Erosion Control Forum.com Blog

Soil Washing Green Erosion Control Solutions and pollution prevention practices, remediate contaminants in mediums such as soil, sludge, slag, sediment, dust, fly ash, 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 develop comprehensive Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) as solutions for environmental contamination. These methods protect families and the en...

Runaway Erosion 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.

Million Dollar Question 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, and consulting with the United Nations. Perplexed graduate studen...

Dust Control | Soil Stabilization 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 worldwide 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 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 d...

Political Water Scarcity 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 cash flow for debt repayment as well as capital expenditure. It is a great story that should be reproduced across...

When Oil Soaks into Marsh Soil 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 Wet...

Severely Eroding The river has been severely eroding into the Miskowic property for years, taking away soil, fencing, and trees. Now, a major shoreline restoration, and 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 h...

Mudslides 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, that prolonged, intense precipitation and run-off can contribute to landslides, as can wildfires. Fires lead to mudslides because burning can kill the plant's roots. Roots hold soil together, stabilizing the land and ma...

Geotextiles As its name suggests Geotextiles refer to textiles related to earth or soil. When any permeable material is used with rock, soil, or earth it is termed as Geotextiles. The basic function of this technology is to prevent soil erosion to strengthen heavy concrete structures. This technology has not yet gained much attention in India but is widely used in many countries for the construction of bridges, roads, and railway tracks to improve its strength. Many researchers have viewed 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 a combination of the two. In the 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 decompose over time. The choice of formation ...

Soil Separation Processes 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 following two ways: * By dissolving or suspending them in the wash solution (which can be sustained by chemical manipulation of pH for a while); 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 metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. Commercialization of the process, however, is ...

A Continuum Comprising WPS Technologies 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 done by observation and measurement of...

Atmospherically Deposited Mercury 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 sources 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 sulfur molecules that bind mercury in organic matter in the soil. Ryan said a large wildfire could also introduce mercury into the water another way, by speeding erosion and allowing the mercury to wash into a water sour...

Brownfield Sites 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 Unit...

GeoHay GeoHay is an environmentally friendly and green line of barrier filtration products that 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 fences 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 demonstration of oil absorption 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

American Pretrolium Institute (API)   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 contaminants and in the design of almost any structure. Applications include 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 prov...

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund  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 sai...

LATEST INFORMATION The impacts on wetlands due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are only now being addressed. There is an "all call" for volunteers and professionals to help to work on cleaning up 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 provide round-the-clock scientific support to help inform strategies ...

Removing Oil From Wetland 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 have 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, Gra...

Soil Nail Launcher Soil Nail Launcher, Inc. specializes in the 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 allow 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. … read more

Catch Basin for Storm Water Runoff 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

The  US Department of Agriculture 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 larger areas. The program gives priority to projects that achieve wetland resto-ration and improve wildlife habitat; use non-federal resources to coordinate with local, state, tribal, or federal ef-forts; and provide innovation in wetland protection, restoration, and enhancement 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

ConstructionKnowedge Forum 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 the acting site project superintendent, project manager, and occasional equipment operator. So needless to say my opinion ...

BoRit Asbestos Site 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 on 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 Wissahickon Creek by placing geotextile fabric and erosion mats along the banks. Phase II, which began in September and wrapped up last month, c...

"Green" Desalination Technologies 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 that 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 Climate gentrification is a subset of climate migration, in which certain lower-socioeconomic communities are displaced in place of housing for more wealthy communities. Areas affected by this phenomenon are typically coastal cities, islands, and other vulnerable areas that are susceptible to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and other climate-related disasters. Gentrification is a proc...

Money to Burn 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

Reduce Water Pollution 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

Recycled Tires  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 afterlife. 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 buildings, sea walls, highway noise barriers, and sandbag replaceme...

Environmental Advancement in Ecuador 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 in the environment has been well studied and determined to be of utmost importance when dealing with dirt and gravel-type roads. It is the intention of SCI to help emerging countries manage their resources as well as their finances by offering a product that not only helps the environment but also their pocketbook. 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 f...

Federal Water Pollution Control Act 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. 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. Visit your recently published page re: Soil pollution

Fertile Soil  is Being Lost 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 percent 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 prese...

Inlet protection Products 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 the 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 the 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 ...

Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs) 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 accordi...