When you really need the best, contact "The Waterstop Experts" at JP Specialties, Inc. We can answer your questions and ship even the largest jobs quickly. Free blueprint take-offs and shop drawings are available.

JP Specialties Donates to Dream Makers

Every year, JP Specialties, Inc (Earth Shield® Waterstop) donates a significant amount of money to a charity around holiday time. The past several years we supported a national cause (Shriner's Hospital for Children). This year, we decided to do something much closer to home and support one of the local charter schools: Temecula Preparatory School. (TPS website at http://www.temeculaprep.com/ ) Charter schools receive far less funding than standard public schools and are badly in need of help from corporate partners and concerned parents. The school's PTA (PTA website at http://www.tpspats.com/ ) created the Dream Maker program for corporate partners to help make teacher's and student's dreams come true. JP Specialties, Inc. (http://www.jpspecialties.com/) is proud to be the inaugural corporate partner and today, Friday, Dec. 16th the winning "dreams" will be announced at the school's "Winter Wonderland" festivities. More details on "Dream Makers" can be found here http://idisk.me.com/david_r_p/Public/DreamMaker.pdf and JP Specialties, Inc. encourages other local businesses to support this outstanding asset to our community. ---More info from David Poole 951-334-3440

TPE and TPV... My Definition

TPEs and TPVs are such niche items that I seriously doubt that you'll ever find them listed in a printed dictionary or encyclopedia. Therefore, I decided to put my definiton on the Web for all to use as needed. 

1)       TPE and TPV defined:

a)         Thermoplastic Elastomeric Rubber (TPE [sometimes referred to as TPER]) — An alloy of rubber and plastic usually that bridges the price/performance gap of the two parent materials. TPEs have many of the physical properties and characteristics of rubber, but process like plastics.

b)        Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Rubber (TPV) — Same as a TPE, but the rubber phase of the product is vulcanized (or cross-linked), which provides the finished elastomer with higher chemical resistance and substantially better mechanical properties.

c)         (From Handbook of Thermoplastic Elastomers by Benjamin M. Walker and Dr. Charles P. Rader.)  TPEs first appeared as commercial entities during the late 1950s, with the introduction of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers by both B. F. Goodrich and Mobay Chemical. This was followed by the production of styrene butadiene and styrene isoprene block copolymers by the Shell Chemical Company during the middle and late 1960s. a significant innovation in the TPE field was the commercial introduction of copolyester block copolymers by the Du Pont Company during the 1970s, which was followed by the introduction of a group of rubber-plastic blends — primarily polypropylene and EPDM rubber — by the Uniroyal Chemical Company. The 1980s saw  introduction of elastomeric alloy thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), by the Monsanto Chemical Company in 1981, and elastomeric alloy melt processible rubbers (MPRs), by the Du Pont Company in 1985. The Monsanto TPV (now Santoprene by ExxonMobil), based upon a unique process of dynamic vulcanization, consists of a two-phase system — a finely divided dispersion of a highly vulcanized rubber phase in a continuous phase of polyolefin.

RCRA and SPCC Fines for Roanoke, VA Company

ROANOKE, VA -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that a chemical distributor in Roanoke, Va. has agreed to pay a $43,967 penalty and complete more than $200,000 in safety improvements to settle alleged violations of federal environmental laws designed to protect and inform the public about hazardous chemicals.


The company, Chemicals and Solvents, Inc. (doing business as Chemsolv, Inc.) is located at 1111 Industry Ave., S.E., Roanoke.  The settlement applies to Chemsolv and Austin Holdings-VA, LLC, owner of two of three properties that make up the facility.


According to an EPA complaint, the alleged violations include the facility’s lack of fire protection, inadequate secondary containment, and improper storage of incompatible chemicals.  Other violations concern the company’s failure to fully implement its risk management program that is designed to help prevent chemical releases, and the company’s failure to submit required documentation to state, county and local officials for the facility’s numerous hazardous chemicals. States and communities can use this information to improve chemical safety and to protect public health and the environment in the event of a release.


