprises the pollution of soils with materials, mostly chemicals, that are out of place or are present at concentrations higher than normal which may have adverse effects on humans or other organisms.

In 1972, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (also referred to as the Clean Water Act [CWA]) was amended to provide that the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States from any point source is unlawful unless the discharge is in compliance with an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit.

Ever–evolving stormwater regulations present challenges designed to regulate point source discharges required to address specific needs and conditions of watersheds within a region.

Visit your recently published page re:Soil pollution

Topsoil could vanish in 60 years, says study

2010-02-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Fertile soil eroding faster than it can be replaced
Tom Young, BusinessGreen, 04 Feb 2010

Fertile soil is being lost faster than it can be replenished making it much harder to grow crops around the world, according to a study by the University of Sydney.

The study, reported in The Daily Telegraph, claims bad soil mismanagement, climate change and rising populations are leading to a decline in suitable farming soil.

An estimated 75 billion tonnes of soil is lost annually with more than 80 per cent of the world's farming land "moderately or severely eroded", the report found.

Soil is being lost in China 57 times faster than it can be replaced through natural processes, in Europe 17 times faster and in America 10 times faster.

The study said all suitable farming soil could vanish within 60 years if quick action was not taken, leading to a global food crisis.

John Crawford, professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Sydney, who presented the study, said:

"It could be as little as 60 years and that is a scary figure because it is not obvious that we have time to reverse decline and still meet future demands for food," according to The Daily Telegraph.

Over-ploughing is one of the chief culprits because it leaves topsoil open to erosion by wind and rain.

David Motgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, advocates a wholesale change in farming practices to "no-till agriculture" , currently used by about five per cent of the world's farmers.

This method leaves crop stubble in the field to be mixed with the top layer of the soil and means less ploughing is needed.

But such methods can lead to lower thresholds, making it harder to feed the world's population.

Last year food prices rocketed as wheat stocks dropped to a 30-year low and countries started to bulk buy.

Read this story

A type of soil erosion control Best Managed Practice (BMP)

2010-01-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Inlet Protection Company, LLC, manufactures a patent pending line of inlet protection products, a type of soil erosion control Best Managed Practice (BMP), for municipal administrations, real estate developers and construction firms.

The use of inlet protection is common in the construction industry and we are proud to introduce our product as a replacement to inferior and ineffective devices. We aim to be your municipality's or MS4's BMP for protection of your storm drain inlets and our waterways from soil erosion and floatables (pollution/trash).

Apart from construction, our devices are also being used as a long term solution by municipalities to minimize the maintenance costs associated with vacuuming clogs out of their Storm Water Infrastructure. The dirty job of cleaning inlet and catch basin system out has been featured on the Discovery Channel's show Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe.

For more information about Inlet Protection, go to www.theinletprotection.com.

United States: EPA Issues Final Rule To Reduce Water Pollution From Construction Sites

2010-01-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a final rule on effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and new source performance standards (NSPS) to control the discharge of pollutants—primarily sediments—from construction sites. For the first time, certain large construction sites will have to meet an objective, numeric turbidity standard.

EPA promulgated the rule because construction activities like clearing, grading and excavating, disturb soil and sediment, which can be washed off construction sites during storm events and can pollute nearby water bodies. EPA has identified stormwater runoff from construction sites as one of the most significant threats to water quality nationwide. Turbidity, a measure of sediment in water, amounts to approximately four billion pounds per year, according to calculations by the EPA. The cost of reducing turbidity under the new rule will cost the construction industry close to $1 billion dollars according to estimates.

The final rule requires construction site owners and operators that disturb one or more acres to use best management practices in implementing erosion and sediment control measures and pollution prevention practices in order to control pollutants in discharges from construction sites. When 10 or more acres of land are affected by construction activities at one time, however, site owners and operators will be required to monitor and sample discharges, and to comply with a numeric standard for turbidity (280 NTUs). This national monitoring requirement and enforceable numeric limitation is the first of its kind for EPA, and the rule has garnered initial praise from environmentalists, but scorn from developers based on the cost. The new rule does not include standards for managing post-construction stormwater runoff, which had been sought by environmentalists; however, the rule indicates that such standards will likely be included in new rules in the near future.

The rule also contains more stringent requirements for soil stabilization than EPA has required in the past. The rule requires initial stabilization of disturbed areas "immediately" when final grade is reached or any clearing, grading or excavating activities have temporarily or permanently ceased, unless the soil of the area meets certain exceptions listed in the rule.

The final rule is intended to work with existing state and local programs, adding a technology-based minimum requirement that would apply nationally. The rule will take effect in February 2010, and will be phased in over four years. Implementation dates will vary for the standard through state general permits for construction stormwater discharges. EPA also plans to revise its own Construction General Permit to include the new requirements when the permit will expire on June 30, 2011. Tennessee's Construction General Permit is set to expire in July 2010, which may lead Tennessee to revise its permit sooner.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Article by Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis

THE NATIONAL LIST OF WETLAND PLANTS

2009-12-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

National Indicators reflect the range of estimated probabilities (expressed as a frequency of occurrence) of a species occurring in wetlands versus non-wetland across the entire distribution of the species. A frequency, for example, of 67%-99% (Facultative Wetland) means that 67%-99% of sample plots containing the species randomly selected across the range of the species would be wetland. When two indicators are given, they reflect the range from the lowest to the highest frequency of occurrence in wetlands across the regions in which the species is found. A positive (+) or negative (-) sign was used with the Facultative Indicator categories to more specifically define the regional frequency of occurrence in wetlands. The positive sign indicates a frequency toward the higher end of the category (more frequently found in wetlands), and a negative sign indicates a frequency toward the lower end of the category (less frequently found in wetlands). A question mark (?) following a National Indicator denotes a tentative assignment based on the botanical literature and not confirmed by regional review

read more from this site and much more on your erosion site when you subscribe for pennies per day

Coastal Erosion

2009-12-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

Coastal erosion is a problem for those who live near coasts and for marine organisms living along the coast in bays, estuaries, and shallow waters. We have seen that beaches change with the seasons, and that tsunamis and storm surges can erode coasts. How important is coastal erosion? Are we making it better or worse? What causes erosion? Can it be prevented? Or do we want to allow erosion as a natural process?

Read this and more in your Coastal Erosion category

New page of erosion articles

2009-12-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

EPA Targets Construction-Site Pollution
WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule Monday aimed at reducing pollution from construction sites, saying that it will significantly improve the quality of water nationwide.
The rule will be phased in over four years, starting in February, and when it is fully in effect, the EPA estimates there will be four billion fewer pounds of sediment discharged from construction sites each year.

Visit your newest erosion article page to read this and many more

Hydromulch - Cure for the Afterburn

2009-11-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Watch this fascinating video of a true result / method of man's ingenuity to combat the aftereffect of wild fires
If you know of similar actions please contact us and the result (s) will be posted for all to share

Click here

Erosion and Sedimentation Program

2009-09-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Erosion and Sedimentation Mission: To allow development within our State while preventing pollution by sedimentation
Visit your newest addition

Aerial Hydromulching Questions and Answers

2009-09-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

What is hydromulch?
The hydromulch consists of wood mulch, recycled paper, water and a tackifier, which is guar gum based and binds the ingredients together. Green dye helps the pilots monitor application, but the hydromulch will turn gray after a few days on the ground.
How does hydromulching help the burned area recover?
The hydromulch hardens a few days after application and binds to the soil on the hillside to minimize soil movement. The mixture traps moisture and creates an environment in which seeds can sprout. Eventually, the new vegetation takes over its natural role in stabilizing the soil.

Read more about erosion after wildfires

Asbestos Contaminated Soils Up-Date

2009-07-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

Asbestos Testing and Treatments in Soils.

Spokane Being Tested for Asbestos

As a result of the public health emergency declared in Libby, Montana in June, which resulted from former vermiculite mining, a Spokane (Washington) neighborhood is now undergoing asbestos testing.

asbestos-laden dust

Digg It | Post to del.icio.us | Post to Reddit

When we hear the word "asbestos" you often think back on the controversy of the late 1970’s when it became common knowledge that asbestos was indeed a human health hazard. Asbestos however, is still a relevant hazard today in a number of different capacities. While most asbestos containing products were banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, unfortunately it still exists in hundreds of older products as well as in trace amounts in newly manufactured products. Among new products that may still contain asbestos are soil retention enhancers, particularly vermiculite.¹

Asbestos is a term used for several naturally-occurring fibrous minerals.
Asbestos most commonly occurs in ultramafic rock that has undergone partial
or complete alteration to serpentine rock, and often contains chrysotile asbestos.
Another form of asbestos, tremolite, can be found associated with ultramafic rock,particularly near faults.
Asbestos fibers are released from rock when it is crushed or broken and through natural weathering processes. The fibers are tiny and may be invisible to the naked eye. Since this rock may be present in the soils around your home, or may have been used in the past on your driveway or walkway, there is a potential for asbestos exposures where you live. This could happen through routine activities that crush asbestos-containing rock or create dust in soils that contain asbestos fibers.

