Academic literature on the topic 'Shades management of natural stone'

Chaohu Stone is a distinct geological tourism resource, and its morphological diversity is shaped by unique local geological environments. However, the dedicated and systematic research is insufficient currently. Starting with regional tectonic characters and environmental conditions, this paper examines the distribution, traits, genesis and classification of Chaohu Stone. Results show that Chaohu Stone mainly includes carbonate rocks formed during the Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic periods. During long geological processes, the rocks have been altered by various external forces such as weathering, leaching, denudation and corrosion, etc., to produce various natural art forms with distinctive styles and shapes. Its morphological variations, eerie veins, rich fossils, unique nodules and smooth porosity differentiate the Chaohu Stone from other ornamental stones. Although Chaohu Stone has wide distribution, rich varieties, many genesis types and centuries of exploration, there is low degree of survey evaluation and genesis study, resulting in damage and squandering of this valuable wealth. Hence, we must highlight managements and protective exploitations of Chaohu Stone, particularly strengthening geological survey and genesis mechanism examination.

Purpose In nature, thousands of different colours and shades exist. Basic set of dyes, namely, yellow, red, blue and green are necessary for a complete colour gamut. Creating a complete gamut with natural dyes with one common extraction and application procedure is not exploited hitherto. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach In this study, an attempt was made to create a complete colour gamut with easily available natural dyes with one common extraction and application procedure. Findings Silk fabrics were dyed using various natural dyes alone and in combination to yield various shades, namely, yellow, red, green, blue. Pre-mordanting of silk fabrics was carried out with mordants, namely, alum, ferrous sulphate, copper sulphate, stannous chloride, potassium dichromate followed by dyeing. The fastness properties and colour strength values of all the shades obtained were determined. Originality/value Creating a complete gamut with natural dyes with one common extraction and application procedure is not exploited hitherto.

The use of natural dyes has increased in the last few decades due to the eco-friendly approach of dyeing. There are still some limitations that are associated with natural dyes, such as dyeing efficiency, reproducibility of shades, process complexity, availability etc. The main problem associated with the dyeing property of natural dyes is “low exhaustion”. In this study, natural dyestuff from Curcuma longa L. was extracted and polyethylene terephthalate fabric was dyed with it in the same bath by employing the supercritical carbon dioxide method. The method was developed to improve the dye-ability of natural dyes and reduce the process time and effluent. Curcuminoid dye exhaustion on PET fabric showed almost 80% by using supercritical carbon dioxide dyeing methods, and the highest colour strength (K/S = 12) was obtained. Coloured polyethylene terephthalate fabric treated with supercritical carbon dioxide showed deeper shades (L* = 72.92) and better fastness properties as compared with high temperature exhaust dyeing methods.

Top predators shape the communities of sympatric predators by killing and displacing smaller predators. Predation risk pushes smaller predators to select enemy-free spaces irrespective of food availability, which results in changes in their behaviour, space use, distribution, and abundance. Although the landscape of fear dynamics are known for top predators such as the eagle owl and its impact on smaller raptors, the effect of the presence and abundance of the eagle owl on the space use of mesopredator carnivores remains poorly understood. Here, we studied this effect on the space use of the stone marten in a Mediterranean ecosystem where it shares rabbits as main prey with the eagle owl. We also accounted for the presence of another sympatric carnivore, the red fox. Using a multi-model inference, we found stone martens avoided areas with a higher abundance of eagle owls and rabbits, which suggested a hyperpredation process and a cognitive association by stone martens between rabbit hotspots and owl presence. We found a positive relationship between the space use of the red fox and the stone marten, which suggested foxes behaved as competitors and not predators of martens. Understanding intraguild predation can assist the conservation and management of predators and their prey.

AbstractExport decisions depend on a wide variety of information stimuli. The current research focuses on the attention that international entrepreneurs (IEs) dedicate to different information stimuli relating to how the firm operates internationally, and examines whether the IE's attention varies in function of their experience and knowledge. For their empirical analysis, the authors study the information interests of the IEs in the Spanish natural stone industry. They identify three centres of interest: the strategic attractiveness of the foreign markets, barriers to exporting, and support programmes for exporters. The results show that the IEs are most interested in information about support programmes, and that is due to IEs with scant knowledge about the export markets. As the IEs accumulate knowledge about which are the main export markets, they become more interested in information about the strategic attractiveness of these markets. The authors conclude that a trade-off exists between the information about market attractiveness and the information about support programmes in the IE's attention. In contrast, attention towards export barriers behaves independently and depends on the IE's experience.

