September 2006

Thomas M. Rachford, P.E., Ph.D., F.ASCE, was elected technical region director and will represent all members who belong to the institutes. Rachford received a bachelor of science and master of science in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate from Stanford University. He is a vice president and the corporate quality officer for Gannett Fleming, Inc., a national engineering and planning firm headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He has been an active ASCE volunteer for more than 30 years. He chaired the Session Programs Committee and the Executive Committee for the former Environmental Engineering Division and the Technical Activities Committee (TAC) Management Group D. He was a founding member of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) and that body’s first treasurer. He served as an EWRI elected officer for four years, including a term as president during the fiscal year 2003–04. His ASCE national committee memberships have included the TAC Operations Task Committee, the TAC Planning Committee, the TAC Reorganization Task Committee, the Institute Task Force, the Council of Institute Leaders, and, more recently, the Civil Engineering Research Foundation Reengineering Task Committee.

Rachford will be officially installed into his position during the business meeting scheduled for October 21 in Chicago in conjunction with this year’s ASCE Civil Engineering Conference.

A year after Hurricane Katrina's devastating impact on New Orleans, ASCE's External Review Panel issued a 'call for action', outlining a set of essential recommendations for overcoming the deficiencies in the region's hurricane protection system and instituting real change in its governance, management and engineering. Many of the lessons learned also have significant implications for communities throughout the nation.

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EWRI Call for Governing Board Nominations

The Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) is accepting nominations for candidates for the 2007-2008 EWRI Governing Board Office of Vice President. The EWRI 2007-2008 Vice President will have a four-year tenure on the Governing Board commencing on October 1, 2007.

On October 1, 2008 the 2007-2008 Vice President becomes the EWRI President- elect, and on October 1, 2009 the 2007-2008 Vice President becomes the EWRI President. On October 1, 2010, the 2007-2008 Vice President becomes the EWRI Past President.

To nominate individuals (including self-nomination) for consideration by the NEC to become official EWRI candidates for the 2007-2008 office of EWRI Vice President, please visit the following website to download a Nomination Packet or submit one online: http://www.ewrinstitute.org/committees/govern_nominationspacket.cfm.

All mailed nomination packets must be postmarked by February 1, 2007. All completed information must be received by EWRI by February 15, 2007.

Petition nominations may be filed with the EWRI Director. Petitions must be in accordance with the EWRI Bylaws as stated in the most current ASCE Official Register. EWRI Bylaws are also available at the EWRI web site: www.ewrinstitute.org.

Increase Your Recognition in the Water Resources Engineering Field - Become an AAWRE Diplomate - Apply Today!

The American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) is currently accepting online applications for the Diplomate, Specialty Certification program for spring 2007. AAWRE offers a voluntary, post-license credential that will provide professionals and practitioners an opportunity to gain further recognition in the field of water resources engineering. The current online application deadline is February 28, 2007. For more information and to apply, please visit: http://www.aawre.org/appaawre.cfm.

Save the Date! September 27, 2006 Book Lecture and Signing in Washington, D.C.

The American Society of Civil Engineers, the Embassy of Peru, and the George Washington University Center for Latin American Issues are pleased to invite you to a lecture by Kenneth R. Wright, P.E. and Ruth M. Wright, J.D., authors of the new book published by ASCE Press, Tipon: Water Engineering Masterpiece of the Inca Empire.

EPA plans to award up to $19 million in grants to help clean up and restore the nation's waterways. Proposals must reach EPA by Oct. 16, 2006, for capacity-building grants and Nov. 15, 2006, for project-implementation grants. Capacity-building grants provide for education and training, whereas implementation grants involve actions such as protection and preservation.

"President Bush understands that citizen-centered programs foster innovation while accelerating restoration of watersheds through Cooperative Conservation and grass-roots partnerships," said Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles.

State governors and tribal leaders nominate potential recipients for implementation grants. EPA will evaluate and rank submissions based on criteria outlined in each notice. Watershed organizations receive the awards based on how likely they are to achieve environmental results in a relatively short time. Selection of the grantees will be announced in the fall.

Under the Targeted Watersheds Grant Program, EPA has awarded nearly $40 million to 46 watershed organizations since 2003. In excess of $2 million has gone to five watershed capacity-building organizations to further the activities of more than 3,000 local watershed groups. For this grant cycle, the focus will be on supporting community-based approaches and strengthening local capacity to protect and clean up water resources.

Watersheds currently in the program cover more than 142,000 square miles of the nation's landscape draining into lakes, rivers, and streams.

