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As a risk management specialist, I was surprised to see recent environmental violation citations charged by two state Departments of Environmental Protection in the news. A homebuilder in California and a pipeline in Virginia both violated two critical risk categories – A) Regulatory Compliance Risk and B) Reputation Risk. Some may wonder how or why these events happened.

A properly functioning enterprise-wide risk management (ERM) process, if followed correctly, should have prevented both of these losses. The ERM program for either company would have identified the violations that occurred and developed a procedure to protect the company using traditional risk management techniques.

Each company will have developed their own the risk management process steps based on their business operations. Here are the basic steps briefly outlined below for a typical risk management program.

• Identify & define the risk: In both cases the compliance risks of being fined for violating environmental regulations were obvious based on the amount of the fines imposed.However, the damage to each company’s reputation is not so obvious but will impact each company by loss of contracts or loss of the sale of their products through potential customers reading press and blog reports of their violations.
  
  
• Assess the risks that have been identified: Assessing the risk basically is to determine what will be the negative impact on the business’s goals and overall financial performance if a major event occurs.Assuming that the risk of environmental regulatory violation will be a major impact on the business the next step is to develop an action plan to deal with the risk.
  
  
• Review & Control: This step is to evaluate each potential risk and determine if it is a risk that should be Assumed (self-insured), Reduced (by quality control and establishing monitoring procedures), Eliminated (quit doing) or Transferred (through insurance or contract with another firm to provide the services who will accept the responsibility that their product or service will meet or exceed environmental protection requirements).
  
  
• Monitor & Correct: This would be used with a process that would monitor job sites to make sure they follow the company’s quality control and environmental compliance procedures. Corrections to environmental infractions would be made as needed.

Rick has over thirty years of food and agribusiness industry experience. He provides industry-specific experience with an emphasis on risk identification, assessment and solution development for strategic risks, and other high-impact financial volatility risk exposures of a global food system. Rick currently serves as president and consulting practice leader of Strategic Risk Solutions, Inc. (SRSI).

Do you worry about choosing a sediment control product or practice that meets state and federal requirements? If not, you should. If you specify or install a product that doesn’t meet state regulatory guidelines and specifications, you are at risk for having to remove and replace the product on the job site (at your cost), or worse, be held liable for non-compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act and State Erosion and Sediment Control Laws, each of which can carry large fines and even the potential for jail time.

Filtrexx SiltSoxx is the only compost filter sock that meets standard specifications in all 50 states and all jurisdictional Federal Agencies. Filtrexx is the only company that regularly conducts third-party testing from a laboratory certified by the US Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance Program that utilizes state and federal agency required test methods, known as the Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost (TMECC), to ensure compliance with all state and federal agency specifications.In addition, as state agencies adopt performance standards for sediment control products, Filtrexx is the only company that has conducted ASTM performance tests, performance evaluations by accredited research universities and Federal Agency laboratories, and publishes the results in publicly available peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Filtrexx follows this process to help engineers and designers minimize risk on any construction site and have the peace of mind that the products they are using are compliant with all applicable requirements and regulations – no matter where they are across North America. This process is also designed to raise the transparency, product quality, and product performance of the erosion and sediment control industry through leading by example. Care about clean water or just plain sleeping well at night? - Make sure Filtrexx products are on your job site.

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.

As I write this today, I am sitting at my home office in New Bern, North Carolina. As you may recall, New Bern was front and center in the national news for the destruction from a 10’ storm surge caused by Hurricane Florence. The devastation is great. Seeing all the belongings people have piled high along the curb after feet of water destroyed their things is heartbreaking. Marinas were destroyed with countless boats sunk and others carried hundreds of feet upland. Many say, “That’s what you get!” when you live on the water. You have to understand, New Bern is about 30 miles inland on the Neuse River… not exactly on the coast.

What does this have to do with Filtrexx? It got me thinking about creating resilient structures both along the shoreline and in the flood plain. What do resilient structures look like? Most people see homes raised in the air to allow the water to rush under the house, or adding flood doors in crawl spaces to allow the water to move through without destroying the home. With shorelines, we can stop placing bulkheads along the shoreline which transfers the wave energy to unprotected areas. The surge is higher than the top of the shoreline structures that allow the wave energy to remove the soil from behind the bulkhead, causing a total collapse of the structure.