AbstractThis article describes examples of waste management systems from archaeological sites in Europe and the Middle East. These examples are then contextualized in the broader perspectives of environmental history. We can confidently claim that the natural resource use of societies predating the Lower Palaeolithic was in equilibrium with the environment. In sharp contrast stand communities from the Upper Palaeolithic and onwards, when agriculture appeared and provided opportunities for what seemed like unlimited expansion.

Today, the global community is appreciating green technologies in the application of green products in textiles. The aim of the current study is to use a sustainable heating technique for the isolation of colorant from plant sources and to use eco-friendly anchors to improve the fastness of dyed fabrics with new shades. The current study used microwave radiation to isolate natural colorants from saffron (Crocus sativus) and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) petals for polyamide (nylon) fabric dyeing. For this purpose, acidic extract and fabric were exposed to MW treatment for up to 6 min and employed at various conditions. To make the dyeing process sustainable, bio-mordants have been employed and compared with synthetic mordants. It has been found that 6 min is the optimal radiation time for the isolation of colorant to get good results onto irradiated polyamide (nylon) fabric when employed at 65 °C for 45 min containing 1 g/100 mL of table salt for saffron and 3 g/100 mL of table salt for safflower dyeing. For improving color strength and giving an acceptable rating of fastness, 7% of turmeric as a pre-bio mordant and 7% pomegranate as a post-mordant has given high results using saffron extract. Similarly, with safflower extract, 5% of turmeric as a pre-mordant and 5% of turmeric extracts as a post-mordant have given high results as compared to chemical mordants used. It is concluded that microwave treatment has a high potential for investigating the coloring efficacy of crocin-containing saffron petals and safflower petals as carthamin as a yellow natural dye for bio-mordanted polyamide fabrics. It is recommended that such tools for the isolation of colorant from new dye-producing plants should be used, whereas green mordants should be used to develop new colorfast shades to make process more green and sustainable.

Natural dimension stone processing generates large volumes of stone waste, which have a significant impact on the environment, as well as on the efficiency and profitability of the stone-processing plant. The article presents the characteristics of waste produced as a result of natural dimension stone processing and the structure of the waste production process. Solid stone scraps and sludge were distinguished. On the basis of the performed analyses, it was shown that stone waste constitutes 10–35% in relation to the quantity of the processed stone material, with the quantity of sludge being even threefold greater than the volume of solid scraps. According to the circular economy principles, the aim should be to reduce the amount of waste generated by reducing primary resources in favour of secondary material. Reducing the volume of stone waste is possible through rational planning of stone production while at the same time maximising the efficiency of stone material usage and introducing the most modern processing machines. This significant volume of stone waste encourages efforts to find solutions for both its management and reduction. This paper reviews the utility potential of stone waste. Sensible use of waste is important to increase the profitability and productivity of processing plants while incentivising environmental protection.

Дисертаційна робота присвячена дослідженню декоративних властивостей гірських порід при видобуванні та обробці природного облицювального каменю за допомогою цифрової обробки зображень для визначення оптимального напрямку ведення гірничих робіт для різних за кольоровим тоном ділянок родовища природного каменю. У роботі досліджено та встановлено чинники, які впливають на декоративні показники природного облицювального каменю при його видобуванні та обробці. На основі отриманих показників та залежностей розроблено методику управління декоративними властивостями природного облицювального каменю при його видобуванні та фактурній обробці. Розроблено класифікацію Покостівського гранодіориту за кольоровим тоном при його видобуванні та фактурній обробці. Для виконання досліджень було розроблено методику визначення різних типів необроблених блоків з природного облицювального каменю за кольоровим тоном за допомогою цифрової обробки зображень при розробці родовищ корисних копалин. Проведено геометризацію родовища природного облицювального каменю. Було підраховано запаси різних типів декоративного каменю за кольоровим тоном та визначені ділянки родовища за різними декоративними показниками. На основі розрахункових коефіцієнтів виходу блоків визначено оптимальний напрям ведення гірничих робіт.