Over the last five to ten years, the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated property, commonly called "brownfields," has become more prevalent, in part due to both federal and state legislation which makes remediation of contaminated property easier, and provides additional liability protections for those undertaking cleanups.
A "brownfield" is generally defined as "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant."
Risk Assessment has become the essential tool for site investigations as the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) Part IIA requires a risk based approach to be used when assessing potentially or actually contaminated sites. This risk based approach is also required as part of the planning process for new developments.
Asbestos is a routine analyte in contaminated land investigations and is a potential contaminant for a range of historic land uses due to its widespread use as described in CLR 8: Potential Contaminants for the Assessment of Land and historic Department of Environment Industry Profiles.

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) includes fibrous minerals found in certain types of rock formations. (NOA) can take the form of long, thin, separable fibers. Natural weathering or human disturbance can break NOA down to microscopic fibers, easily suspended in air.

There is no health threat if (NOA) remains undisturbed and does not become airborne. When airborne (NOA) is inhaled, these thin fibers irritate tissues and resist the body's natural defenses. Asbestos, a known carcinogen, causes cancers of the lung and the lining of internal organs, as well as asbestosis and other diseases that inhibit lung function. Covering (NOA) with clean soil or planting grass reduces exposure.

Often soil and vermiculite material will contain asbestos fibers either as naturally occurring asbestos in rock, such as serpentine, or as contamination from asbestos removal activities. The need to identify the presence of asbestos fibers in & of these materials may often be necessary prior to alteration, remediation, or removal of such material.
Serpentine rock is often a component of road material, parking lots, playground surfaces, waste piles, and general excavation and construction sites.

Workplace exposure to asbestos is heavily legislated and a clear regime of guidance exists for contamination on land via the EA's CLR/CLEA publications.³
But there is no standard remedial level for asbestos in soils or for airborne monitoring for asbestos in the environment.
Once free, asbestos fibers may stay in the soil or remain airborne for a long time.²

WHAT TO LOOK FOR ...

Some examples of these activities are:

Driving over areas surfaced with
ultramafic or serpentine rock
Rototilling, plowing the ground, or using a shovel
Riding horses or moving livestock
Construction activities, such as pool installationUsing a leaf blower to clean sidewalks

For construction, paving, school, development, excavation, mining, and other related companies, the CARB 435 method⁴ allows clients to check for asbestos with accuracy before they excavate

These technical and regulatory guidelines were developed to provide all stakeholders(technology users, technology developers, the regulated community, and the public) with some degree of predictability and consistency in technology deployment from state to state.
States reserve the right to go beyond these guidelines, but should have a rationale for doing so.⁵

Health Hazard
This health consultation has been prepared in response to the request made by the City of Nashau to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS) for assistance in evaluating the health hazard associated with potential exposure to asbestos contaminated soils excavated during a public works project in the City of Nashua. Specifically, this document evaluates the soil and air sampling data that was collected to evaluate the potential release of asbestos fibers to the community during removal activities at the Sargeant Avenue and Broad Street sites.
This health consultation has been prepared by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community and Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health (DHHS) through a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).⁶

The concept of reducing soil contamination through the use of soil washing and particle size separation is based on the finding that most organic and inorganic contaminants tend to bind preferentially to clay, silt, and organic soil particles.

In the washing process, the fine clay and silt particles are separated from the coarser sand and gravel soil particles. The separated fines and contaminants are dewatered into a dry filter cake suitable for off-site disposal. Additional treatment of the sand and gravel fractions maybe incorporated into the process as needed. The cleaned sand and gravel fraction can be returned to the site.

From a feed stream of basically granular soils, the product streams would include contaminated coarse organics, clean coarse and sand products, contaminated fine organics and contaminated silts and clays. Water used within the system is continuously recycled as part of the process.

Contaminants treatable by soils washing include

Petroleum
Hydrocarbons
Cyanides
PAH
Organotins
Heavy Metals
Pesticices
PCB

“Soil washing can be used for a wide range of contaminants including metals, organics and asbestos." Erik Groenendijk of ART Engineering, LLC explains.
Mr. Groenendijk continues "The effectiveness of soil washing is based on separation of contaminants in a water based process. In principle asbestos can be separated from the soil in the washing process depending on the physical form of the asbestos and soil type. The optimal remediation and soil treatment approach for each site depends on project specific conditions and is determined in a technical feasibility study."

Because of the wide variability among states, these guidelines do not include any emission criteria for air, or cleanup criteria for soil or water.

A Work in Progress⁷
Work is ongoing at the former Vospers shipyard (Woolston Riverside, Southampton) to develop a solution for contamination issues that include asbestos in soils. CampbellReith12, on behalf of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), has implemented a series of trials and research experiments to help clarify the level of risk presented by varying levels and types of asbestos in soils.

Asbestos-contaminated soil cleanup guidance⁸
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division (the Division) has established specific management requirements for asbestos-contaminated soil under Section 5.5 of the Regulations Pertaining to Solid Waste Disposal Sites and Facilities (6 CCR 1007-2), effective April 30, 2006.

Fungi iron-out asbestos pollution
Bioremediation might make fibre-contaminated soil safer.
"Fungi may help decontaminate asbestos-polluted soils," say Silvia Perotto and co-workers at the University of Torino. They have found a fungus that takes the toxic bite out of asbestos fibres.⁹

References

Asbestos Hazard

Asbestos-Containing Rock & Soil

Asbestos Testing and Treatments in Soils. A Work in Progress

Carb435

Asbestos Testing and Treatments in Soils

Background & Statement of Issues

A Work in Progress

Background & Statement of Issues

Fungi iron-out asbestos pollution

Soil Organic Carbon Pools

2009-07-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

The amount of carbon locked away in frozen soils in the far Northern Hemisphere is double previous estimates and rapid melting could accelerate global warming, a study released on Wednesday says.

Large areas of northern Russia, Canada, Nordic countries and the U.S. state of Alaska have deep layers of frozen soil near the surface called permafrost. Global warming has already triggered rapid melting of the permafrost in some areas, releasing powerful greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane.

"Massive amounts of carbon stored in frozen soils at high latitudes are increasingly vulnerable to exposure to the atmosphere," said Pep Canadell, executive director of the Global Carbon Project at Australia's state-funded Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Read more

Erosion Control News

2009-06-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Libby Montana: EPA Ordered Cleanup and Intervention is Dramatic 180 Degree Turn in Policy | The Moderate Voice
The Obama administration has a new take on the duties and budgets of the EPA, not only different, but startlingly so, from previous admins who used the stalling technique for decades to deal with citizens very real chargers re

* Agent Orange exposure during Nam
Black Lung out of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and more
* >Radiation exposure deaths in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona
* Water contamination of cadmium and other heavy minerals, Brownsville
* Land contamination by uranium heaps, Rocky Flats, Colorado
* Johns Manville, asbestos contamination
* Trailer industry, formaldehyde contamination
* Libby Montana, asbestos contamination.

Read this and many more erosion control news

Clean up Great Lakes

2009-06-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama pledges $475 million for next year
Cleaning up toxic substances and "areas of concern": $146.9 million, or 31 percent. The EPA will control most of the spending ($113.9 million), reducing toxins, including PCBs, mercury, dioxin and pesticides. The Army Corps of Engineers will get another $10 million for this task, and with other agencies will help remove contaminated sediment and other industrial pollution that hampers places like the Cuyahoga and Ashtabula rivers and Lake Erie harbors.

Read this and more erosion news

Coastal Erosion

2009-06-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

This site was just added to our expanding library of coastal erosion control websites

Digg It | Post to del.icio.us | Post to Reddit

Save Our Sand: The Inlet Solution > About Terminal Groins
A terminal groin is a sediment management structure that reduces beach erosion by retaining a predetermined amount of sand before it reaches the inlet. ...Save Our Sand: The Inlet Solution > About Terminal Groins
A terminal groin is a sediment management structure that reduces beach erosion by retaining a predetermined amount of sand before it reaches the inlet. ...

Enjoy!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

2009-05-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

Regarding
PART 91, SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROL (SESC),
of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA),
1994 PA 451, as Amended

Why is erosion and sediment control important?
Sediment is the greatest pollutant by volume impacting our lakes, streams, and wetlands. Sediment is the product of uncontrolled erosion. Everyone in Michigan is affected by erosion and off-site sedimentation. Erosion and sedimentation result in: loss of fertile topsoil, filling of lakes and streams, increased flooding, damage to plant and animal life, and structural damage to buildings and roads.

Read these frequently asked questions and many more from across the globe

Project will help property owners make erosion prevention decisions

2009-05-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

While the latter has been the traditional method of stabilizing shorelines, more natural "green" approaches such as natural buffers and wetland restoration have been touted as more environmentally-friendly, longer-term options.

A project getting under way in North Carolina will help coastal property owners along its sounds and mainland shorelines make more informed decisions about the methods they choose to use.

The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology has awarded a $717,000 grant to the N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and the NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research to examine different methods of erosion prevention.

