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Cantore, Zeller: Keynoters for EC-’17
“Is the Sky Falling?” is the title of the opening keynote by Jim Cantore at the 2017 edition of the International Erosion Control Association’s Environmental Connection-’17 conference in Atlanta, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017.
Cantore, the well-known meteorologist with the Weather Channel, will discuss changes in weather patterns, predictions for the future and how these changes will affect the erosion control industry.
Known for his live reports from severe weather events, Cantore embodies the passion and knowledge of The Weather Channel. He has covered major weather events of the past 30 years, including Hurricanes Katrina and Irene and Superstorm Sandy. Cantore is also known for his animated, tenacious style, both in the field and in the studio.
The closing keynoter is professional engineer (P.E.) Craig Zeller, who will address the “Kingston, Tenn., Ash Recovery Project” on Friday, Feb. 24.
Zeller is the senior regional project manager with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On Dec. 22, 2008, the failure of a coal ash dike at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee, caused a monumental environmental disaster where approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash was released over 300 acres that choked the adjacent Emory River, disrupted electrical power, ruptured a natural gas line and water line, and covered a railway and local roadways.
Zeller’s presentation will provide attendees a look into this disaster and his experience serving as the EPA’s on-site coordinator for the cleanup and recovery efforts. More than six years and $1.2 billion later, the ash landfill has been successfully closed, and hundreds of acres of habitat have been restored for ecological and recreational use.
Source: IECA