AEG News June 2015

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Vol. 57, No. 2 – June 2015

Special Feature:

AEG 2015 Pittsburgh

AEG 2015 Annual Meeting

STUDENT EVENTS You Don’t Want to Miss!

Student/Professional Networking Event Tuesday, September 22 – 5:15–6:15pm The Student and Young Professional Support Committee (SYPSC) invites you to attend this great event and have the opportunity to meet other students from across the country, as well as professionals.

Student/Young Professional Career Discussion Wednesday, September 23 – 2:00–5:00pm 2013–14 Jahn’s Lecturer Greg Hempen will be hosting this discussion and question/answer session regarding three topics:

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Experience and Networking Getting Your First/Next Job Having an Enjoyable Career

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY: Students, if you are interested in volunteering 8 hours in exchange for a full Meeting Registration, please contact Heather Clark, heather@aegweb.org

AEG 59th Annual Meeting – September 18–25, 2016

Kona – Island of Hawaii Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa – Group Rate Only $185 Located beachfront along the sun-splashed Kohala Coast, the luxurious Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort welcomes guests with gracious style and Hawaiian service. With the bounty of land and sea captured in stunning views, this Big Island Hawaii hotel and resort is the perfect place for a memorable meeting with colleagues. Experience an authentic Polynesian show at the Sunset Luau as our Special Event. Set upon 15 acres of oceanfront splendor, the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa offers a truly magical setting.

Field Trip Ideas

Conceptual Guest Tours

• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park • Mauna Loa – star gazing at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy • Laupahoehoe and Pololu Valley – tsunami impact areas • Waipio Valley – earthquake-induced landslides • Puna Geothermal Station • Honolulu and Oahu – geotechnical projects

• Plantation Tours (coffee and macadamia nut) • Puu Kohala Helau National Historic Site & Spencer Beach • Snorkeling • Umauma Falls and Tropical Garden, The Umauma Experience Zipline • Horseback Riding • Kailua/Kona Walking Tour • Pearl Harbor and Iolani Palace

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Vol. 58, No. 2 – June 2015

AEG News (ISSN 0899-5788; USPS 954-380) is published six times a year by the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG), with the quarterly issues Nos. 1–4, published in March, June, September and December, respectively. The Annual Report and Directory issue is published in January. The Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts issue is published in September. Print copies are distributed at the meeting. Subscriptions for Association members, which includes all six issues of the AEG News, are included in annual membership dues. Nonmember annual subscription is $40.00, and includes only the four regular issues (#1–4) of the News. The Annual Report and Directory issue and the Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts issue are priced separately. Back issues of the AEG News are $10 each. Inquiries should be sent to AEG Headquarters: Marrijane Jones, Association Manager, 1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H, Zanesville, Ohio 43701 303-757-2926.

Periodical Postage paid at Zanesville, OH, and additional mailing offices: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AEG News, 1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H Zanesville, Ohio 43701, USA. AEG News is printed by The Ovid Bell Press, Fulton, MO 65251, USA. © 2015 Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists—All Rights Reserved Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those officially representing the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists except where expressly stated.

AEG News Editor Anna Saindon Geotechnology, Inc. 11816 Lackland Road, Suite 150 St. Louis, MO 63146 314-581-6286 news@aegweb.org

Managing Editor/Production Andrea Leigh Ptak Communicating Words & Images 6542 52nd Ave. So. Seattle, WA 98118 Office: 206-725-9169 Cell: 206-300-2067 andrealeighptak@me.com

Table of Contents News of the Association 2 The President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Headquarters’ Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Governance Restructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Committee/Technical Working Group Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 AEG Foundation News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 E&EG Journal Marks 20th Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 AEG Professional Forum: Time to Face the Landslide Hazard Dilemma . . .8 Obituaries and Appreciations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Special Section: AEG 2015 Annual Meeting – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Professional Contributions 25 GeoBot and GeoCopter Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Field Trips 28 Reed Gold Mine – Midland, NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Issues in Professional Licensure

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The HomeFront

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Index to Advertisers

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On the Cover The nightime view of the Pittsburgh skyline as seen from the western edge of Mt. Washington—one of the sights for attendees of the 2015 Annual Meeting. For more information, see the special insert starting on page 13 of this issue.

Submission Information In order of preference: 1. Send files via email, preferably as attachments, to both email addresses above. Optimum file format is MSWord 2004. Users of other software programs should convert their file to ASCII or text only.

2. Images should be sent as high-resolution jpeg or tiff files. Questions? Contact Andrea Ptak at 206-725-9169/andrealeighptak@me.com.

The association

3. The policy of AEG News editorial staff is to limit the credentials of an individual to two. For example, if John Smith has a MS, a PhD and a PG plus a CEG and a CGWP, his credentials would be limited to John Smith PhD, PG, the two principal credentials. BS/BA and MS degrees will not be recognized. No effort will be made by the AEG News editorial staff to determine if individuals whose credentials are missing from the submitted copy actually have academic or professional credentials, nor will the staff verify the existence or correctness of the credentials submitted.

Officers

For detailed guidelines visit: www.aegweb.org/publications/aeg-news/submit-to-aeg-news

President: KENNETH C. FERGASON Amec Foster Wheeler, 602-329-9714, fergasonaeg@gmail.com Vice President/President Elect: PAUL M. SANTI Colorado School of Mines, 303-273-3108, psanti629@gmail.com Treasurer: DALE C. ANDREWS Carmeuse Lime & Stone, 412-777-0728, dale.andrews@carmeusena.com Secretary: KATHY G. TROOST University of Washington, 206-909-9757, ktroostaeg@gmail.com Past President: GARY C. LUCE Resource Concepts Inc., 775-690-0537, lucegc@charter.net

Advertising in the News

Association Contacts Headquarters—Association Manager Marrijane Jones 1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H Zanesville, Ohio 43701 Phone: 303-757-2926, Fax: 740-452-2552 contact@aegweb.org

Contact AEG Headquarters at advertising@aegweb.org.

Next Submission Deadline

AEG Foundation—President: DAVE FENSTER, aegfprez@gmail.com

July 31, 2015, for the September Issue Canada Agreement number: PM40063731; Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54; Windsor, ON N9A 6J5; Email: returnsil@imex.pb.com

June 2015

Communications Directors: MATT BRUNENGO, 503-534-0414, mbrunengo@aol.com and KAMI DEPUTY, KDD@shanwil.com, 425-463-5903

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Crossing the t’s and Dotting the i’s

Updating AEG’s Governing Documents

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Ken Fergason, AEG 2014–15 President

ver the past several months I’ve provided multiple updates here in the AEG News, through the AEG Insider, in direct communications to the Section Chairs, and at Section meetings I’ve had the privilege to attend about the ongoing efforts to restructure the governance of AEG. Part of this effort was intended to edit the Constitution of AEG with the purpose of bringing it up-todate with California law, which is where AEG is incorporated as a 501(c)6 corporation. This article is intended to provide a relatively detailed update on the process undertaken in this effort; an even more detailed article is available on the website. A separate article in this edition of the News provides discussion on the process to look at revising our Bylaws (see www.aegweb.org/?page=PresidentsMessage) to adjust to the regional model for our Board of Directors (BOD) that membership approved in the summer of 2014.

The short answer is that legal counsel has advised us that California law does not recognize a Constitution as a governing document of corporations and that the only governing documents recognized are the Articles of Incorporation (AoI) and Bylaws. What this means is that AEG needs to amend and restate its AoI through a member vote. The amended and restated AoI was approved by the BOD at the 2015 Mid-Year BOD Meeting in April. At that time, the BOD also moved to have the membership vote to approve the amended and restated AoI. That vote is planned to occur this summer in concurrance with the vote for AEG Officers. In parallel, legal counsel recommends that the content now included in the Constitution will need to be shifted to our Bylaws as part of the Bylaw revision process, and eventually the Constitution should be rescinded.

