you have entered our link to... learn more about BioFence
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| A faster, easier, environmentally safe, economic, and more effective way to erect your erosion and siltation control measures. Use BioFence rather than weed-invasive hay bales, or pollutant-generating black plastic silt fences! Find out why our biodegradable and non-toxic alternative product called BioFence won the EPA's 1999 Environmental Technology Innovator Award! Try some today by ordering BioFence for your next wetlands, woodland, or wildlife protection project! You will be surprised at how you can combine economic vitality with environmental sense.....BioFence - biodegradable silt fences...
our new number is 508-958-1217 Email to: markahowland@comcast.net |
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How BioFence is used... BioFence comes in 50’ rolls with stakes included. It offers superior silt trapping ability
over other siltation controlsand is more cost effective.Click this bookmark here to see a cost comparison between BioFence and the old Hay Bale/Black Plastic Silt Fence method....
What BioFence does ... BioFence provides you with a siltation fence that takes the place of hay bales and plastic
silt fence combinations. It biodegrades in about 2 years meaning no messy removal
Why use BioFence ... BioFence was designed by a wetlands biologist to address wetlands protection and construction needs. It’s design promotes the best protection. It has been tested to provide over 87% silt removal during testing, compared to hay bales/silt fence combos at 80%, hay bales at 65%, and plastic silt fences at 45%. Unlike hay bales containing weed seeds, or black plastic containing oils and lubricants from manufacturing, BioFence is totally non-toxic, and non-intrusive. Both hay bales (Canada) and black plastic (Far East) usually originate from foreign sources (thus an import) while BioFence is assembled from US materials in the majority of its components(Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, Wisconsin, Texas, Olkahoma, etc...) - a true American product!
When to use BioFence... BioFence is used in all cases when resource areas need to be protected from silt, erosion
materials, and sedimentation entry. Six different versions !
Can You 
Afford to Let
Your Profits Erode Away ??
Why are you spending more money for erosion control on your project? BioFence not only costs less for materials than hay bales and plastic, but installs 5X faster! And it is biodegradable, you never have to come back to take it out ! Environmentally safe, economically efficient - Try some today !
COPYRIGHTED 1993-2005 PATENTED, TRADEMARKED
All Rights reserved. Environmental Research Corps
15 Mohawk Ave., E. Freetown, MA 02717
Cost Analysis of BioFence Installation
Note - the following analysis has been prepared by Environmental Research Corps - manufacturers of BioFence to issue a cost comparison between the use of BioFence - the 1999 EPA Environmental Technology Innovator Award winner for erosion control; or the old method of hay bale installation backed by black plastic silt fence. Costs are per January 2005 pricing from industry sources based on averages and estimates formed over the past five years in the construction trade.
1. Material Costs
Current Materials Cost of BioFence - retail: $75.00 per 50' roll = $1.50 per linear foot
Current Materials Cost of Hay Bale silt fence combination for 50' length
(17 hay bales @ $4.00 (average) = 68.00), (34 stakes @ .48 = $16.32), and (50' of staked black plastic = 24.00) for a total of $108.32 = $2.17
2. Longevity
BioFence remains totally effectively for one year, and loses efficiency in the second year until it reaches 40% effectiveness at the end of the second year.
Currently - BioFence is rated at 87% efficient at stopping silt and sedimentation, while the hay bale/plastic silt fence combination is rated at 80% effective upon installation. Hay bales alone are rated at 65% effective, while black plastic silt fence is rated at 45% effective (all rates are upon installation - at the one year installed point - BioFence is 83% efficient, compared to 62% for the hay bale/silt fence combo, 51% for hay bales alone, and 31% for black plastic silt fences by themselves ). An obvious advantage for BioFence - both upon installation and after one year !
Hay bales last an average of 6 months before decomposition begins and lose all effectiveness after 1 year.
Black plastic lasts approximately 20 years, and generally loses effectiveness due to fastening methods after one to two years. Most of the hydrocarbon based fibers in black plastic silt fences do not decompose at all in a 50 year period, and since contractors seldom remove the black plastic silt fences as they are suppose to - much of the plastic ends up in the wetlands it was suppose to protect after detaching from the stakes as so commonly seen....Environmental Sense ????