Read full story and many more erosion articles

Pollution a Major Problem

2009-04-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Some of these pollutants also come from natural sources. For example, forest fires emit particulates and VOCs into the atmosphere. Ultrafine dust particles, dislodged by soil erosion when water and weather loosen layers of soil, increase airborne particulate levels. Volcanoes spew out sulfur dioxide and large amounts of pulverized lava rock known as volcanic ash. A big volcanic eruption can darken the sky over a wide region and affect the Earth’s entire atmosphere. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, for example, dumped enough volcanic ash into the upper atmosphere to lower global temperatures for the next two years. Unlike pollutants from human activity, however, naturally occurring pollutants tend to remain in the atmosphere for a short time and do not lead to permanent atmospheric change.

Read the whole soil erosion article and many more on your newest erosion control blog

Erosion's Frequently Asked Questions of Erosion and Sediment Control

2009-04-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few erosion & sediment control topics that should help you find more solutions to soil, water & wind erosion, regulations, technical papers and other global environmental organizations responsible for environmental cleanup and waste management.

What is water quality trading?
Water quality trading is a voluntary option that regulated point sources can use to meet their NPDES permit limits. Trading can accelerate water quality improvement and reduce compliance costs. Through water quality trading, facilities that face higher pollutant control costs to meet their regulatory obligations can purchase pollutant reduction credits from other sources that can generate these reductions at lower cost, thus achieving the same or better overall water quality improvement. In most cases, trading takes place on a watershed level under a pollutant cap (the total pollutant load that can be assimilated by a waterbody without exceeding water quality standards) developed through the Total Maximum Daily Load process or a similar type of water quality analysis that produces information on pollutant loadings and resulting water quality conditions. Water quality trading is focused on nitrogen and phosphorus though other pollutants may be considered for trading on a case-by-case basis

Visit more of Erosion's Frequently Asked Questions

UN plans guide to fighting climate-change disasters

2009-03-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

OSLO, March 24 (Reuters) - A proposed U.N. study of climate extremes will be a practical guide for tackling natural disasters and fill a gap in past reports focused on the gradual effects of global warming, experts said.
Floods, mudslides, droughts, heatwaves or storms are often the main causes of destruction and human suffering tied to climate change, rather than the creeping rise in average temperatures blamed on a build-up of greenhouse gases.

Read this erosion article and more here

Newest Erosion Articles Page

2009-03-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

www.erosioncontrolforum.com specifies erosion control products for a wide range of projects, which is why your erosion blog informs you of news, product information, and articles about this topic regularly. This reference provides an index of relevant associations, events, resources, and articles about erosion control.

View Erosion Articles

Ecosystem Featured Website

2009-02-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

The degradation of the world's ecosystems and the services they provide is creating a range of risks and opportunities for companies (see map). The ESR is a promising approach for preparing managers for this new business landscape.

Visit this ecosystem website

Soil erosion articles

2009-02-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

Wetlands erosion raises hurricane risks
The very technology that protects New Orleans from flooding has backfired, environmental experts say.
They say the levees that ring the city have led to the rapid decay of nearby wetlands during the past century, removing a crucial buffer zone that once protected the area from hurricanes.

Read this and more on your new erosion article page found here

Buy High Sell Low

2009-02-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Press Release 09-019
Could Sea Level Rise to the Steps of the U.S. Capitol?

Global warming raises the specter of melting glaciers and ice sheets at both ends of the globe. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, roughly the size of Texas, extends over both land and water west of Antarctica's Transantarctic mountains. Even partial melting of this vast ice sheet would cause a significant rise in sea level.

But that sea level rise would not happen uniformly around the globe, according to an article in Science magazine. The authors show that when physical and gravitational factors are applied to projections of sea level rise, the impact on coastal areas is dramatically worse in some parts of the world than predicted so far.

Even partial melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would have serious consequences, unevenly felt around the world

Oregon State University glacial geologist Peter U. Clark, along with University of Toronto professor of geophysics Jerry X. Mitrovica and graduate student Natalya Gomez, discusses the variation in sea-level rise around the world that would result from melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

Credit: University of Toronto, Oregon State University, and National Science Foundation

Erosion Articles on the Web | Enhance Students' Ecological Awareness

2009-02-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more erosion articles that will help you discover solutions to soils' erosion, regulations, technical papers and others at the local, regional, national, and international levels.

In addition, these erosion articles link back to your Erosion Website.

Quickly find Best Management Practices for Erosion's products, equipment, and services.

View your new erosion article page

EPA releases report on sea level rise

2009-01-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

The US Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with other agencies, has released a report that discusses the impacts of sea level rise on the coast, coastal communities, and the habitats and species that depend on them. The report, Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region, examines multiple opportunities for governments and coastal communities to plan for and adapt to rising sea levels. Sea-level rise can affect coastal communities and habitats in a variety of different ways, including submerging low-lying lands, eroding beaches, converting wetlands to open water, intensifying coastal flooding, and increasing the salinity of estuaries and freshwater aquifers. It is caused by a number of natural and human-induced factors and can vary by region. Some impacts of sea-level rise can already be observed along the U.S. coast.

The primary causes of global sea-level rise are the expansion of ocean water due to warming and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Locally, sea-level rise is also influenced by changes to the geology of coastal land, making coastal elevation mapping an important area of future study. The Mid-Atlantic region, the focus of this report, is one of the areas in the U.S. that will likely see the greatest impacts due to rising waters, coastal storms, and a high concentration of population along the coastline.

EPA led the development of the report with significant contributions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The report is one of 21 climate change synthesis and assessment products commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). CCSP was established in 2002 to provide the U.S. with science-based knowledge to manage the risks and opportunities of change in the climate and related environmental systems. The program is responsible for coordinating and integrating the research of 13 federal agencies on climate and global change.

The US Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with other agencies, has released a report that discusses the impacts of sea level rise on the coast, coastal communities, and the habitats and species that depend on them. The report, Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region, examines multiple opportunities for governments and coastal communities to plan for and adapt to rising sea levels. Sea-level rise can affect coastal communities and habitats in a variety of different ways, including submerging low-lying lands, eroding beaches, converting wetlands to ...

Read more

Is this to be our legacy?

2009-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

I am 56 years old with a vivid memory of my Dad^[1].

He is a WW2 vet with 4 years tenure from D–day plus 3 days and 4 years of Germany war experiences, Battle of the Buldge etc.

He never talks of his experience.

However:

One thought that stays in my mind dates back when I was 7–8 years old. We would go hiking and camping in the Adirondack Mts. Dad would stress as we cleaned up our campsite that it was to be left as clean or cleaner than found.

As the years pass, I think how sage is this advice, apropos to today’s histrionics.

The worldwide challenge of remediating the Earth’s increasing inventory of contaminated soils and eliminating toxicity in polluted soils is a daunting one.

Issues such as The PCB Mess in Bloomington, Indiana is but one example.

After about 30 years of manufacturing PCB—filled capacitors and processing defective ones at its Bloomington, Indiana, plant, Westinghouse Electric exited the Big 11 college town, population 74,000. It left behind eight Superfund sites. Westinghouse, however, hasn't finished with Bloomington–it plans to make the town the home of the world's first incinerator to burn municipal solid waste plus hazardous waste–contaminated soil and sewage sludge.

As of 2/5/2009 the contaminated soil remains.

In these extraordinary and challenging times, we must move beyond divisive rhetoric and work together toward a solution that protects our environmental resources and ensure responsible development.

Nature Conservancy scientists say the best course of action is to help nature help us. We can protect and restore habitats that limit and disperse floods, capture carbon emissions and prevent damaging soil erosion.

We must promote environmental stewardship, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and improve energy efficiency.

One solution we might explore is green remediation. Green remediation is a elatively new approach to environmental cleanup; beyond the traditional methods through the addition of best management practices(BMPs) and a series of new criteria for decision making.
EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) is working with private and public partners to promote the use of BMPs for green remediation at contaminated stes throughout the United States.

Rainwater running off construction sites and sand and gravel operations can carry sediments, oil and various other pollutants into nearby streams, ponds and rivers, according to the EPA. Erosion from a one—acre construction site could discharge as much as 20 tons to 150 tons of sediment in one year, if not properly managed. Sediments reduce the storage capacity of drains and waterways, causing flooding, and adversely affect water quality and fish habitat. Sediments and chemicals can also contribute to fish deaths, toxic algae blooms, contaminated shellfish beds and closed swimming beaches.

N—SPECT is a complex yet user–friendly geographic information system (GIS) extension that helps coastal managers and local decision makers predict potential water–quality impacts from nonpoint source pollution and erosion.

Undeveloped land absorbs rainfall like a sponge and slowly releases it. As we build our homes, schools, office buildings and highways, though, we drastically change this natural pattern. When rainfall hits paved or "impervious" surfaces, it carries waste, chemicals, nutrients and sediment to our waterways. Stormwater runoff also erodes streams and increases flooding.