This summer, AEG will be sending the amended and restated AoI to the full membership for a vote. The only changes to the AoI are related to adding the word environmental to our statement of purpose, which is how AEG gets classified as a 501(c)6 corporation. The other notable part of this is that AEG never amended the AoI with the State of California after it approved a name change to the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists back in the early 2000s. The amended and restated AoI will make this name change official with the State of California.

The amended and restated AoI that will be voted on is presented below. Note that this document is formatted for readability and that in this format it does not conform to the exact formatting criteria required for submission to the State of California.

ASSOCIATION OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS RESOLUTIONS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APRIL 25, 2015 Amendment and Restatement of the Articles of Incorporation After discussion, upon motion duly made and seconded, the Board of Directors approved and adopted the following recital and resolutions: WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Association of Engineering Geologists (this “Corporation”) believes it is in the best interests of this Corporation to amend and restate its Articles of Incorporation and recommends that the voting members approve such amendment and restatement; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT: RESOLVED, that the following Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of this Corporation are hereby approved, subject to any changes required by the California Secretary of State: ***** Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation Article I - Corporate Name. The name of the corporation is ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL & ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS Article II - Corporate Purpose. a. This corporation is a nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation organized under the Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law. The purpose of this corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity, other than credit union business, for which a corporation may be organized under such law. b. The specific purposes of this corporation are to establish and maintain high ethical and professional standards for the environmental and engineering geology profession; to provide for the discussion of subjects related to the earth sciences and other problems of interest to the environmental and engineering geology profession; and to further public understanding and acceptance of the responsibilities of environmental and engineering geologists. c. Notwithstanding any of the above statements of purposes and powers, this corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the specific purposes of this corporation.

Article III – Election. This corporation elects to be governed by all of the provisions of the Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1980 not otherwise applicable to it under Part 5 of Division 2.

Article IV – Directors. All provisions regarding directors shall be set forth in the bylaws of this corporation. *****

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AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – HEADQUARTERS’ REPORT

Transition, Rebuilding, and Growth

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Marrijane Jones, AEG Association Manager

ince August 2014, AEG has been in a time of transition and change. While change is difficult, these changes have also created an opportunity to re-examine and reevaluate association activities and programs.

As you know, Offinger Management serves as the new headquarters and association management company (AMC) for AEG. We are your resource and partner. Working together, our collaborative efforts can bring a fresh perspective on how best to implement AEG’s programs efficiently, effectively and most importantly, affordably.

The recent Mid-Year Board of Directors meeting held in Ohio is an example of a group of dedicated volunteers who are collaboratively working to best serve the needs of the AEG members and the industry. I am amazed by the depth of commitment these volunteers have to AEG. At your headquarters, your staff is in the process of building a foundation of strength for AEG that will ensure success, focusing our efforts on gaining a complete understanding of the day-to-day needs of the membership and getting processes in place for a smoother experience for AEG’s current membership.

An important aspect of the rebuilding process for AEG has been the conversion of the old AEG website to a new, more

user-friendly one, where members can easily renew and access information and resources. The previous challenges with the Annual Meeting online registration have been resolved with the new website. We will continually strive to develop and improve the new website to not only meet but exceed the member’s needs.

Our most important and ongoing initiative is membership retention and growth. People join AEG because they want a professional association that offers levels of involvement through a voice and a vote, as well as opportunities to network and to mentor on the local, state, and national levels.

It is apparent that the roots of AEG are deep; they are also what will renew the organization for growth. I have every confidence that AEG will remain a dynamic and viable organization in the industry, and will emerge from this transition year with added strength, energized, and more focused than ever.

The AEG team is excited to be a part of rebuilding the firm foundation from which we will take our next steps moving forward.

I look forward to meeting many of you at the Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE…continued RESOLVED FURTHER, that such Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation be presented to the voting members of this Corporation for a vote on adoption of such Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, with the recommendation of this Board of Directors in favor, together with such other documents as the President of this Corporation shall deem proper to include; and that, upon approval of said Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation by the voting members, such Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, together with a certificate executed by the proper officers of this Corporation, be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California.

RESOLVED FURTHER, that the President and any other proper officers of this Corporation be and they hereby are authorized and directed to take all such actions as they may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the purpose and intent of the foregoing recital and resolutions.

For a comparison, the AoI currently on record with the State of California can be found on our website at www.aegweb.org/aoi.

I encourage you all to review it, not just in the context of this article, but also because it is a fascinating historical document of the Association.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please contact me at fergasonaeg@gmail.com. And, if you want to be a part of the ongoing governance restructuring effort, positions are available.

June 2015

Announcing a New AEG Website We’ve moved to a new Website, still at www.aegweb.org, with a new user interface that we hope you’ll find easier to use. Please visit the Get Started With the New Site page to set a new password and review your profile before logging into the new site for the first time.

We currently have the following information on file for you: Name: XXX Username: XXX E-mail: XXX

AEG MEMBERS: After setting a new password and reviewing your profile, you need to log in whenever you wish to see member pages on the site, purchase items on the site, register for events or access other member features.

We will be releasing more community features over the next few months. If you need assistance, please use our Contact Form or call us from 8 am–5 pm EST at 844-331-7867 (toll-free).

We hope you enjoy the new site!

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – COMMITTEE REPORTS

Regions and Chapters

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Bruce Hilton, Governance Restructure Committee Chair

he Governance Restructure Committee (GRC) is making excellent progress in concert with the Governance Committee (GC), Executive Council (EC) and Board of Directors (BOD) in paving our path forward for AEG’s new Region/Chapter Model structure. It is important for us to continue to involve as many of our members as possible in developing a significant restructure of our Association so that we propose changes that genuinely reflect your wants and needs. Please provide your input to Bruce Hilton at brhhilton@gmail.com.

As you know, we have been working hard to develop a plan to change the structure of AEG that promotes growth and allows optimum representation of all of our members. An ad-hoc governance committee was formed in 2013 to integrate the suggested changes in the Needs Assessment with our members’ needs. The survey results indicated that our BOD is too large, has too many duties, and often results in some being unable to fully represent their Section’s members.

Our bylaws currently require that all Section Chairs serve also as members of our BOD. In many instances, it is overwhelming or impossible for our Chairs to perform effectively in both roles.

BOD Motions At the 2014 Annual Board Meeting (ABM), the former ad-hoc committee was reformed as the GRC and given a Charter based on the following BOD motions: ● Separate the role of Section Chair from Association Directors; ● Make the BOD include the five Executive Council members and 10–12 Regional Directors, including one International Regional Director, with 11 being a quorum; ● Require that Director elections be made from within the boundary of the region;

FIGURE 1 – Proposed Regional Map for AEG

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● Revise the current AEG Section/Chapter model to a Region/Chapter model where all Chapters can have direct access to AEG HQ and can have financial autonomy; and, ● Ensure our bylaws (and all governing documents) comply with a new Regional Model, as reflected in the proposed map shown below left.

Issue for Consideration Thanks to the tremendous effort of the GRC members and an in-depth review of our bylaws, a list of potential inconsistencies was identified that are in progress to be resolved to effectively implement the new governance model. The following list of issues was presented to the BOD during the 2015 Mid-Year Board Meeting (MYBM).