碩士
義守大學
資訊管理學系
103
It was veay popular for the artistic style of building decorated by stone in Taiwan, and it also was attractive characteristic to advertisement. Interior designer was not stingy to use stone for his design blueprint and stone in building had been accepted popularly for people. Stone was divided into granite type and marble type. Stone extraction in large scale would lead to the decrasing of stone resorce and the environmental pollution. Natural stone had the characteristic of porosity and high water absorption. Muggy environment would influence the stone qualitative which we called the change of the stone qualitative, which reduce the service life of stone. Therefore, it was flourishing to develop the stone conservation. Correct conservation could increase the service life and maintain the value of the stone. Percolation problem in building would result in the wall mold and the change of the stone qualitative. We could observe the phenomenon of the percolation from the surface of the stone, such as water spots, efflorescence, rust and pigment pollution. In this study, we would use moisture analyzer to conduct and discuss with specialist. 83.33% in thirty cases were due to the influence of muggy indicated that water influence the stone qualitative. Percolation ways of the building also influenced different degrees of the change and destruction of stone qualitative. Muggy environment would terminate the service life of the stone. The purpose of this study was to handle the percolation in stone building and indicate correct knowledgement of conservation and strict management.

Poverty and the environment are closely linked, as people use environmental resources to support livelihoods. Illegal stone quarrying evident in Lusaka, Zambia is symbolic of the use of environmental resources by the poor. Stone crushing provides income yet it is characterized by land degradation, large-scale excavation and dumping of waste materials. This study provides an analytical account of stone crushing as a livelihood in Lusaka and makes recommendations for improving the livelihoods of stone crushers to become sustainable. Using a livelihoods approach, a qualitative study collected data from various role players in Lusaka. Assets (physical, natural, human, social and political capital) for stone crushers were assessed, revealing that stone crushers lack livelihood assets, key options and are exposed to various shocks due to seasonal shifts. Increasing access to key livelihood assets, reducing vulnerability, improving infrastructure, access to justice and tackling social exclusion and gender inequality will enhance their livelihoods.
Development Studies
M.A. (Development Studies)

AbstractThe stone industry plays an important economic role in Italy as well as worldwide, and its products are part of the construction sector for hard coverings. The relevance of these products led the European Commission to develop specific criteria for natural stone within the Ecolabel scheme for hard coverings. In order to provide environmental information and to establish and maintain their comparability, the eco-labelling schemes recognized the life cycle assessment (LCA) as a scientific method to be employed when describing the environmental performance of the products. In its current form, the European Ecolabel scheme only considers environmental impacts and overlooks significant social impacts, especially for the category of stakeholders most affected during the extraction and manufacturing phases: workers. The main purpose of this study is to define a set of social criteria to be added to the revised version of the European Ecolabel with reference to issues concerning natural stone covering products. In particular, according to the updated guidelines for the social life cycle assessment by UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative (2019), we have identified that the “health and safety” impact category as it relates to workers during the extraction and manufacturing phases of the products must be considered a priority. The results provide a set of criteria for the S-LCA inventory which should be added to the Ecolabel guidelines when assessing the natural stone covering sector. Integration of the social sphere with the results obtained from the LCA study would provide reliable and more complete information on the sustainability of the natural stone product.This represents a first step towards the inclusion of similar criteria for other covering products.

AbstractThe world cultural heritage sites face new challenges for an effective protection and management because of destruction and damage initiated by both natural and anthropogenic causes. Fresh rock and sandstone surfaces of buildings are quickly colonized and covered by a layer of microorganisms, including phototrophs, lithotrophs, and heterotrophs to form a biofilm that alters the local conditions of the stone surfaces, especially under the favorable tropical climate conditions for autotrophic microorganisms and plants. Biofilms had been studied with indigenous or pure cultures of isolated microorganisms, but the selective ones that contribute to deterioration of the cultural heritage cannot be confirmed easily. Currently, high-throughput sequencing and metegenomics analyses are capable of obtaining microbial community and composition in great depth, but they also suffer from similar weakness unable to identify the culprits in the community. With these as background, this article presents a different approach by focusing on the biochemical processes and the responsible microorganisms involved to reveal the destruction processes for management and protection. Among these different functional groups of microorganisms, lichens are known as pioneering rock-decomposing microorganisms, and both sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and fungi participate in the decomposition of sandstone via sulfur cycling and initiation of salt attack of the stone afterward, resulting in defoliation and cracking of stone. Other microorganisms including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea, especially the latter, have been recently detected on sandstone monuments providing evidence on the new organisms involved in the deterioration of cultural heritage and buildings. In addition, fungi can colonize the surfaces of the matured biofilms and play a new role in the removal of them, which has a potential biotechnological application in conservation of cultural heritage. The new proposed approach by focusing the microorganisms with identified biochemical function is more productive than a description of the community composition and assembly when assessing cultural heritage biodeterioration, and this provides basic and useful information for effective protection strategies and management.

