1) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW-NOVEMBER 2001 2) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM SPECIAL UPDATE: 12-20-01 3) National Science Foundation's Funding Opportunity in Carbon Cycle Research 4) 2002 International ACES Meeting, May 5-10, Maui, Hawaii 5) Professors and Family Issues Story 6) Gender Equity Book List 7) POSITION OPENINGS University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire-Structural Geology/Geohysics 8) STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES AEG/EGF 2002 Norman R. Tilford Field Studies Scholarships ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 11111 1) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW-NOVEMBER 2001 *** Power Politics on Energy Policy *** The newfound bipartisanship that Congress experienced after September 11th has been hard to find when it comes to energy policy. Debate has turned to battle in the Senate with filibusters as the weapon of choice. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) has refused Republican demands to bring comprehensive energy legislation to the floor before Congress adjourns this session in December, arguing that the economic stimulus package, anti-terrorism and bioterrorism legislation, a farm reauthorization bill, and the remaining appropriation bills are more pressing. In response to Daschle's promise to take up the energy issue soon after Congress reconvenes next year, Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) responded, "next year is not good enough." Murkowski announced plans to use whatever procedural means necessary to bring energy legislation to the Senate floor before Christmas. Senate Republicans lived up to this threat, making several attempts to attach the House-passed energy bill (H.R. 4), which includes a provision to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), as an amendment to pending legislation. They first targeted the economic stimulus package, but when that stalled, all eyes moved to the Farm Bill (S. 1731). When action on that was delayed, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) filed H.R. 4 as an amendment to a railroad pension bill (H.R. 10) that Daschle had put on the floor for consideration. A scheduled cloture vote on December 3rd will decide whether the energy amendment will be considered. Unlike a normal vote, the cloture vote requires a three-fifths majority to pass the Senate, reflecting a Democrat-threatened filibuster to block a vote on ANWR. Republicans have used this tactic as well -- Murkowski has threatened to filibuster other bills if Daschle does not schedule floor debate on energy legislation before adjournment. More on the energy policy debate at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/energy.html. *** Appropriations Process About to Wrap Up *** As reported in a November 20th Special Update, most of the geoscience-related appropriation bills have made it through the budget process. The president has signed eight of the thirteen appropriations bills into law. Most of the numbers for geoscience-related programs are at or, in some cases, well above the president's request, reflecting a mutual desire between the administration and Congress to complete action on these bills and move on to economic stimulus and other security measures related to September 11th. In geoscience-related funding: the U.S. Geological Survey is up 3% over FY 2001, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fossil Energy program is up 35%, DOE's Basic Energy Sciences program is up 1%, the National Science Foundation is up 8%, NASA Earth Science is up 6%, EPA Science and Technology is up just under 1%, and NOAA is up 5%. One remaining appropriations bill of interest to the geosciences is Labor/HHS (H.R. 3061), which funds the Department of Education. It has been delayed in conference waiting for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act -- more information is available below on that bill's progress. All signs point to Congress completing their action by the end of the first week in December and adjourning until late January. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/appropsfy2002.html. *** Congress Works Through Education Jam *** Action on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization bill (H.R. 1) has been stalled in Congress for months. Since August, a House-Senate Conference Committee has met to hammer out differences between each chamber's version of the bill, which is the principal authorizing legislation for K-12 education program at the Department of Education (DoEd). They have been unable to get around several roadblocks, particularly with regard to testing and funding control. An agreement was reached in the last week of November that will allow the ESEA bill to move forward, which in turn will allow the FY 2002 Labor/HHS appropriations bill to be passed by both chambers. According to a Washington Post article from November 28th, the compromise legislation would require millions of students to "undergo annual math and reading tests and school districts would gain more leeway in using federal education funds." The article goes on to explain that the final version of the bill will include a Senate-introduced provision requiring states to administer the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to a sample of fourth- and eight-grade students every other year. Results from these students will be used, as a Republican summary states, to authenticate "the results of the statewide assessments" required by all students. As part of the compromise, federal funding for states will not be associated with NAEP results. The compromise would also reduce the federal control over funding specific programs. State and local education agencies, instead of DoEd, will have the final say over how funds are