June 2006

Maj. Gen. Don T. Riley, director of Civil Works for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), has issued a letter thanking the ASCE External Review Panel (ERP) for its work and provided updates on the Corps' response to five specific ERP recommendations. The ERP is a panel of experts conducting an expert review of the work performed by the federal government's Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET).

» Read the entire letter

Task Force Releases Their Final Findings for 17th Street Canal Levee BreachOn June 1, 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) issued its final draft report on the status of its investigation of the New Orleans hurricane protection system. The American Society of Civil Engineers External Review Panel (ERP) is conducting a comprehensive review of the report and expects to offer its technical comments in a formal report scheduled for publication in July.

» Read the Executive Summary
» Read the full report
» For more information

Each time a natural disaster or a man-made event occurs, ASCE members generously volunteer their time and talents to assist in response and recovery initiatives, and look to ASCE to provide an avenue to do so. As of June 1, members are able to update their profiles by providing additional disaster assistance related information for inclusion in the directory.

» Enroll in the ASCE Disaster Assistance Volunteer Program
» View more information on disaster response

On April 28 the ASCE Board of Direction elected 11 outstanding professionals to Honorary Membership. Please join EWRI in congratulating the three EWRI members who were elected:

Honorary Members are those who have demonstrated achievement and contributed noteworthy services in any field of endeavor who have adhered to high standards of conduct, and whose efforts have benefited their communities, the nation and humanity. The Class of 2006 of 11 Honorary Members will be inducted during the October ASCE Annual Conference. You are invited to submit nominations for the 2007 selection cycle, which closes October 1.

Registration is now open for the upcoming 2006 Operations Management Conference in Sacramento, California, August 14-16, 2006. Register by July 10th and save $50 on your registration fee!

Join operations and management professionals at this specialty conference to exchange ideas and share discussions on current issues and everyday challenges facing the industry!

For additional conference information, including a listing of technical program presentations and online registration, visit www.asce.org/conferences/om06.

This congress has become an important annual opportunity for the best minds at work in the water and environmental fields to convene and focus on topics of the day. In this era of shifting coastlines, urban sprawl, raging storms, and extreme acts by humans and nature, it is imperative that those working on the front lines - at the environmental/water nexus - share their experiences to generate best practices for the future. EWRI invites your full participation!

Get the Recognition you deserve. Validate your knowledge and expertise with AAWRE certification today!

The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) is currently accepting online applications for the Diplomate, Specialty Certification program. The deadline for the current cycle of applications to be reviewed in fall 2006 is August 24, 2006.

Apply today and show your peers that you advocate the improvement of the practices of water resources engineering, seek to elevate the standards, and wish to advance the profession of water resources engineering.

There are requirements to apply for the Diplomate, Specialty Certification program. To read the list of the requirements: http://www.aawre.org/requirements.cfm

Complete online applications and fees must be received by 5 pm EST - August 24, 2006.

If you have any questions regarding the Diplomate, Specialty Certification program, please contact AAWRE at (703) 295-6414 or by email at certification@aawre.org.

Reston, VA. – “Over 500,000 acres of land flooded, 40,000 houses were destroyed, and 1,836 lives were lost from the devastation of the 1953 Zeeland sea flood. Today, these numbers are almost equivalent to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.”

The lecture, based on Hoeksema’s publication, was hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Netherlands Office for Science and Technology. The event featured information on the history of the Dutch water management and flood control systems dating from 500 B.C. to the present; ongoing improvements in the Dutch flood control techniques and water management standards; and an overview of the major lessons learned from the Netherlands’s history of flood protection and land reclamation.

In addition, Hoeksema incorporated information on travel in the Netherlands, which in his publication he organized into six excursions designed for those interested in discovering the country.

Attendees included ASCE’s Deputy Executive Director, Larry Roth, PE, F.ASCE, as well as civil engineering leaders from around the world; many of whom ended the night sharing ideas on how to strengthen water protection systems around the globe.

For more information on Designed for Dry Feet: Flood Protection and Land Reclamation in the Netherlands, visit http://www.pubs.asce.org.