Less development along the water’s edge prevents runoff,erosion, and diminished water quality and fosters healthier
environments for fish, water mammals, birds and insects. This undisturbed border also prevents contaminants, such as fertilizer and herbicide, from lakeshore lawns from running directly into the water body. Ranchers are also encouraged to fence their pastures several yards away from these shoreline zones to prevent overgrazing and siltation due to livestock usage.

We must move forward from our traditional regulatory role to one of pro—active involvement in watershed management programs.

Wetlands and their importance are now recognized for their many contributions to enhancing water quality, providing valuable wildlife habitat and contributing to public safety and welfare.

The first and primary mission of federal and state agencies charged with National Wetlands Inventory is simply to stop the loss of these valuable resources through the implementation of "No Net Loss" programs, with the objective of having the wetlands replaced and replicated on—site or as close to on—site as possible.

Tools such as the The Wetlands Mapper integrates digital map data with other resource information to produce timely and relevant management and decision support tools.

Habitat improvement is an important concern for those looking to advance the preservation of watchable wildlife and game species alike. Along with the prevention of pollution and water quality improvement, these goals can be accomplished by simple and relatively inexpensive projects that all landowners and sportsmen can take part in.

Further Environmental Protection Agency studies revealed that non–point sources, such as stormwater runoff from construction sites, were significant contributors to polluting streams–primarily with sediments. Beginning with raindrops breaking down the soil structure and dislodging particles, the runoff carrying the soil particles becomes sheet erosion. This eventually forms rills and larger gullies.

Less development along the water’s edge prevents runoff, erosion, and diminished water quality and fosters healthier environments for fish, water mammals, birds and insects. This undisturbed border also prevents contaminants, such as fertilizer and herbicide, from lakeshore lawns from running directly into the water body. Ranchers are also encouraged to fence their pastures several yards away from these shoreline zones to prevent overgrazing and siltation due to livestock usage.

"Sometimes even Mother Nature needs a hand"

Footnote

My Dad died 2 days ago (2.19.2009).
In many ways, to his kids he was a precurser environmentalist before it became the "In" way to be.
I only hope he finds time to read this in between passing time with old friends.

New article page just published

2009-01-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

Overview
USGS scientists recently completed a quantitative analysis, published in the July 2007 issue of Geology, documenting effects of accelerated coastal land loss and thermokarst lake expansion and drainage along a section of the Alaska North Slope coastline

Check out this article re: Alaska Coastal Erosion on your newest erosion article page 6 found here

Thank you for subscribing
Spread the word
Cheers

Modifying urban rivers to increase biodiversity

2009-01-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Urban rivers are typically heavily-engineered and polluted with degraded habitats. They are therefore a priority for biodiversity restoration. Research suggests that relatively simple modifications to river walls may potentially encourage biodiversity by significantly improving habitats for plants and animals. The EU's Water Framework Directive requires good ecological status in surface waters by 2015, and as such it is important to encourage biodiversity in rivers and waterways. One way of achieving this is to alter the structure of a river. Naturalistic landscape features, such as meanders, ...

Read more

Erosion Website Up-dates

2009-01-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

We are developing new systems and approaches to erosion and sediment control
This page of your erosion contol website presents the latest product updates.
Return to the home page

Coir Fiber Biologs

2008-12-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

Biologs are an effective tool in the fight against stream bank and shoreline erosion. Made of 100% biodegradable coir fibers bound by high strength twisted coir netting, Biologs attenuate wave energy and buffer fluctuations in stream flow velocities while allowing sufficient time for re-growth or vegetation. By the time the Biologs degrade, the once eroded area is restored, stabilized by the vigorous network of roots and grasses. The result is a 100% natural solution designed to promote healthy waterways and enhance wildlife habita

Read more

Up-dated Link Page

2008-12-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

As the genesis of your Erosion website continues to adapt to the ever changing world, so does the need to improve their offerings and its presentation (s) / usability (s)
This has resulted in a new link page as seen
here

www.erosioncontrolforum.com is an independent organisation which acts as an un-biased source for methods,practices and publications for all erosion related issues, providing information from the world’s largest suppliers, to the global market place. The data is obtained from internet research for this erosion website and is available when you subscribe here.

Newly Published Erosion Articles

2008-11-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Iowa Department of Transportation Taking Proactive Erosion Control Steps
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) has issued a Public Interest Finding (PIF) for the use of ScourStop on state projects.
ScourStop Transition Mats are a biotechnical replacement for rock rip-rap and offer permanent protection against scour and erosion at drainage outlets, overflow structures and stream banks; as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing, natural landscape. They have been used on a project-by-project basis in various locations across the state for several years.

Read this and many more as seen here !

Erosion Articles on the Web | Enhance Students' Ecological Awarenes

2008-10-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

This page (s) of erosion articles was newly revised with original articles of erosion. The dead-end links and out-dated stories were replaced with current and fresh accounts of worldwide reports and descriptions that chronicle erosion.
It is our goal to add 10 stories per week so come back often!
They will be available to view on Mondays

Visitthis/these pages now

Terrestrial Sequestration

2008-10-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Anonymous

Published Oct. 14, 2008

Trees play a key role in the environment's natural landscape due to their ability to prevent erosion.

The Spanish Government says it will plant 45 million trees over the next four years to counter desertification caused by global warming. The massive tree–planting scheme aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the cause of global warming.

It estimates that in the long term, the trees could absorb more than 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Soils contain carbon in the form of organic matter. When organic matter is exposed to oxygen in the atmosphere, the carbon in the organic matter combines with the oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Organic matter is being lost from soils for a number of reasons. These include long—term changes in land management practices, changing soil management techniques, and changes in rainfall patterns and rising temperatures.

Soil respiration is the main pathway through which carbon is transferred from soil into the atmosphere, with an estimated 50—75 Gt carbon released each year. This is approximately 10 times the amount of carbon released from fossil fuel combustion. The large amount of carbon stored in soils means that small changes in soil respiration rate could have a huge impact on atmospheric CO2.

Carbon also moves from the terrestrial to the marine environment and can impact the ecology of both areas. This also affects the global carbon cycle, which is important for climate change studies.

The polar regions, especially the Arctic, are very sensitive indicators of climate change, The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has shown that these regions are highly vulnerable to rising temperatures and predicted that the Arctic would be virtually ice—free in the summer months by 2070.

Arctic soils are believed to hold 30 percent or more of all the carbon stored in soils worldwide, and thawing permafrost may release additional greenhouse gases that would further accelerate global warming.

Wind, especially high wind, is one of the mechanisms researchers refer to as a 'forcing,' since it can drive other conditions such as erosion. Wind generates waves, and high waves can cause further coastal erosion.#1

Alaska has seen increased coastal erosion, melting of permafrost, dying forests and shrinking sea ice, all widely conceded to be the result of warming temperatures.

In the last 50 years, Native communities that were once transient have settled in coastal areas where there is access to hunting, fishing, and transportation. Coastal communities have used sea walls and other man—made barriers to hold back erosion. These measures have worked to an extent, but as areas of open water become larger, wave and wind effects also increase and eat away at these temporary solutions.

Recent warming has degraded large sections of permafrost, with pockets of soil collapsing as the ice within it melts. The results include buckled highways, destabilized houses, and "drunken forests" of trees that lean at wild angles. Warming induced changes in tundra vegetation and plant life threaten caribou, reindeer and migratory bird populations. Loss of sea ice and wildlife also makes indigenous life in the Arctic increasingly difficult, endangering an entire way of life.

Rising temperatures cause sea level rise in two ways. Because water expands as it gets warmer, the upper layers of the ocean are expected to expand. Also, the heat is causing glaciers in Greenland, North America and the Antarctic to melt, releasing water trapped for at least tens of thousands of years.

Glacial melting can accelerate itself. As melting begins, torrents of water flow off and underneath the glacier, acting as a lubricant and accelerating its slide toward the sea. ’Once that starts melting, it’s like Vaseline under it.’

An important unresolved question is how the delicate balance of life in the Arctic will respond to such a rapid warming, Will we see, for example, accelerated coastal erosion, or increased methane emissions, or faster shrub encroachment into tundra regions if sea ice continues to retreat rapidly?

The polar bear population is expected to decline by 30 percent in the next 35 to 50 years due to disappearing habitat induced by global warming.

Credits
#1 Coastal Erosion

Using Jatropha ‘wonder plant’ to mitigate soil degradation

2008-09-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

Even as government strives to mitigate the impact of desetification, the effort has not made much impact, even in the face of the threat of climate change.
Besides desertification in the North, many areas in the Southern part of the country, especially in the South-East, are ravaged by erosion.
Efforts to check the Agulu Nanka erosion menace in Anambra have not yielded much success.
This is also the case in most erosion prone parts of the country.
The erection of concrete barriers and the channelisation of water courses to check erosion have not helped matters.
It is against this background that experts suggest the adoption of natural measures such as the cultivation of special plants on degraded soils as the most adaptable measure to contain the menace.
One plant that comes to mind, according to experts, is Jatropha, ''the wonder plant''.