<em>Abstract</em>.—Gulf of Mexico marshes have been found to support more than 80 species of fish, 60 species of birds, and many reptile, mammal, and invertebrate species (Stout 1984). In addition to the ecological services provided by salt marshes, the 2005 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico raised public awareness of the ability of intertidal marshes to reduce personal property damage from storm surges. Since marshes can be destroyed through natural or anthropogenic processes, methods to protect these areas are being developed; one such method is the use of “living shorelines.” Living shorelines serve multiple roles by controlling erosion, maintaining natural coastal processes, and sustaining biodiversity through land-use management, soft armoring, or combinations of soft and semihard armoring techniques. Living shorelines provide a viable alternative to common hardened structures such as bulkheads, stone revetments, and seawalls. One type of living shoreline was used at Saw Grass Point Salt Marsh on Dauphin Island, Alabama. Dauphin Island’s Fort Gaines Harbor was constructed in the 1950s by removing approximately 3 ha from Saw Grass Point Salt Marsh. The harbor now serves as one of Dauphin Island’s two primary access points for recreational and commercial boats to the Gulf of Mexico. Chronic erosion has resulted in the loss of 0.5 ha of the remaining marsh. This saline tidal marsh is of significant ecological importance and is one of only two on Dauphin Island. In 2004, a community-based restoration grant was used to protect and restore the marsh through the use of exposed nearshore precast concrete breakwaters called Coastal Havens. These structures function as detached breakwaters to minimize the effect of storm surge and boat wake through wave attenuation; they also provide suitable substrate for oyster colonization. These structures were selected over other erosion control technologies, including vertical bulkheads, rock or wooden sills, and headlands. In April 2005, 182 units were installed in two interlocking rows parallel to the east perimeter of the marsh in water approximately 1.3 m deep. Oyster density on the coastal havens, measured 19 months postinstallation, was 205 oysters/m2. Measurements behind the breakwater indicate some sediment accretion. The project cost was approximately US$335/m to protect 162 m of shoreline. The dual function of these structures has controlled the erosion behind the breakwater and has provided habitat for a wide array of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration trust resources, including locally important species such as spotted seatrout (also known as speckled trout) <em>Cynoscion nebulosus</em>, blue crabs <em>Callinectes sapidus </em>and Gulf stone crabs <em>Menippe adina</em>, eastern oyster <em>Crassostrea virginica</em>, red drum <em>Sciaenops ocellatus</em>, southern flounder <em>Paralichthys lethostigma</em>, and various species of commercially important shrimp (brown shrimp <em>Farfantepenaeus aztecus</em>, pink shrimp <em>F. duorarum</em>, and white shrimp <em>Litopenaeus setiferus</em>).

Nowadays along with the rapid development of industrialization across the globe, the environmental and ecological impacts of products have become a serious issue. Taking into account purely the economic impacts of industrial decisions, and excluding their ecological impacts, make the human beings and animals more at risk to many threats such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, toxic environments, and natural resources depletion. To minimize the environmental effect, implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) is much more essential for industries in the environmental and social point of view. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze barriers to an implementation of green supply chain management in a stone crushing plant of Southern India by using modified simple additive weighting (SAW) to rank approaches. Further, this study will help the small-scale industries to understand the factors affecting implementation of GSCM in their organizations.

Knowledge management refers to all management activities necessary for the effective creation, capture, exchange and management of knowledge. Knowledge management has always been the most important issue in human societies. Knowledge management became a discipline during the 80s, and the growing role of information technology has enabled the development of efficient KM tools using databases and common software. The current concept of knowledge management emerged, however, in the early 1990s and covered various fields such as business administration, public policy, information systems management, libraries, and information science. In health care, KM is developed mainly in the field of electronic health record management and management of the health organization. In this context, previous research in the business domain has been adapted and applied to health knowledge management. But health care poses different challenges and questions to KM because of its own nature). For the WHO, the main purpose of knowledge management is to bridge knowledge gaps between and within countries. Knowledge management deals with the development of systems and processes used to promote originality, creativity, intelligence and learning. The discipline of knowledge management has three main components (WHO): • People: who create, share and use knowledge and who collectively form an organizational culture that nurtures and encourages the exchange of knowledge; • Processes: methods for acquiring, creating, organizing, exchanging and transferring knowledge; • Technology: mechanisms that store and enable access to data, information and knowledge created by people in various locations.