EPA's Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts to offer free training and information for watershed practitioners around the globe. The next Webcast on Wednesday, June 28th will feature Charlie MacPherson with Tetra Tech, Inc. and Christopher Conner with the Chesapeake Bay Program. These widely renowned outreach specialists will provide an overview of social marketing principles and then proceed through the steps needed to make audiences aware of an issue, recognize audiences' underlying motivations, and encourage behavioral change. A case study presentation will highlight the key social marketing principles used to change behaviors in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Registration is available on a first-come/first-served basis and will open on June 21, 2006. Each Webcast includes a Web-based slide presentation with a companion audio portion that can be accessed either by phone or by streaming audio broadcast. For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.

On May 17th, in conjunction with Americans Wetlands Month (http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm/), the Academy hosted a Webcast on Integrating Wetlands into Watershed Protection Efforts featuring Tom Schueler with the Center for Watershed Protection. The Webcast attracted more than 270 participants from 38 states and the District of Columbia. Audio versions of this and past Webcasts are available at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. You can also download the presentation as a Podcast. For more information about how local tools can help protect wetlands, please visit: http://www.cwp.org/wetlands/index.htm (EXIT EPA). Specific training on wetland permitting and the Clean Water Act Section 404 regulatory process can be found on the Watershed Academy Web site at www.epa.gov/watertrain.

Workshop on EPA's Arsenic Removal Demonstration Program: Results and Lessons Learned

The Workshop on EPA’s Arsenic Removal Demonstration Program: Results and Lessons Learned is scheduled to be held August 22-24, 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The workshop will provide participants with information on the performance and costs of the arsenic removal technologies installed and operated by water utilities under the USEPA arsenic removal demonstration program. This workshop should be of interest to state drinking water staff, consultants, water utility personnel and others wanting information on the operation, performance and cost of full scale arsenic removal treatment technologies.

Online registration is quick and easy. Once you register, you’ll receive further logistical details, such as hotel and travel information. There is no registration fee for this workshop. The pre-registration deadline is Wednesday, August 16, 2006. The hotel cut-off date for obtaining the conference rate is August 7, 2006.

New Guidance Helps Small Drinking Water Systems Identify Affordable Treatment Options

EPA has released a new guidance document to help small drinking water systems provide safe and affordable drinking water to their customers. Cost can be a serious impediment for very small systems planning to install expensive centralized contaminant-removal equipment.

The guidance document, Point-of-Use or Point-of-Entry Treatment Options for Small Drinking Water Systems, provides operators and water officials with valuable information about treatment devices that can be installed at a consumer's tap (Point of Use) or on the water line to a consumer's home or building (Point of Entry).

The guidance describes pertinent requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and current Federal regulations. It also contains a summary of individual state requirements and a collection of case studies that illustrate how small systems have implemented these treatment options in the past.

Point-of-use devices, such as reverse-osmosis filters, are usually installed under a kitchen sink and can comply with drinking water standards for such contaminants as arsenic, lead, and radium. Point-of-entry devices are installed outside the home or business and can treat an even wider variety of contaminants. Depending on local conditions, the devices may reduce costs by more than 50 percent.

Owners and operators of small drinking water systems will find the guidance useful during the planning stage, including pilot testing, public education, and operation. Maintenance and other implementation issues are also covered.

Draft Final Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule Implementation Guidance is Available for Public Comment

EPA is releasing the draft Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule Implementation Guidance for public comment. When finalized, the guidance will assist EPA Regions and the states with implementation of the rules provisions. Along with a summary of the rule, this document contains guidance for preparing state primary enforcement authority (primacy) revision applications, rule fact sheets, a quick reference guide, and flowcharts illustrating rule requirements. An electronic version of the draft may be found on the EPA website at www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/lt2/compliance.html. Copies of the draft guidance will also be available in hard copy by contacting the Water Resource Center at 202-566-1729 and identifying document number EPA 816-R-06-006. You may also contact the National Service Center for Environmental Publication 1-800-490-9198 to obtain hard copies.

A new EPA document will help Indian Tribes design and implement effective and successful water quality programs. The Guidance on Awards of Grants to Indian Tribes under Section 106 of the Clean Water Act provides a framework for evaluating program results and clearly defining expectations and requirements for Tribal grant recipients.