This is posted online along with the GRC report for your review and comment on our website at [www.aegweb.org/ GRC-recommendations]. In general, the questions that were put before the BOD included: ● Should the term “Sections” be replaced with “Chapters”? ● What are the criteria for establishing new and future Regional boundaries? ● What map best reflects the Regional Criteria? ● Is five years an appropriate interval for the BOD to review Regional boundaries? ● Are Regional Directors (RD), Chapter Chairs, and EC Officers appropriate titles in the new Regional Model structure? ● Should RDs be re-electable and if so for how many terms? ● Should we nominate non-voting Regional Designates to represent their Region if an elected RD is not able to attend a BOD meeting? ● Should at-large members be assigned to Regions for voting purposes? ● Should Region boundaries dissect Chapters? ● Should EC Officers vote as at-large Directors at BOD meetings? ● Should the President of AEG continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board? ● Should some or all RD travel expenses to attend BOD meetings be covered by the Association? ● Should a quorum of the BOD be at least 11, ensuring that the RDs can always outvote the EC Officers? ● How do we best represent International Members in the Regional Model? ● Should we stagger incoming RD terms to maintain a mix of new and seasoned Regional Directors?

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION – COMMITTEE REPORTS The BOD provided feedback through passed motions to all these questions at the 2015 MYBM and those notes are available online at [www.aegweb.org/BOD-GRC-Motions] for our members to review and comment.

The Next Steps Implementing this transition will require overcoming a large workload with aggressive deadlines. The proposed next steps required to transition AEG to the Regional Model structure are: ● The GRC will prepare a summary of BOD recommendations from the 2015 MYBM, ● The GRC will prepare a Draft Transition Plan, ● A California attorney will prepare a complete revision of the Association bylaws as part of a BOD authorized recommendation to ensure compliance with CA law. ● The BOD approved Regional Map and revised Articles of Incorporation, which will replace our existing Constitution as advised by our CA Attorney, will be disseminated with further

Governance Committee Kevin Schleh and David Bieber, Co-Chairs The Governance Committee (GC) began as a concept promoted by Past-President, David Simon, and is now a permanent standing committee that is comprised of current and past members of the Board of Directors (BOD). It was primarily formed to oversee the activities of the Executive Council (EC) and BOD as they relate to AEG governance.

However, it also has the responsibility to review other aspects of AEG governance. The GC Charter states that the “GC reports to and advises the BOD on governance issues, including review and summary of options for BOD and EC structure, policy, by-laws & protocol, and to monitor performance of the BOD & EC.” The GC has had a very busy start to 2015. It has collaborated with the Finance Committee (FC), the EC, and the BOD in order to better advise the Association membership and improve service to AEG’s members. The proposed Governance Restructuring is an ongoing area of discussion, and the GC has advised the BOD and EC on best practices for managing the process as well as communicating and AEG contributes to its members’ engaging with professional success and the AEG’s members. public welfare by providing To that end, the leadership, advocacy, and applied GC’s primary funcresearch in environmental and tion has been to engineering geology. ensure that the restructuring process is open, adequately communicated and provides ample

AEG’s Mission:

June 2015

explanation to the voting members of AEG to adopt the changes and vote to officially rescind the Constitution. ● Based on the input from the GRC, EC, GC, and BOD, the attorney will complete the bylaw revisions. An internal final review will then be completed by the GRC, EC, GC, and BOD. ● Submit the final bylaw revisions to the AEG membership for review and comment. ● Review input from the AEG membership. Once input has been reviewed and addressed, the BOD will vote on the revised Association bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, ● The new Regional Model will initiate, however, RDs will transition into all having three-year terms over a two-year period to implement a stagger of RD terms.

Thank you for taking the time to review the most recent progress made in the Regional Model structure transition.

Please provide your valuable input as we make AEG an even stronger organization. opportunity for member feedback and discussion. As you continue to hear more about the proposed changes to AEG’s governance structure, you are encouraged to reach out to GC, EC, and BOD members to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed changes and the implementation process.

Finally, AEG is always looking for members to participate on the GC committee. If you are a former or current BOD member and are interested, you are encouraged to contact any GC member. Should you have an interest in participating further with AEG, but you do not meet the criteria to serve on the GC, you are encouraged to either volunteer with your local Section leadership or to become engaged with one (or more) of the other AEG committees.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Governance Committee: Kevin Schleh (kschleh@reterro.com) David Bieber (dwolfbieber@gmail.com) Jason Hinkle (jason.hinkle@weyerhaeuser.com) Sarah Kalika (sarah@georx.net) Eric Walston (ewalston75@gmail.com) David Perry (david.perry@amec.com) Jerry McCalip (jerrymccalip@yahoo.com) Joan Kester (joan.c.kester@mwhglobal.com)

AEG News Disclaimer Authors alone are responsible for views expressed in signed articles.

Advertisers and their agencies are solely responsible for the content of all advertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher. AEG and AEG News reserve the right to reject any advertising copy.

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION

AEG Foundation News Briget C. Doyle, Chair, AEG Foundation Communications Committee

Foundation Transitions and Additions The AEG Foundation Board of Directors would like to welcome our new officers for 2015: President David Fenster, Treasurer Kerry Cato, and Secretary Briget Doyle. Three new directors have also joined the Foundation Board as of January 1, 2015: Jane Gill-Shaler, Jerry Higgins, and Julie Keaton. After a long and difficult search, the AEG Foundation has also hired a new Executive Director, Patty Bryan! Patty’s time on the Foundation Board, most recently as AEGF President, means that she brings experience and understanding of the Foundation to the Executive Director position that other candidates could not offer. The Foundation Board of Directors looks forward to working with Patty in her new role.

Fund Highlights: The West-Gray Fund

the time of his death. Professor Tilford received the AEG Floyd T. Johnston Service Award in 1992.

The Tilford Fund currently provides for annual scholarships totaling $5,000. Scholarships are provided at the Undergraduate, Masters and PhD levels. The 2014 Masters level Tilford Scholarship recipient, Sebastian Dirringer, described his experience as a Tilford Scholar in the December 2014 issue of the AEG NEWS. The Tilford Scholarship helped Dirringer, a graduate student at Kent State University, complete field work related to his landslide inventory and susceptibility mapping in Oregon. For a list of 2015 and past awardees and more information on the Tilford Field Studies Scholarship, please visit the AEG Foundation webpage at www.aegfoundation.org.

To donate to the Tilford Fund, please visit http://aegfoundation.org/donate/funds.php, and click on the Tilford Fund.

Featured Fund for 2015 Fundraiser at the Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA

Call for Papers:

The West-Gray Scholarship Fund was established in 2014 by the AEG Foundation to support direct costs associated with the West-Gray Scholarships. Initial funding was provided by a gift from Terry R. West and Richard E. Gray—both Past Presidents of the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists. The purpose and scope of the West-Gray Scholarship Fund, developed in cooperation with the original donors, is: to support geologic studies by students at the undergraduate and graduate level. Recipients of grants must be graduate or undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited university in the eastern half of the United States (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and states to the east thereof) or graduate students enrolled in an accredited university located anywhere in the United States, but conducting field studies in the eastern half of the United States.

The 2015 West-Gray Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the first recipient of the West-Gray Scholarship is Patrick Beaudry of CUNY—Queens College.

AEG Members are encouraged to submit papers on interesting case histories, original research or other projects to its journal: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

The Tilford Fund Featured Fund for 2016 Fundraiser at the Annual Meeting in Kona, HI The Norman R. Tilford Field Studies Scholarship Fund is designed to support geologic field studies by student members of AEG at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The AEG Foundation Board believes that the Tilford Scholarship occupies a special niche with its emphasis on field geology, the essential core skill in applying geology to human endeavors. The fund was established in 1998 to honor the memory, work, and professional contributions of Norman R. Tilford, (1934–97), a consultant, professor, past president of the Association of Engineering Geologists, and the Executive Director of AEG at 6

Environmental geology Engineering geology Feasibility studies Geotechnical engineering Geomorphology Low-temperature geochemistry Applied hydrogeology Near-surface processes Review papers in applied geosciences and technical notes (< 6 pages)

Benefits Include: ■ ■ ■ ■

4 issues per year All papers are peer reviewed Best Student Paper Award Best Paper Award

Instructions for Authors: http://eeg.allentrack.net/

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION

E&EG Journal Marks 20th Year of Publication with New Features

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Jerome V. De Graff, Chair–E&EG Editorial Board

nvironmental and Engineering Geoscience (E&EG) marked its twentieth year by adding a new feature: electronic pre-publication. This feature enables an accepted and print-ready manuscript to be cited through a digital object identifier (DOI). The journal is distributed electronically through GeoScienceWorld (GSW). Manuscripts assigned DOI numbers are found on the GSW webpage for Environmental and Engineering Geoscience under the heading “Online First” at http://eeg.geoscienceworld.org/.

