Blog Archives

The International Erosion Control Association Conference was held in Denver, Colorado this year at the Colorado Convention Center. Professionals in the erosion control, stormwater management and sediment control industries gathered together for three days of networking, meetings and educational sessions. Filtrexx attended once again and Dr. Britt Faucette presented Calculating Ecosystem Service (Environmental) Impact of Compost-Based Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs).

Dr. Faucette’s presentation focused on Natural Capital – the material within the environment that provides free ecosystem services that maintain our economic, environmental and human health. Ecosystem services include soil erosion control, stormwater prevention, maintenance of natural cycles, climate regulation and waste reduction. Ecosystem services have a global economic value of $33 trillion per year. We save on energy, hard infrastructure and financial expenditure the more we monitor and manage the earth and its natural design.

Low impact development and green infrastructure strategies use natural design principles to decentralize stormwater management and restore the natural hydrology. Compost best management practices (BMPs) utilize these sustainable design strategies and maximize what nature does to reduce stormwater, filter pollutants and conserve water while also implementing bio-based materials, reducing carbon footprints and accruing LEED green building credits.

IECA 2019 was a great show and Filtrexx is excited to be once again participating in IECA 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina!

As the Marketing Manager for Filtrexx, Teele works heavily in the digital and social arenas of marketing, running the Filtrexx Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. She also serves as writer and editor of press releases, project profiles and most recently, the Filtrexx blog. Teele attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Science in corporate communication. Teele has worked in marketing roles for various companies around the Twin Cities before landing at Filtrexx in July, 2017.

Filtrexx is kicking off this week by attending the International Erosion Control Association Conference in Denver, Colorado. With erosion and sediment control being the theme for the week, below are four reasons why compost filter socks are the best BMP for your construction project.

The top four reasons why any sediment control Best Management Practice (BMP) fails on a construction site are issues with installation, maintenance, performance, and design. Compost filter socks are specifically designed to remove each of these issues, minimizing risk on any construction site or land disturbing activity.

• Compost filter socks are one of the only BMPs on the market that do not require trenching, which is both labor intensive and a land-disturbing activity. Simply prepare the ground, lay down the compost filter sock, and stake. It is the industry leader in installation simplicity.
• Compost filter socks combine one of the highest stormwater flow-through rates and heaviest weight of any BMP in the industry, creating a product that rarely moves, floats, overtops, or undercuts – creating minimal maintenance requirements.
• Compost filter socks are one of the only sediment control BMPs whose performance has been researched by multiple major U.S. universities and a U.S. federal agency, with results published in leading U.S. environmental scientific peer-reviewed publications.
• Compost filter socks are one of the only sediment control BMPs that have detailed site specific design and engineering criteria available for virtually any site and regional design storm/rainfall condition. Without this information a BMP is impossible to design correctly, leading to a much higher risk of major failure from under design or paying too much due to over design.
  
  

In addition, compost filter socks are one of the only BMPs that are accepted by state regulatory agencies across the U.S., and can significantly reduce environmental impacts both on and off the project site.

This blog was featured by both the U.S. Composting Council and the International Erosion Control Association.

Dr. Britt Faucette, Ph.D., is an Ecosystem Scientist, CPESC, and LEED AP. He earned his Ph.D. from the Odom School of Ecology at the University of Georgia where he researched soil-water-plant performances of various BMPs used in soil erosion and stormwater management applications; served as a state specialist in storm water management, organics recycling, and pollution prevention programs; and served as an adjunct professor. Britt coordinates research, design, and training services for the stormwater and organic materials management industries and serves on technical committees and boards with ASTM, GRHC, CCREF, and IECA. In 2008 he was awarded the annual USCC Clean Water Award. Britt has authored numerous peer-reviewed and popular press publications and popular press articles, two books, federal and state specifications, and has been awarded nearly $500,000 in research grants.

Get to know: Chris Olson, Senior Manager of Operations

What is your role at Filtrexx?

At its core, my role is to guarantee that sales efforts are supported by way of manufacturing and installations and to ensure that the manufacturing sites and installation crews have the resources and training to succeed. I also work with the product development team to forecast production capability requirements prior to the actual release of new product.

What do you like most about working for Filtrexx?

At Filtrexx, bold decision making and flawless execution are cornerstones of what we do daily. We have the latitude to take initiative, take risks, and solve problems with just the right balance of careful analysis and audacity.

What do you find the most challenging about working for Filtrexx?

We are a rapidly growing company and keeping production capability up to speed with the sale of product. The true challenge is finding the balance between muscling through a task to make sure it is complete and finding a better way to do it.

What has been one of your favorite projects to work on while at Filtrexx?

Easy; the ongoing California fire remediation project is very fulfilling. In finding the best way to bring massive quantities of SiltSoxx to Northern California, we determined that opening a satellite location in short order to satisfy the need of sourcing local compost back into the community is best. We are partnering with charities and non-profit organizations to employ 10 local residents whose homes and jobs were lost in the Camp Fire tragedy. Watching the new team band together and exceed any rational expectation is nothing short of awe inspiring.

What have you learned that you didn’t know before becoming a Filtrexx employee?

As a relatively new employee, I learn every day. From starting at a base knowledge of 0 in compost to general business practices, every day comes with new lessons.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

In this order: Spending time with my wife and two kids, fishing, and teaching my kids to fish. We have a family cabin on Lake Vermilion, MN where we spend nearly every summer weekend. In the winter, we ice fish, snowboard, and generally just survive the cold.

Any random facts we should know about you?

Prior to joining Filtrexx, I spent 10 years as an Infantry Officer in the Army where I had a chance to lead upwards of 135 of the Nation’s finest in far-away lands. I also spent the last 2 years of my career living in Cairo, Egypt working at our Embassy as part of the U.S. diplomatic mission coordinating the manufacture of 100’s of tanks and other arms to the government of Egypt. The best part of that assignment was being able to play #8 on a touring Rugby team composed of people from over 6 countries.

Evangelina Paoluccio P.E., QSD/P is the Engineering Manager at Inventive Resources, Inc.She has over fourteen years of design experience in drinking water, wastewater and storm water systems and is a registered Civil Engineer in California.