allocated by schools to meet their goals and needs. In the new bill, professional development and science education programs formerly under the Eisenhower programs have been either eliminated or transformed into new programs. No definitive word yet on whether Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-PA) Senate-passed resolution on evolution is in the bill. Negotiations have involved a small group of lawmakers with a lockdown on information about specifics. Even if the conference reaches a compromise, it is still far from certain that both chambers would act on the bill and send it to the president before adjourning. *** NSF Wins Praise from OMB *** At a time when the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is looking at tightening the federal purse strings, OMB Director Mitch Daniels praised the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Weather Service as examples of excellent federal programs. In remarks to the National Press Club, Daniels noted that NSF allocated more than 95 percent of its funding "on a competitive basis directly to researchers pursuing the frontiers of science" with "a very low overhead cost." Daniels continued by saying: "Programs like this, and there are many, many others, that perform well, that are accountable to you as taxpayers for reaching for real results and measuring and attaining those results, deserve to be singled out, deserve to be fortified and strengthened." The big question is how (or whether) this praise will translate when it comes times for funding NSF next year. OMB already has made clear that federal programs not related to the war effort will face substantial cuts in the FY 2003 budget request, which is due out in February 2002. Daniels's full remarks are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/pubpress/2001-61.html. *** Bush to Fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve *** On November 13th, President Bush ordered Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to its full capacity of 700 million barrels. The President's directive will result in the addition of up to 108 million barrels of crude oil to the nation's emergency oil stockpile by way of an ongoing "royalty-in-kind" program, which allows producers operating leases on the federally owned Outer Continental Shelf to pay their royalties to the government in the form of oil instead of cash. According to a press release issued by the Department of the Interior, the first deliveries of about 60,000 barrels of crude oil a day are set to begin in April, and will increase to about 130,000 barrels a day by October. Secretary Abraham said that potential terrorism and the current military campaign in Afghanistan were not key factors in Bush's decision, which he referred to as "a wise policy" that is not associated with "any kind of specific disruption threat." A statement by President Bush reported that "our current oil inventories, and those of our allies that hold strategic stocks, are sufficient to meet any potential near-term disruption in supplies," and that filling the reserve will "strengthen the long-term energy security of the United States." More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/spr.html. *** New NASA Head Nominated, NOAA Head Confirmed *** Making quick work of filling the top spot at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), President Bush announced his intention to nominate Sean O'Keefe to the position on November 14th. As Bush's Deputy Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, O'Keefe has been vocal in hearings on Capitol Hill about keeping NASA accountable for the sky-rocketing costs associated with several of the larger missions, especially the International Space Station. O'Keefe served in the previous Bush administration as both the Chief Financial Officer of the Defense Department and as Secretary of the Navy. Between his stints in government, O'Keefe was a professor of business and government policy at Syracuse University. No stranger to Capitol Hill, O'Keefe worked for the Senate Appropriations Committee for several years before going to the Defense Department under then-Secretary Dick Cheney. O'Keefe's confirmation is expected to move quickly through the Senate process once it is scheduled after the turn of the calendar year. More information on O'Keefe and his previous testimony to Congress on NASA's spending is available from the American Institute of Physics at http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/2001/141.html. In related news, the Senate has confirmed retired Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. as Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, heading up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). After retiring from the Navy last year, Lautenbacher has been serving as president of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education. *** Congressional Report Criticizes Yucca Mountain Project *** Early in 2002, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is expected to make a recommendation to President Bush on Yucca Mountain as the site for the nation's high-level nuclear waste repository. Although many view a positive recommendation as a foregone conclusion, a critical report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) will add a new layer of controversy. GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, provides assessments of federal programs in support of the legislative branch's oversight role. The report, a draft of which was released to the Washington Post, concludes that the Department of Energy's timelines for the project are unrealistic and not based on adequate data. In particular, the report asserts that the project's principal contractor, Bechtel SAIC, has informed DOE that at least four years of additional work are required to address various unresolved issues before obtaining a presidential site recommendation or applying for a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission can proceed. Such a delay would push the repository's opening date well back from the currently planned 2010 target. Abraham has called the GAO report "fatally flawed," accusing the agency of being heavily influenced by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who asked GAO to conduct the study. For his part, Reid has referred to its findings as "the beginning of the end" for the project. Earlier this year, GAO and the administration fought over the release of records from Vice President Cheney's energy task force, a dispute that was placed on hold after September 11th. The Yucca Mountain report should be available at http://www.gao.gov after its official release on December 11th. