Environmental Geoscience Program

WHAT'S NEW

STUDENT TRAVEL FUNDS: Are you a student or early career researcher and interested in attending the CANQUA-CGRG Biennial Meeting this August?  Travel grants are available for 10 students or early career (within 2 years of PhD) to attend the meeting.  Each of these grants is valued at $500 and will be awarded to deserving applications. 1.  You must be presenting a poster or oral presentation at the meeting and have that abstract submitted by the April 15th deadline. 2.   If you are a graduate student, please send a copy of your abstract and arrange for a short note from your supervisor (email is fine to canqua2013@gmail.com)  indicating why it is important for you to attend this meeting, and describing your role in the research being presented. 3.  If you are an early career researcher (within 2 years of PhD), please indicate why attending this meeting is important and provide a copy of the abstract that you would be presenting. 4.  You must be a CANQUA or CGRG member (it's free for students see:  www.canqua.com, or   cgrg.geog.uvic.ca/) We will endeavour to respond to these requests quickly (by May 1st) and let the successful applicants know. If you have questions please contact me directly. Duane Froese Conference Chair CANQUA-CGRG Biennial Meeting Edmonton  August 18-22, 2013 http://www.eas.ualberta.ca/canqua

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE:  The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report to President Obama on March 22, 2013 identifying six key components for addressing climate change.The report lists national preparedness, decarbonizing the economy, leveling the "playing field for clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies," continuing next-generation clean-energy technology research, increasing U.S. global leadership on climate change, and initiating a Quadrennial Energy Review as key steps the government must make to respond to climate change. The letter highlights the need to take action to mitigate as well as adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

ENERGY SECURITY TRUST: President Obama delivered his March 16, 2013 weekly address from the Argonne National Laboratory. In his address, he reiterated the need for an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy and his support for the creation of an Energy Security Trust to apply offshore oil and gas revenues from public lands to research into transitioning cars and trucks away from oil. Obama indicated that the $2 billion trust would lessen the spikes in oil prices at the pump and carbon emissions while generating jobs and saving money. The funds would support research into technology such as more efficient batteries as well as biofuel, biocell, natural gas, and electricity powered vehicles.

CRITICAL MINERALS BILLS:  Several members of the House Natural Resources Committee introduced critical minerals legislation in March. All three of the bills were first introduced in the 112th Congress. On March 12, 2013, Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO) introduced the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2013 (H.R. 1063) to mandate that the Department of the Interior evaluate the nation's supply of and foreign dependence on critical minerals. Representatives Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Resource Assessment of Rare Earths Act of 2013 (H.R. 981) on March 6, 2013 to require a survey of global rare earth element resources. On February 15, 2013, Representative Mark Amodei (R-NV) introduced the Critical and Strategic Minerals Production Act (H.R. 761) to increase mine permitting efficiency. H.R. 761 would characterize all mines that "will provide strategic and critical minerals" to be considered an "infrastructure project" as defined by an Executive Order (EO) issued in March 2012. In the EO, all infrastructure projects deemed regionally and nationally significant will be reviewed by a Steering Committee of multiple federal agencies in an effort to reduce the amount of time it takes to make permitting decisions. The bill would designate the federal agency responsible for issuing a mineral exploration or mine permit as the lead agency and require that agency to coordinate and consult with other permitting agencies to minimize permitting delays. The House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on March 21, 2013 to examine recently introduced legislation on mining and critical minerals.