Abstract At present, Switzerland has no final repository for radioactive wastes. Very early, the Swiss nuclear power plant operators were aware of the necessity to expand interim storage capacity for spent fuel elements and operational wastes. Already in 1991, Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (NOK) therefore started building a reactor-site interim storage facility (ZWIBEZ) at its Beznau power plant site. Moreover, as early as in 1990, “ZWILAG Zwischenlager Würenlingen AG”, a company established by the nuclear power plant operators had initiated the licensing procedure for a central interim storage facility in Switzerland. This central interim storage facility is designed for the storage of all categories of radioactive wastes and includes a conditioning facility for low-level and medium-level waste. Eleven years later, in July 2001, the first transport and storage cask loaded with irradiated fuel elements was stored in this facility. For both of the stores the concept of dry interim storage in suitable storage casks in a storage hall was chosen for the storage of irradiated fuel elements and vitrified high-level wastes from reprocessing. Cooling is established through natural circulation. Leaktightness of the casks is continuously monitored by means of a cask monitoring system. The other wastes arising from nuclear power plant operation and reprocessing are stored in a ventilated storage hall which provides shielding and — depending on the radioactive inventory — protection against external impact. The conditioned radioactive wastes, packaged in drums, are placed into open storage containers with identical base and having the same sling points as ISO containers. These containers are stacked up in free-standing stacks up to a height of 16 m. The storage concept varies, depending on the radioactive inventory; for the ZWIBEZ reactor-site interim store, a storage hall for low-level waste has been built without partition walls, whereas the store for the medium and high-level waste in the central interim store ZWILAG has been designed with partition walls dividing the hall into several storage shafts which are closed by shielding slabs. By including a hot cell into the ZWILAG facility, the purpose of this facility has been expanded beyond interim storage of radioactive waste to cover also the visual inspection of fuel elements and vitrified waste canisters as well as the reloading of fuel elements and canisters from smaller transport casks into combined transport and storage casks. Furthermore, the hot cell enables inspection and/or repair work to be performed in the cask lid area of loaded transport and storage casks, the replacement of the lid seals of storage casks and the conditioning of medium-level waste.

High Performance Low-Invasion Fluids Technology Enhances, Optimizes Drilling Efficiency in the Gulf of Suez – Egypt Objectives / Scope: The main objective of this paper is to characterize the drilled shale formation in order to select and propose a "tailored" High Performance Low Invasion Fluids (HPLIF) system aided by Bridging Particles Optimization Tool (BPOT)(5),(6)(9)(11), capable of maximize hole stability in pressure depleted sands, allowing optimized well design through reactive and dispersible shale formations(7)(8) that eliminated one casing section, and to replace Oil Base Mud (OBM) and avoid its HSE issues related to use it, consequently, reduce formation damage, eliminate waste management cost, minimizing Non Productive Time (NPT) and finally enhances Drilling performance. Methods, Procedures, Process: This paper explain the reactivity information about Shale Samples recovered from different wells drilled in the-GOS-Egypt followed by extensive laboratory testing done(1) in order to characterize the main clay minerals presented in the samples using X-Ray Diffraction-(XRD) technology and their meso-and micro-structure by Scanning-Electron-Microscope-(SEM) and their reactivity to compare the inhibition efficiency of the proposed-(HPLIF)-System with Blank and Conventional Water-Base-Fluid-System. The reactivity of the cuttings was assessed by Dispersion, Swelling and Hardness tests. Field application experienced (HPLIF) System combined with Well-Bore Strengthening Materials (WSM) gives the required protection against induced losses and reducing the risk of differential sticking problems when mud overbalance is above 2500 psi(5), (6)(9)(11). Results, Observations, Conclusions: Compared with the use of conventional fluid systems, Field data demonstrated the successful application of (HPLIF) System combined with (WSM) and shows a great success during drilling through reactive clays, dispersive shale, naturally micro fractured(8), and depleted sand formations in many wells drilled in the GOS(2), (3), (4). Drilling operations reported no differential sticking, or wellbore instability issues even at highly mud overbalance or at highly deviated wells. The first challenged well R1-63 was drilled about 2391 ft, through 8.5" hole using 9.8-10.01 ppg using (HPLIF) system, penetrating through Thebes, Esna Shale, Sudr, Brown Lime Stone, Matulla, Nubia"A" Sand and Nubia "B" without any down-hole losses. Additionally, there was no sticking tendency experienced during drilling or while recording pressure points. The Non Productive Time NPT showed a reduction by about 19.2%. Finally, it ran and was cemented the "7" Liner in open hole successfully without problem. For the second challenged case well # 2, the Open hole was exposed to (HPLIF) water based mud system for a long period of time while rig repairing, rig switching, and during drilling operation. The well had 6" hole from 12,752 To/14,945 (2193.0ft) through Red bed, Thebes Esna, Sudr, Matulla and Nubia Sand formations with max inclination 68.6° and bottom hole temperature 325°F using 10.0-10.5 ppg (HPLIF) system, the 4.5"liner successfully was ran, cemented without any problems. The-HPLIF-System has also been shown to give excellent wellbore stability in brittle shales Fm where bedding planes or micro-fractures can become pressurized with mud, leading to wellbore instability. This innovation avoids induced lost circulation and differential sticking when the mud overbalance is expected to be greater than ±2500 psi. Additionally, the proposed solution enhances the drilling operation, reduces the waste management costs, eliminates a possible additional casing string, and finally minimizes the (NPT) which reflects on the overall cost of drilling these challenged wells.