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/yucca.html. *** House Hearings on Water Infrastructure Vulnerability, Clean Water Regulations *** On November 14th, the House Science Committee held the fourth in a series of hearings on terrorism, this one on development of anti-terrorism tools for water infrastructure. Scientists, water agency officials, and the Director of New York State's new Office of Public Security gave testimony supporting the Water Infrastructure Security and Research Development Act, H.R. 3178. They also discussed the need for increased research aimed at the prevention and mitigation of physical and cyber threats facing drinking water and wastewater systems, and how to respond if a threat became a reality. The bill, introduced by Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), would authorize $12 million per year for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide research grants for security of the nation's water infrastructure. The Science Committee approved the bill in a session held the following day, and Boehlert said that he will try to get the bill to the House floor before the end of the year, possibly by attaching it to other legislation. A companion bill introduced by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Jeffords (I-VT), S. 1593, differs from the House version in that it would run for six years instead of five and includes a $20 million authorization to aid smaller communities in meeting the new 10 parts per billion (ppb) arsenic standard. On November 15th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on the future of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program. The Assistant Administrator for the EPA Office of Water, G. Tracy Mehan, was the only witness. Mehan described EPA's re-evaluation of a controversial July 2000 rule and told the subcommittee that the agency plans to propose a new rule to comprehensively amend the TMDL program by the spring of 2002, and "promulgate a final rule before April 30, 2003." In designing the new rule, EPA plans to provide states and tribes with "greater flexibility" and the ability to make use of market-based approaches, such as water pollution trading and economic incentives for early reductions, to minimize the cost of implementation. EPA's rulemaking strategy also includes a series of listening sessions to gather ideas from the public on how to improve the TMDL program. More on both hearings at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/clean_water.html. *** Senate Panel Considers Regulation of Carbon Dioxide *** The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held two hearings on legislation that would amend the Clean Air Act to require strict reductions in nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, and would reduce mercury and carbon dioxide emissions from power plants for the first time. The Clean Power Act (S. 556), referred to as the "four-pollutant" bill, was introduced by committee chairman Jim Jeffords (I-VT). A November 1st hearing explored how the legislation would affect the environment and the economy. A companion bill, H.R. 1256, was introduced in the House by Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), also requiring large reductions in all four substances. The Bush Administration, however, "strongly opposes" regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant because of the possible effect it could have on the coal industry. Jeffrey Holmstead, top EPA air official, testified that the Administration will introduce its own multi-pollutant legislation "relatively soon," which will not include emissions cuts in carbon dioxide. At the second hearing, which took place on November 15th, Jeffords announced that he will delay a markup of his four-pollutant bill until February 2002, by which time the Bush Administration's three-pollutant legislation should be completed. Witnesses testifying at the hearing included representatives from electric utilities that would be directly affected by the bill, environment and public health advocates, coal miners, and pollution control technology companies. Committee members opposed to S. 556 argued that the bill does not recognize important regional differences and would unfairly penalize Midwestern and Western states. According to Sens. James Inhofe (R-OK) and George Voinovich (R-OH), the legislation would cause power plants to switch from coal to natural gas, resulting in massive job losses, economic damage, and price increases for electricity and natural gas. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/clean_air.html. -Monthly review prepared by Margaret Baker, AAPG/AGI Geoscience Policy Intern Catherine Macris and David Applegate, AGI Government Affairs Program. 