During the past 10 years, EPA has increased funding available for Section 106 grants to Indian Tribes from $3 million to $25 million per year. Although many Tribes have implemented successful water quality programs using Section 106 grants, these guidelines will help to strengthen uniformity in program management nationally and improve the quality and access to data on the results of Tribal water quality grant investments.

"These guidelines will help redefine how Tribes and the Clean Water Act work together," said Benjamin Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Water. "It is an exciting step forward in helping to protect, restore and maintain the physical and biological integrity of our nation's waters."

Reporting requirements and data management expectations for all Tribal programs are key components of the proposed Guidance. Data collected as a result of these reporting requirements will help EPA measure environmental results and comply with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and other federal mandates.

Comments on the proposed Guidance must be received on or before June 26, 2006. Additional information is available on the Water Pollution Control Program Grants web page at: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/106tgg07.htm.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Request for Proposals: Wildlife Habitat Policy Research Program

NOW AVAILABLE at www.whprp.org

The Wildlife Habitat Policy Research Program (WHPRP) is soliciting Letters of Intent (Due July 10, 2006) for our competitive awards program. Application for the awards is open to everyone.

The WHPRP will fund eight specific projects in 2006 related to the implementation of State Wildlife Action Plans and wildlife habitat conservation in the United States. Project topics include:

Analysis of the Priorities, Obstacles and Opportunities that Exist for the Implementation of U.S. State Wildlife Action Plans
Analysis of Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife Habitat in the U.S.
Approach to Developing Performance Measures for U.S. Habitat Conservation
Design of U.S. Habitat Banking Systems
Analysis of U.S. State and Local Policies
Estimation of U.S. Habitat Conservation Costs
Assessment of U.S. Habitat Conservation and Provision of Ecosystem Services
Development of an Operational Benefit Estimation Tool for the U.S.

The WHPRP’s mission is to develop and disseminate new information and tools to accelerate the conservation of wildlife habitat in the US. The WHPRP sponsors work that is of the highest technical quality and also relevant to the needs of policy makers, administrators, resource managers, practitioners, and landowners.

Based upon the Letters of Intent, three candidates for each project will be invited to submit full proposals for external review. Awards are expected by November 1, 2006 and will range from $25,000 to $250,000 each, depending on the project. Further information, full project descriptions, and instructions for Letters of Intent are available at: www.whprp.org.

The WHPRP is a program of the National Council on Science and the Environment (NCSE), an independent, not-for-profit NGO, dedicated to improving the scientific basis for environmental decision-making. Please contact Christina Zarrella at czarrella@ncseonline.org or 202.207.0007 if you require further information. The WHPRP program is supported by a four year grant by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF).

Ordering Information: Visit http://www.pubs.asce.org or call 1-800-548-2723 (U.S.) / 1-703-295-6300 (Int’l.) / 1-703-295-6278 (Fax)

BMP Technology in Urban Watersheds: Current and Future Directions presents examples of various current Best Management Practice (BMP) options. It is a compilation of presentations from the BMP Technology Symposium: Current and Future Directions, at the 2004 EWRI World Water and Environmental Congress held in Salt Lake City, Utah from June 28 – July 1, 2004. This book contains case studies and technical information, and details the state of the science through the presentation of cutting edge research in watershed management. It presents BMP designs as well as guidelines for monitoring, selecting, implementing and costs in urban watersheds. This book will be beneficial to Landscape Architects, City Planners, Watershed Managers, and Environmental and Civil Engineers.

In the continuing effort to digitize the ASCE Journal archive, both the complete 1993 and 1994 volumes—including more than 3,300 articles—were added to the ASCE Online Research Library.

The Research Library is your source for professional and technical articles in civil engineering. More than 28,000 articles from ASCE journals and proceedings are archived for instant download. Subscribe to the Proceedings and Journals Combined Research Library Card subscription and download 40 articles of interest for only $3.50 per article.

The organizing committee for the upcoming conference is currently seeking abstract submissions.

7th International Conference on HydroScience & Engineering*
September 10-13, 2006, Philadelphia, PA

Advanced Detention Routing: Improving the Operation and Effectiveness of Detention Facilities

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