Living Shorelines have proven themselves time and time again to help absorb the wave energy, helping to reduce the energy that would normally erode the bank. Bioretention systems can help reduce stormwater volume to prevent flooding and dam failures. Compost filled SiltSoxx do not fall down. GreenLoxx wall systems help to absorb water, not repel it like hard structures.

The bottom line is real: sea levels are rising. We will see more storms and they will be more damaging, as the structures built years ago cannot stand up to these storms. Among the devastation, we have an opportunity to rebuild new structures that are more resilient than the ones destroyed.

As we begin to plan for recovery and designs are proposed, ask yourself one thing: Is this structure resilient and am I planning for tomorrow? I will certainly be keeping this question in mind, especially as I participate in the upcoming National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration and Management in December. I’m honored to be speaking at this summit, and I look forward to learning from others as well on new ways we can build resilient shorelines.

We are lucky that Filtrexx has a full team of experts ready to help you design and implement the most suitable living shoreline solution for your specific project – please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Jeff Opel has 30 years of experience in the natural resources industry. Many of those years were served as District Manager of several Soil Conservation Districts in Maryland.As District Manager Jeff was responsible for advancing new and innovative sediment and erosion control technology used during the construction process. Jeff also administered the State of Maryland’s Living Shoreline program in several Counties in the state and participated in the development of several stream restoration projects. New advanced technologies used included the use of Flocculating agents to increase the efficiency of existing sediment control techniques. Jeff also created designs for multi chamber sediment basins incorporating bio filters to increase trapping efficiency. It was at this position that Jeff became familiar with Filtrexx which was used with great success. Since leaving the government service after 20 years Jeff ran a field office for a civil engineering firm in Delaware, as well as several landscape companies, before coming to Filtrexx. With Filtrexx Jeff has worked in business development for the mid-Atlantic, and in Technical Sales support for the Southeast region. Presently Jeff represents Filtrexx as the Southeast Regional Sales Manager and is actively developing Filtrexx initiatives related to stream restoration and living shorelines.

While having brunch with some friends last week, I was excited to see that our beverages were served with biodegradable straws. We all raised our drinks to toast the café for being so environmentally responsible. Until… we all realized the drinks themselves had been served in plastic cups! OOPS! It seems that examples like this are all around us.

Whether it’s a business, industry, community or consumer, we all tend to latch on to the “hip” thing that all the cool kids are doing. In the solar industry however, we are seeing corporations not only talk the talk, but walk the walk when it comes to sustainability. In addition to leading the way with renewable and sustainable energy solutions, developers of large solar farms are using sustainable products like Filtrexx SiltSoxx during construction. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are made in the United States and contain 100% recycled organic FilterMedia. SiltSoxx are installed on the ground around the perimeter of the project with no ground disturbance or trenching required. Then, during rain events the SiltSoxx filter sediment-laden stormwater run-off and other pollutants before they leave the construction site. This protects rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and neighboring properties within the watershed. The FilterMedia within the sock is 100% bio-based and sourced both locally and regionally. This creates a huge carbon footprint reduction when compared to using geo-textile fabrics like Silt Fence, to treat sediment and stormwater on a job site.

In fact, using just 200 feet of 8” SiltSoxx on a project is equal to taking 1 car off the road!

Plus, it’s much easier to clean up when construction is complete. The SiltSoxx fabric can simply be cut, and the FilterMedia raked into the final grade by hand. Call it a “low-impact” removal – something that is critical when working next to the newly installed and expensive solar panels. Of course, Filtrexx SiltSoxx can be used on more than just solar projects. Soxx have been popping up on natural gas pipelines, powerlines, residential home construction, road projects and other earth disturbing activities around the country. I guess you could say that the cool kids are on to something hip. But something tells me that Soxx are here to stay. Just in case, be sure to ask your design engineers, project owners, general contractors, and site contractors to use SiltSoxx on their next project!