The Camisea’s Pipeline Transportation System (PTS) in Peru, owned by Transportadora de Gas del Perú (TgP) and operated by Compañía Operadora de Gas del Amazonas (COGA), stars in the Amazon rainforest, crosses the Andes Mountain (4850masl) and descends finally towards the coast of the Pacific. The PTS has more than 10 years of operation and it has two pipelines: one transports Natural Gas (NG) and the other Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) pipelines. The NG pipeline has a length of 864km including a Loop pipeline of 135km. The NGL pipeline has a length of 557km. Because of particular physiographic conditions of each geographic sector that cross the right-of-way (ROW), the integrity of the PTS acquires a level of significant susceptibility to the occurrence of geohazard, which are the product of natural erosive processes and mass movements. In the coast sector, one of the most representative processes of geotechnical instability is the soil or debris flow (mass movements of soils). The occurrence of this type of flow has a greater incidence in the torrential creek, which generate transport of large volumes of sediments during rainy seasons. The flow has destructive effects and therefore, it is necessary to analyze the geomorphological, geological and hydrological aspects of the main creek and rivers that crosses the ROW with the objective of maintaining the integrity of the pipelines. In Peru, the flows are associated and known as Huayco or Huaico. As an additional component, it is highlight that the Peruvian coast is located within the area of interaction between the South American Continental Plate and the Nazca Plate, where there is evidence of seismic activity with different magnitude that influence on the occurrence of geo-dynamic processes with certain periods of frequency that could change the terrane’s morphology. The current article describes technical aspects of identification, intervention, monitoring, and geotechnical control in sub-fluvial crossings with levels of potential damage to the geohazard defined as huayco in the integrity management program of PTS. This activity include 63 main sub-fluvial crosses, approximately 30% are of the seasonal flow regime, located in the coast zone; at the same time, these are tributary to main rivers of constant flow as is the case of the Pisco, Cañete and Mala rivers. In this paper, it is place a special emphasis on the fourth crossing of the Huáncano creek, because it is a place of potential impact in the occurrence of soil flows. Within the annual geotechnical maintenance of the sub-fluvial crosses, in the part of the Peruvian coast, for the operation of the PTS of TgP, bed and banks protection some works are implemented, such as: Check dams, re-channeling, levees and stone riprap (Stone armour). Likewise, a program of evaluation and technical inspection is develop: it includes the analysis of the expected levels of undermining and performance condition of the existing works, which allow defining the geotechnical intervention in a term according to the identified risk level. All in all framed within a process of permanent geotechnical monitoring of the right of way. Finally, it is highlighted that to date the application of the process described above has been continued, which has facilitated the development and continuous assessment of the risk condition by huaycos in the PTS of TgP. This program has maintained an operation with an acceptable level of risk in the areas of interest and avoiding problems and consequences of great impact to communities, the environment and the operation of the system.