The GSW webpage for E&EG provides a table of contents for the current issue along with abstracts for each article. Links to access the articles are provided in the table of contents free for subscribers or with payment options for non-subscribers.

Past issues are available through the archive function where articles of interest can be by found by browsing content or using an online search function. Another new feature is the inclusion of archived digital versions of the Bulletin of the Association of Engineering Geologists from 1976 through 1994.

Environmental and Engineering Geoscience was a re-orientation of the Bulletin and replaced it as AEG’s primary journal.

AEG and the Geological Society of America (GSA) jointly launched Environmental and Engineering Geoscience in February 1995. It is dedicated to publishing peer-reviewed, quality articles dealing with applied geology. Under this joint arrangement, the journal is published quarterly and co-edited by an editor appointed by each organization. Dr. Abdul Shakoor has provided exemplary service as AEG’s appointed editor for many years. His co-editor is Dr. Brian Katz, who was appointed by GSA in January 2015.

E&EG provides a venue for original research and case studies on environmental geology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, geomorphology, low-temperature geochemistry, applied hydrogeology, and near-surface processes.

The GSW webpage provides a listing, updated monthly, of the 50 most viewed and 50 most cited papers from the journal. In March 2015, the leading 10 articles under the most-cited category include topics on landslide classification, vadose phase transport, bedrock and structural controls on slope stability, debris flow generation, and geotechnical characteristics of sandstones. These topics illustrate the success of the journal in serving the scientific and technical needs of environmental and engineering geology professionals.

The journal continues to be a venue for the Cities of the World Series with recent papers about Los Angeles, California (Vol. 13, No. 2) and Memphis, Tennessee (Vol. 18, No. 2). Also winning papers for the Best Student Professional Paper are published in E&EG. The most recent publication for this award was the 2011 winner Comparison of Colluvium, Debris-Flow, Glacial Deposits Using Sedimentological, Geotechnical, and June 2015

Geologic Properties, Durango, Colorado by Nathaniel R. Swanson (co-authoring with Paul M. Santi), published in Vol. 19, No. 2. Annually, the editors select an outstanding paper published during the previous year and an outstanding reviewer to be recognized at the AEG Annual Meeting.

Interested authors can find instructions at http://eeg.allentrack.net/cgi-bin/main.plex for preparing submissions. The instructions are available without registering on the site by using the “author instructions” link at the top of the left-hand column on that page. E&EG is a traditional journal without an open access option. However, there are no page charges for accepted articles or for the use of color illustrations. Current and past issues are available to AEG members as part of their annual membership benefits simply by logging into the AEG website http://www.aegweb.org/.

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION

AEG Professional Forum

Time to Face the Landslide Hazard Dilemma: Bridging Science, Policy, Public Safety, and Potential Loss

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February 26-28, 2015, Seattle, WA Organized by Jennifer Bauer, Dr. Jeff Keaton, Mark Molinari and Kathy Troost

EG and the University of Washington Earth & Space Sciences (UW ESS) hosted over 200 geologists, engineers, planners, emergency managers, students, and others from public, private, and academic employers. Twenty-two speakers and fifteen poster presenters shared their experiences and knowledge at the UW South Campus Center. Student volunteers helped turn the gears managing everything from registration, A-V, breaks, and cleanup.

Living up to its reputation, Seattle weather was drizzly and 55 degrees on Day 1, but that didn’t deter attendees from arriving at AEG’s first Professional Forum. The first day focused on landslide mapping programs, impacts, and implementation. Mark Molinari and Kathy Troost kicked off the meeting by reminding attendees the key goal: assessing how we can better protect public health, safety, and infrastructure through better collaboration and communication.

Dr. Joe Wartman of the UW was the first keynote speaker, sharing with attendees the highlights of what the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association team learned about the SR-530/Oso landslide. Lessons learned included the importance of understanding the pre-development history of landslides when defining zoning areas, clear and consistent communication of risk to the public, monitoring and warning systems, and use of technology to advance what we know about how topography, seismology, and precipitation relate to landslide occurrence.

The second keynote speaker, Dr. Jeff Keaton of Amec Foster Wheeler, educated the group about what would be needed from the landslide mapping community to develop loss models that the insurance industries could use to begin offering landslide insurance. He did this by explaining how earthquake insurance began, and showing us an example of a hypothetical simplified national landslide hazard zone map. He defined “hazard” for us as “having units of probability and intensity or size, and ‘risk’ having units of dollars and lives.” He encouraged 8

us to collect data on these units when inventorying landslides.

Dr. Jonathan Godt, Program Coordinator for USGS Landslide Hazards, spoke about USGS strategies and tools for landslide hazard assessments and response to crises and events.

Two USGS National Hazard Science strategies he mentioned were to improve communication in landslide science, and (if the President’s FY2016 USGS budget increase of $0.5M passes) expand post wildfire debris flow warning systems, crises response capabilities, and state and private partnerships for data collection and research.

Doug VanDine, President of the Canadian Geotechnical Society, presented the purpose and highlights of the Canadian Technical Landslide Guidelines and Best Practices related to Landslides: A National Initiative for Loss Reduction, which he co-edited. The chapters of this Geological Survey of Canada’s Open File report are publicly available on http://geopub.nrcan.gc.ca/.

Dr. Scott Burns, Professor Emeritus at Portland State University, entertained us with stories of landslides across the world. He discussed the “all hazards” insurance available in New Zealand, and the landslide insurance programs Switzerland and Germany are working on. He reiterated the need for susceptibility maps, good communication between the

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mapmakers and planners, landslide insurance, and an increase of awareness about landslide hazards.

Rounding out the Day 1 morning session was Senior Geotech Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Richard Olsen. Rick reminded us, through examples of landslide events, the importance of communicating our technical findings in a way that can be understood “by our grandparents.” He urged us to tell the landslide story through photos, figures, and maps, with concise text accompanying these visual communication methods.

After a lunch sponsored by Cascade Drilling and Shannon & Wilson, the first afternoon session redirected the focus toward examples of state programs. Bill Burns, from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries; Jennifer Bauer, with Appalachian Landslide Consultants, PLLC in North Carolina; Matt Crawford, with Kentucky Geological Survey, and Stephen Slaughter, with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, each spoke about landslide mapping programs in their respective states—what is working and lessons learned. A key message throughout was the value of lidar in developing consistent, high quality landslide inventory maps. During the afternoon break sponsored by GeoStabilization International, attendees got a chance to chat and view posters before the next session.

The second afternoon session focused on landslide risk, prediction, and local implementation. Tom Badger with the Washington Department of Transportation spoke about the proactive strategy that they now use to prioritize sites for mitigation, and the challenges of managing risk. Rex Baum, with the USGS, discussed predictability, tools, and assessments of landslides as part of the USGS programs. John Bethel discussed types of landslides in King County, WA, and the ongoing efforts to create an inventory for the county by 2016. The final speaker of the day, Charles Nestle, gave the County of Los Angeles, CA, Department of Public Works perspective. He June 2015

regaled the audience with some entertaining case histories, where he explained the county’s role in requiring suitable engineering geologic reports before issuing building permits in areas of questionable slope stability.