On July 27th, NOAA and EPA fully approved Minnesota's Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program under Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 ("CZARA"), making it the 17th fully approved program in the U.S. Congress established the program in 1990 to encourage better coordination between state coastal zone and nonpoint pollution programs in the coastal zone. Coastal states must develop programs, backed by enforceable authorities, to implement a suite of management measures that will control runoff from six categories of sources: forestry, agriculture, urban areas, marinas, hydromodification (shoreline and stream channel modification), and wetlands and riparian areas. Despite being one of the last five states to participate in the nationwide program, Minnesota developed a fully approved state program more quickly than any other participating state or territory. For additional information, contact Don Waye or link to Minnesota's Approval Document at
http://www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/nonpoint/pro_aprove.html#Minnesota.

EPA is publishing for public comment a draft of the Guidance for Implementing the Jan. 2001 Methylmercury Water Quality Criteria. When final, this document will help protect waters by giving state, territory, and authorized tribal water quality programs guidance on how to adopt and implement the fish tissue-based methylmercury water quality criteria. You can find the document at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/methylmercury/.

EPA is releasing a draft guidance to help public water systems as they make operational changes to comply with drinking water regulations that control microbial contaminants and disinfection byproducts. As they work to provide safe drinking water, operators of public water systems must evaluate the effects that changes in the treatment process could have on their ability to meet multiple drinking water standards. "This is an important step in completing our lead reduction action plan and helping utilities meet existing and new requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water. The failure to carefully consider these effects can result in problems that affect public health. For example, treatment changes to reduce disinfection byproducts could increase the corrosivity of drinking water, which, in the absence of adequate corrosion control, could result in an increase in lead in drinking water.

This revised manual builds on a similar manual developed for the Stage 1 Disinfection Byproduct Rule. It incorporates new research and case studies and is presented in a more user-friendly manner. Release of the guidance supports the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproduct Rule and is an action item in the Agency?s 2005 Drinking Water Lead Reduction Plan. EPA is soliciting suggestions and recommendations to make this draft guidance manual more complete and user-friendly and also plans to hold a public meeting in September to discuss the guidance. The draft guidance is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/stage2/compliance.html.

EPA is sponsoring an AQUATOX training workshop on October 24-26 in Philadelphia. AQUATOX is a PC-based simulation model for aquatic ecosystems that covers eutrophication, chemical fate, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicology. The course is a detailed overview of the model that allows ample time to work with it in a lab setting. There is no charge for the workshop, but attendance is limited. We require that you register before the course. You can get more information at our AQUATOX training page on the Internet at www.epa.gov/waterscience/models/aquatox/training/.

Certified Operator and Owners of small drinking water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people will now have quick reference guides to help them operate sustainable drinking water systems that deliver safe drinking water to their customers. Topics of the guides include best practices for general operating practices, maintenance of distribution systems, vital record keeping, and building good working relationships with decision makers. Information and copies of these guides are available on EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/ssinfo.htm. Hard copies are available upon request through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (telephone number 1-800-426-9198).

INDUSTRY NEWS

USGS Circular 1292, Volatile Organic Compounds in the Nation’s Ground Water and Drinking-Water Supply Wells

USGS

USGS Circular 1292, Volatile Organic Compounds in the Nation’s Ground Water and Drinking-Water Supply Wells is now available on the Internet. Visit http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/vocs/national_assessment. The long-term investigation by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program provides the most comprehensive national analysis to date on the occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in aquifers used as an important supply of drinking water, based on analytical results from over 4,000 wells sampled between 1985 and 2002.

Among the major findings are that VOCs were detected in aquifers across the Nation and were not limited to just a few specific aquifers and regions. Despite the nationwide occurrence, VOCs were note detected in most of the sampled wells; about 80 percent had no detections above a threshold of 0.2 parts per billion. VOCs were detected in some domestic and public-supply wells, but seldom at concentrations greater than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulatory levels or USGS health-based screening levels.

In-depth technical information also is available on this site, including downloadable maps on VOC occurrence and detections in domestic and public wells, information on sampling design and methodology, and background on data analyses.

New Periodical for Brownfield Professionals Available Free From The Institute of Brownfield Professionals

Silver Spring, MD: A new periodical for brownfield and other environmental professionals – The Brownfield Professional – has been launched by the Institiute of Brownfield Professionals and is available free at the Institute’s website: www.brownfieldpros.org.

According to Institute Executive Director John P. Bachner, the Institute will publish The Brownfield Professional six times a year. The periodical will carry news of developments in the profession and within the organization, as well as a variety of features related to professional practice. He said, “Volume one, number one, is somewhat of an experiment insofar as content is concerned. We are asking Institute members to provide feedback, so we can produce a periodical of genuine value. For the near term, we will make The Brownfield Professional available free to everyone. We expect it to soon become a members-only publication, designed to give its readers an advantage over their competitors.”

The first edition of The Brownfield Professional includes, among other things: a variety of articles focusing on professional practice (e.g., the inherent danger of contractually agreeing to “defend” a client, the ten things brownfield professionals need to know about client representatives, and sources of competitive advantage), industry news (e.g., $70 million in EPA brownfield grants), Institute developments (creation of new Registered Brownfield Professional criteria and the installation of a new board of directors), and two features proposed to become regular elements of the periodical (“Professional Selling” and “Dr. English”).

