Indiana Environmental and Environmental Drilling

Microbial material modification helps to control frost heave and saline soil solidification

Source: Microbial material modification helps to control frost heave and saline soil solidification Chinese researchers recently conducted a study on process of biogas generation improving physical and mechanical properties of soil. A research team led by Sheng Yu from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environmental Resources (NIEER) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with their colleagues from Southeast University, has implanted Pseudomonas Stutzeri in the soil pores and induced it to produce nitrogen bubbles, and they also analyzed the influence mechanism of mitigation of sand liquefaction using biogas bubbles. In the natural environment, there are many microorganisms in rock and soil masses, and its metabolic activities will change physical and mechanical properties of rock and soil. These microbial activities can be controlled, enhanced and used to solve geotechnical problems, and such methods have been named as biogeotechnologies. As an emerging interdisciplinary field, it has developed rapidly in recent years due to its advantages of low carbon and friendly environment. From the perspective of practical application, biogeotechnologies can be used for rock and soil reinforcement, sealing of water leakage, prevention of sand liquefaction, soil erosion resistance control, and contaminated soil treatment and so on. Based on the above research results, the NIEER research group is exploring to apply biogeotechnologies to frost heave control and saline soil solidification, and has achieved some preliminary results. In this study, the researchers applied biogas generation process to soil frost heaving treatment, and studied improvement of biogas production performance under low temperature conditions. Results showed that sealing effect of bubbles and microorganisms on the water migration path can reduce soil permeability coefficient by one order of magnitude. Besides, they also introduced biomineralization to solve the prominent problem of saline soil with high chloride content in Northwestern China. Based on excellent curing effect, they analyzed the deterioration mechanism of [...]

Lake Michigan coastline erosion research brings in new data and diplomacy

Source: Lake Michigan coastline erosion research brings in new data and diplomacy | Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant The town of Beverly Shores includes part of the Indiana Dunes National Park. (Photo credit: David Mark, Pixabay) The record high Lake Michigan water levels in 2020 were even more dramatic if you consider that the lake had near record low levels as recent as 2013. “That’s a lot of pressure on the shoreline,” said Cary Troy, Purdue University civil engineer. “There’s really no precedent in terms of ocean coastlines for what the Great Lakes are going through related to water level fluctuations.” In addition to lake levels, beaches are impacted by large storms and barriers, piers, and other human interventions. Troy is part of a sweeping study funded through Illinois-Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs to assess Lake Michigan coastal erosion levels, causes, and management options from physical, social and community perspectives. The two-year project that began in 2020 is led by Troy, Guy Meadows with Michigan Technological University and Chin Wu at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Miles Tryon-Petith, Chin Wu’s civil and environmental engineering Ph.D. student from UW-Madison is working on mounting the real-time camera to record bluff movement in Mequon, Wisc. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Sea Grant.) The research will focus on three coastal communities that offer the opportunity for scientists to track and measure erosion on different beach features—the bluffs at Concordia University in Wisconsin, the shoreline of South Haven, Michigan, and the dunes at Beverly Shores in Indiana. Part of the beach in the small town of Beverly Shores is in the Indiana Dunes National Park—there, the research team can learn more about how nature responds to water level changes and storm events. Troy also wants to study coastal sites where people have added structures to the landscape. He’s [...]

By |September 22nd, 2021|Geotechnical Indiana, West Lafayette, Environmental Indiana, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical Wisconsin, Madison|Comments Off on Lake Michigan coastline erosion research brings in new data and diplomacy

