June e-update

The ASCE Board of Direction recently approved an amendment to the Rules of Policy and Procedure allowing for electronic elections through the use of proxy ballots. All members eligible to vote will receive a paper ballot in their June issue of ASCE News at their address of record as shown in the official member’s profile. Members are encouraged to visit www.asce.org/myp rofile/ to ensure that their address of record is correct.

In addition, however, all members who have a valid e-mail address on file will receive notification of their unique e-signature code and a link to the official election Web site. Members also are encouraged to visit www.asce.org/myprofile/ to ensure that their e-mail address of record is up to date. Members, who wish to vote electronically but have not provided a valid e-mail address, may obtain an e-signature by contacting the customer service department at 1-800-548-ASCE or clicking on “Members Only” at www.asce.org. A unique e-signature will be sent to the member electronically. In addition to their e-signature, members voting electronically will be asked to provide their ASCE membership identification number.

For the first time, the institutes will elect their representative as a full voting member of the Board of Direction. Your Council of Institute Leaders met in January to consider candidates and select two official nominees. They are: Dr. Jeffrey B. Bradley, of Salem, Oregon, from EWRI and Mr. Stan R. Caldwell, of Dallas, Texas from AEI.

Your Governing Board strongly supports Dr. Bradley and urges you to vote for him. Many of you know him. He is the Chief Executive Officer of WEST Consultants, Inc. and is a nationally recognized expert in hydrology, river hydraulics, and sediment transport. His professional experience includes service in the private sector with his firm, in the government with the Corps of Engineers, and in academia at Colorado State University. Since its inception, he also has been quite active in EWRI by serving on the first Governing Board and as the second President. He represented the institutes well as a member of the ASCE President’s Task Committee on Institute Operating Procedures and again on the Task Committee on Governance Restructuring. His hard work and steady leadership helped to steer EWRI through its formative years as well as foster a strong and collegial relationship between the Board of Direction and the leadership of the institutes. He has served as a member and chair of numerous other ASCE committees and task committees. Moreover, he gained valuable experience as a leader in local sections and branches in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. His breadth of experience and deep commitment to our profession will enable Dr. Bradley to represent all of the institutes as a member of the Board of Direction. We urge you to vote for Jeff when the balloting begins next month.

The International Cooperation Council (ICC) of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) invites applications for Visiting International Fellows. The fellowships are intended to assist faculty, professionals, or graduate researchers in developing countries with participating in cultural and technical exchange with EWRI members at the World Water and Environmental Resources Congress 2006 in Omaha, Nebraska (May 21-25,
2006) and in supplementary activities during their visit to the United States.

The application form must be submitted by the potential host (a United
States- or Canada-based EWRI/ASCE member), along with an abstract of the paper to be presented at the conference, by September 16, 2005 to:

Laurel Saito, Ph.D., P.E.
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada-Reno Mail Stop 186 1000 Valley Road Reno, NV 89512 USA

ICC members will review eligible fellowship applications and will notify applicants of selection by November 1, 2005. Please direct questions to Laurel Saito at lsaito@cabnr.unr.edu or (775) 784-1921 or Terence Lee at tlee@netline.cl.

EPA Blending Policy Revisited

(Washington, D.C.-May 19, 2005) Based on review of all public comments and congressional hearings, EPA will not finalize the sewage blending policy as proposed in November 2003.

"Blending is not a long-term solution,'' said Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for the Office of Water. "Our goal is to reduce overflows and increase treatment of wastewater to protect human health and the environment."

To provide clarity in the ways peak wastewater flows are handled, the agency proposed a policy in November 2003 that addressed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements for municipal wastewater treatment during wet weather conditions. After receiving more than 98,000 public comments, the agency is now in the process of determining other options to address pollutant discharges during wet weather conditions.

The EPA will continue to review policy and regulatory alternatives to develop the most feasible approaches to treat wastewater and protect communities, upstream and downstream. EPA will work with Congress, communities, and citizens on effective and efficient approaches that protect communities and ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act.

For information about the proposed policy, go to: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/blending or contact: Eryn Witcher, 202-564-4355.

The organizing committees for three upcoming conferences are currently seeking abstract submissions.

The Technical Committee on Water Pollution Control is forming a new Task Committee on Tractive Force Design in Sanitary Sewers. This is related to recommendations which will be made in the upcoming update of MOP 60 – Design of Gravity Sanitary Sewers. Persons interested in sewer hydraulics and this topic are asked to contact Karen Karvazy (kkarvazy@chastainskillman.com). The Task Committee will be preparing a workshop on tractive force design to be presented at the 2006 Congress.

Also, a Task Committee on Sewer Mining is being formed. This group will review the state of the art in sewer mining and work to develop standard definitions and design criteria. Please contact Karen Karvazy for details.