Established in 2004, the Institute of Brownfield Professionals is an educational organization whose mission is to:

provide a forum for discussion of business, regulatory, and technical issues of common interest;
represent members in regulatory matters;
provide educational and training media and fora to advance members’ knowledge and capabilities;
certify the apparent capabilities of environmental professionals; and
promote members’ availability to serve those who need the services of environmental professionals.

Obtain more information about the Institute of Brownfield Professionals by visiting its website (www.brownfieldpros.org) or by contacting its staff (301/588-8668 or info@brownfieldpros.org).

COMMITTEE NEWS

Mark Your Calendar! Council Weekend 2007

EWRI’s 5th Annual Council Weekend has been scheduled for February 24-25, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. Email invitations will be sent to appropriate Councils, Committee and Task Committee Chairs and EXCOMS in November. Full details will follow after the winter holidays.

Carol Forrest died Sunday, August 13, 2006 in a helicopter crash off the Oregon Coast. Carol was a Principal with GeoSyntec Consultants and managed the firm’s office in Old Town San Diego (CA) while serving as a leader of the firm’s Water and Natural Resources Practice. She was participating in the Flight of Discovery, a scientific expedition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the return of Lewis and Clark from Oregon to Missouri. The purpose of the expedition was to document and evaluate environmental changes along the route that have occurred since the original expedition 200 years ago and to connect people on and off the route with established history and their environment.

Her professional accomplishments in her exemplary career as a civil engineer included working with government agencies, private industry and property owners to develop innovative and protective approaches for urban stormwater management, stream restoration, and erosion and sediment control. She was a licensed Professional Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Certified Profession in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC), and a Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality (CPSWQ). She contributed to the development of the CPESC and CPSWQ specialty certifications and regularly taught courses for those preparing for certifying examinations.

Ms. Forrest was a nationally known expert in erosion and sediment control and had more than 28 years experience in urban runoff, storm water quality, and watershed management. Throughout her career, she worked to advance the state of knowledge of effective erosion control and storm water quality best management practices (BMPs) through the development of BMP standards, numerous guidance and design manuals, and research programs, including development of a state-of-the-art soil erosion research laboratory at San Diego State University (SDSU). She was an outstanding teacher to countless contractors, engineers, architects, regulators, agency personnel, and other industry professionals on the fundamentals of erosion and sediment control both in the classroom and in the field. She was involved in projects related to watershed management, erosion control, post-fire hazard mitigation, storm water quality, and resource management throughout the United States and overseas. Carol published numerous articles on stormwater management and erosion and sediment control in national publications, and frequently led seminars and workshops.

Carol was in charge of developing the post-fire erosion and sediment control measures following the 1991 Oakland, California firestorm, the 1993 Southern California fires, the 1996 Harmony Grove Fire (San Diego, California), and the 2003 San Diego fires.

Ms. Forrest joined GeoSyntec in 2003 after a 25-year career with Woodward-Clyde Consultants (and then URS) in San Diego where she was a Principal. Carol received the firm’s Innovative Practice and Project Management Awards in 1986 and 1992, respectively. She earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in civil engineering at SDSU, where she was honored as the College of Engineering Alumna of the Year in 1995. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the SDSU Alumni Association. Ms. Forrest was twice past President of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), twice past President of the Western Chapter of the IECA, past Chair of the CPESC Council and received the Sustained Contributor Award from IECA in 2003.

Carol had a profound love of flying and was a licensed helicopter pilot. She is survived by her husband, Michael Harding, and step-children, Lee, 28, and Katie Harding, 26, and her sister, Sandra Forrest.

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)

This book contains 29 select papers spanning over 40 years that deal with urban water resources. For the past four decades, members of the ASCE Urban Water Resources Research Council (UWRRC) have made extraordinary contributions to the field of urban water resources planning, design, and management. They have collaborated to prepare reports, technical memoranda, conference proceedings, and other documents on wide-ranging subjects. This book documents these four decades of unique contributions by the UWRRC, with papers that are as timely and provocative today as when they were first published. Readers will be struck by the foresight and perspectives of the Council members from decades ago on such subjects as: drainage and flood control, stormwater quality management, water supply planning, risk assessment, public involvement and participation, and the role of the water engineer in society. This book presents the evolution and primary underpinnings of urban stormwater management, and will be beneficial to all stormwater management professionals.

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

2nd National Low Impact Development Conference*
March 12-14, 2007
Wilmington, NC

ASCE’s Career Connections puts you in the fast lane to advance your career or hire your newest qualified candidate. With over 600 jobs, 3,000 resumes, and 10,000 unique visitors per month Career Connections is quickly becoming the premier site for civil engineering recruitment.

Add www.asce.org/careers to your Web site favorites and take advantage of one of the most comprehensive job sites designed just for civil engineers.

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