Following a day full of informative talks, the attendees relaxed during the evening Icebreaker, sponsored by the AEG Washington Section. Scott Burns brought wines from different terroirs for everyone to try. Many attendees connected with old friends, met new contacts, and discussed their involvement with landslides over a beer, non-alcoholic beverage, or glass of wine.

The second day’s weather was just as gray and dull, but energy was running high at the South Campus Center. After an introduction by forum co-organizer Jeff Keaton, keynote speaker and Consulting Insurance Actuary Richard Roth talked about the history of hazard models in the insurance industry and the questions that need to be answered about landslides in order for insurance companies to develop landslide insurance: When and where will landslides occur, how big will they be, how fast and how far will they move, what areas will the landslides affect or damage, and how frequently do landslides occur in a given locality?

Mark Molinari, with AECOM in Seattle, presented examples of planning and zoning ordinances from selected cities and counties in several western states, land use strategies in landslide prone areas, and landslide information aimed at the public.

David Sherrard, a Planning Consultant in Washington, explained what geologic hazard information planners need and what they do with it.

Mike Chard, Director of the Office of Emergency Management (EM) for Boulder County, CO, really caught the audiences’ attention with his high-energy presentation. He educated us about the EM side of landslide crises, based on his recent experience with the extensive 2013 landslides, and the geologic information they need to make their jobs easier. Abigail Seadler, with the American Geosciences Institute, rounded out the morning session by giving us tips on connecting with our Congressional representatives. She outlined the steps it takes to pass a bill in Congress, and the steps we need to take to

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION have our “Ask” heard. She discussed the current landslide related “Asks” AGI has made that we can support.

Over lunch, sponsored by Geobrugg North America, attendees talked with poster presenters about their various projects, case studies, and ideas for moving forward.

After lunch, Dr. Joe Wartman gave us a summary of the National Academy of Sciences workshop Partnerships for Reducing Landslide Risk, which took place on February 24, 2015, two days before this forum. He first told us about innovations in New Zealand in response to the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. Keep an eye out for notes from the workshop from the NAS. To get forum participants ready for the afternoon smallgroups workshop, the final keynote speaker, Dr. Dave Montgomery of the UW asked and answered Saving Lives and Property, Is Science the Easy Part? He finished by outlining lessons learned and recommendations by the Washington State SR530 Landslide Commission.

During the course of the forum, the co-organizers pulled out themes that continued surfacing during the talks and questions. Kathy Troost of UW and Jennifer Bauer explained the five different topics for attendees to divide up among to discuss and define some strategies and priorities for next steps.

These topics were: 1. Creation of a “Loss Model” – defining unique landslide characteristics for inclusion 2. Communication between science, policy, and the public – how can we better speak the same language?

3. Public outreach – steps toward creating a public awareness program 4. Regulation/Planning – what steps are required for landslide map integration into zoning?

5. Landslide community next steps: How do we keep this conversation going?

Workshop attendees formed groups that had an hour and a half to answer their questions and prepare a five-minute report. At the end of the workshop time, everyone got back together and shared their discussions. The groups collectively identified many achievable strategies that we can begin working on immediately.

The final day of the forum was a field trip to view the sites of the devastating SR530/Oso landslide, a nearby similar sized pre-historic landslide, and a landslide that has damaged several houses in Everett, WA. Both destinations are in Snohomish County. Unfortunately the attendees were exposed to a perfectly clear and sunny day and did not get the experience of a day in the field in typical Pacific Northwest rain.

This first AEG Professional Forum on landslides achieved its goal of bringing together individuals in the landslide community to talk about the current state of things and how to improve communication to those affected by landslides.

The goal is to generate an AEG Special Publication or E&EG journal special issue including the results of the presentations and workshop. The extended abstracts, many of which include the detail of the presentation, and graciously assembled by Anne Weeks, are available on AEG’s website 10

Symposium:

Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma...Continued 2015 AEG Annual Meeting Pittsburgh, PA The theme of this symposium is to continue the conversation started by the AEG Professional Forum Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma, Bridging Science, Policy, Public Safety, and Potential Loss that was held in Seattle, WA in February 2015. At the interactive workshop in Seattle, groups discussed five different topics: Creation of a “Loss Model;” Communication between Science, Policy, and the Public; Public Outreach; Regulation and Planning; and Next Steps to Continue This Discussion. Six top-level priority action items came out of these groups: form a central committee to continue the work the forum started, work on standardizing core methods such as for lidar and mapping, implement priorities of public education and awareness group, develop emergency management kits for hazard mitigation plans before emergencies, write an article for the press about the forum and others, and plan the next forum.

This Annual Meeting symposium serves as the next step in the conversation started in Seattle. It will offer a summary of information learned at the Seattle forum, as well as bring together more voices and perspectives from other parts of the country. Speakers will be from a variety of backgrounds including private, local, state, and federal geoscientists gathering data on landslides, and those that use this data such as emergency managers, planners, and government.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion intended to facilitate discussion among the audience to gather more input on the top priority action items mentioned above, and any others that come up. Come be a part of this symposium, which has the purpose of advancing the use of landslide mapping information and assessing risk to save lives. Please plan to join us there!

Details are forthcoming. (http://www.aegweb.org/docs/default-source/events/aegls-forum-program-abstracts.pdf?sfvrsn=2). Look for the presentations to be posted online, as well as the video of the speakers.

This forum is just one step on the continued journey of this conversation. The AEG Landslides Technical Working Group is already in discussions about the next Forum. If you are interested in joining the effort, please contact Kevin McCoy (kemccoy@mymail.mines.edu) or Casey Dowling (CDowling@bgcengineering.ca) for more information.

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Obituaries and Appreciations Pending Forthcoming Memorials Glenn Alvin Brown – AEG Past President

Robert G. Thomas – Honorary Member AEG

(February 6, 1924 – February 22, 2015)

(April 23, 1926 – December 28, 2014)

Allen W. Hatheway, HMAEG and Richard J. Proctor, HMAEG

Allen W. Hatheway, HMAEG

Glenn A. Brown, one of America’s “Greatest Generation” (U.S. Naval Aviation Turret Gunner, PBM-5 Flying Boat; Coco Solo, Panama) was born, bred, educated and practiced in and from Los Angeles, CA. A native of Beverly Hills, he was a long-time resident of Burbank.

Glenn entered professional practice in 1952, at a time and place well suited for his devotion to the professional practice of applied geology in southern CA. He chose engineering geology, and its traditional sub-discipline of hydrogeology. He was naturally attracted, as well, to the elements of ethical practice and in leadership within the profession.

Glenn’s most active practice spanned the years 1950–2000, during which much of our profession became heavily involved in the regulatory application of applied geology to urban development. Those fifty years lacked a coherent, published history of how geologic constraints had affected southern California, and Glenn emerged as the leading commenting historian regarding the profound impact of runaway World War II and subsequent developmental effects of industry. The swelling population stressed the fragile geologic environment of southern California.

His knowledge of the personalities, the forces, the events, and the legislation were an over-riding factor in the adjudication of many court cases in which damage, recompense, and regulatory response were judged with the clarity of truth about real events that had occurred in real time.

In the corresponding realm of groundwater resources and their environmental protections, Glenn again was the central figure with presence, memory, and document collection that provided unassailable facts and proofs related to the extent, causes and effects of long-term industrial waste disposal damage to the groundwater regime of southern California.

From his March 1, 2015, memorial service eulogy, …whereby his record for judicious and responsible activities led him to come to occupy a chair of great respect amongst his colleagues and those who sought his advice and participation. He early became involved in the search for and protection of southern California ground water and his undivided attention led to greater and greater responsible involvement in the always-present California concern for its environmental protection of the resource, while maximizing its use as the essential natural resource.