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2222 2) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM SPECIAL UPDATE: 12-20-01 *** OMB Plans Transfer of Research Programs to NSF IN A NUTSHELL: According to press reports, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plans to use the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2003 budget request to transfer research programs and facilities at EPA, NOAA, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Geological Survey to the National Science Foundation (NSF). In a recent speech, OMB Director Mitchell Daniels praised NSF as a model agency. Although the transfers are being presented as a reward for NSF, critics have questioned the appropriateness of the transfer given the targeted, applied nature of many of these programs and the effect that the transfer would have on the programs themselves. The administration's budget request will be released on February 4th, beginning the congressional appropriations cycle. Preliminary indications suggest that Congress may not support the transfers. With Congress finally wrapping up work on the last of the fiscal year (FY) 2002 appropriations bills, attention will soon shift to the president's FY 2003 budget request, due out on February 4th. The development of that budget has been underway for many months within the administration in a process orchestrated by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The release of the request marks the beginning of the congressional appropriations process, the second half of the annual budget cycle. It is the congressional process that gets all the attention for the simple reason that Congress does much of its budgetary work in the public eye with open hearings and widely released bill versions full of specific numbers. In contrast, the development of the administration's request -- a tortuous process with negotiations between agencies, departments, OMB, and other White House offices -- is confidential until the February release. Federal agencies begin the process by providing OMB with a budget draft based on OMB-set guidelines. OMB then "passes back" a revised budget at which point agencies have an opportunity to make an appeal before OMB gives them their final pass back. For FY 2003, the final pass back is taking place this week, and the budget request is not expected to change much between now and its release. 333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 333 3) National Science Foundation's Funding Opportunity in Carbon Cycle Research The NSF Directorate for Geosciences announces a new competition in FY 2002 to support cutting-edge basic research in carbon cycle science. The Announcement for the Integrated Carbon Cycle Research Program can be found at the following internet address: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf02106. This solicitation reflects NSF's commitment to a national effort to increase significantly our understanding of the processes that regulate the transport and transformation of carbon within and among the terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric environments of the Earth. The purpose of this Program Announcement is to solicit innovative proposals from U.S. academic institutions to conduct basic research into the scientific aspects of the global carbon cycle. Studies of the chemical, biological, ecological, and physical processes driving carbon distribution, transformation and transport within and between terrestrial, atmospheric, and oceanic environments are appropriate for this competition. The five topical foci of this Announcement include (1) focused process studies, (2) drainage basin and ocean margin studies, (3) global modeling and empirical studies, (4) effects of climatic change and variability on the carbon cycle, and (5) data management and development of standards and methods. Proposals with any level of organizational complexity -- from single-investigator to multi-investigator, multi-institutional -- will be considered. The total funding under this announcement in FY 2002 is expected to be approximately $11M, from which 20-35 awards will be made with durations up to five years. Roughly one-half of the total funding will be directed to support projects with a primarily oceanographic (including sea-air) focus, and roughly one-half will be directed to support projects with a primarily terrestrial and/or atmospheric focus. The Deadline for full proposal submission is March 5, 2002. For additional information, please contact the cognizant program officers listed in the announcement. 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 44444 4) 2002 International ACES Meeting, May 5-10, Maui, Hawaii We'd like to call your attention to the third international ACES meeting to be held in the Maui Prince Hotel, Maui, Hawaii, May 5-10, 2002. The theme of the meeting is: Computational Science, Data Assimilation, and Information Technology for Understanding Earthquake Physics and Dynamics. The APEC Cooperation on Earthquake Simulations (ACES) is a multi-lateral grand challenge science research cooperation of APEC (the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) [http://www.quakes.uq.edu.au/ACES/]. The ACES program is fundamentally a coordinated international effort linking complementary nationally based programs, centers and research teams, whose mission is: 1. To develop realistic numerical simulation models for the physics and dynamics of the complete earthquake generation process and to assimilate new earthquake observations into such models, 2. To foster collaboration between the relevant complementary programs of participating APEC member economies, 3. To foster development of the required research infrastructure and research programs. The meeting will consist of plenary sessions plus half-day sessions related to the ACES working groups: WG 1: Microscopic simulation WG 2: Scaling physics WG 3: Macro-scale simulation/Earthquake generation and cycles WG 4: Macro-scale simulation/Dynamic rupture and wave propagation WG 5: Computational