Reusable Ionic Liquid from Coal Fly Ash Enables Extraction of Rare Elements

Source: Reusable Ionic Liquid Enables Extraction of Precious Rare-earth Elements from Coal Fly Ash | School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Turnipseed Family Chair and Professor Ching-Hua Huang, left, and Ph.D. candidate Laura Stoy, right, published research outlining a new method for extracting rare-earth elements from coal fly ash.  By Melissa Fralick  Researchers from Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have discovered a way to extract rare-earth elements—essential ingredients for nearly all modern electronics—from the ash left behind at coal-burning power plants using a non-toxic ionic liquid. In a paper published in ACS’s Environmental Science and Technology on June 23, the Georgia Tech researchers showed that by applying an ionic liquid directly to solid coal fly ash, rare-earth elements can be successfully removed in a safe process that creates little waste. The study is co-led by Ching-Hua Huang, a professor of environmental engineering and Ph.D. candidate Laura Stoy. A third co-author, Victoria Diaz, is an undergraduate student who joined the lab as part of Georgia Tech’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Sciences (S.U.R.E.) program. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a set of 17 elements that are utilized to make everything from permanent magnets in windmills to LED screens for computers and smart phones. While rare-earth elements aren’t as scarce as their name implies, only a few locations around the globe have deposits large enough to mine directly. Many of these reserves are in politically sensitive locations, resulting in global supply chain tensions. “Right now, China produces over 80 percent of the world’s supply of rare-earth elements, meaning that if something were to happen to disrupt the global supply chain— like a ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal, or a pandemic, or a trade war with China—United States manufacturing might be cut off,” Stoy said. “Our work is one of many efforts to secure a [...]

Percolation test

Testing method A percolation test consists of digging one or more holes in the soil of the proposed leach field to a specified depth, presoaking the holes by maintaining a high water level in the holes, then running the test by filling the holes to a specific level and timing the drop of the water level as the water percolates into the surrounding soil. There are various empirical formulae for determining the required size of a leach field based on the size of facility, the percolation test results, and other parameters. For leach line testing, a minimum of three test holes are drilled, most commonly six to eight inches in diameter. Ideally, these should be drilled to different depths from three to six feet below the surface. For better, more conclusive results, five drill holes are used in a pattern of one hole at each corner of the proposed leach field and one test hole in the center. Testing of these holes will result in a value with units of minutes per inch. This value is then correlated to a predetermined county health code to establish the exact size of the leach field. Testing for horizontal pits typically requires five to eight test holes drilled in a straight line, or along a common contour, from three to ten feet below the surface. Testing is identical to leach line testing, though the end result is a different type of septic system, established through a different calculation. Vertical seepage pits are slightly different in testing methods due to their large size, but the basic testing method is essentially the same. A hole, typically three to four feet in diameter is drilled to a depth of twenty or thirty feet (depending on the local groundwater table), and a fire hose is used to [...]

Construction of Wind Farm Project in Indiana

Pattern Development Completes Financing and Starts Construction of Amazon Wind Farm Project in Indiana 150 MW wind project to use American-made turbines and create more than 300 jobs; Power to be acquired by Amazon SAN FRANCISCO , May 4, 2015 /CNW/ -- Construction is ramping up at the Amazon Wind Farm (Fowler Ridge) project. Pattern Energy Group LP ("Pattern Development") today announced the closing of financing on the 150 megawatt (MW) Amazon Wind Farm (Fowler Ridge) project located in Benton County, Indiana . The project has entered into a 13-year power purchase agreement with Amazon to supply electricity to the electric grids that service Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) datacenters. View gallery . "The Amazon Wind Farm project has successfully closed financing and is moving ahead on schedule," said Mike Garland , President and CEO of Pattern Development. "We look forward to helping Amazon power its customers' businesses with domestic clean energy harnessed from the winds of Indiana . We are now working with Amazon, Google and Walmart, demonstrating that America's leading corporations are increasingly investing in, or buying power from, non-polluting energy sources like wind power. We see this growing trend driving the development of more new projects." The Amazon Wind Farm (Fowler Ridge) project will utilize 65 Siemens 2.3 MW turbines with 'Made in America' components. The turbine blades are being manufactured at the Siemens factory in Ft. Madison, Iowa and the nacelles are being assembled at the Siemens facility in Hutchinson, Kansas . The turbine towers will be sourced from Michigan and Wisconsin . Transformers for the project will be manufactured at the Siemens facility in Richland, Mississippi . "Siemens is proud that our 'Made in America' wind components will be used at the Amazon Wind Farm. Wind power is an increasingly important part of our nation's energy [...]