In the summer of 2009, Governor John P. DeJongh, Jr. announced that the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) had just signed two 20-year Power Purchase Agreements, and the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) had signed two 20-year Solid Waste Management Services Agreements with affiliates of Denver-based Alpine Energy Group, LLC (AEG) to build, own, and operate two alternative energy facilities that will serve the residents of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. The alternative energy facilities, to be built on St. Croix and St. Thomas, have a projected cost of $440 million and will convert an estimated 146,000 tons per year of municipal solid waste into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) using WastAway Services® technology, which will be combined with petroleum coke as fuel in fluidized bed combustion facilities to generate steam and electric power. These sustainable projects will provide 33 MW of electric power to St. Thomas and St. John and 16 MW of electric power to St. Croix, and will help to provide long-term cost stability for electric power and solid waste management in the Territory. Construction is expected to start in spring 2010 with an anticipated completion date during the fourth quarter of 2012. This procurement is a significant achievement for the U.S. Virgin Islands. When the projects are fully implemented, they will allow the Territory to reduce its dependence on oil, recover the energy value and certain recyclable materials from its municipal solid waste, and divert this waste from landfill. Since VIWMA has the responsibility to collect and/or dispose of solid waste year-round, having a system incorporating multiple solid waste processing lines and an adequate supply of spare parts on hand at all times is crucial to meeting the daily demands of waste receiving and processing, and RDF production. Also, with the location of the US Virgin Islands in a hurricane zone, and with only one or two combustion units available in each Project, the ability to both stockpile waste pre-RDF processing and store the produced RDF is very important. Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB)’s work has included a due diligence review of the Projects and providing professional support in VIWMA’s negotiations with AEG. GBB’s initial primary assignment centered on reviewing the design and operations of the RDF processing systems that will be built and operated under the respective Service Contracts. VIWMA needed to undertake a detailed technical review of the proposed RDF processing system, since this was the integration point of the waste collection system and waste processing/disposal services. GBB, in association with Maguire, was requested to provide this review and present the findings and opinions to VIWMA. In the completion of this effort, which included both a technical review and participation in negotiations to advance the Service Contracts for the Projects, GBB made direct contact with the key equipment suppliers for the Projects proposed by AEG. This included Bouldin Corporation, the primary RDF processing system supplier, with its patented WastAway technology, and Energy Products of Idaho, the main thermal processing equipment supplier, with its fluidized bed combustion technology and air pollution control equipment. Additionally, since the combustion systems for both Projects will generate an ash product that will require marketing for use and/or disposal over the term of the Service Contracts, GBB made contact with LA Ash, one of the potential subcontractors identified by AEG for these ash management services. Due to the nature of the contract guarantees of VIWMA to provide 73,000 tons per year of Acceptable Waste to each Project for processing, VIWMA authorized GBB to perform a current waste stream characterization study. Part of this effort included waste sorts for one week each in February 2009 on St. Croix and March 2009 on St. Thomas, with the results shared with VIWMA and AEG, as compiled. The 2009 GBB waste stream characterization study incorporated historical monthly waste weigh data from both the Bovoni and Anguilla Landfills that were received from VIWMA staff. The study has formed a basis for continuing to augment the waste quantity information from the two landfills with the additional current monthly results compiled by VIWMA staff going forward following the waste sorts. The final GBB report was published in December 2009 and includes actual USVI landfill receipt data through August 31, 2009. The information contained in this document provides the underpinnings to allow for better tracking and analysis of daily, weekly and monthly waste quantities received for recycling, processing and disposal, which are important to the overall waste processing system operations, guarantees and cost projections. GBB’s annual projections are that the total waste on St. Croix is currently over 104,000 tons per year and over 76,000 tons per year on St. Thomas. The thermal processing technology selected for both Projects is a fluidized bed process, employing a heated bed of sand material “fluidized” in a column of air to burn the fuel — RDF and/or Pet Coke. As such, the solid waste to be used in these combustion units must be size-reduced from the myriad of sizes of waste set out at the curb or discharged into the large roll-off boxes or bins at the many drop-off sites in the US Virgin Islands. While traditional RDF would typically have several days of storage life, the characteristics of the pelletized RDF should allow several weeks of storage. This will be important to having a sound and realistic operating plan, given the unique circumstances associated with the climate, waste moisture content, island location, lack of back-up disposal options and downtime associated with the Power Generation Facility. During the negotiations between AEG and VIWMA, in which GBB staff participated, in addition to RDF and pelletized RDF as the waste fuel sources, other potential fuels have been discussed for use in the Projects and are included as “Opportunity Fuels” in the Service Contracts. These Opportunity Fuels include ground woody waste, dried sludges, and shredded tires, for example. Therefore, the flexibility of the EPI fluidized bed combustion boilers to handle multi-fuels is viewed as an asset over the long term, especially for an island location where disposal options are limited and shipping materials onto and off of each island is expensive. This presentation will provide a unique behind-the-scenes review of the process that led to this historic agreement, from the due diligence of the proposed technologies, to implementation planning, to the negotiations with the contractor. Also discussed will be the waste characterization and quantity analysis performed in 2009 and the fast-track procurement planning and procurement of construction and operating services for a new transfer station to be sited on St. Croix.

