In New Orleans, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is spending billions of dollars constructing, elevating and bolstering flood defenses, establishing hardy, fast-growing ground cover to protect levees from erosion and overwash damage is a critical part of the process. “The name of the game is getting grass established quickly,” says Jeff Beasley, turf-grass physiologist with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge. On May 20, the center partnered with the Corps and Jesco Environmental & Geotechnical Services Inc., Jennings, La., to conduct the first, “possibly annual” course in levee re-vegetation and erosion-control techniques. Photo: Angelle Bergeron
Atlanta-based Southern Co. plans to demonstrate carbon dioxide capture and storage technology at a coal-fired powerplant near Mobile, Ala., with a portion of the carbon emissions at the plant captured for underground storage in a deep saline geologic formation. Southern, along with the Dept. of Energy, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Electric Power Research Institute and others, will build a demonstration facility at Alabama Power’s 2,657-MW Barry generating plant. Beginning in 2011, between 100,000 and 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, or the equivalent of emissions from 25 MW of the plant’s capacity, will be captured for storage. The CO2
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21 approved an ambitious energy/global warming bill by a 33-25 vote, largely along party lines. The massive bill—more than 930 pages—is the result of weeks of hearings and negotiations in the House and is supported by a wide range of environmental groups, corporations and electric utilities and energy companies. But the bill’s ultimate prospects are uncertain. The legislation still has numerous critics, and must be approved by the Ways and Means and other House committees before it can move to the floor for a vote. Meanwhile, the Senate does not have a
The Senate has confirmed Ines R. Triay, a long-time Dept. of Energy environmental official, to be the department's assistant secretary for environmental management. In that post, Triay will be in charge of the department's massive effort to clean up former nuclear-weapons facilities at more than 100 sites across the country. TRIAY Triay, whom the Senate approved on May 20, has spent 24 years working in DOE environmental programs, rising in 2007 to be principal deputy assistant secretary for "EM," the program's senior career post. Last November, she was named acting assistant secretary. One of her challenges will be to manage
The Clinton Climate Initiative, a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has announced the Climate Positive Development Program, in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council. The program will support 16 large-scale urban developments on six continents that strive to reach below-zero on-site carbon-dioxide emissions. Among the projects, supported by local governments and property developers, are those in Australia, Brazil the U.S. and India.
A new study released on April 27 by Geneva, Switzerland-based World Business Council for Sustainable Development says buildings can reduce energy use by 60% by 2050—essential to meeting global climate-change targets. However, only a “major coordinated and global effort” will enable the 60% reduction target to be achieved, says the group’s president, Bjorn Stigson. Among the WBCSD report’s recommendations are strengthening building codes and energy labeling and using subsidies and price signals to incentivize energy-efficient investments. The report, “Transforming the Market: Energy Efficiency in Buildings,” can be found at www.wbcsd.org.
With automakers struggling to stay afloat, fuel prices rising again and a federal directive looming to clean up greenhouse-gas emissions, President Obama unveiled a plan to increase average fuel-efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks by up to 41% by 2016. Starting in model-year 2012, the vehicles will need to meet increased mile-per-gallon ratings, eventually reaching 39 mpg for cars and 30 mpg for trucks. Current regulations require an average 35 mpg by 2020. The rule, which aims to reduce imports of foreign oil, cut costs for motorists and reduce tailpipe exhaust under one national standard, is a landmark
Investigators from the U.K. studying the deadly April 6 earthquake near Rome found that traditional stone masonry buildings with even basic strengthening survived the temblor. The engineers are calling for simple reinforcement of older masonry buildings throughout Europe. Photo: Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team Unreinforced stone houses failed. “We need more willingness...to spend a bit of money on reinforcing these traditional houses in Europe and the developing world,” says Tiziana Rossetto, who led 10 engineers and scientists from the U.K. Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT). The EEFIT team spent six days surveying the devastated city and surroundings of L’Aquila,
Panamanian firm Constructora Urbana SA (CUSA) won the first dry-excavation contract in July 2007 with a low bid of $41.1 million for the Pacific locks access channel, but was outbid for the two subsequent jobs. However, CUSA offered its services to the winning firms and netted subcontracting jobs with both. “We have the equipment out there already, and we can pretty much keep doing what we have been doing,” says CUSA Executive Vice President Carlos Fábrega. “We keep our equipment operating and our people at work.” Photo: C.J. Schexnayder/ENR Non-canal expansion construction thrives in Panama. Related Links: Panama Widens Horizons
This dry excavation, requiring removal of 47 million cu m, is needed to create the Pacific locks access channel–a 6.7-kilometer link between the existing navigation channel and the new locks to be built next to the Miraflores Locks. The Cocoli River, which empties into Miraflores Lake, is being rerouted 3.5 km. The 5 km-long Borinquen Road was also relocated. All Photos: C.J. Schexnayder/ENR Finding ordinance (top), blasting (middle) and moving rivers (bottom) are all part of Panama work. Related Links: Panama Widens Horizons Another tricky aspect has been the removal of unexploded ordinance from a former U.S. Army firing range.
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