The settlement announced today follows up on an EPA order in June 2008 for Chemsolv to take extensive measures to ensure that its storage facilities complied with industry standards and risk management program regulations.  To comply with the order, Chemsolv rebuilt two large warehouses at the facility.  


In the settlement, Chemsolv has agreed to pay a cash penalty of $43,967, and to implement two additional safety upgrades that exceed regulatory requirements: (1) installation of a nitrogen blanketing system on 20 storage tanks containing flammable materials at a cost of $153,000, and (2) installation of a dry disconnect system on hoses at the facility, which will eliminate drips and accidental spills during loading and unloading of chemicals, at a cost of $63,000.  In the settlement documents, the company neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations.

RCRA and Clean Water Act Violations Force DOW Settlement

Click this link for the full story. The most serious RCRA violations resulted from cracks and pits in secondary containment structures for several tanks and pieces of equipment at the Midland facility.  Secondary containment structures are ditches, walls, and other types of structures intended to hold in accidental spills and releases of hazardous waste from tanks and equipment.  Cracks and pits in secondary containment structures threaten the integrity of the structure, which can result in a release of hazardous waste into the surrounding environment.


JP Specialties, Inc. / Earth Shield® is the leading manufacturer of chemical resistant waterstop solutions and has recently begun supplying DOW projects throughout Michigan with chemical resistant waterstop to avoid future RCRA and Clean Water Act violations.

New York DEC Releases Fracking Report With Secondary Containment Requirements

Penn Yan, NY — The Department of Environmental Conservation released its revised recommendations on mitigating the environmental impacts of high-volume hydraulic fracturing “fracking” July 1.
Those opposed to the practice argue that the recommendations allow the state to apply double standards to protecting drinking water supplies.
The recommendations contain these major revisions:
•High-volume fracturing would be prohibited in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds, including a buffer zone.
•Drilling would be prohibited within primary aquifers and within 500 feet of their boundaries.
•Surface drilling would be prohibited on state-owned land including parks, forest areas and wildlife management areas.
•High-volume fracturing will be permitted on privately held lands under rigorous and effective controls.
•DEC will issue regulations to codify these recommendations into state law.
The Department’s review has resulted in recommendations for controls on high-volume fracturing on private lands such as:
Protecting Drinking Water
• Well water and other water protection: No permits would be issued for sites within 500 feet of a private water well or domestic use spring. No permits may be issued for a proposed site within 2,000 feet of a public drinking water supply well or reservoir at least until three years of experience elsewhere have been evaluated. No permits will be issued for well pads within a 100-year floodplain.
•Additional Well Casing to Prevent Gas Migration: In most cases, an additional third, cemented well casing is required around each well to prevent the migration of gas. The three required casings are the surface casing, the new intermediate casing and the production casing.
• Spill control: Flowback water on site must use watertight tanks within a secondary containment. No open containment may be used. Secondary containment for all fracturing additive containers, additive staging areas and flowback tanks will be required.
• Stormwater Control: Strict stormwater control measures will be required.
Regulating Water Withdrawals
A special permit will be required to withdraw large volumes of water for industrial and commercial purposes.
All withdrawals from surface water bodies will be subject to limits to prevent impacts upon ecosystems and other water quantity requirements. Identification of the water source an applicant intends to use will be required. An annual report must be issued on the aggregate amount of water it has withdrawn.
Applicants must have DEC-approved plans for disposing of flowback water and production brine. DEC would institute a process to monitor disposal of flowback water, production brine, drill cuttings and other drilling waste streams that is similar to the handling of medical waste.
Taking Localities into Account
DEC would notify local governments of each well permit application for high-volume fracturing. Applicant must certify that a proposed activity is consistent with local land use and zoning laws. Failure to certify or a challenge by a locality would trigger additional DEC review before a permit could be issued.
Identifying Fluid Chemicals
The 2011 environmental report identifies 322 chemicals proposed for use in New York and includes health hazard information for each as identified by the NYS Department of Health. Applicants must fully disclose to DEC all products utilized in the high-volume fracturing process. Applicants must agree to publicly disclose the names of the additives, subject to appropriate protections for proprietary information. Operators will be required to evaluate using alternative additives that pose less potential risk.
Protecting the Air
Enhanced air pollution controls on engines used at well pads will be required. DEC will monitor local and regional air quality at well pads and surrounding areas. The use of existing pipelines will be required rather than flaring gas.
Conserving Habitats
Disturbing the surface of the land is strictly restricted in forests of 150 acres or more, or grasslands of 30 acres or more, by requiring applicants to comply with best management practices.
The DEC report says the 2009 SGEIS did not adequately consider the community and socioeconomic impacts of high-volume fracturing. DEC officials say they have engaged independent consultants to thoroughly research these types of effects, such as:
• Socio-economic conditions including positive and negative impacts.
• Transportation infrastructure, current road use and the impacts of increased traffic.
• Visual and noise impacts.
DEC expects the research to be completed by July 31. This research will be considered and reflected in the final draft of the report.
Upon final adoption of the permitting standards, DEC will implement a system of oversight, monitoring and enforcement with close consultation with local governments and communities.
A High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel, composed of outside environmental and industry experts and local government representatives, will be charged with developing recommendations for:
• funding to ensure the proper oversight, monitoring and enforcement by state and county agencies responsible for drilling activities and reviewing water sampling data.
• measures to minimize socioeconomic and other impacts on local governments and communities;
•a fee structure for drilling development.
• a mechanism for the funding of infrastructure improvements.