Read more

Rip Rap Alternative, Scour Stop - Green Erosion Control Solution

2008-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

ScourStop is a no-maintenance post-construction BMP.

- ScourStop is a semi-rigid, high-density polyethylene plastic mat (4 ft X 4 ft X ½ inch) designed with voids throughout the structure which enable vegetative growth. ScourStop is formulated with 10+ years, UV protection which colors it a dark green. Additionally, once vegetated, the mat is mostly shielded from the sun and undetectable – making it a permanent installation.

- ScourStop integrates vegetation with modern polymer material technology to mechanically protect the soil from scour and erosion until the shear forces have dissipated. This synergy of mechanical protection and vegetation enables this BMP system to resist much higher shear stresses and velocities than vegetation alone or rock rip rap.

* ScourStop is only one element of a channel protection BMP protecting the scour area; the other element of the BMP is the downstream channel protection. Sod and/or turf-reinforcement mats can carry the water load once expansion of the channel has enabled a decrease in the shear forces and velocity.

Visit website

Spain 'to fight desertification' with 45m trees

2008-09-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

The Spanish Government says it will plant 45 million trees over the next four years to counter desertification caused by global warming.

The massive tree-planting scheme aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the cause of global warming.

The Spanish Government estimates that in the long term, the trees could absorb more than 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The trees will also help to prevent desertification, or land degradation by consolidating soils and preventing erosion.

Environmental groups say one-third of Spain is threatened by desertification that leaves soils dead and landscapes barren.

read more

As Andean glacier retreats, tiny life forms swiftly move in

2008-09-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

A University of Colorado at Boulder team working at 16,400 feet in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how barren soils uncovered by retreating glacier ice can swiftly establish a thriving community of microbes, setting the table for lichens, mosses and alpine plants.

The discovery is the first to reveal how microbial life becomes established and flourishes in one of the most extreme environments on Earth and has implications for how life may have once flourished on Mars, said Professor Steve Schmidt of CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department. The study also provides new insights into how microorganisms are adapting to global warming in cold ecosystems on Earth.

A paper on the subject was published online Aug. 27 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the United Kingdom's national academy of science. Co-authors included CU-Boulder's Sasha Reed, Diana Nemergut, Stuart Grandy, Andrew Hill, Elizabeth Costello, Allen Meyer, Jason Neff and Andrew Martin as well as the University of Montana's Cory Cleveland and the University of Toledo's Michael Weintraub.

The researchers found that ...
read more

Field Performance of Erosion Control Products

2008-09-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

These documents outline extensive field testing by the Texas Transportation Institute Hydraulic and Erosion Control Laboratory and provides the latest performance data for rolled and spray-on erosion control and re-vegetation products.

Visit website

Getting to the root of plants

2008-08-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

A diverse team of researchers from Europe, Asia and the USA have unearthed new information on how roots grow and develop. Specifically, how roots are able to move out sideways out of the central root and into the soil. Their discovery has opened the way to further research that may eventually lead to the creation of new crops with improved root structure, improving their chances of survival in difficult soils. Roots provide the crops we eat with water and nutrients. They serve as a firm anchor, keeping them in place against violent winds, and as a place to store food against leaner times. All these attributes have made agricultural farming possible.

A paper recently published in Nature Cell Biology has revealed for the first time how lateral root emergence is achieved. Their findings show that new lateral roots are actually able to 're-programme' the cells that overlay them; this ability causes them to separate thereby enabling the new root to emerge.

Lateral roots, as their name suggests, extend horizontally from the primal root, otherwise referred to as parent root, helping the plant to anchor itself in the soil. Their first mission is to pass through several layers of tissue before they can enter the soil. Once they have entered the soil they then branch out sideways looking for nutrients and water to help the plant sustain itself.

As they extend through the soil, the roots show a wide variation in the way they grow through the soil to exploit the available resources. Olive trees for example, have been known to extend their roots laterally several meters out from their trunk. Without the roots offering stability and providing nutrients, the plant would die.

This research was led by the Centre for Plant Integrative Biology at the University of Nottingham which approached this challenge from a holistic point of view. They were able to bring together students from different disciplines such as mathematics, engineering, computer science, as well as plant sciences, and together they were able to study root development at different levels, from the molecular, cellular to the organ levels.

Lateral root growth is achieved when the plant hormone auxin (from the greek word auxano, to grow) acts as a local inductive signal which re-programmes adjacent cells. Auxin then induces the expression of LAX3, which in turn promotes the induction of cell-wall- remodelling enzymes. This results in increased cell separation, allowing the lateral roots to move out.

Professor Malcolm Bennett who is the Biology Director for the Centre for Plant Integrative Biology and Head of Division of Plant and Crop Sciences, believes that thanks to the study's initial revelation on lateral roots, researchers were able to continue on from this and find out a whole lot more. Speaking about the research paper he commented that: 'In addition to providing new biological insight into lateral root emergence, we have identified a large number of genes that control this process. This is really important because this may enable us to breed crops with improved root architecture in the future.'

This achievement was made by an international consortium involving more than 20 scientists from laboratories based in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, USA and UK.

Source: European Commission, Research DG
Published Aug. 28, 2008

Tenax

2008-08-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

TENAX is a manufacturer of geosynthetics for civil engineering and environmental applications: geogrids for soil reinforcement and retaining walls, geogrids for soil stabilization, geocomposites for drainage; fences, meshes and grids for construction: road works signalisation, building site fencing, pipeline protection; plastic nets for agriculture: shading and windbreak screens; nets and products for gardening; plastic netting for industry, tubular nets for packaging.

Visit Website

ICSE-4 Tokyo 2008

2008-08-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

The International Conference on Scour and Erosion has become a respected event in the technical conference calendar for engineers, scientists, decision makers and administrators working in all areas of hydraulics and geo-engineering. Its importance and reputation was established by the technical successes of the first three conferences: College Station in USA(2002), Singapore(2004) and Amsterdam(2006). We are delighted to host the fourth International Conference on Scour and Erosion in Tokyo, Japan. The conference provides a forum to discuss new developments, concepts and practices, and to share field experiences, problems and solutions dealing with scour and erosion issues in hillslope, fluvial, estuarine and coastal environments. It also inspires cross-disciplinary contributions pertaining to morphodynamics and sedimentary evolution, with increased appreciation of multi-scaled nature in sediment processes.

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has been selected as the location for the conference. It is one of the world's most vibrant cities, with an outstanding reputation for the cultural activities and entertainment in diversity. You are invited to attend ICSE-4 (2008) in Tokyo.

New global soil database

2008-07-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

21 July 2008 – A new database on the world’s soils improves knowledge of the current and future land productivity as well as the present carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential of the world’s soils. It helps to identify land and water limitations, and assist in assessing the risks of land degradation, particularly soil erosion risks, said FAO today

[more..

Green Infrastructure

2008-07-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Green Infrastructure is a concept originating in the United States in the mid-1990's that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning.[1][2] In particular there is an emphasis on the "life support" functions provided by the natural environment for example; clean water and healthy soils, as well as the more anthropocentric functions such as recreation and providing shade and shelter in and around towns and cities.
Today(07-14-08) Green Infrastructure was added as to your category list of options to choose when you subscribe and discover information re: Greenways, Raingardens, Wetlands Restoration, Trees, Green Roofs, Swales, Porous Pavement, Native Landscaping.
Green Infrastructure naturally manages stormwater, reduces flooding risk and improves water quality. Green infrastructure usually costs less to install and maintain when compared to traditional forms of infrastructure. Green infrastructure projects also foster community cohesiveness by engaging all residents in the planning, planting and maintenance of the sites.

Storm Water Discharges

2008-07-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

NEW: Proposed Construction General Permit: On May 16, 2008 (96 FR 28457), EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 proposed for public comment the issuance of their 2008 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for stormwater discharges from new dischargers engaged in large and small construction activities (2008 CGP). This draft 2008 CGP contains the same limits and conditions as the Agency’s 2003 CGP with the exception of a few minor modifications which are detailed in the draft permit documents. As proposed, EPA is issuing this CGP for a period not to exceed two (2) years and will make the permit available to new construction activities and unpermitted ongoing activities only.

… read more

EC hosts high-level conference on soil and climate change

2008-06-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Source: European Commission, Environment DG
Published Jun. 12, 2008
The European Commission this week hosted a high-level conference on the relationship between soil and climate change, and the role of soil management in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Organic matter plays a fundamental role supporting soil fertility, retaining water, sustaining biodiversity and regulating the global carbon cycle. But organic matter is in decline, and the conference heard how large amounts of carbon have been lost to the atmosphere in recent years. The Commission is convinced of the need to act at EU level to protect soil. Members of the European Parliament, the President of the Environment Council and other key players agreed that the role of soil as a repository of carbon must be enhanced. They discussed policy options for achieving this, and advocated the adoption of a Directive on the protection of soil, along the lines of the Soil Framework Directive that was blocked by Council last December.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “Seventy billion tonnes of carbon is stored in our soils, and even small losses can have huge effects on our emissions of greenhouse gases. I therefore call on the Council to acknowledge the importance of soil for the sustainability of Europe as a whole, and to reconsider the need to protect this most precious resource through European legislation.”