Nick has a Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University. He has been with Filtrexx for over 13 years and is now managing sales for the Northeast region. He has over 5 years of experience in SWPPP writing/review, stormwater inspections, and BMP installation. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and kayaking with his girlfriend and playing with his Boxer puppy Rudi.

“The 5 Second Rule” regarding the cleanliness of fallen food, the Great Wall of China being visible from space, and shaving thickens hair - are all myths. Food is contaminated by the amount of bacteria on the floor, not how long the food stays there.The Great Wall of China is not visible to the naked eye from space (check it out for yourself on Google Earth); and put away those razors. Your hair is not going to grow in thicker. These are known as urban legends.But this is not the only place legends abound; there are plenty of myths when it comes to sediment control techniques. Let’s shed some light on common myths about sediment control.

Myth – Fiber rolls filter stormwater
No, they do not, and we can prove it. You know the story of the Three Little Pigs. What did one of the pigs use to build his house? Straw. Why, because it filters water? No. Why do many residents in developing countries still use straw on their roofs? Because it, more or less, keeps the water out. Compacted straw does not filter, but rather repels, water. The job of fiber rolls is to slow the flow by creating a miniature dam. When water velocity slows, particles settle out.

Myth – Fiber rolls rolled-out on the surface are effective
If fact or fiction was determined by popular vote, this statement would be true based on the overwhelming number of construction sites where it occurs. It is very common to find fiber rolls surrounding a site that is neither keyed-in (trenched 2-3”) nor staked down. Based on field testing, improperly installed fiber roll worsens the turbidity that is caused by turbulence of water jetting under the fiber roll.

Myth – Doubling up fiber roll and silt fence provides better protection
Sorry, false again. It mostly just wastes your money. Remember, the goal of these devices is to slow the flow, not filter. When properly installed, fiber roll or silt fence sufficiently slows the flow by itself. No significant velocity reduction is gained by doubling up the two devices.

Myth – Fiber roll and compost socks do the same thing
This is a half-truth. It is true that they both slow the flow causing sedimentation to occur. However, compost socks do something that fiber rolls do not do. They filter the water and remove sediment particles and other pollutants. These pollutants become entrained in the filter media. Compost socks are much heavier than fiber roll and become heavier as they are saturated with water and fill up with captured particles. Therefore, compost socks are “self-weighting” and will conform well to the surface without the need to key them in and stake them down. This allows compost socks to be used effectively on paved surfaces. When it is not secured, fiber roll actually will float on water.

Myth – Perimeter controls only need to be installed once and will last the duration of the project
This is the belief held by most project estimators. They typically will only include one initial installation of perimeter controls in their budgets and schedules even for multi-year projects. All BMPs need maintenance. Fiber roll, compost socks, and silt fence will all take a beating from the sun, wind, and construction activities. They will eventually wear out and need to be replaced.In addition, as site conditions change, the perimeter control strategy will also need to change. Fiber roll might have been a perfectly good sediment control measure during the grading phase, but compost socks may be more appropriate during the vertical phase.

John Teravskis is a Senior Compliance Specialist with WGR Southwest, Inc. in Lodi, California. He is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control, a Qualified SWPPP Developer and a Qualified SWPPP Practitioner. John is also a Trainer of Record for California’s QSP/QSD program. John is the editor of WGR’s Monthly Dirt which is a free newsletter for those having to comply with California’s Construction General Permit.

Fall weather not only brings out sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes, but also rain, wind and leaves, increasing the potential for flooding along roadways.

Residents and municipal agencies can play a vital role in making sure storm drain systems perform optimally using sustainable management practices.Rainwater often carries trash, sediment, pesticides and oils that end up in our waterways. Not only do we get our drinking water from water bodies, but we also use our local waterways as a recreational tool and it is a valuable natural habitat.

One of the best ways to prevent pollutants from entering our local waterways is to remove them from streets before the elements carry them into the storm drainage system. Street sweeping is particularly important during heavy leaf drop which can result in debris blocking stormwater facilities and causing local flooding if not addressed.Residents can pick up yard waste and debris from property.Local agencies can ensure nearby storm drains are free of leaves by scheduling street sweeping appropriately and plan for full trash capture systems. It is just as important to maintain and inspect full trash capture systems to make sure they are in working order.As we are ending summer this is a good time to remind agencies to inspect, perform light maintenance if needed and re-order replacement cartridges for their StormExx systems.