Copyright 2011 The Courier. Some rights reserved

Earth Shield Supplies Chemical Resistant Waterstop to New GE Sodium Nickel Battery Plant That President Obama Promoted During Recent Visit

President Barack Obama visited the Capital Region Friday, January 7th, 2011 where he touted America's business potential during a trip to General Electric located in Schenectady, NY where he toured a new battery plant with General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt.

The president introduced Immelt as the head of a Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Obama said the panel will focus on getting people back to work and making our nation more competitive on a global level.

During his speech, President Obama said that as the economy slowly recovers, the challenge is to make it easier for people to expand new businesses and for existing companies to hire new workers. The president also said that in order for the economy to fully recover, U.S. companies must expand their exports to overseas markets.

GE is making a move into the sodium-based battery business with a $100 million battery manufacturing plant in upstate New York. The company has previously invested heavily in lithium ion batteries — the batteries of choice for hybrid and electric cars — but the new sodium-nickel-chloride batteries will power GE's hybrid locomotives. The batteries could also be used in data centers, trucking equipment for mining, and alternative energy storage.

GE has held patents on the sodium-based batteries, which store energy produced when vehicles brake, for over five years. The company believes sodium-based batteries are superior to lithium batteries for locomotive purposes because the former provides large amounts of power spread over a long period. In comparison, lithium ion batteries provide short bursts of power that can jolt a vehicle into moving.

Earth Shield® brand chemical resistant waterstop is currently being installed throughout the new battery plant in all the containment areas and trenches. An on-site waterstop welding training class was held on March 9th, 2011, certifying the contractor — Lechase Construction Services of Schenectady, NY. The entire crew was trained over the course of one day and construction commenced immediately. Both retrofit and base seal waterstops were used throughout.

The battery factory, scheduled to open in mid-2011, will provide a much-needed economic boost to Niskayuna, New York, with 350 factory jobs and $100 million in investment — some of which GE hopes will be provided for with government economic stimulus funding. At full capacity, GE's sodium-based battery factory will produce 10 million battery cells (900 MW hours of energy storage) each year.

Earth Shield is proud to be a small part of this factory of the future.

Ireland Oil Regulations Enhanced

The arrival of The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 represent the most significant change in oil storage regulations in the province for a generation. Coming into effect on 20 March 2011 and affecting both new and existing oil storage installations, they are applicable to the storage of all kinds of oil including agricultural fuel oil, biodiesel, diesel, gas oil, bioheating oil, heating oil, kerosene, lubricants, oil based solvents, mineral oil, paraffin, plant oil, vegetable oil and waste oils.