Declining levels of organic matter

Soils contain carbon in the form of organic matter. When organic matter is exposed to oxygen in the atmosphere, the carbon in the organic matter combines with the oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Organic matter is being lost from soils for a number of reasons. These include long-term changes in land management practices, changing soil management techniques, and changes in rainfall patterns and rising temperatures.

The EU's soils contain more than 70 billion tonnes of organic carbon, and releasing even a small fraction of that could wipe out savings from other sectors. The UK, for example, has been losing 13 million tonnes of carbon from its soils each year for the past 25 years.

The conference also looked at the role of peatlands, which are in decline around the world. Peatlands are repositories of carbon and potential sources of methane and nitrous oxide. Urgent restoration is needed to reduce the huge greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils.

How can the situation be improved?

The Commission believes that a Soil Framework Directive would increase soil protection and safeguard crucial functions like carbon sequestration. It proposed a directive on these lines last year, inviting Member States to examine the possible decline of soil organic matter in their territories and establish approaches to redress the situation. The proposal was rejected by Council.

The soil question will also be addressed this autumn in a Commission White Paper on adaptation to climate change. The paper will stress the importance of making soil more resistant to climate change, and show how healthy, resilient soils can help society adapt to the impacts of climate change. Recent changes in the Common Agricultural Policy have also stepped up soil protection.

Why was the Soil Framework Directive not adopted?

The European Parliament adopted the proposal for a directive at first reading in November 2007, strongly emphasising the need for protecting soils against the negative effects of climate change. But the proposal was subsequently blocked at the Environment Council in December 2007, when Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom voted against the bill. The other 22 Member States had all voted in favour of the proposal. The Commission proposal is still on the table, and bilateral discussions are under way with Member States who opposed the draft legislation to try to overcome this impasse.

Tree biodiversity increases release of carbon from soils

2008-05-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Source: European Commission, Environment DG
Published May 30, 2008

Soils play an important role in the carbon cycle, containing more than two thirds of the total carbon held in terrestrial ecosystems. Concern about climate change and rising CO2 levels is driving research to understand carbon cycling through soils. New research suggests that in tropical regions greater tree diversity increases soil respiration (the release of carbon) rates, but also improves overall ecosystem health, which ultimately leads to greater carbon absorption.

Soil respiration is the main pathway through which carbon is transferred from soil into the atmosphere, with an estimated 50-75 Gt carbon released each year. This is approximately 10 times the amount of carbon released from fossil fuel combustion. The large amount of carbon stored in soils means that small changes in soil respiration rate could have a huge impact on atmospheric CO2. Research undertaken in Panama explored the effects of monoculture, three and six species plantations on soil respiration.

Season has the largest influence on soil respiration rates, with higher rates observed during the wet season. Low soil moisture levels in the dry season are thought to limit respiration from both tree roots and microbes. Compared with monoculture, the three species plots had larger canopies and stronger growth, leading to lower soil temperatures and increased moisture during the wet season. The researchers suggest that these changes in soil climate are more suited to soil microbe activity, which may explain the increased soil respiration found in these plots.

Although higher soil respiration rates were associated with greater tree diversity, this appears to be linked to greater ecosystem health. The researchers also suggest that the larger tree canopies are associated with greater photosynthetic activity and consequently a greater supply of carbon to the tree roots. Greater photosynthetic activity would also mean that more carbon is removed from the atmosphere by the growing tree, outweighing any negative impact of increased soil respiration.

Tropical ecosystems contain more than half of the terrestrial biomass and one third of soil carbon and these ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Over the past decade, estimates of carbon emissions from land-use change, such as deforestation to make way for pasture, range from 1-2 Gt C per year in tropical regions. Historical changes in land-use have released an estimated 40 Gt of soil carbon, primarily through soil respiration. Reforestation projects in tropical regions could become significant carbon sinks and this research suggests that plantations containing a diversity of species will be healthier and ultimately absorb more carbon than single species plantations.

Backyard Conservation

2008-04-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

Bringing conservation from the countryside to your backyard
Just as they do on the farm, conservation practices on nonagricultural land can help increase food and shelter for birds and other wildlife, control soil erosion, reduce sediment in waterways, conserve water and improve water quality, inspire a stewardship ethic, and beautify the landscape.

"Backyard Conservation" shows you how conservation practices that help conserve and improve natural resources on agricultural land across the country can be adapted for use around your home. These practices help the environment and can make your yard more attractive and enjoyable. Most backyard conservation practices are easy to use. America's farmers and ranchers have been using these practices successfully for decades.

Whether you have rural acreage, a suburban yard, or a city lot, you can help protect the environment and add beauty and interest to your surroundings. Ten conservation practices have been scaled down for homeowners. Tip sheets offer "how to" steps and helpful hints:

Environmental consciousness rises to the top

2008-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

It used to be that if you said a building had a green roof, you were referring to the color of the shingles on top of it, or the hue it had been painted.

But that was then. Nowadays, green roofs are one of the latest trends in environmental-friendly architecture and development. And a West Whiteland company is right at the forefront of the revolution.

Weston Solutions, based in West Whiteland, is the exclusive U.S. licensee of GreenGrid Green Roof Systems, a modular green roof system. The company has installed green roofs across the U.S., and it doesn’t shy away from the big jobs.

In fact, one of its latest projects, The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, is nearly 7,000 square feet. That’s a whole lot of green.
Advertisement

Closer to home is the enormous Court at Upper Providence, an enclosed shopping mall near Royersford, Montgomery County, where Weston Solutions put together a 2.3-acre GreenGrid roof.

So what is a green roof exactly? It’s a roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, planted over a waterproofed surface. It’s a fairly new concept in the U.S., but in Europe it has become fairly commonplace.

The benefits are significant. The roofs clean and reduce stormwater runoff, reduce the island effect of urban heat, curb energy consumption, extend roof life and improve air quality by filtering pollutants out of the air. The roofs also greatly improve insulation of the buildings they sit atop.

And the disadvantages are few and far between. Naturally, more maintenance is required, especially in the early stages. The plants and vegetation on the roof need plenty of water, especially in the early stages.

Buildings also need to be constructed to handle the additional weight on the roof, which can sometimes increase costs. But in our opinion, those are small prices to pay for the additional benefits.

We’d love to see more developers in the county adopt green roofs into their designs.

County commissioners have placed a premium on open space in recent years, developing the Growing Greener program and allocating significant funds to the preservation of land.

Now may be the time to look at green roofs as an extension of that program, perhaps by offering subsidies or grant money to developers who incorporate green roofs into their design. It’s not that outrageous of an idea, considering we have one of the industry leaders right in our own backyard. We look forward to the day when green roofs are the rule and not the exception.
Article compliments of DailyLocal.com

GreenGrid® offers distinct advantages over other green roofs. With GreenGrid® you get all the benefits of a green roof system, plus the added advantages of flexible design and modular features easily tailored to your needs.

Visit Green Roofs - GreenGrid® Modular Roof, Rooftop Garden, LEED

Erosion is a natural process.(?)

2008-04-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Erosion becomes a problem when human activity causes it to occur much faster than under natural conditions.

When properly installed and maintained, vegetation can protect slopes by reducing erosion, strengthening soil, and inhibiting landslides.

Too often, well intended erosion control and slope stabilization programs do not recognize and incorporate vegetation as a legitimate design tool to address these slope processes.

Primarily, these oversights are because the use of vegetation alone (soil bioengineering) or together with other slope stability structures (biotechnical engineering, hydroseeding etc.) for slope protection is poorly understood.

Therefore, the value of vegetation along a slope is either underestimated or ignored during the important project planning, design, and agency permitting periods.

Impacts of climate change on indigenous people worldwide include:

2008-04-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Indigenous peoples have contributed the least to world greenhouse gas emissions and have the smallest ecological footprints on Earth. Yet they suffer the worst impacts not only of climate change, but also from some of the international mitigation measures being taken, according to organizers of a United Nations University co-hosted meeting today, April 3 in Darwin, Australia.

