Environmental Geoscience Program

WHAT'S NEW

11TH INTERNATIONAL PALEOLIMNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM will be held from the 23rd to the 26th of June 2009, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. See: http://www.paleolim.org

QUATERNARY ICE SHEET-OCEAN INTERACTIONS AND LANDSCAPE RESPONSES: June 5-7, Pennsylvania State University Registration Now Open! Please visit the meeting web site: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/quaternary/

ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY: Rhodes College is pleased to announce the receipt of a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that will enable the College to support a cross-disciplinary program in Environmental Studies. Therefore, the Rhodes Department of Anthropology and Sociology invites applications for a three-year postdoctoral position in Environmental Archaeology to begin August, 2008. We encourage applications from candidates who have expertise in the Environmental Archaeology of the Southeastern United States and welcome secondary expertise/interest in historical archaeology, palaeo-ethnobotany, palaeo-ethnozoology, and/or palaeoclimates. Send application to Professor Susan Kus, Chair, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112. Review of completed applications will begin March 17, 2008, and continue until the position is filled. (http://www.rhodes.edu/about/376.asp)

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT (NCSE) announces the availability of two publications from our 2007 National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment: Integrating Environment and Human Health. The conference report, Integrating Environment and Human Health, and Climate, Poverty and Health: Time for Preventive Medicine, a report of the 7th Annual John H. Chafee Memorial Lecture, delivered by Larry Brilliant, Executive Director of Google.org are now available in PDF formats at http://www.ncseonline.org/2007conference/ Copies of these reports or reports from previous NCSE conferences, please visit http://ncseonline.org/NCSEconference/.

TEPHRA - IAVCEI 2008 GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AUGUST 18-22, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND: Volcanoes and Eruptions: Tephra Studies-Tephrochronlogy. Information at http://www.jardvis.hi.is/page/I08-intro

9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ANCIENT DNA AND ASSOCIATED BIOMOLECULES POMPEII, ITALY, 19-22 OCTOBER 2008: The conference is an excellent opportunity for ancient world enthusiasts to meet in a relaxing and stimulating environment. For further information please visit the meeting website http://www.ancientdna9.it/index.aspx or contact info@ancientdna9.it

SUMMER FIELD SCHOOLS IN GIS, GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY, AND MORE: The Center for American Archeology and Arizona State University, incooperation with the Illinois State Museum, Washington University St. Louis, and the University of Arkansas Center for Advanced SpatialTechnologies, are pleased to announce expanded college field school opportunities for the summer of 2008 in Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, GIS and Geophysical Remote Sensing, Paleoethnobotany, and Zooarchaeology. For more information or to register please visit: http://www.asu.edu/clas/shesc/projects/cbr/bfs/ or e-mail: ggvogel@gmail.com

SMITHSONIAN SOILS EXHIBIT OPENS IN JULY: Dig It! The Secrets of Soil will be open to the public on July 19, 2008 at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of Natural History. The exhibition through dioramas, soil cross-sections, artifacts, and hands-on activities will give visitors a look into the living world of soil, not only increasing their understanding of the geologic processes involved in soil formation, but the vast and diverse extent of soil inhabitants and the central role soils have in our daily life. The exhibit will run until January 6, 2010.

CLIMATE CHANGE BEYOND THE BELTWAY: On March 31, 2008, a U.S. climate change negotiator rejected a suggestion by China that the developed nations provide 0.5 percent of their gross domestic product to help developing countries battle global warming. The suggestion was one of 26 submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. About 160 nations are meeting during the week of March 31st to develop a framework to deal with climate change beyond the Kyoto Protocol. In other news, former Vice President Al Gore is launching a three-year, $300 million advocacy campaign on climate change. The Alliance for Climate Protection will use online, print, television and radio advertisements to increase awareness of climate change among the American public and to increase pressure on policymakers to enact policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The alliance has one million volunteers now and hopes to enlist as many as 10 million volunteers overall. It may be one of the largest public advocacy campaigns in U.S. history. There are opposing groups running their own public advocacy campaigns and the public should expect to see a large number of advertisements from both sides before and after the November elections.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY EXPLAINS CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS WAIVER DENIAL: On February 29, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released more information about the government's reasons for denying a waiver petition sought by California for greater regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new motor vehicles. In the notice EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson states, "In my judgment the impacts of global climate change in California, compared to the rest of the nation as a whole, are not sufficiently different to be considered 'compelling and extraordinary' that merit separate state GHG standards for new motor vehicles." California is the only state which is allowed to request a waiver for air pollution control as written in the Clean Air Act because California has always had stricter emission controls and historically, atypical pollution problems compared to other states. The initial decision was announced on December 19, 2007 after President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law, but there was no explanation for the decision. The law includes fuel economy standards requiring fleet wide averages of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, while the California rule would have required automakers to achieve even higher fuel economy standards in a shorter time period. Administrator Johnson said "the Bush Administration is moving forward with a clear national solution - not a confusing patchwork of state rules - to reduce America's climate footprint from vehicles." Fifteen other states have adopted California's emission standards and were hoping to implement them once California received a waiver from the EPA. California, 15 other states and 5 environmental groups have filed petitions asking the courts to reverse EPA's decision to deny the waiver. For more information visit: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/ca-waiver.htm