Glenn is survived by his wife and former co-worker, Martha Louise (Day) Brown, children Carol Chapman and Wendy DayBrown and three grandchildren.

Robert Gilbert Thomas, one of the “Greatest Generation” (Corporal, U.S. Army Air Forces, 1944-1946), was a product of his times, raised to the very highest sense of a person whose life mission was defined by his fine geologic works performed for the common good. Bob was uncommonly grateful for the “opportunities” that were injected into his life, and he never lost sight of his good fortune as it unfolded before him.

At the age of 18, Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army, and as best is known, he was not upset at the notion of an ordered way of life. Due to poor eyesight, Bob was shifted from a potential aircraft crewman gunner’s assignment into application of his high technical capacity test levels. He was assigned as an Early Warning Radar Operator and shipped to Camp Stoneman to a platoon-sized operation set up on a high bluff of durable Miocene-aged marine strata. Bob found his Signal Corps Platoon Leader to be a sympathetic fellow who allowed long-shift arrangements by which the Lieutenant could grant four-day weekend passes. Bob used the opportunity to hitchhike to Stanford University, where he sought information on the fossils he had discovered under and around the cliff-top radar station. Bob would arrive at Stanford toting his latest exhumed collection of fossils to be mutually examined and identified.

With stand-down of the Army, Bob was discharged in 1946.

He was already known as a regular visitor to the Stanford University Geology Department, where he was readily received by the faculty. Bob applied his G.I. Bill benefits and stayed in class year-round, graduating with a BS in Geology in 1949. It was the cusp of the great California Division of Water Resources (DWR) indulgence in Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology as applied to the California Water Plan.

At that time, Bob developed an early and abiding interest in the application of geologic detail to the summarization of regional groundwater resources, conducted in the fundamental nature of his approach to science—integrate the evidence of how groundwater accumulates, moves, and is stressed by exploitation. In 1949, he stepped into the truly outstanding DWR world of inquiry. At DWR he learned and innovated the overall developing technology of characterization of groundwater basins. Not only did he operate with his inherent enthusiasm to learn, he applied gained and self-innovated knowledge and moved forward at a fearless pace of productivity. Bob’s 23 years of duty with UN FAO at Rome fully achieved the transfer and extension of California DWR’s outstanding groundwater basin technology into a worldwide state of the art technology applied to arid regions.

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NEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION

In Memory of

Father Hesburgh and Engineering Geology

R

Barry Voight

ev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, president of the At that time Fr Hesburgh, the Notre Dame University University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987, President, had his office in the Golden Dome directly below one of the nation’s most influential figures in Gutschick’s. Now Ray had thought the Geology Department higher education and national and international space was far too small—we were squeezed in there like saraffairs, died on Feb. 26 2015. dines! He had requested larger quarters from the Dean of With his leadership, charisma and vision, he had turned a Science on numerous occasions, but to no avail. The offices relatively small Catholic college known for football into one of were used for teaching, sample storage and lab work, and Ray the nation’s great institutions for higher learning. In his historic had large acid-filled ceramic vats in his office space, in which service he was a steadfast champion for human rights, the he dissolved enormous quantities of fossiliferous limestone, in cause of peace and care for the poor. He held 16 presidential order to get at the silica bugs he wanted to study. On one appointments over the years and they involved him in virtually evening during my first year, one of the tubs all major social issues—civil rights, peaceful uses of atomic cracked open and the acid poured out energy, campus unrest, treatment of Vietnam draft evaders, and spilled through the floor, and and Third World development and immigration reform, to downward directly into Fr He held 16 name only a few. He was a charter member of the U.S. Hesburgh’s office. The next day presidential appointCommission on Civil Rights, created in 1957, and he Fr Hesburgh looked into the ments over the years and chaired the commission from 1969 to 1972, when future, and like a Member of they involved him in virtually all President Richard Nixon replaced him as chairman the AEG, and as Erhard major social issues—civil rights, because of his criticism of the Nixon administration’s taught, weighed in his mind peaceful uses of atomic energy, civil rights record. the rock load on the ceiling campus unrest, treatment of Hesburgh also excommunicated the Geology above his desk, pondered the Vietnam draft evaders, and Department from the Golden Dome, the place where corrosive effect of acid on the Third World development he oversaw university operations, and was a role model support beams, and considered and immigration for AEG-style consideration of geologic evidence and the hazards of an acidic debris reform… decision-making. flood swashing across his office This story involved my early Notre Dame mentors, floor. He considered the mitigation Professors Ray Gutschick and Erhard Winkler, who will be options, and issued the order for the Geology known to elder statesmen of AEG. They were backed up then Department to evacuate the Golden Dome to their own new in teaching by Archie MacAlpin, and by Father Mike Murphy, exclusive building, on ground level. who later roomed with Hesburgh in retirement. All of them are I can justifiably sympathize with Fr Hesburgh, for I have now gone, but my fondness for them and debt to them since spent much time in using and in some cases developing remains. Erhard Winkler was a real character, an expert on methods to predict inundation limits for hazardous flows, such building stones and a student in Vienna of the pioneering engias hot corrosive mudflows, and pyroclastic avalanches and neering geologist Josef Stiny, who had established the world’s lethal ash-cloud surges from volcanoes. On Montserrat in the first periodical on this subject. In a sense I have carried on his Caribbean, where I currently work, volcanic flows continue to legacy by working on engineering projects for the last few threaten thousands of people. These inundation maps are used decades with an Austrian consulting team. for zoning and sometimes evacuations, but to be effective It was Ray Gutschick who enticed me into geology. I still there must be the will to act on this uncertain information—as clearly recall how he had taken me into his chaotic office on the Hesburg did—by the client or a public official. This doesn’t uppermost floor in the Golden Dome, and pulled out a thin-secalways happen, and then the consequences can be truly catation containing stretched oolites from the South Mountain, strophic. I learned this in spades at Armero in Colombia in Pennsylvania. The sample had been given to him by Ernst 1985, where a good hazard map had been made but not Cloos, the brother of the better-known Hans Cloos. He showed acted upon, and 23,000 people were killed by a mudflow 70 me that by an engineering kind of analysis, one could work out km from the source. So the worst can happen! In the event, the dynamics of a mountain range, and I was soon ready to the authorities were unwilling to bear the economic or political jump at the opportunity. At the same time he pushed me costs of early evacuation or a false alarm, and they delayed toward a strenuous dual-degree program that offered degrees action to the last possible minute. Catastrophe was the calcuin both Geology, and Civil Engineering. I was the second person lated risk, and nature cast the die. They had lacked a man of to go through it, and for me, as I like to say, it opened the action like Hesburgh.

“Keys to the Kingdom.”

“

”

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n o i t c e S l Specia PREVIEW

AEG 2015 • 58th Annual Meeting Pittsburgh, PA • September 19–26 The AEG Allegheny–Ohio Section cordially invites you to the keystone state.

Geology of Pittsburgh Our meeting locale is located west of the Appalachian Mountains in a moderately to deeply dissected portion of the Appalachian Plateau Province. The relatively flat surface of the plateau is dissected by local drainage from the three principal rivers of the region: the Allegheny, Monongahela, and the Ohio. The formation of Pittsburgh’s three rivers has a long history dating back to before the Pleistocene Period, linked closely to the retreat of continental glaciation, and subsequent meltwaters filling the river channels and eroding the landscape.

Pittsburgh was not glaciated, however, periglacial activity and sandgravel outwash represent two major results of glaciation that terminated just north of Pittsburgh.