Environment and Algorithms WG 6: Data assimilation and understanding WG 7: Model applications Meeting attendees are encouraged to submit an extended abstract for the meeting. Full peer-reviewed papers will be published following the meeting. A pre-registration form will be available early in January at www.scec.org. 555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 555 5) PROFESSORS AND FAMILY ISSUES STORY Robin Wilson, who is a reporter with The Chronicle of Higher Education, is working on a story about tenured or tenure-track professors who work part-time due to work-family issues (e.g., child care, elder care, ill partner). If you or someone you know has such an arrangement, contact Robin directly at robin.wilson@chronicle.com? 666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 66666 6) Gender Equity Book List AWG is planning to post a list of books about gender equity in science on our website. If you know of a title, please send the full title, author, publisher, date information to editor@awg.org 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 77777 7) POSITION OPENINGS University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire--Structural Geology/Geophysics The Department of Geology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire invites applications for a tenure-track position in the broad areas of structural geology and geophysics. The appointment will begin in August, 2002. The Position: Responsibilities include teaching, collaborative research with undergraduate students, advising, and service to the department and the University. Teaching responsibilities include structural geology, field geology, applied geophysics, petroleum geology, and introductory courses as needed by the department. A strong commitment to both undergraduate research and procuring extramural funding is expected. Qualifications: A Ph.D. in geology or a closely related discipline is required at the time of appointment. Preference will be given to individuals who have completed their Ph.D. at the time of application or who can demonstrate completion of the Ph.D. by time of the appointment, and to individuals with substantial field experience. Demonstrated success in teaching at the undergraduate level is desirable. Experience with GIS and/or petroleum geology will be considered an asset. The University and Department: The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a comprehensive university with an enrollment of 10,500 students. The campus is located along the banks of the Chippewa River about 85 miles east of the Twin Cities. The area has excellent exposures of Paleozoic and Precambrian rocks that provide many opportunities for field trips and collaborative research projects. The department is well equipped for undergraduate collaborative research. Laboratory facilities include: a modern electron microscope laboratory (SEM and JEOL 2010 TEM); Siemens SRS 3000 X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer with prep equipment; Rigaku/MDI automated powder diffractometer; 8-station NT computer laboratory; complete geophysical field equipment; AA/GTA; 12-channel seismograph; earth resistivity and ground conductivity meters; magnetometer; gravimeter; and a hydrogeology lab with on-campus water-table observation wells, piezometers and lysimeters. UW-Eau Claire is also the Wisconsin training site for Geographix data processing and geophysical interpretation software. The department currently has eight full-time faculty, seventy-two majors, and offers a bachelor's degree in geology. Applications: To be considered for priority screening, the following application materials must be received by February 15, 2002; however, screening will continue until the position is filled. 1. A letter of application including specifics about your teaching and research interests. 2. Curriculum vitae. 3. Three letters of recommendation. (Applicants should request letters from their references and all letters must be received before the application is considered.) 4. Names, addresses and phone numbers of references. 5. Copies of transcripts for all college work (originals will be requested if an offer is pending). Minority and female applicants are particularly encouraged to apply. Review of completed applications will commence February 15, 2002, and continue until position is filled. In order to speed the screening process, we ask all applicants to furnish letters of recommendation to the department. We can only consider individuals who meet all of the qualifications listed above. Names of finalists must be released upon request. Send application materials to Dr. Robert L. Hooper, Chair, Department of Geology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, 54702-4004. The University of Wisconsin is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 8888 8) STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES Applications for the 2002 Norman R. Tilford Field Studies Scholarships are now available on the AEG web site at www.aegweb.org APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2002 The Norman R. Tilford Field Studies Scholarships are student awards granted by the AEG and the Engineering Geology Foundation (EGF) in support of graduate and undergraduate field studies. The awards are made to qualified student members of the AEG based upon demonstrated scholarship, ability, participation, and potential for contributions to the profession. See the AEG web site for more information regarding applying for, or contributing to, the fund. Questions? Contact Debbie Green Tilford, Chairman of the NRT Scholarship Fund Committee, at tilgreen@aol.com. -Dr. Joanne Kluessendorf Dept. of Geology, University of Illinois 1301 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 USA phone: (217) 367-5916 fax: (217) 244-4996; e-mail: jkluesse@uiuc.ed