^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ AWG E-MAIL NEWS 20001-10, 22 MARCH 2001 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ CONTENTS: 1) AWG and AWGF BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING 2) AGI GAP ALERT-CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAY 3) NEW EMISSION POLICY 4) DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY FOR OIL & GAS INDUSTRY 5) STUDENT/POST-DOC OPPORTUNITIES ***SCHLANGER OCEAN DRILLING FELLOWSHIPS ***MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR BIOGEOCHEMISTRY-POST DOC 6)NEHRP RESEARCH PROJECT 7) POSITION OPENINGS ***Tetra Tech EM Inc.-Hydrogeologist ***University of Utah-Assistant Professor/ Geological Engineer 8) SUBMISSION, ADVERTISING & MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ US SUPREME COURT STRIKES CRUSHING BLOW AGAINST WOMEN, MINORITIES On March 22, 2001, the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to allow federal arbitration law to supercede all state and federal employment discrimination laws. Employers may now require workers to take part in arbitration to resolve claims of discrimination rather than filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEOC) or state human rights office. Workers were able to file complaints with the EEOC or state offices for free; filing a complaint with the federal arbitration office with cost $500, a significant amount of money if a woman just lost her job because of discrimination. According to a local attorney who specializes in employment law, this decision will have devastating effects on employment equal rights. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1) AWG and AWGF BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING The AWG and AWGF Board of Directors meeting will be held April 19- 22, 2001 in Bloomsburg, PA. All AWG members are welcome to attend the AWG board meeting and join in committee functions as well. If you would like to attend and need information, please contact pres-elect@awg.org. REMINDER to the Delegates for the Spring meeting BOD meeting: 1) If your Chapter/At-Large delegate will not be the person who attended the Reno meeting last Fall, please SEND THE E-MAIL AND SNAIL MAIL ADDRESSES of the Spring meeting delegate to Dale Springer ASAP at dspringe@husky.bloomu.edu . You will be receiving information about your delegate packet and your registration form via e-mail within the next week. 2) If you have not done so, please MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS ASAP (by April 5th, at the latest). The meeting will be held at Magee's Main Street Inn in Bloomsburg: 1- 800-331-9815 or 570-784-3200. Be sure to mention that you are with the AWG group, and that we are getting a 10% discount on normal room prices. BREAKFAST in the hotel restaurant IS INCLUDED in the room price. 3) If you already know your arrival time into Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (= Avoca) Airport, please feel free to let Dale know now! 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2) AGI GAP ALERT-CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAY *** Participants Needed for Congressional Visits Day, May 1-2 With the president's budget request set for release in early April, efforts to support federal investment in geoscience programs must now focus on Capitol Hill. There are many new faces in Congress, and it will take a concerted effort from the scientific community to educate them on the importance of federal investment in science. For the geoscience community, the challenge is particularly acute, because several key geoscience programs face likely reductions in the president's request. So mark your calendars and come to Washington for the 6th Annual Science-Engineering-Technology Congressional Visits Day (CVD), taking place on May 1-2, 2001. This annual event brings scientists and engineers to Capitol Hill to visit their members of Congress and congressional staff. AGI would like to see a strong contingent of geoscientists at this event, voicing their support for increased federal investment in science and technology. We need your help to identify geoscientists who would be interested in participating. We especially encourage the leadership of AGI's Member Societies to attend. Last year, 230 scientists and engineers from academia and industry attended, including 30 geoscientists. This year's CVD will consist of an opening day of briefings by key administration and congressional leaders followed by a day of constituent meetings with senators, representatives, and their staff. AGI plans to again join with AGU to hold a pre-briefing for geoscience participants on the 1st, and we can help arrange the constituent visits. Participants in CVD are asked to carry forward a core message that broad federal investment in science and technology is vital to the future of our Nation's citizens and its economic vitality. In addition, participants can advance their own messages about programs that they see as valuable examples of the federal science and technology enterprise. It is vital for geoscientists to be represented in science-community efforts if our discipline is to be a recognizable (and valued) element in the congressional view of "science". For anyone interested in science policy, this event should be a good deal of fun and a great opportunity to have your voice heard in Washington. Please pass this message along to anyone you feel might be interested. *** If this event appeals to you or you know of someone who would be interested in coming to Washington, please contact Margaret Baker (mab@agiweb.org or 703-379-2480 ext. 212). *** More information is available on the CVD website at http://www.agiweb.org/cvd/, and a summary of the 2000 Congressional Visits Day is available in the June 2000 Geotimes at http://www.geotimes.org/june00/scene.html. CVD is organized by the Science-Engineering-Technology Work Group (of which AGI is a member)and the Coalition for Technology Partnerships. -Alert prepared by Margaret Baker and David Applegate, AGI Government Affairs Program 33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 3) NEW EMISSION POLICY In the wake of George Bush's recent comments stating the US policy on Renewable Energy it is clear that this area needs further analysis. The forthcoming Emissions Management Strategies conference in Brussels will provide industry experts with an excellent platform to debate the implications. This