June 2015

Western Pennsylvania is associated with the westernmost formation of the Appalachian Mountain chain. The Allegheny Orogeny had the most affect on Southwest Pennsylvania. The uplift created a series of nearly flat-lying, gently warped Paleozoic sedimentary rocks under the region. Rocks outcropping in the Appalachian Plateau vary in age from Devonian to Permian. Surficial bedrock of Southwest Pennsylvania is associated with deltaic depositional environments with a cyclical nature, from fluctuating sea levels. Pennsylvanian strata is dominated by thin cyclic sequences of sandstone, shale, claystone, coal, and limestone.

Pittsburgh’s strategic location helped shape the westward expansion during the early formation of the nation, largely because of the rivers, which served as an inexpensive yet efficient means of transportation. The region was considered a stronghold for the emerging country because of its tactical location and later due to its abundance of natural resources.

Some of the natural resources include coal, natural gas, oil, salt, limestone, sand and gravel and water.

Geologic hazards present in Pittsburgh and surroundings include, mine subsidence, acid mine drainage, expansive shales and slags, pyritic acid rock and slope instability. Slope instability results from low shear strength colluvial deposits and the local Pittsburgh Redbeds, a notorious claystone responsible for numerous landslides. Because of the region’s steep topography, abundant rainfall, low shear strength rocks, and soils with low residual strength landslides have resulted in major property damage and loss of life.

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SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Your Stay in Pittsburgh Headquarters Hotel – Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown

Discover the 90 distinct neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, PA, when you stay at the centrally located Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown. The hotel is located in the Central Business District, also known as the Golden Triangle, at the meeting of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers to form the Ohio River.

Where soaring skyscrapers and Pittsburgh’s famous three rivers meet, an upscale hotel experience awaits. Hotel guests will appreciate the distinct array of services and amenities, from the fitness center to the high-tech, 24-hour business center. Complimentary Internet is available throughout the hotel, so it’s easy to stay connected. For exceptional hotel dining head to the Three Rivers Restaurant, or grab a specialty cocktail at one of two hotel lounges. Since navigating a new city can sometimes be a challenge, a complimentary local shuttle (based on availability) is coupled with an ultra-modern concierge kiosk to get guests to their destinations. The impressive comfort in these hotel guest rooms and suites over 24 floors are an incredible escape, with spectacular city and river views that enhance any stay. Choose from either king or two-double-bed guestrooms which are appointed in soothing beige, brown, and terra cotta earth tones that create an ambiance of complete relaxation. Enjoy 100% cotton BeWell bedding and pillow-top mattresses, 37-inch flat-screen TVs with premium cable, an alarm clock radio and upscale Gilchrest and

Soames bath products in all guestrooms. Getting around town is easy with their scheduled shuttle service (based on availability) that transports guests to anywhere within three miles of the hotel. Group Rate: $175/night. Make reservations through the hotel link on our website, www.aegannualmeeting.org.

Weather/Climate Fall is one of the prettiest times in Pittsburgh, a respite between the hot days of summer and snowy cold winters. Warm days and cool nights prevail, and gorgeous fall color paints the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania. Watch out! The fall weather in Pittsburgh can be pretty fickle at times - feeling like summer one day and winter the next. Average temperatures range from 55 to 75 degrees.

What to Wear Enjoy the early onset of colorful leaves and the beginning of football season—this town is transformed into a sea of black and gold when the Steelers start playing. Enjoy warm days and crisp nights—pack an extra sweater for those nights spent outside! Layers are recommended, as well as your hiking boots to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather. Casual clothing is welcome most places.

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June 2015

SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

2015 Field Trips Field Trip 1: Bolivar Dam Seepage Barrier Construction Project

Field Trip 2: Landslides in the Vicinity of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Date:

Monday, Sept. 21, 2015

Date:

Monday, Sept. 21, 2015

Time:

8:00 am–4:00 pm

Time:

8:00 am–4:30 pm

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby

Cost:

Cost:

$100/person by 8/1/15, $125/person after 8/1/15 (Box Lunch Included)

$85/person by 8/1/15, $110/person after 8/1/15 (Box Lunch Included)

Leaders: Brian Greene, Gannett Fleming, Howard Gault, Matt Folk, Jonathan West, and Larry Drown, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Leaders: Richard Gray, DiGioia, Gray & Associates, LLC; William R. Adams Jr.; and, James Hamel, Hamel Geotechnical Consultants

Min/Max: Minimum 16, Maximum 22

Min/Max: Minimum 15, Maximum 21

Visit an active seepage remediation project of an embankment dam located in eastern Ohio approximately two hours from Pittsburgh. The embankment dam, owned and operated by the Corps of Engineers, was constructed Have you on pervious glacial sands been to an AEG and gravels, thus leading to a foundation under Meeting? seepage issue. As part of What did you love most? the Corps mission to reduce risk of dams Share it with within its portfolio, Bolivar #AEG2015 Dam was rated a Dam on Twitter, Google+ Safety Action Classification of II, indicating a high urgency or Facebook! for remedial work. The $44 million dam remediation project includes a 4,500-foot long-barrier/cut off wall that will be three feet thick and up to 145 feet deep. The trip will include opportunities to view the cut off wall construction, interact with on-site construction/engineering geology staff, and observe grouting of bedrock in the left abutment of the dam.

June 2015

This one-day field trip will provide an excellent overview of landslides in the Pittsburgh Region, which has long been recognized as area of major landslide activity. The amount of landslide activity results directly from the geology and history of the region. Flat-lying interbedded strong and weak sedimentary strata have been acted upon by erosion, stress relief, weathering, and mass wasting processes to produce colluvial masses of marginally stable rock and soil on many of the steep hillsides common to the region. Humanity’s activities over the past 250 years have exacerbated landslide problems at many locations. These activities have included excavation, fill placement, and surface and subsurface drainage changes related to commercial, industrial, and residential development; transportation; and coal mining. Stop 1 on the field trip will be at Mt. Washington for a general orientation on local geology and to discuss landslides on the slope below. Stop 2 is at an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh were we will see several small to medium sized landslides in colluvium and fill. Stops 3 and 4 will be along I-79 to observe numerous colluvial landslide features and to hike up an ancient rockslide to see open stress relief joints in massive sandstone, large sandstone slump blocks, and a graben-like separation at the rear of a rockslide mass.

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SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Field Trip 3: All Aboard! Pittsburgh’s Environmental and Engineering Geology from its Waterways

Field Trip 4: Rock Cut Slope Construction along the Ohio River

(Sponsored by Duane Krueger & L.G. Hetager Drilling) Date: Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015

(Sponsored by GSI) Date: Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015

Time:

Time:

8:00 am–3:00 pm

8:00 am–4:30 pm

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby

Cost:

$100/person by 8/1/15, $125 person after 8/1/15 (Lunch Included)

Cost:

$100/person by 8/1/15, $125/person after 8/1/15 (Lunch Included)

Leader:

Frank Benacquista, KU Resources

Leader:

Paul Painter, Ohio Department of Transportation

Min/Max: Minimum 35, Maximum 70

Min/Max: Minimum 16, Maximum 23

A casual stroll across the street from the hotel will allow you to board a watercraft for this field trip. Explore Pittsburgh’s environmental and engineering geology from its three rivers: the Monongahela, Allegheny, and the Ohio. The cruise will show the geologic challenges the incised rivers have presented to riverside development and discuss the environmental remediation from the City’s industrial past. Sites of interest will include brownfields, landslides, rock slope remediation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers first float-in dam.

There will be a bounty of geologic discussion and scenery from the only vantage point worthy of this trip, the rivers. A fully stocked cash bar and hot buffet lunch will be available on the watercraft.

This field trip will take participants on a visual tour of flat-lying sedimentary rock cut slopes along Ohio State Route 7 and West Virginia State Route 2. The trip will observe cut slope instability and compare and highlight differing ideals of rock cut slope design. Stops will include cut slopes currently in construction to cut slopes constructed in the early 1990’s.