NASA AND USGS RELEASE FIRST IMAGES FROM LANDSAT 8: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released the first image collected by the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LCDM), or Landsat 8.
The image, taken at 1:40 pm EDT on March 18, 2013, covers the intersection of the Rocky Mountain Front Ranges and Great Plains in Colorado and Wyoming. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) captured the natural color image as well as the near infrared and short wave infrared bands. The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) simultaneously imaged the surface using two longer wavelength thermal infrared bands to record surface emitted heat. LCDM launched February 11, 2013 and is currently undergoing checkout procedures with NASA who plans to transfer the satellite to USGS in May 2013. Future images collected simultaneously with Landsat 7 will allow cross-calibration of the LDCM sensors with Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus instrument.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT RELEASED: On March 1, 2013, the Department of State released the draft of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would connect Canada's oil sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast. The report did not make a recommendation regarding approval or rejection of the pipeline application but concluded that Keystone XL will have little impact on the rate at or the extent to which Canada develops the oil sands. The EIS indicated that the pipeline poses no significant risk to nearby resources. The State Department is accepting public comments on the draft EIS to be submitted by April 22, 2013. 
The 2013 EIS reviewed the 2012 proposal which takes into account concerns that contributed to the 2008 proposal's rejection. The 2012 proposal shortens the pipeline and follows a route that avoids environmentally sensitive areas in Nebraska. Some consider the draft a sign that President Obama is leaning toward approving the pipeline; however, the Administration will not make a decision until later this summer. Environmentalists disagreed strongly with the draft findings and criticized the validity of the EIS based on the use of contractors linked with the oil industry.

INTERIOR REVIEWS SHELL'S ARCTIC DRILLING PRACTICES:  On March 14, 2013, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the release of the Department of the Interior (DOI) review evaluating Shell's 2012 Arctic operations and providing recommendations for Shell's future drilling efforts. The review criticized Shell's lack of preparation, failure to finalize the containment system, and mismanagement of contractors. DOI recommended Shell submit a comprehensive, integrated, Arctic-specific plan outlining all stages of the operation as well as undergo a full management review by a third party. The review praised Shell for their level of communication with Alaskan native communities. In 2012, Shell began their drilling program in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas offshore Alaska. The company faced a number of problems including failing to obtain certification of its containment vessel Arctic Challenger, difficulty deploying Arctic Challenger's containment dome, and troubles transporting drilling rigs. Shell has suspended its 2013 offshore drilling plans due to damage sustained by one drill ship and the need for further preparation.

FOREST SERVICE TO REOPEN CAVES OUT WEST: On March 25, 2013, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) released the report titled, "Environmental Assessment for Cave and Abandoned Mine Management for White-Nose Syndrome." The agency plans to reopen most of the USFS caves closed since August 2010 in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Cave closure occurred over concerns that humans could spread white-nose syndrome to bats in these states which currently are not affected by the disease. Restrictions on entering caves with hibernating bats during winter or using gear previously used in states experiencing white-nose syndrome aim to minimize the risk to bats of contracting the disease. Decontamination procedures will also be put in place for cavers. White nose syndrome refers to the fuzzy white fungal spores visible on the nose, ears, and wings of an infected bat caused by a fungal pathogen that attaches itself to the hair and exposed skin of bats causing lesions and burning holes in their wings so they can no longer fly. The fungi can kill as much as ninety percent of a hibernating bat colony and has killed an estimated seven million bats in eastern North America since its discovery in 2006.

EPA CREATES HYDRAULIC FRACTURING ADVISORY AND REVIEW PANEL:
On March 24, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board announced the establishment of the Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel. Composed of 31 experts, the panel will independently review EPA's draft report evaluating the effects of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water. EPA plans to release the draft report in late 2014. The panel and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the study's progress report at a meeting on May 7 and 8, 2013. The report is the preliminary result of Congress's directive to EPA to investigate possible contamination of drinking water due to hydraulic fracturing and potential associated health issues. The panel has experts in "Petroleum/Natural Gas Engineering; Petroleum/Natural Gas Well Drilling; Hydrology/Hydrogeology; Geology/Geophysics; Groundwater Chemistry/Geochemistry; Toxicology/Biology; Statistics; Civil Engineering; and Waste Water and Drinking Water Treatment."

