Sustainability Through InnovationThis article is part of Environmental Connection’s mission to help grow the industry by promoting innovative research, products and technology that meet industry needs through more sustainable approaches. Articles in future issues will continue to provide multiple perspectives to promote ongoing efforts to protect natural resources.
Since 1937, Soil and Water Conservation Districts have diligently worked to meet...
Trying to grow your business alone can be risky and unproductive because no one person or organization has all the necessary answers, connections and resources needed for growth. People and organizations outside of your company and industry who share the same customers can help you grow your business. There are even circumstances in which your competitors can be smart...
Many of us have heard the mantra about soil erosion prevention that goes something like: “It’s the cover, dummy!” Many studies have shown that covering up the soil with something can reduce erosion by more than 90%, but what should that “something” be? There are lots of options and a few of these have been the focus of recent...
An unavoidable aspect of coal mining is the accumulation and piling of overburden — the rock or soil layer that needs to be removed in order to access the ore being mined. The removal of topsoil increases the difficulty and cost of rehabilitating mining sites.
In Queensland, Australia, a partnership of companies that includes a soil remediation contractor, horticultural consultant,...
Runoff from urban areas was first recognized as a problem for receiving waters in terms of too much volume in too short of a time period. The solution was to detain the water and release it more slowly. Then it became clear that contaminants in the runoff, including heavy metals and nutrients, were also a problem. One of the...
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has more than three decades of evaluating the performance of erosion control products. These products include rolled erosion control products (RECPs) and hydraulically applied products (HECPs). The results provide the data for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Approved Product List for erosion control products. While this program has ensured the use of...
If a construction site is “out of control” from an erosion and sediment control standpoint, those in charge should review the Five Pillars of Construction Stormwater Management . These pillars — manage communication, work, water, erosion and sediment — are now widely distributed throughout the construction stormwater management world and are easily found with an internet search. Let’s assume...
The key to success is understanding that your customers are living, breathing humans versus a company that is nothing more than a designated legal entity such as an LLC or an S corporation. It is our customers’ humanness that determines why, what, how, where and when they buy products and services from us or our competitors. The legal document...
Early erosion control focused on modifying agricultural practices and plantings, such as kudzu. Early construction erosion and sediment control techniques focused on hay bales and silt fence while modifying the agriculture practices developed by the USDA Soil Conservation Service (formerly the Erosion Control Service, now the Natural Resource Conservation Service).
The industry has continued to grow and adopt many new...
Inspection reports, file folders, erosion control plans, applications, deeds, project checklists…
A local erosion control program can go through a lot of paper — hardly a sustainable practice. With over 200 active erosion control permits and projects, staff driving all over the county to inspect sites, a pandemic that closes offices to the public, and staff who are working remotely,...