StormExx Clean trash capture devices treat stormwater runoff at the street/inlet level, capturing debris such as leaves, trash and sediment before entering the storm system. StormExx Clean trash capture devices are engineered and patented for the treatment of stormwater runoff. Our catch basin inserts meet and/or exceed stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and best available technology. These units are certified and included in the Capture System List of Trash Treatment Control Devices by the California State Water Resources Control Board. A combination of proper street cleaning, resident awareness and maintenance of StormExx systems will ensure cleaner storm drainage systems and a reduction of pollutants in nearby water bodies.

Live in California and want to know more about stormwater management? Take a look at our Storm Water Awareness Week workshops that we’ll be hosting throughout California during the week.

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.

How would you answer these three questions about your business risk and environmental sustainability goals?

• Is your company widely viewed as "sustainable” in your market and are you ready to reduce your business and market risk?
• Have you chosen the most environmentally sustainable erosion and sediment control products available to maintain your competitive edge and satisfy your stakeholder’s desire for verified evidence of your sustainability?
• Can your current erosion and sediment control supplier provide 3^rd party verified, hard evidence of the sustainability of your product choices that enhance your corporate sustainability mission?

Choosing Filtrexx, the most environmentally sustainable erosion and sediment control products on the market, can help you with all three of these questions. It will ultimately enhance your sustainability reputation and reduce your marketplace risk in today’s sensitive and competitive business environment.We keep wood waste out of the landfill stream, put it in our SiltSoxx and other products and thereby reduce your carbon footprint.It’s all about making your business more attractive and competitive.

Being seen as “unsustainable” is becoming a more important business and financial risk you might consider mitigating for long-term business growth by partnering with Filtrexx and EcoPractices, our 3^rd party environmental benefits verification partner. Businesses choosing the most sustainable products and partners are increasingly seen as lower financial and market risks by customers, the public, investors and other stakeholders. Satisfying all of them by partnering with Filtexx and EcoPractices to meet your most sensitive environmental challenges is smart business.Up your game. Let Filtrexx help you shine in your stakeholder’s eyes!

Jeffrey Schmitz serves as the Business Development Manager for Filtrexx International. He is charged with helping large customers across the US in the oil and gas, utility and construction industries achieve their sustainability and environmental goals with the use of Filtrexx products and EcoPractices, our 3^rd party environmental benefits verification partner. He has 13 years in the building materials industry, a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business from South Dakota State University and an MBA from Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

At Filtrexx, we are continuously studying and conducting research in the fields of compost and stormwater. A recent article reported that compost-based stormwater management practices can reduce hydrocarbon toxicity to fish.

The research was performed by Washington State University, Evergreen State College, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and was published in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology. Researchers found that dissolved hydrocarbons commonly found in stormwater runoff from urban watershed sources, such as highways, streets, and parking lots, can be toxic to aquatic organisms.

While most studies focus on the hydrologic and pollutant removal performance of stormwater treatment and green infrastructure practices, this study is one of the few that has focused on the biological indicators of the effectiveness of these practices – specifically, the ability to reduce toxicity exposure to aquatic organism, in this case zebrafish. They reported that compost-based media that filters stormwater can remove bioavailable cardiovascular toxic hydrocarbons from stormwater runoff leading to reduced cardiotoxicity, both visibly and through gene regulation in the developing fish. Researchers concluded that more studies should focus on the biological health indicators of stormwater treatment practices, and this type of green infrastructure management practice is a viable option to remove hydrocarbons that are toxic to fish, thereby protecting or improving both water quality and the health of fish in the receiving water body.

If you’d like to learn more about how compost-based products can remove pollutants from stormwater runoff, you can download our fact sheet, check out our research library or contact us for a free project consultation.

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.