3. Environmental Considerations
BioFence has been tested to be totally non-toxic - all components are from renewable and recyclable resources. BioFence's aspen wood fiber component that replaces the hay bale is totally weed and seed-free, and poses no nitrate releases due to lack of bark materials. BioFence's burlap composite that holds the beech stakes in a looped pocket to improve the fastening methods of stapling as common to the black plastic silt fences it replaces, has no hydrocarbons or chemicals in its composition.
Hay bales routinely come from the Midwest plains of Canada where purple loosestrife is prevalent along with Midwest grasses. Canadians, due to a short growing season do not dry their bales in the sun to kill the weed seed in the bale. US farmers who do dry the bales produce a superior bale that commonly is sold to the farm industry from $5-$7 per bale. The Canadian hay bale, an import, is the bulk (estimated 90%) of the hay bales used in the construction industry from $3-5/bale.
Black Plastic Silt Fence is manufactured primarily by three companies who use Malaysian low-grade oil fibers to spin the fence fibers. United Technologies tested the materials from each of the companies producing black plastic and found trace levels of hydrocarbons (attributed to lubricating greases and oils) on the materials.
4. Labor Costs
BioFence using one person takes approximately 6 minutes to install a 50' roll. The Black Plastic/Hay Bale combination takes approximately 45 minutes for 50', and customarily involves two people. A 50' roll of BioFence weighs 42 pounds, 50' of black plastic and hay bales weighs 1109 pounds. Transport factors related to weight within a site for erosion placement were not considered in cost factors, but it is sufficient to say that BioFence is mobile, the combination is not.
At current union labor rates of $15.12/hour for a laborer - BioFence's installation cost for labor is $1.51 The Hay Bale/Black Plastic combination installation cost is $45.36
Thus to summarize:
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BioFence* Cost of Product: $75 per 50' roll Labor Costs: $1.51 Total Cost Installed: $76.51 ($1.53/lf) Other Factors: environmentally safe mobile (42 lbs.) no removal needed - biodegradable Total Effectiveness: 1 year Partial Effectiveness: 1.5 years Loss of Effectiveness: 2.0 years - denotes BioFence advantages |
Hay Bales/ Black Plastic* $108.32 for 50' $45.36 Total Cost Installed: $153.68 ($3.07/lf) Other Factors: weed invasion and toxicity weight factor (1109 lbs.) additional removal/disposal costs (estimated $40) Total Effectiveness: Six months Partial Effectiveness: 1 Year Loss of Effectiveness: 2.0 years * all figures based on estimates and averages taken over 5 year period |
Thus, it is felt that BioFence is more cost-effective than the old combination method while retaining equal effectiveness, and gaining environmental considerations. With removal and disposal costs figured in to the hay bale/black plastic silt fence combination use, the $3.87 linear foot cost far exceeds BioFence's $1.53/lf cost and would even allow the replacement use of new BioFence during a longer construction project without costs being exceeded.
Mark A. Howland, Chief Biologist
Environmental Research Corps, 15 Mohawk Ave., E. Freetown, MA 02717
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Company Info: Environmental Research Corps, 15 Mohawk Ave., E. Freetown, MA 02717
Phone: local number - 508-958-1217 ....
Web Pages at www.wetlandsandwildlife.com or www.biofence.com
Subsiduary: BioMass Farms - wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife research station - manufacturors of BioFence
Phone: local number 508-958-1217
We are not your usual firm that one discovers over the web. We were among the first environmental firms that came out of the 1960's with concerns about the environment - being formed in 1970. Since that time we have consistently attempted to inform the public about wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife concerns - living up to our slogan - saving our wetlands to protect our future... Our journey through time has led us to discover how to make a living in the environmental field without having to compromise our values. Our new additional slogan for the millenium is economic vitality and environmental sense.... It has lead us to discover that one can get contractors and developers to realize that the environmental way is not only better for the environment, but ultimately better for the bottom line of economics. It has led us to discover that we need to show the way is some cases, as with our famous BioFence for erosion control, or our equal award winning Howland Swales for stormwater mitigation. It has led us to discover that our forefathers were right - lead the way, and others will follow.....
You will never come across products like ours unless someone dares to copy and steal our designs - which we will fight to protect our rights. We vow to stay at the forefront of environmental protection, prove that saving our resources can also be profitable, and continue to introduce and document advances in wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife protection.
.. Bonnie and Mark Howland 
owners of Environmental Research Corps and BioMass Farms