conference is designed specifically for all industries which may be producing emissions during production, NGO's and other organisations that are involved in environmental issues. It has particular relevance to those who are concerned about climatic change, air pollution and the greenhouse effect. There will be in-depth coverage of the new legal developments which will affect industry. Following the US's about turn on renewable energy, Europe will need to concentrate on these issues, unsupported by the US. This conference will enable those in industry to plan development of ecologically and climatically sound practices for production. This conference will be chaired by: Professor Jean-Pascal van Ypsersele de Strihou Georges Lemaitre Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Chairman, Energy and Climate Working Group, Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development Erwan Cotard-Senior consultant, Energy and Environment, Stratorg, France And will include high-level speakers such as: Professor Alfons Buekens, Free University of Brussels Roberto Salvarini, European Commission, Brussels John Snowcroft, Euroelectric, Belgium Enzo Millich, European Commission Dr A Danny Ellerman, Centre for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Christian Azar, Sustainable Industrial Metabolism, Institute of Physical Recourse Theory, Chalmers University of Technology and Goteborg University If you would like more information about the conference (brochure is available by post or emails in PDF format) please contact Cheri Crosley, Marketing Manager, crosley@gbnuk.com or tel: +44 207 291 10 30 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4) DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY FOR OIL & GAS INDUSTRY In the light of the recent environmental disaster in the Campos Basin you will be interested to know that Nilce Costa (Environmental Co-ordinator, National Petroleum Agency) will be making a presentation at the Developing a Sustainable Environmental Strategy for the Oil and Gas Industry (London, 3rd/4th April). The conference workshop on Brazil will be an excellent opportunity for meeting leading figures such as Nilce Costa. Two of the presentations at the conference will be examining the situation in Nigeria. As you will see below, the facts make uncomfortable reading forboth the Nigerian government and the operators. We believe that the conference - which includes both specific thematic, well as regional sessions (NW Europe, West Africa, Latin America) - will be very topical and informative, lively, and an ideal networking opportunity for oil companies, environmental response and consultancy firms, lawyers, NGOs and academics. One large oil company obviously agrees, and is sending nine delegates If your company hasn't already booked up to attend the conference, or if you would like further information, then please do contact us. We will immediately e-mail you an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of conference agenda Samanda Davison" ********************* According to a CIA report the total amount of oil spilled in the Niger Delta oil producing area between 1986-1996 was 2.5 million barrels or almost 10 times as much as was spilt by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska. More recent major spills have included: a) A 40,000 barrel spill from the Idoho-Qua Iboe Terminal pipeline operated by Exxon Mobil in 1998; b) The 30,000 barrels that leaked from the Jones Creek facilities operated by the Shell in 1998. c) In 1999 a pipeline in Agip's Brass River system spilt oil for 17 days before repairs could recitfy matters. Both the operators and the Oil Spill Response Centre in Nigeria lack the resources to control major spills. The Nigerian government's approach to environmental protection is fragmented and is undermined by lack of expertise and funding. The Federal Environment Protection Agency (FEPA) sets a very low thresholds for certification of projects, and since 1988 not one EIA that has been submitted has been rejected. The result is that a) Company EIAs have often been substandard by internaional comparison. b) FEPA is flexible on matters of mitigation and remediation. c) There are no actual standards that companies have to meet for effluent, waste or air pollution. The Nigerian government prioritises economic development projects over environmental management strategies, and so community objections to projects have been sometimes overridden. Community opposition is increasing and the West Africa Gas Pipeline is the next major target. Years of inadequate environmental management are beginning to tell in the Niger Delta. There have already been serious consequences for the ecosystem and biodiversity. The mangrove forest is being lost at a rate of 3.5% a year of which clearance activity by oil companies accounts for about 1%. The coastline is suffering erosion and dredging is causing deterioration of arable land in places. Despite government mismanagement and under-resourcing, operators are likely to come under mounting pressure to improve standards on environmental management. 55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5) STUDENT/POST-DOC OPPORTUNITIES ***SCHLANGER OCEAN DRILLING FELLOWSHIPS Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) and the U.S. Science Advisory Committee are seeking Ph.D. and M.S. degree candidates of unusual promise and ability who are enrolled in U.S. institutions to conduct research compatible with that of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). April 15, 2001 is the next fellowship application deadline for both shipboard and shorebased research proposals. Shipboard research is related to future ODP legs on which the students sail as scientists. Shorebased research may be based on any DSDP or ODP leg - past, present, or future. The applicant's proposed research may be directed toward the objectives of a specific leg or toward broader themes. Shipboard proposals submitted for this deadline should be based on one of the upcoming ODP cruises: Leg 200 H2O Observatory, Leg 201 Peru Biosphere, Leg 202 SE Paleoceanography, Leg 203 Costa Rica, Leg 204 Gas Hydrates, and Leg 205 Equatorial Pacific Ion. Cruise information can be found at www-odp.tamu.edu/sched.html. Shipboard fellowship candidates must also apply to the ODP Manager of Science Services in College Station, TX. A shipboard scientist can be found