Hoosier Environmental Indiana

Air Pollution (External Link) Amtrak Service Asbestos and Mesothelioma (External Link) Bats Biofuels (NRDC Report) Biomass (Union of Concerned Source: Index of Issues | Hoosier Environmental Council Index of Issues Air Pollution (External Link) Amtrak Service Asbestos and Mesothelioma (External Link) Bats Biofuels (NRDC Report) Biomass (Union of Concerned Scientists Report) Blue-Green Algae CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) CFOs (Confined Feeding Operations) Setbacks of CFO & CAFO Children’s Health (External Link) Clean Energy Clean Power Plan Clean Water Climate Change Climate Change Skeptics (External Link) Coal Coal Ash Coal-Fired Power Plants (Union of Concerned Scientists Report) Combined Heat and Power Environmental Justice Factory Farms Farmer’s Markets (External Link) Forest Protection Green Communities High Speed Passenger Rail Impaired Waters Lake County Mercury (External Link) Mounds Greenway Net Metering Nuclear Power (External Link) Oil Open Spaces Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWBs) Pathogens in Manure Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge Plastic Consumption (External Link) Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Public Transportation Renewable Energy SMSS (Satellite Manure Storage Structures) Solar (External Link) Sustainable Agriculture Watershed Restoration Well Testing Wildlife Refuges Wind Energy

Pence signs bill repealing Indiana construction wage law

A Republican-backed measure that will repeal Indiana's law setting wages for state and local government construction projects has been approved by Gov. Mike Pence. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Pence signs repeal of IN construction wage law A Republican-backed measure that will repeal Indiana's law setting wages for state and local government construction projects has been approved by Gov. Mike Pence. Pence signed the legislation Wednesday and says it will allow the free market to determine pay scales rather than government boards. Supporters estimate the change will reduce project costs by as much as 20 percent by allowing more contractors to pay wages below union scale. Opponents dispute such savings will occur and say it will open the door for low-paying, out-of-state contractors. The measure sparked controversy during this year's legislative session, including a rally that brought thousands of contractors and union members to the Statehouse lawn in April. The repeal takes effect in July.

Indiana Department of Environmental Management IDEM

The States' View of the Air 2015 The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has released The States’ View of the Air (2015) report. This report highlights the air quality in counties and cities in the United States. Like a report card, IDEM has graded areas on the state of their air quality under the federal standards for ozone and fine particles. States' View of the AirIndiana Ground Water Monitoring Network Survey IDEM is looking for private residential well owners in all 92 counties in Indiana to take part in the statewide Ground Water Monitoring Network. Eligible residential wells will be tested free of charge, and copies of analytical results will be provided at the end of the study. Information about participating, including eligibility requirements, is available on the IDEM Statewide Ground Water Monitoring Network Survey page. Ground Water Monitoring Network Survey State of Indiana Ground Water Monitoring Network Application Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units. The State of Indiana via the undersigned agencies appreciates the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule entitled “Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units” (EGUs) (June 18, 2014, 79 Fed. Reg. 34830). Indiana urges U.S. EPA to withdraw the proposed rule for multiple reasons.While Indiana urges U.S. EPA to withdraw the proposed rule for multiple reasons as set forth below, the State of Indiana respectfully requests that U.S. EPA take into consideration the technical corrections and comments outlined in the attachments to this letter if it proceeds in finalizing the rule. These comments are the result of a thoughtful, collaborative process between multiple Indiana state agencies with expertise in environmental, utility and natural resource issues. Letter to U.S. EPA [PDF] Attachment A: Technical Comments [PDF] Attachments B, C, and D [PDF]Indiana 2015 [...]

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