The Sustainable Design in Water Pollution Engineering Task Force is an active EWRI sub-committee with a number of new initiatives underway. The committee invites new members to join as they begin to plan a track for the 2006 EWRI Conference, author a series of articles for ASCE publications, launch a new student design project competition, and plan for a specialty conference in 2007. This is a dynamic group who welcomes new members to help develop these initiatives and bring new ideas to the committee. Please contact Helene Hilger at hhilger@uncc.edu for further information.

Be sure to read Part II of a Three Part Series on Sustainable Design in the next issue of EWRI Currents.

FREE WEBCAST & FREE WORKSHOP

Environmental Protection Agency's Watershed Academy to sponsor free June 22nd Webcast on Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas


Eastern: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.	Central: 12:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.	Mountain: 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.	Pacific: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Many communities in the U.S. are experiencing rapid growth and development, and a gradual decline in the quality of their aquatic resources. In this Webcast seminar, the Center for Watershed Protection’s Thomas R. Scheuler will highlight effective tools communities can apply to minimize the impact of land development on their streams, lakes, and estuaries. Local watershed organizations and municipal leaders are invited to sign up for this free, on-line training program. Since there are a limited number of phone lines available, participants must register in advance. After the limit is reached, there will be a waiting list.

To register, visit: http://clu-in.org/conf/tio/watershedtools.

ETV International Forum

ETV International Forum The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program would like to invite you to attend the ETV International Forum, to be held July 13-14, 2005, at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Washington, DC. The preliminary agenda is posted on the ETV International Forum web site at http://www.etvinternationalforum.com/. There is no cost to attend this forum.

Advances in Water and Wastewater Treatment provides state-of-the-art information on the application of innovative technologies

for water and wastewater treatment with an emphasis on the scientific principles for pollutant or pathogen removal. Described in detail are the practice and principles of wastewater treatment on topics such as: global warming, sustainable development, nutrient removal, bioplastics production, biosolid digestion and composting, pathogen reduction, metal leaching, secondary clarifiers, surface and subsurface constructed wetland, and wastewater reclamation. Environmental engineers and scientists involved in the practice of environmental engineering will benefit from the basic principles to innovation technologies application. Topics include: watershed management, atrazine control, radon removal, pathogen removal, disinfection technologies, control of disinfection by-products, and management of water treatment plant residuals.

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Let a team of water treatment plant design experts -- with contributions from more than 30 international authorities -- give you comprehensive

guidance on modernizing existing water treatment facilities and planning new ones from initial plans and permits through design, construction, and start-up. This classic reference has been completely updated to include hot topics such as security and design, vulnerability assessments, and planning against vandalism and sabotage, as well as the latest information on codes, regulations, and water quality standards. In addition, you'll learn about flexible design that can meet anticipated requirements, and find a wealth of information on instrumentation and control and structural, electrical, and design reliability developments -- plus updates on water treatment methods, such as aeration, coagulation, flocculation, clarification, filtration, oxidation, and disinfection.

The early registration deadline is fast approaching! Register by June 20th and save $100 on your registration!

The 2005 Watershed Management Conference, "Managing Watersheds for Human and Natural Impacts: Engineering, Ecological, and Economic Challenges" is sponsored by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Sessions will include: Stream and Watershed Restoration, Constructed Wetlands, Best Management Practices, Modeling and Monitoring of Hydrologic Processes, Effects of Fire and Post-Fire Mitigation on Watershed Hydrology, Managing Watersheds for Control of Ecological Impacts, Groundwater (Competing Demands, Contamination, Recharge, Mining, Salt Water Intrusion), the Economics of Watershed Management and Managing Forested Watersheds. The conference will be held in Williamsburg, Va., July 19-22.

A site and theme for the EWRI 2007 World Water & Environmental Congress have been selected. The Congress will be held in Tampa, Florida in late May 2007, and will highlight its theme of “Restoring Our Habitat”. Topics expected to be presented during the Congress will include the Everglades and Kissimmee River restoration projects, as well as successes in restoring Tampa Bay.

Council Chairs should submit proposals for Track Titles to any member of the Congress Committee by April 2006. It is anticipated that the Call for Papers will be released May 2006, with papers due by the end of 2006.

EWRI and the Congress Committee have already started to establish relationships with local organizations and the Florida Section of ASCE. Come enjoy the blend of cultures that has shaped Tampa Bay since the 1600s. From the Spanish explorers, to the boom years of the 1920s, to its modern growth, Tampa has been shaped by many influences. Experience the vitality and diversity of the Florida Gulf Coast!

SPREAD THE WORD

Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in environmental and water-related issues and would like to hear from the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Encourage your friends and colleagues to JOIN EWRI and receive all the benefits of being and EWRI Member.

Let’s Get Out the Vote!

EPA Blending Policy Revisited

Environmental Protection Agency's Watershed Academy to sponsor free June 22nd Webcast on Eight Tools for Watershed Protection in Developing Areas