In tropical and sub-tropical areas, an increase in diseases associated with higher temperatures and vector-borne and water-borne diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue fever;

* Worsening drought conditions and desertification, leading to more forest fires that disrupt subsistence agriculture, hunting and gathering livelihoods, as well as serious biodiversity loss;

* Distinct changes in the seasonal appearance of birds, the blooming of flowers, etc. These now occur earlier or are decoupled from the customary season or weather patterns;

* In arid and semi-arid lands: excessive rainfall and prolonged droughts, resulting in dust storms that damage grasslands, seedlings, other crops and livestock;

* In the Arctic, stronger waves, thawing permafrost and melting mountain glaciers and sea-ice, bringing coastal and riverbank erosion;

Read more of Hardest Hit By Climate Change

Best Management Practices for Storm Water Pollution

2008-03-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

Storm water Management is most affective when it involves a system of BMP’s
that targets each stage of the erosion process to ensure success from construction
activities. The most efficient approach involves minimizing the likely sources from
outwash. This means the less disturbance to a land area the better. BMP’s should also
involve controlling the amount of runoff and its ability to carry sediment by diverting incoming flows and stopping inner flows. And finally, BMP’s should be able to attain certain sediments that are picked up on the way through the use of sediment-capturing devices. Above all BMP’s are best performed using advance planning and good scheduling.
A system intended to eliminate storm water pollution should include at least one
example of each of the following categories : surface stabilization, runoff control
measures, runoff conveyance measures, outlet protection, sediment traps and barriers, and stream protection.
As far as surface stabilization goes the best method seems to be Surface Roughening.
Surface Roughening is crapping up a bare, sloped soil surface with horizontal grooves or benches running across the slope. Grooves can be large-scale, such as stair-step grading with small benches or terraces, or small-scale, such as grooving with disks, tillers, or other machinery, or with heavy tracked machinery which should be reserved for sandy, non compressible soils.
Runoff control measures are usually used in a way called Runoff Diversion. This
may be described as a structure that channels upward slope runoff away from erosion
source areas, diverts sediment-laden runoff to appropriate traps or stable outlets, or captures runoff before it leaves the site, diverting it to locations where it can be used or released without erosion or flood damage.
Hardened Channel is the next best BMP phase in which a channel with erosion-resistant linings of riprap, paving, or other structural material designed for the conveyance and safe disposal of excess water without erosion. Channels assist in the second, conveyance stage of a BMP system.
Level Spreader is the next step to a successful Storm water Management system and it is an outlet designed to convert concentrated runoff to sheet flow and disperse it uniformly across a slope without causing erosion. This structure is very good for returning natural sheet flows to exiting drainage that has been altered by development, especially for returning sheet flows to receiving ecosystems such as wetlands where dispersed flow may be important for maintain pre-existing hydrologic regimes. Alternative designs to minimize such channeling include hardened structures, stiff grass hedges, and segmenting discharge flows into a number of smaller, adjacent spreaders. The level spreader is often used as an outlet for runoff diversions. Level spreaders assist in the second, conveyance stage of a BMP system.
The best idea for a sediment drop or barrier is the Sediment Trap, A small,temporary ponding basin formed by an embankment or excavation to capture sediment from runoff. Traps are most commonly used at the outer areas of diversions, channels,slope drains, or other runoff carrier that give off sedimentful water. The pond outlet should be a stone section designed as the low point. Sediment traps assist in the third,capture, stage of a BMP system. With the correct combination of the devices explained storm water pollution can be easily controlled. These are not the only ways but the most effective strategies to manage the problem.

Information on erosion control pre-viewed

Welcome to the NRCS Soils Website.

2008-03-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

In the endless goal for erosion information, this link to the NRCS Soils Website can be viewed here.
Enjoy :-)

Erosion or Rainwater Pollution – Which comes first?

2008-02-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Over the past century, runaway development has paved over forests, fields and wetlands across the country. Along with urbanization has come the problem of "urban stormwater" – rainwater that washes over dirty surfaces such as roads, buildings and lawns and becomes a major source of pollution in rivers, lakes and bays. While much has been achieved in the past 30 years to limit pollution from easily identifiable sources, such as watersheds, efforts to control pollution from these diffuse sources are still in their infancy. Although the Clean Water Act mandates stormwater control, local governments have been slow to respond.

This report, however, focuses on runoff pollution from developed areas, which occurs when stormwater carries away a wide variety of contaminants as it runs across rooftops, roads, parking lots, baseball diamonds, construction sites, golf courses , lawns, and other surfaces in our cities and suburbs. The oily sheen on rainwater in roadside gutters is but one common example of urban runoff pollution.

Nationwide, sediment is a leading pollutant of our waterways.

Rainwater that washes over roads, buildings and lawns carries pollution into oceans, rivers and lakes. Impervious surfaces increased 41 percent during the 1990s compared to an 8–percent increase in population. The rate of increase of impervious surface implies there will be more rapid delivery of nutrients to streams and an increase in sediment erosion.
Recovery of the Chesapeake Bay

Federal rules force constructors and contractors disturbing an acre or more of land during any type of construction project to develop a plan for preventing erosion and controlling sediment at the construction site.

One solution is to use porous materials and systems that allow stormwater to be filtered by the soil. Instead of solid materials, paving can be designed to allow water to flow through into the soil. Catch basins for stormwater are now recognized as an effective method to minimize pollution. One suggestion is to direct residential drain pipes to empty into the yard rather than a ditch. Individuals can help limit pollution by being careful with fertilizers and chemicals.

Stormwater runoff and non–point source pollution are the number one threat to water quality. Stormwater pollutes sensitive trout streams with sediment, pesticides, fertilizers, and causes erosion, flooding, and loss of habitat.

"Storm water can be controlled at its source" by "something as simple as planting trees," using more sensible tree pit design and installing green roofs that collect storm water. Storm water can also be naturally absorbed through vegetation, green areas and impervious surfaces, the councilman said.

"But, it's what's underneath the ground – a natural filtration system – that really makes the bioretention systems work. The vegetation and soils remove pollutants from the stormwater, such as nutrients, suspended solids, salt, and petroleum byproducts. The goal is to reduce flooding by slowing the flow and to have cleaner stormwater throughout the James Brook/Jacob's Meadow watershed, which flows directly into the harbor"

Development on forested steep slopes causes massive erosion, sedimentation of streams and wetlands, downstream flooding,and destruction of prime habita.

Landowners with property along streams, wetlands and moist bottomlands are encouraged to protect these riparian areas by planting trees that will create buffer zones, prevent soil erosion and attract wildlife.

Citizens can make a difference by removing from their private property invasive plant species that contribute to poor water filtering and soil erosion, and planting native trees and shrubbery that increase absorption of rainwater and improve water filtering efficiency.

By adopting 'green infrastructure' solutions, such as green roofs, permeable pavement, wetland restoration, and smarter design of street tree plantings, stormwater can be captured where it falls and used to green the city. It introduces benchmark environmental indicators as well as 80 specific measures, to capture hard data which will be used to build up a clear picture of trends and pressures over time.

The problem extends beyond neighborhood water runoff. Fertilizer runoff into the Mississippi River is blamed for the dead zone that occurs in the Gulf of Mexico. The same problem occurs from residential areas where lawn fertilizer finds its way into the waterways. Additionally, chemicals, human and animal waste wash into our water systems.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a voluntary land retirement program that helps farmers and other agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water.

Contaminated runoff from freeways is the largest and most polluted part of overall stormwater runoff.

Caltrans will start cleaning up the runoff using a variety of innovative solutions to capture the mess before it reaches the beach.

Cleanup options include sand traps, catch basins and new porous pavement surfaces that catch polluted runoff and absorb the contaminants.

Polluted runoff is the number one water pollution problem in America, Caltrans deserves credit for blazing a pathway that other agencies and cities should now follow.

Action is well overdue to address our deteriorating water quality. This website clearly identifies the decline in water quality in areas dominated by agricultural and urban land use, and offers solutions to these troubling trends. Both agriculture and local bodies must add more action to their rhetoric. It will be sad if agriculture uses urban water quality results as pretext for inaction. While the median bacteria count in urban streams is higher than the median count on rural steams, the worst rural waterways are far, far worse than the worst urban stream.

SCOUR AT BRIDGES – What's it all about?

2008-02-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

What is scour?
Scour is the hole left behind when sediment (sand and rocks) is washed away from the bottom of a river. Although scour may occur at any time, scour action is especially strong during floods.

Swiftly flowing water has more energy than calm water to lift and carry sediment down river

What is involved in a bridge–site examination?

A bridge–site examination for scour begins in the office of the Massachusetts Highway Department, where historical engineering information and bridge plans are reviewed. The examiner then visits the bridge site, walking upstream and downstream from the bridge and taking notes on the condition of the river channel. Other characteristics of the river are noted, such as locations of river bends near the bridge and what possible effects these may have on the bridge. Many things affecting scour are examined, such as the type of rock or sediment carried by the river and the angle at which the river flows toward and away from the bridge. The number of trees growing on the river banks also is noted because tree roots can help keep soil from being washed away. The area under and near a bridge is examined for scour holes and other evidence of scour.

Why be concerned about scour?

Online Stormwater Training

2008-02-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today (Feb.9, 2008), we added a reciprocal link to Online Stormwater Training
This link may be found on our link page

The Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series

2008-01-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

The purpose of the Wetlands & Watersheds Article Series is to expand the Center’s current watershed protection guidance, tools, and resources to provide guidance to local communities on how to integrate wetlands into larger watershed protection efforts.