Filtrexx may be showing its age, but we’ve been working in the Living Shoreline business for over 20 years. Over the years, we’ve seen this concept referred to as many terms: bank stabilization, stream restoration, shoreline erosion control, and various combinations of these terms. Conceptually the mission of protecting a shoreline is not different but our product designs have become more efficient, effective and sustainable, and public acceptance has grown dramatically with the product changes. Filtrexx never planned to get into the shoreline business, but some innovative engineers throughout the years have looked at Filtrexx as the most viable solution available and changed the status quo. Here are six reasons as to why you should consider Filtrexx Living Shorelines for your next project:

• We are the only company that offers a true growing face based on our beneficial use of recycled organics.
• We have experienced sales consultants across the United States that can provide design help you can’t find from another company.
• Our product is made in the United States and we promote the use of native plant species that are matched with your environment and specific location.
• We offer a flexible system that can be adapted to your project area with minimal land disturbance.
• Our system helps reduce the release of carbon into the atmosphere.
• We truly are committed to successful projects. We will not recommend a solution if we do not feel it will be successful over the evolution of your project.

We love working with design professionals and innovators in the conceptual stage of a project to help you pick the best solution for the project - contact us to collaborate on your next Living Shorelines project. If you’re interested in learning more, join me in Long Beach, California December 8-13 where I’ll be speaking at the 9^th National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration and Management.

Jeff Opel has 30 years of experience in the natural resources industry. Many of those years were served as District Manager of several Soil Conservation Districts in Maryland.As District Manager Jeff was responsible for advancing new and innovative sediment and erosion control technology used during the construction process. Jeff also administered the State of Maryland’s Living Shoreline program in several Counties in the state and participated in the development of several stream restoration projects. New advanced technologies used included the use of Flocculating agents to increase the efficiency of existing sediment control techniques. Jeff also created designs for multi chamber sediment basins incorporating bio filters to increase trapping efficiency. It was at this position that Jeff became familiar with Filtrexx which was used with great success. Since leaving the government service after 20 years Jeff ran a field office for a civil engineering firm in Delaware, as well as several landscape companies, before coming to Filtrexx. With Filtrexx Jeff has worked in business development for the mid-Atlantic, and in Technical Sales support for the Southeast region. Presently Jeff represents Filtrexx as the Southeast Regional Sales Manager and is actively developing Filtrexx initiatives related to stream restoration and living shorelines.

Admittedly, I have attended several tradeshows in my years working in marketing for various companies. They usually are a lot of the same: dozens of booths filled with happy, chatty sales representatives, several interesting breakout sessions, networking events, and parties.

StormCon was my first foray into tradeshow life in the erosion control and stormwater management industries. We had Dr. Craig Kolodge and Colin Ewart from the West Coast there to man the booth, talk with customers and potential customers, and serve as stormwater gurus. This afforded me the opportunity to sit in and listen to several of the breakout sessions and try to absorb (ha ha) information. One session I sat in on was our very own Dr. Britt Faucette’s discussion: Ecosystem Service Benefits of Compost-Based Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs). You may have heard Dr. Faucette speak during one of his many webinars on pollutant removal and low-impact development because research and technical services are his forte.

Dr. Faucette’s presentation dove deep into how environmental SMPs use natural processes to achieve high performance results in biofiltration of stormwater, water conservation, and waste and carbon footprint reduction. He also discussed how these types of practices can be easily designed into stormwater management plans as well as how to calculate the outputs to prove that the SMPs you are using are working. What I discovered is that stormwater management really is a reoccurring challenge for most. What Filtrexx stormwater management products do is preserve as much of the natural site hydrology while also reintroduce natural components into the landscape. Our GroSoxx specifically help to prevent the occurrence of stormwater, distribute stormwater and its treatment across the landscape and filter stormwater pollutants prior to site discharge. One of the largest takeaways that I discovered is the importance of having a process and a plan in place for stormwater. Eliminating the unknown, the risks, the compliance issues and the potential fines by having SMPs in place is imperative.

Overall, I had a great time in Denver and I can’t wait to attend next year’s StormCon in Atlanta, GA!

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.

In today’s economy everyone is looking for a way to save a dollar. After all, a dollar saved is a dollar earned. Sometimes the answer about how to save those dollars may not be as obvious as you think.