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE CONSIDERS MOVING THE FOREST SERVICE: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has begun a study of whether the Forest Service should be moved from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior (DOI). The 103 year old Forest Service manages 193 million acres of land. Its duties have changed and many see greater connections between the Forest Service and its sister agencies in DOI, which include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which manages 258 million acres, the Fish and Wildlife Service which manages 96 million acres and the National Park Service which manages 84 million acres. The GAO will be looking at two key issues - Would it be more efficient, effective and coordinated to move the Forest Service to DOI and can any money be saved by making the move. Stakeholders and others outside the government will also be considering whether such a move will mean any significant change in the Forest Service's mission, particularly from harvesting and development to preservation. In addition, the Forest Service deals with mining requests on their lands, is currently revising their mining rules and will be part of any mining law reform, so the GAO may consider these factors in their study.

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE PASSES LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION: On March 12, the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 2016, the National Landscape Conservation System Act (NLCS), by a vote of 24 to 13. The conservation system was originally established during the Clinton administration by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. NCLS formalizes the 26 million acre conservation system managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The text of the bill states "In order to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations, there is established in the Bureau of Land Management the National Landscape Conservation System." The NCLS would be similar to the National Park Service based on the language in the bill, but managed by BLM and would initially consist of major conservation areas in 12 western states, including 15 national monuments, 13 national conservation areas, Steens Mountain area in Oregon, Headwaters Forest Reserve in northern California, 36 wild and scenic rivers, 148 wilderness areas, 4,264 miles of national trails, and more than 600 wilderness study areas. The measure would allow additional lands to be added to the NCLS. A similar bill (S.1139) was introduced in the Senate in April 2007, but has not been acted upon in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The full text of the legislation is available from Thomas: H.R. 2016 - http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02016: and S.1139 - http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN01139:

THIRD SENATE HEARING ON MINING LAW REFORM: On March 12, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held their third hearing in a series of oversight hearings this session on the 1872 Hardrock Mining Law to examine possible reform related to abandoned mine lands and uranium mines. About 30,000 of the more than 160,000 abandoned mines on federal lands may pose environmental risks, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Federal agencies such as the Forest Service and Environmental Protection Agency have spent at least $2.6 billion over the past 10 years to clean up these sites, but without a central database to prioritize cleanups or a dedicated source of funding, witnesses said that cleanups are haphazard. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced S.2750, the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act, that would create a federal abandoned mine cleanup fund. It would impose an 8 percent royalty on new claims in addition to high maintenance fees and a 0.3 percent reclamation fee on all hardrock mineral mining on federal, state, tribal, local and private claims. Other senators and representatives in the House have introduced similar legislation, but the measures have never made much progress. Some senators at the hearing seemed more optimistic that meaningful legislation will progress toward law by the end of this session. Additional hearings in the House and the Senate are being planned. A summary of the hearing and some previous hearings on mining law reform are available from AGI's Government Affairs web site at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis110/mining_hearings.html The full text of the legislation is available from Thomas at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.02750

2008 EPA SCIENCE FORUM, WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 20-22. This seventh annual event is designed to showcase EPA's commitment to quality science; highlight high-priority topics and accomplishments; facilitate dialogue among EPA scientists and their collaborators, clients, customers, stakeholders, and colleagues from across government, the private sector, academia, and the scientific community. This year's Forum will emphasize the theme of innovative technologies and their application to a healthy and prosperous environment. To register and learn more about the EPA Science Forum, please visit http://www.epa.gov/scienceforum .