NEW POWER PLANT CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS RULE LIKELY DELAYED BY EPA:  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to release its final rule limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new or modified power plants on April 13 but most expect the agency to delay the rule once again. The agency has received over 2 million comments on the proposed rule. EPA first proposed the New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) on April 13, 2012 which limited both coal-fired and natural gas-fired power plants to 1,000 pounds of carbon emission per megawatt-hour. The standard as it was proposed could only be achieved by natural gas-fire power plants and would require coal-fired power plants to implement carbon capture technology. Critics of the proposed rule point out it would be an effective ban on coal-fired power plants since carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies are not commercially viable. On March 14, 2013, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) wrote a letter to President Obama urging an alternative rule that would treat coal-fired and natural gas-fired power plants as separate categories. 

NOAA REPORT DETAILS INCREASING COASTAL POPULATION: On March 25, 2013, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the release of the National Coastal Population Report: Population Trends from 1970 to 2020. Analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates an increase in coastal population from 123 million to almost 134 million people by 2020. Such a migration, NOAA noted, would leave more people facing extreme storms and risk the health of nearby ecosystems. The report tracks population data for 769 coastal watershed counties and 452 coastal shoreline counties. The former include counties along watersheds that flow to the coast while the latter border the coast and Great Lakes. Coastal watershed counties are home to 52 percent of the American population while 39 percent live in coastal shoreline counties. Not including Alaska, the watershed counties make up less than 20 percent of the entire U.S. land area and the combined area of shoreline counties accounts for less than 10 percent. Between 1970 and 2010, 50.9 million people moved into coastal watershed counties and 34.8 million moved to coastal shoreline counties. This represents a population increase in each sector of 45 percent and 39 percent, respectively.

FINAL REPORT ON NOAA R&D ISSUED: On March 27, 2013, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their final report evaluating research and development (R&D) at NOAA titled, "In the Nation's Best Interest: Making the Most of NOAA's Science Enterprise." The report notes that, as coastal zones experience more the effects of climate change and extreme weather, NOAA R&D will become increasingly vital. It calls for following recommendations in the Next Generation Strategic Plan and, specifically, for budget flexibility to shift R&D funds as needed. The report outlines six recommendations to help better focus NOAA R&D on areas of greatest importance: increase the Chief Scientist's responsibility and budget authority, "maintain a strong core of internal scientists" focused on NOAA R&D priorities, involve the "extramural research community" in a "stable and consistent" manner, "develop a strong internal and external research capability in the socioeconomic and integrated ecosystem sciences," "ensure that the nation's science and information needs are met by NOAA's observation and data sharing systems," and "obtain budget flexibility... [for] eliminating or consolidating duplicative R&D and research unrelated to NOAA's strategic priorities." NOAA also points out that it has only "approximately 2 [percent] of the research budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)."

JAPAN PRODUCES METHANE GAS FROM MARINE HYDRATES: On March 12, the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) began the first successful extraction of methane gas from marine methane hydrates. JOGMEC utilized depressurization to free methane gas from hydrates located 300 meters below the seafloor in the Nankai Trough, 80 kilometers off the Pacific coast of central Japan. The production test ceased on March 18, and resulting data analysis will indicate if gas can be produced at commercially viable levels. Provisional data indicates that during the six day test, the well produced 120,000 cubic meters of natural gas with an average daily production of 20,000 cubic meters. An estimated 1.1 trillion cubic meters of methane hydrates reside in the marine sediments around Nankai. Such a reserve could replace all of Japan's liquid natural gas (LNG) imports for 11 years. As Japan's once prominent nuclear program faces an unsure future and the country depends on imported energy resources, methane hydrates offer the possibility of a domestic energy source for Japan. Japan aims for technologically and economically viable production levels in five years.

RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE RELEASES SHALE GAS AND ENVIRONMENT REPORT:  Resources for the Future released the report titled Pathways to Dialogue: What the Experts Say about the Environmental Risks of Shale Gas Development. The report presents results from a survey of experts from government agencies, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations that characterizes what each group views as risks associated with shale gas development that are currently not adequately addressed by government and industry. Respondents exhibited a high level of consensus. More expressed concern over the impact of shale gas on surface water than on groundwater. Other agreed-upon risks were related to casing and cement leaks, roads, well pads, and pipelines.