Center for Watershed Protection

Urban BMP Performance Tool

2008-01-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

This Urban Stormwater BMP Performance Tool has been developed to provide stormwater professionals with easy access to approximately 220 studies assessing the performance of over 275 BMPs. Additional studies will be added to this collection periodically. This Tool presents information previously compiled by the International Stormwater BMP Database Exit EPA Site and by the State of California in an easy to use search and sort format. In the future, EPA hopes to add more studies to this collection, particularly ones that evaluate the performance of "green infrastructure" or "low impact development" BMPs.
Choosing effective stormwater BMPs is one of the key challenges facing anyone interested in improving or protecting the quality of our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Having access to studies of BMP performance that have been conducted by public agencies, academic researchers, non-profit groups, and others will help make better decisions. This tool provides access to summary information on studies that have been published in recognized journals or that have met detailed criteria Exit EPA Site established by EPA. This tool is not a statistical analysis of the data and, as such, the numbers presented should not be the sole basis for selecting BMPs. The purpose of this tool is to give users an easy to use website to access, read, and explore the literature on BMP performance. EPA hopes that this information will be used to conduct more thorough considerations of BMP selection and placement.

Read more

Arctic Alaska villages caught in slow-motion disaster onslaught

2008-01-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

GLOBAL WARMING: Spiraling costs to move imperiled coastal communities pit needs against limited resources.

By BETH BRAGG
bbragg@adn.com

Published: October 22, 2007
Last Modified: October 22, 2007 at 01:23 PM

The cost of relocating villages that face extinction in the next decade or so -- sooner if the wrong storm hits the wrong place at the wrong time -- is staggering. Even by Alaska standards.
Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge
• Moving Newtok, a Bering Sea coast town of 315 being squished and swamped by two rivers, could cost as much as $130 million. Or $412,000 per person.

• Moving Shishmaref, a strip of sand in the Chukchi Sea that's home to about 600 people, could cost as much as $200 million. Or $330,000 per person.

• Moving Kivalina, a shrinking barrier island in the Chukchi that last month saw most of its 380 residents run for safety from the season's first storm, could cost as much as $125 million. Or $330,000 per person.

Meanwhile, millions more are needed to protect people and facilities threatened by catastrophic erosion until they move.

Where will all the money come from?

read more

Life in Our Streams: A Green World

2008-01-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

Vegetation along rivers and streams, called riparian vegetation, plays an important part in maintaining and improving the quality of our rivers and streams. The type, density and width of riparian vegetation provide a crucial link between terrestrial and stream ecosystems.

Native vegetation along the streambank provides food and shelter, while also providing a corridor for the movement of wildlife. Riparian vegetation provides vegetable matter, which breaks down and provides food for aquatic invertebrates. Shade from riparian vegetation helps maintain cool water temperatures in pools. In addition, fallen branches, large woody debris and aquatic plants provide habitat for fish and invertebrates.

Riparian vegetation is important in the prevention of stream bank erosion. Vegetation binds soil and and creates a “roughness” that reduces stream flow rates, particularly during floods. Vegetation at the base of riverbanks is especially important to riverbank stability, particularly on outside bends of meanders and on other banks where flow is deflected.Vegetated riparian zones maintain water quality by filtering sediment and nutrients, and reducing the amounts of water entering a water course. Any vegetation that provides a dense cover at ground level will be an effective filter. Riparian vegetation of course, has an inherent aesthetic and intrinsic worth that is difficult to value in monetary terms.
A wetland with different types of plants.

Wetlands are very productive ecosystems and can be thought of as “biological supermarkets.” Wetlands provide large amounts of food, which attract many different animal species. In addition to being “biological supermarkets” for other animals, wetlands produce a number of natural products used by humans, including fish and shellfish, cranberries, timber, wild rice, blueberries, as well as medicines that are extracted from wetlands soils and plants.

There are several types of wetland plants depending on where they live in the wetland:
Emergent plants are those that, although rooted under the water, emerge through the water’s surface (eg. sedges)
Submerged plants are those that stay submerged in the water column (eg. bladderwort)
Floating plants are those which live entirely on the water’s surface (eg. duckweed)

Wetland plants that require water and proper hydric soils at all times are termed “Obligates”. Those that are a little more forgiving in their environmental requirements are termed “Facultative”. Often, both can be found in a wetland.

Wetlands also absorb and retain stormwater helping to slow flooding. Wetlands are also useful in filtering out pollutants from Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD). Long a part of passive treatment technology, wetlands can capture and retain metals from AMD that would otherwise settle out in a stream.

For more information:

The Value of Wetlands from the World Wildlife Fund

Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual Series

2007-12-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

Get practical, comprehensive information on watershed restoration techniques with the Center’s Urban Subwatershed Restoration Manual series. Together, the USRM manuals introduce an integrated framework for urban watershed restoration, outline effective techniques for assessing urban watersheds, and provide a comprehensive review of watershed restoration techniques.

Center for Watershed Protection to order/view

Stormwater Management in Portland

2007-12-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Stormwater is rain and snow melt that runs off surfaces such as rooftops, paved streets, highways, and parking lots. Stormwater carries sediment, oil, grease, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants into storm drains and then, untreated, into nearby waterbodies. Because most stormwater drainage systems provide no treatment, preventing contamination of stormwater is crucial to ensure that pollutants do not enter waterways. Improperly managed stormwater runoff is also a leading cause of flooding, which can lead to property damage, cause road safety hazards, and clog catch basins and culverts with sediment and debris.
The federal Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Endangered Species Act direct the City to improve stormwater quality and protect watersheds, rivers, streams and drinking water resources. The Bureau of Environmental Services coordinates the citywide response to the federal stormwater permit that requires the City to reduce stormwater pollution, and oversees other programs that respond to water quality requirements.

Read stormwater management

Puget Sound: Decleansing rain

2007-12-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

A cleansing rain? For Puget Sound, a downpour is polluting.

There could hardly have been better timing for a new report on the huge problems for the Sound caused by runoff from streets, roofs and the land. The runoff carries most of the worst pollutants plaguing Puget Sound.

The study, released Friday, is the start of attempts to systematically assess the sources of pollution that threaten the Sound's ecosystems for orcas, fish and people. It found that lands developed for residential, commercial and industrial use contribute to the bulk of lead, cadmium, oil and some other prime pollutants.

The report said, "Developed lands contributed the majority of several toxic chemicals to Puget Sound (i.e., cadmium, lead, zinc, nonylphenol, and oil and petroleum products)." But agricultural and forest lands also create problems. Air pollution also contributes some of the toxics.

Protecting Inland Waters

Clean Water Act Definition of "Waters of the United States"

2007-12-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

This page is designed to provide updates and background information regarding the scope of "Waters of the United States" protected under the Clean Water Act.

EPA and the Corps of Engineers have jointly issued a legal memorandum that interprets the June 19, 2006 Supreme Court decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. U.S. and Carabell v. U.S. (known as the "Rapanos" decision). The guidance is being released to Corps of Engineers and EPA field offices to ensure nationwide predictability, reliability, and consistency in identifying wetlands, streams and rivers subject to the Clean Water Act (CWA). The EPA/Corps guidance reflects the agencies’ intent to provide maximum protection for the Nation's aquatic resources under the CWA as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Rapanos. To ensure such decisions are made in a timely manner, the agencies have released concurrently with the guidance a Memorandum of Agreement laying out a process with specific short timeframes, when necessary, for reaching interagency agreements on jurisdictional calls. In addition, a series of questions and answers provides additional information.

Read more

Comments can be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OW-2007-0282 through www.regulations.gov.

Operation Climate Vote - Tell the House to Act on Global Warming

2007-12-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

Operation Climate Vote - Tell the House to Act on Global Warming

We've had a historic breakthrough on Capitol Hill! The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee just passed the Climate Security Act. This bi-partisan bill would cap America's global warming pollution.

Now, it's time for the House to act.

Time is running out to solve the global warming crisis. Waiting just two years to pass national climate legislation would double the rate at which the U.S. will need to cut emissions

Take action today. Urge your Representative to call on House leaders to make global warming a top priority.

Learn more about why Congress must act now.

"The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return."
-- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Iowa Daily Erosion Project

2007-11-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

In our continuing effort to display informative erosion links, this website caught our attention.

Welcome to the homepage for the The Iowa Daily Erosion Project. Our project is a collaboration of scientists at Iowa State University, National Soil Erosion Research Lab, The National Soil Tilth Lab, and The University of Iowa. Our aim is to produce daily estimates of rainfall, runoff, and soil erosion for the state of Iowa. Our work is sponsored by Department of Agronomy's Path to the Future endowment.
Visit their erosion site
Enjoy!
P.S.
If you know of other sites similar to this, please contact us & receive a free subscription for your efforts.

Global Erosion

2007-11-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

Today, on your home page, we changed one of your headlines from "Government Websites" to Global Erosion to more accurately reflect the true nature of the beast called erosion

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth. It is known to produce greater biomass and 30% more oxygen than a hardwood forest of comparable size, while improving watersheds, preventing erosion, restoring soil, providing sweet edible shoots and removing toxins from contaminated soil. Ecologists tout bamboo as a renewable source of food and building material. Many promote bamboo planting for erosion prevention, and even to reverse the effects of global warming.
About Bamboo

Watershed

2007-11-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

A "Watershed" category will soon be launched in your resources section