Affected Premises

The new Regulations are applicable to all internal and external above ground storage installations with an installed capacity greater than 200 litres at:

• Commercial premises e.g. shops, garages, offices etc.
• Industrial premises e.g. factories, quarries, workshops etc.
• Institutional premises e.g. civic buildings, hospitals, police stations, multi-residential dwellings, blocks of flats, apartments etc.
• Domestic premises with an installed capacity greater than 3,500 litres
• Waste oil storage and collection facilities e.g. civic amenity sites
• Companies who refine and distribute oil and who are not regulated by The Control of Major Accident Hazards (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2000, storing 2,500 tonnes of oil or more.

Single family dwellings with an installed capacity of 3,500 litres or less are not affected by the Regulations, but instead are subject to Building Regulations in the province. Similarly, whilst agricultural installations do not fall within the remit of the legislation, they are covered by The Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Fuel Oil) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2003.

Scope

The scope of the new Regulations at affected installations extends to:

• Fixed storage tanks
• Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs)
• Drums
• Bowsers and other similar, mobile storage / dispensing tanks

For the first time in Northern Ireland, the Regulations establish minimum legal requirements for the storage of oil at affected premises and installations. Usefully they bring the province largely into line with existing regulations elsewhere in the United Kingdom and in mainland Europe.

Principal Measures

Key requirements of the new regulations in Northern Ireland include:

• Tanks, drums and any other storage containers must be strong enough to store oil without bursting.
• Oil storage containers should be positioned to minimise the risk of vehicular impact
• A secondary containment system (e.g. bund) should be incorporated within the installation to contain any oil spilt from the primary storage container, ancillary equipment or pipework.
• The secondary containment system must be able to store a minimum of 110% of the primary storage container. Where more than one container is stored, the system must be able to contain either 110% of the capacity of the largest storage container of 25% of the aggregate total - whichever is the greater.
• The base and walls of any bund must be impermeable to oil e.g. they must be able to contain oil for a minimum of 72 hours. Additionally, the bund must not be permeated by any pipe or valve, capable of draining the storage system.
• Aboveground pipework must be properly supported and underground pipework must be protected from physical and chemical damage and have adequate leakage protection in place.

In practice, the outworking of the new requirements will be the installation of pre-fabricated bunded oil tanks and the increased use of sump pallets at many oil storage installations in the province.

Timing

In England and Scotland, comparable regulations were phased in over a number of years. It is therefore unsurprising to find the same approach has been taken in Northern Ireland. The Regulations, which apply to both new and existing oil storage installations, will be implemented in three distinct stages:

• All new oil storage facilities must comply by 20 September 2011
• Existing oil storage facilities within 10 metres of a waterway or within 50 metres of a well, borehole or spring must comply by 20 March 2013.
• All remaining oil storage facilities should comply by 31 December 2015.

Further Information

In 2009, oil represented approximately 14% of substantiated pollution incidents investigated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Whilst there has been a welcome, downward trend in the number of oil related pollution incidents in the province; the number appears to have levelled off at c.220 incidents per annum during recent years. The Agency hopes the introduction of new Regulations will further reduce the number and extent of oil related pollution incidents in the province.

Further information on the new Regulations is available from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

All material courtesy of and copyright of OilFiredUp.com 

Waterstop for Corner Joints

Earth Shield® Waterstop profile JP540L is the perfect solution for sealing corner joints between wall/wall or wall/slab on environmentally engineered concrete containment structures.  The product is externally applied using factory supplied novolac epoxy, stainless steel Tapcons®, and stainless steel batten bar.

JPS / Earth Shield Waterstop Proudly Sponsor Kenny G at South Coast Winery, Benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children

This past Saturday at the beautiful, award-winning South Coast Winery in Temecula, CA, smooth jazz master Kenny G performed to a sold out audience with all proceeds benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children. For the second year in a row, JP Specialties, Inc. (manufacturer of Earth Shield® Waterstop) has proudly sponsored the event which directly impacts the lives of children throughout the world. If you would like to see a short video gallery of the evening, please click here.