EMERGING WORKFORCE TRENDS IN THE U.S. ENERGY AND MINING INDUSTRIES: A CALL TO ACTION
The National Research Council conducted a study, at the request of the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, of current state of the nation's energy and mining workforce and the projected availability of qualified individuals to fill future positions. The report noted that the majority of workers in the industry are 45 or older and there is a need to bring more women, minorities, and young people to sustain the energy and mining workforce in the future.

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE: APPROACHES AND ISSUES FOR FINANCING DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE : The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs. The programs are the largest source of federal assistance to states and local communities for funding drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. GAO reviewed three of the approaches proposed to pay for the nation's drinking water and wastewater needs by surveying stakeholders, industry representatives, and federal, state, and local government officials. The three approaches are a clean water trust fund, a national infrastructure bank, and public-private partnerships.  

THE PALAEOECOLOGY OF EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS: The Canadian Quaternary Association (CANQUA) will be holding its biennial meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, August 18-22 2013. The following CAP (Canadian Association of Palynologists) Special Session is planned for this conference: The Palaeoecology of Extreme Environments.  Extreme environments occur in many forms, from the cold temperatures of arctic and alpine areas, to the aridity of deserts and grasslands, to the salinity of salt marshes and saline lakes, or the desiccation and UV influx on exposed rock surfaces. They may persist for millennia or be restricted in time and space, such as newly exposed terrain around glacial margins or recent volcanic deposits. Extreme environments can result from various stressors, including climate, biogeochemical or physical conditions, or biological factors. Such environments present challenges for biota and their associated palaeoecological records. Signals may be recorded by many proxy indicators including pollen, plant macroremains, diatoms, or dinoflagellates, We welcome contributions documenting extreme environments through single or multiple indicators, or reporting the results of studies focused on these types of localities. Please contact either Mary Vetter (Mary.Vetter@uregina.ca) or Alwynne Beaudoin (abeaudoi@ualberta.ca), session organizers, if you are interested in contributing to this session or would like more details. The abstract deadline is April 15 2013. More information about the CANQUA 2013 meeting itself, as well as the abstract submission form, can be found at the conference website at http://www.eas.ualberta.ca/canqua/

STABLE ISOTOPES IN TERRESTRIAL AND LACUSTRINE ARCHIVES: PROXIES FOR CLIMATE, ECOLOGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT: The Canadian Quaternary Association (CANQUA) and the Canadian Geomorphology Research Group (CCRG) are holding their joint Biennial Meeting at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, from August 18-21, 2013. Dr. Alexander Wolfe and I are convening a special session addressing any and all applications of stable isotopes to problems in Quaternary geoscience, and this note serves to invite you to Edmonton this summer. Both posters and oral presentations are available in the session. The outline of the special session is pasted below. Conference website: http://www.eas.ualberta.ca/canqua/ Abstract deadline: April 15, 2013 Stable isotopes from terrestrial, lacustrine, and oceanic archives are indispensable for understanding climatic, ecological, and environmental changes over the Quaternary. In recent years, the field of isotope geochemistry has enjoyed remarkable diversification, as technological developments (e.g., clumped-isotope thermometry, biomarker-specific chromatography-mass spectrometry) have provided new insights into stable isotope systematics. These trends are predicted to continue indefinitely as the range of targets for stable isotopic measurements is expanded. This session aims to attract a cross-section of stable isotope studies involving terrestrial and lacustrine Quaternary archives from all regions of the planet. Such archives may include, but are not limited to: tree-rings, ice-cores, speleothems and other carbonates, as well as other suites from lacustrine and pedogenic environments including plant and animal biomarkers. We welcome talks on both theoretical and methodological issues, numerical modeling, and emerging applications of stable isotopes in Quaternary geoscience.