DEADLINE IS MAY 1 FOR SUBMISSION OF PAPERS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL NANOTECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE: APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS, CHICAGO, IL, OCTOBER 7-9. The conference will bring together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss the nanotechnology applications for remediation of environmental contaminants; the implications of releasing manufactured nanoparticles into the environment, and pollution control and nano-enabled sensing. Abstracts are being sought in the areas of Water Remediation, Soil and Sediment Remediation, Water Pollution Control, Air Pollution Control, Nano-enabled Sensing, Environmental Fate & Transport, Biological Exposure, and Toxicity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is partnering with a variety of agencies and organizations to host this conference. To view the Call for Papers or submit an abstract, visit http://www.emsus.com/nanotechconf/call.htm .

PROCEDURES FOR THE DERIVATION OF EQUILIBRIUM PARTITIONING SEDIMENT BENCHMARKS (ESBS) FOR THE PROTECTION OF BENTHIC ORGANISMS: COMPENDIUM OF TIER 2 VALUES FOR NONIONIC ORGANICS (EPA 600-R-02-016). This equilibrium partitioning sediment benchmark (ESB) document describes procedures to derive concentrations for 32 nonionic organic chemicals in sediment which are protective of the presence of freshwater and marine benthic organisms. The equilibrium partitioning (EqP) approach was chosen because it accounts for the varying biological availability of chemicals in different sediments and allows for the incorporation of the appropriate biological effects concentration. This provides for the derivation of benchmarks that are causally linked to the specific chemical, applicable across sediments, and appropriately protective of benthic organisms (March 2008, 75 pages). View or download at http://www.epa.gov/nheerl/publications/files/ESB_Compendium_v14_final.pdf .

DNAPL WEBSITE. EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation has released a website that compiles available information related to the cleanup of dense nonaqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs) at hazardous waste sites. This initial phase addresses the most common DNAPL contaminants: chlorinated ethenes (e.g., tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene) and multi-component wastes (creosotes, coal tars, and heavy oils). Future expansion may include ethers, halogenated alkanes, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other chemicals that form DNAPLs. With the primary focus on source zone cleanup, information is provided for available remediation technologies, such as bioremediation, in situ flushing and oxidation, and thermal processes. EPA will maintain the website by adding new resources as they become available. The website was developed in response to a recommendation of the EPA Ground Water Task Force (www.gwtf.clu-in.org), which identified a need for the creation of a comprehensive compilation of DNAPL resources. View and use at http://www.cluin.org/DNAPL .

INTERNET SEMINAR - RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT: DETERMINATION AND APPLICATION OF RISK-BASED VALUES - APRIL 17. This training course describes the development and application of risk-based screening values. The first module provides a review of key risk assessment concepts related to risk management. The second module focuses on the process by which risk-based levels are derived in different states. The third module examines the application of risk assessment to remediation operations in two case studies providing examples of how risk assessment has actually been implemented, based upon research and case studies conducted by the ITRC Risk Assessment Resources team. This training course describes a number of the reasons behind variations in risk-based screening values and their use in risk management. For more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/studio .

INTERNET SEMINAR - CHARACTERIZATION, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MONITORING OF BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS - APRIL 10. Bioreactors are landfills where controlled addition of non-hazardous liquid wastes, sludges, or water accelerates the decomposition of waste and landfill gas generation. This training, based on the ITRC's Characterization, Design, Construction, and Monitoring of Bioreactor Landfills (ALT-3, 2006), teaches the principles used to make critical decisions during permitting, operating, and monitoring a bioreactor landfill. This training also provides a general understanding of the biological degradation of solid wastes under aerobic and anaerobic waste conditions and the degradation products associated with each process. For more information and to register, see http://www.itrcweb.org or http://clu-in.org/studio .

SYMPOSIUM 16 "POLLEN CALIBRATION FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION QUANTITATIVE LANDSCAPE RECONSTRUCTIONS": Part of the XII International Palynological Congress which will be held in Bonn 30th August - 5th September. Abstracts are due on or before Wednesday, April 30, 2008. See: http://www.paleontology.unibonn.de/congress08/index.htm