When considering options for erosion control BMPs, many people will look to save by the “give me the cheapest” approach. Sure, a roll of silt fence or straw wattle looks like a good idea up front. After all the material cost is cheap, all the people on the installation crew are familiar with how to install it and it’s a “no-brainer”.

You would be right with all of those assumptions. Including the “no-brainer” part, which implies that there is no thinking involved in the decision process.

Is it really the best BMP for your needs? Is it the best overall cost for you? Have you considered the cost of installation, maintenance, repair, replacement, removal and disposal costs over the life of your project?

4 reasons to consider Filtrexx compost SiltSoxx for your next project:

• Ease of installation – no trenching or digging required. Save on labor costs.
• Durability – on long-term projects, SiltSoxx lasts 2-3 years from installation. Save on maintenance costs.
• Repairable and reusable – on short-term small projects, SiltSoxx can be picked up and moved to the next site. Save on multiple purchase costs.
• Disposal – once SiltSoxx has come to the end of its usable life, cut and dispose of the mesh and spread the compost. Very little waste; save on disposal costs.

When you would like to know more, a Filtrexx representative can help you with a free, simple TOTAL COST comparison for your BMP needs to ensure that you are making the most educated choice for your business.

EcoPractices’ partnership with Filtrexx brings a unique perspective to the construction industry. Together, we challenge companies to look at their environmental stewardship missions. We look at sustainability as a risk. What are your risks related to compliance, permitting, local community, and ecosystems when you make every day decisions? When selecting a product for erosion control and stormwater management all of these factors should be considered.

Filtrexx is the leader in Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs) which is why EcoPractices is a proud partner to provide third-party verification of practices and environmental impact values quantification metrics to accompany Filtrexx products for their clients. EcoPractices provides quarterly update reports and annual Sustainability Analysis Reports that can be tailored to each client’s operation and needs.

Millions of miles of erosion control and stormwater management products are sent to a landfill every year. Filtrexx has developed the science behind the compost filter sock and perfected a Filtrexx SiltSoxx™ product that provides the highest function on the market while not only reducing our organic matter waste but reusing it and reducing the product waste at the end of its life. According to the US EPA, organic waste is the largest portion of solid waste entering our landfills with 61.7% of waste in 2012 being organic matter. Filtrexx and their clients are viewing waste products as a resource to reduce their local landfill footprint and reduced their carbon footprint while improving soil and water quality.

Many companies are missing the opportunity to reach their environmental goals with construction practices. Project Managers: Are Sustainable Management Practices being used on your construction projects?

Learn more about EcoPractices' partnership with Filtrexx.

As sustainable practices and environmental analytics manager for Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC), Jennifer Jensen assists in research and science behind providing practices that have documented and referenced beneficial impacts on the environment. She oversees SEC’s sustainability risk management platform called EcoPractices for consistent traceability, ensuring customer practices are indeed implemented and done so according to standards set by industry and or government organizations. Jenny maintains the necessary documentation to keep all parties up to SEC’s sustainability risk management method. Jennifer attended Iowa State University and graduated in May, 2016 with three Bachelor of Science degrees in environmental science, agronomy, and biology, respectively.

The top 4 reasons why any sediment control product fails on a project site are issues with – installation, maintenance, design, and performance. Filtrexx SiltSoxx™ are specifically designed to remove each of these issues, thereby minimizing risk to you and your company on any project site.

1. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are one of the only products 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 SiltSoxx, and stake. It is the industry leader in installation simplicity.

2. Filtrexx SiltSoxx combines one of the highest stormwater flow through rates and heaviest products in the industry, creating a product that rarely moves, floats, overtops, or undercuts – leading to industry leading minimum maintenance requirements.

3. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are one of the only products available that come with university researched and development site specific design and engineering criteria based on virtually any site and regional design storm/rainfall condition. Without this information a product 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.

4. Filtrexx SiltSoxx are the only sediment control product 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.

In addition, Filtrexx SiltSoxx are one of the only products that comply with state and federal agency specifications nationwide, and has been verified by a third party to significantly reduce environmental impacts both on and off the project site. Do you care about managing your risk?

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.