Yucca House National Monument (YUHO) in southwestern Colorado protects unexcavated archeological structures that were constructed by the Ancestral Puebloan people between 1050 and 1300 CE. It was established by Woodrow Wilson by presidential proclamation in 1919 and named “Yucca House” by archeologist Jesse Fewkes as a reference to the names used for this area by the local Ute, Tewa Pueblo, and other Native groups. It was originally only 3.9 ha (9.6 ac) of land, but in 1990, an additional 9.7 ha (24 ac) of land was donated by Hallie Ismay, allowing for the protection of additional archeological resources. Another acquisition of new land is currently underway, which will allow for the protection of even more archeological sites. The archeological resources at YUHO remain unexcavated to preserve the integrity of the structures and provide opportunities for future generations of scientists. One of the factors that contributed to the Ancestral Puebloans settling in the area was the presence of natural springs. These springs likely provided enough water to sustain the population, and the Ancestral Puebloans built structures around one of the larger springs, Aztec Spring. Yet, geologic features and processes were shaping the area of southwest Colorado long before the Ancestral Puebloans constructed their dwellings. The geologic history of YUHO spans millions of years. The oldest geologic unit exposed in the monument is the Late Cretaceous Juana Lopez Member of the Mancos Shale. During the deposition of the Mancos Shale, southwestern Colorado was at the bottom of an inland seaway. Beginning about 100 million years ago, sea level rose and flooded the interior of North America, creating the Western Interior Seaway, which hosted a thriving marine ecosystem. The fossiliferous Juana Lopez Member preserves this marine environment, including the organisms that inhabited it. The Juana Lopez Member has yielded a variety of marine fossils, including clams, oysters, ammonites, and vertebrates from within YUHO and the surrounding area. There are four species of fossil bivalves (the group including clams and oysters) found within YUHO: Cameleolopha lugubris, Inoceramus dimidius, Inoceramus perplexus, and Pycnodonte sp. or Rhynchostreon sp. There are six species of ammonites in three genera found within YUHO: Baculites undulatus, Baculites yokoyamai, Prionocyclus novimexicanus, Prionocyclus wyomingensis, Scaphites warreni, and Scaphites whitfieldi. There is one unidentifiable vertebrate bone that has been found in YUHO. Fossils within YUHO were first noticed in 1875–1876 by W. H. Holmes, who observed fossils within the building stones of the Ancestral Puebloans’ structures. Nearly half of the building stones in the archeological structures at YUHO are fossiliferous slabs of the Juana Lopez Member. There are outcrops of the Juana Lopez 0.8 km (0.5 mi) to the west of the structures, and it is hypothesized that the Ancestral Puebloans collected the building stones from these or other nearby outcrops. Following the initial observation of fossils, very little paleontology work has been done in the monument. There has only been one study focused on the paleontology and geology of YUHO, which was prepared by paleontologist Mary Griffitts in 2001. As such, this paleontological resource inventory report serves to provide information to YUHO staff for use in formulating management activities and procedures associated with the paleontological resources. In 2021, a paleontological survey of YUHO was conducted to revisit previously known fossiliferous sites, document new fossil localities, and assess collections of YUHO fossils housed at the Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center. Notable discoveries made during this survey include: several fossils of Cameleolopha lugubris, which had not previously been found within YUHO; and a fossil of Pycnodonte sp. or Rhynchostreon sp. that was previously unknown from within YUHO.

Geologic Resources Inventory reports provide information and resources to help park managers make decisions for visitor safety, planning and protection of infrastructure, and preservation of natural and cultural resources. Information in GRI reports may also be useful for interpretation. This report synthesizes discussions from a scoping meeting held in 2012 and a follow-up conference call in 2020. Chapters of this report discuss the geologic setting and significance, geologic features and processes, and geologic resource management issues within Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Information about the previously completed GRI map data is also provided. A GRI map poster (separate product) illustrate the GRI map data. Geologic features, processes, and resource management issues identified include erosion and mass wasting, fluvial features and processes, monadnocks, earthworks, stone quarry, building stone, ultramafic rocks, seismic activity, caves and karst, and eolian features and processes.