www- odp.tamu.edu/sciops/cruise_application_info.html Both one-year and two-year fellowships are available. The award is $23,000 per year to be used for stipend, tuition, benefits, research costs and incidental travel, if any. For a fellowship application and more information, visit: www.joi- odp.org/USSSP/Fellowship/Fellowship.html. Application Deadline: April 15, 2001 If you have questions, contact:Andrea Johnson, Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship Program, Joint Oceanographic Institutions, 1755 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036-2102 tel: 202-232-3900, ext. 213 (ajohnson@brook.edu) ***MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR BIOGEOCHEMISTRY-POST DOC The Palaeoclimatology Group of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry would like to announce a postdoctoral opportunity in Aeolian Processes Recorded in Marine Sediments. Position (6 months to 2 years) for person with expertise in marine sediment processes, with a specific focus on analytical measurements of physical or geochemical parameters over geologic timescales. See http://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/bgc_prentice for further details about the group and other available positions. The institute is committed to fostering gender equality in science. Applications from women scientists are strongly encouraged. Applications for the Paleoceanography Position, including a full cv, an one-page statement of research interests/ideas and should be mailed to: Dr. Karen E. Kohfeld (kek@bgc-jena.mpg.de), Max-Planck-Institut fr Biogeochemie, P.0.Box 100164, D-07701 Jena, Germany. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 6)NEHRP RESEARCH PROJECT The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) at the U.S. Geological Survey invites applications for research projects that support its purposes of providing products for earthquake loss reduction to the public and private sectors and carrying out research on earthquake occurrence and effects. Educational institutions, private firms, private foundations, individuals, and agencies of state and local governments are eligible to submit applications. It is anticipated that $6 million will be available for FY 2002; $900,000 has been set aside to fund the second year of grants awarded in FY 2001, the remaining $5.1 million will be used to fund approximately 80-90 new grants. The closing date is May 8, 2001. For a copy of Program Announcement 02HQPA0001, go to the USGS Contracts and Grants Information Site at http://www.usgs.gov/contracts/nehrp 77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 7) POSITION OPENINGS ***Tetra Tech EM Inc.-Hydrogeologist Tetra Tech EM Inc. is an environmental engineering and consulting firm founded in 1982 as PRC Environmental Management, Inc. In September 1995, we became the largest subsidiary of Tetra Tech, Inc. which, according to "Engineering News Record" magazine, ranks 3rd among the nation's largest hazardous waste engineering firms, 7th in water resources engineering, and is the 13th largest engineering firm overall. Together with Tetra Tech, Inc., and its subsidiaries, we have more than 5,500 professionals in 150 offices nationwide and internationally. We work for both government agencies and private industries. For more information on the services we provide, please refer to our website at www.ttemi.com. Tetra Tech EM Inc. prides itself on maintaining a flat management structure (rather than a traditional, vertical hierarchy) to promote individuality, accountability, and creativity. All our offices operate under one cost center, encouraging offices to routinely share work and allowing us to bring together experts from all over the country to serve our clients. If you are looking for a challenging, unique, and flexible work environment where you can make a difference we want to talk to you. We are seeking candidates with entrepreneurial spirit for a hydrogeologist in our downtown San Francisco office: Hydrogeologist Entry-level, background in groundwater flow and contaminant transport. B.S. in hydrogeology or geology. Superior report writing skills required. Mail resume & cover letter to: HR, Tetra Tech EMI, 135 Main St. #1800, San Francisco, CA 94105, fax 415-543- 5480, or email resumes.sf@ttemi.com. www.ttemi.com EOE/AA No calls please. ***University of Utah-Assistant Professor/ Geological Engineer The Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in geological engineering at the assistant professor level, beginning as early as August 2001. Candidates must have a Ph.D. and be able to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in geotechnical aspects of geological engineering. We especially encourage applications from individuals who have, or are in the process of, professional engineering licensure. Applicants must demonstrate the potential to develop a vigorous research program that complements existing departmental research strengths in geological hazards, applied geophysics, hydrology, or subsurface reservoir evaluation. Applications should be received by April 15, 2001 for earliest consideration. The search committee may consider applications received after this time until the position is filled. Applicants should submit a statement of teaching and research interests, curriculum vitae, and names of five professional references to: Geological Engineering Search Committee Chair, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 135 South 1460 East, Rm 717, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0111, Phone: 801- 581-7162, FAX: 801-581-7065. Information about the department may be found at http://www.mines.utah.edu/geo. The University of Utah is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and encourages applications from women and minorities and provides reasonable accommodation to the known disabilities of applicants and employees. 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 8) SUBMISSION, ADVERTISING & MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION ***Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of AWG E-Mail News. For submissions to AWG E-Mail News, contact Editor Joanne Kluessendorf at editor@awg.org. For advertising, contact the Ad Editor at ads@awg.org. PLEASE SEND AD COPY OR OTHER SUBMISSIONS AS RTF FILES OR AS PART OF AN E-MAIL MESSAGE ***For membership information or to join AWG, visit our website at (www.awg.org) or contact our business office at (office@awg.org)