Three of these stops have severe instability issues and have been federally declared Emergency Response Sites. Different modes of instability will be observed such as differential weathering, global instability of weak rock, and failure as a result of abandoned coalmine collapse. Between the trip stops, engineering geology of abandoned mining and industrial complexes will be discussed along with local cultural interests. Lunch will be provided at Naples Spaghetti House located in historic Steubenville, Ohio.

AEG 2015 Annual Meeting STUDENT EVENTS You Don’t Want to Miss!

Student/Professional Networking Event Student/Young Professional Career Discussion See the ad on the inside front cover of this issue for details!

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June 2015

SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Field Trip 5: “Mid-Conference Stretch” Building Pittsburgh – A Walking Tour of Pittsburgh’s Building Stones Date:

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015

Time:

1:00–4:00 pm

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby Cost:

$20/person

Leader:

Judy Neelan, Environmental File Review, Chuck Schultz, Slippery Rock Univ., Emeritus of Geology

Min/Max: Minimum 10, Maximum 24 Share in the colorful history of Pittsburgh by joining us for a downtown walking tour of some of Pittsburgh’s most beautiful buildings. Discover the history and architecture of the buildings through the eyes of earlier writers. Also discover interesting features of the building stones themselves and a little about the stone merchants who market them. Learn the process by which the building stones are identified and how we know where they are quarried. Add to this a little “made in Pittsburgh” movie drama and an updated version of the “Building Pittsburgh” document, which is included in the price of the trip.

Field Trip 6: Abandoned Mine Drainage in the Pittsburgh Area: Occurrence and Passive Treatment Date:

Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015

Time:

9:00 am–2:00 pm

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby Cost:

$85/person by 8/1/15, $110/person after 8/1/15 (Box Lunch Included)

Leader:

Bob Hedin, Hedin Environmental

The Pittsburgh Coal seam has been mined in western Pennsylvania for over 200 years. One common consequence of the mining is polluted drainage whose chemistry is controlled largely by hydrogeology. Unflooded abandoned mines produce low pH water while flooded mines discharge neutral pH water.

These chemical conditions influence the environmental damage and the choice of treatment technologies. Both types of mine water exist in western PA in close proximity to each other. This field trip will visit two local sites where polluted mine drainage from the Pittsburgh coal seam is being successfully treated with passive technologies. At the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s Woodlands exhibit, low pH mine water containing aluminum is treated with a limestone bed and solar-powered flushing system. At the Allegheny Land Trust’s Wingfield Pines project, neutral pH water containing iron is treated with a gravity-powered fountain, ponds and constructed wetlands. The tour will include two easy hikes, a picnic lunch, hydrogeochemistry, botany and wildlife.

Min/Max: Minimum 16, Maximum 23

June 2015

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Short Courses (PDHs and CEUs will be offered for each Short Course) Short Course 1 Rockfall Characterization and Control

Short Course 2 Recent Advances in Deep Foundations

Date:

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Date:

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Time:

8:00 am–5:00 pm

Time:

8:00 am–5:00 pm

Fee:

$325 Professional, $75 Student

Fee:

$260 Professional, $75 Student

Who Would Benefit?

Topics and Speakers

The course is geared for Engineering Geologists and Geotechnical Engineers that are (or plan to be) involved with rockfalls.

Attendees should be familiar with basic engineering, geological data interpretation and understand basic physics principles. We will provide participants with a copy of the short course presentation, published papers and references for further study.

Diaphragm Wall Design and Construction Techniques – Thomas Joussellin, Engineering Manager, Nicholson Construction Company, Cuddy, PA; Port of Miami Tunnel Pre-Treatment Drilling and Grouting – Rick Deschamps, Vice President, Nicholson Construction Company, Cuddy, PA; New Techniques for Dam Remediation – Donald A. Bruce, President, Geosystems, L.P., Venetia, PA; Web Based Instrumentation and Automated Total Station – Loic Galisson, General Manager, Soldata, Inc., Seattle, WA; Quality Control Monitoring and Reporting Systems – Tom Richards, Chief Engineer, Nicholson Construction Company, Cuddy, PA; Ground Improvement Using Controlled Modulus Columns – Seth Pearlman, President, Menard USA, Carnegie, PA; and, Current and Future Practices for Geotechnical and Construction Data Management – Robert Bachus, Principal, Geosyntec Consultants, Kennesaw, GA.

About the Course This one-day short course will focus on basic rockfall characterization and mitigation techniques presented from the standpoint of practitioners currently responsible for analysis, design, and construction aspects of rockfall.

The course provides an overview of rockfall stabilization methods and introduces new technologies used in rockfall mitigation. The course will focus on: rockfall types and causes, site characterization, monitoring techniques, rockfall mechanics and experimentation, empirical analysis, mathematical modeling, mitigation, management and case histories as time and interest permits. Basic engineering theory will be covered during the course although the focus will be on the practical applied aspects of rock design and remediation.

Instructors John Duffy PE, CEG; and Dr. James Glover

The AEG 58th Annual Meeting Has GONE MOBILE Using GUIDEBOOK! Download our mobile guide to enhance your AEG 58th Annual Meeting experience. You'll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule; browse exhibitors, maps and general show info; and connect with other meeting attendees.

Access the same information via our mobile site at http://guidebook.com/browse/.

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Instructors Donald Bruce received his BS (Geology and Mineralogy) and Ph.D (Geotechnical Engineering) from Aberdeen University, Scotland. He thereafter worked in specialty geotechnical construction in various countries and projects throughout the world before becoming Technical Director of Nicholson Construction, Pittsburgh, PA, from 1986-1996. Since then, he has been President of Geosystems, L.P., a consultancy based in Pittsburgh, PA and Scottsdale, AZ, specializing in the application of ground treatment, improvement and retention techniques. As such, he has participated in over 1,000 projects in six continents, principally associated with dams, levees, deep foundations, tunnels and mines.

Dr. Bruce is active in professional and trade associations in North America and Europe, and is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Civil Engineers (UK), and a Licensed Geologist and Engineering Geologist in the US. He has authored over 280 technical papers and three textbooks, the latest of which are Dam Foundation Grouting (Bruce and Weaver) and Specialty Construction Techniques for Dam and Levee Remediation.

Thomas Joussellin is the manager of the Engineering Department of Nicholson Construction Company working in the corporate office near Pittsburgh, PA. He received a joint masters in Geology and Management from the School of Mines of Paris, France. Joussellin has been designing all types of earth retaining structures and deep foundations for 11 years and has been in the construction industry for 17 years.

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

Technicgarlam Pro

SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Thomas D. Richards, Jr., PE, DGE is Chief Engineer at Nicholson Construction Company. For over 25 years at Nicholson, he has dealt with technical aspects of a multitude of specialized geotechnical projects using micropiles, anchors, soil nails, diaphragm walls, and numerous grouting techniques.

Richards’ responsibilities include design, quality control, research, testing, and instrumentation. He is active in numerous Committees of DFI, ADSC, PTI, and ASCE leading to frequent commenting on FHWA and other industry documents. He is also a member of the Moles.

A complete schedule and abstracts will be included in the Program with Abstracts, at the website, and in the mobile app.

Technical Sessions ● TS#2: Geology of Pittsburgh ● TS#3: Licensure and Professional Practice ● TS#4: Urban Environmental Geology ● TS#5: Student/Young Professional Career Discussion ● TS#6: Rockfall Mitigation ● TS#9: Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part I ● TS#11: General Landslides - Part I

Short Course 3 Professional Ethics for Geoscientists and Engineers Date:

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Time:

4:00–5:00 pm

Fee:

$40

● TS#14: Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part II

Who Would Benefit?

● TS#15: Geophysics

All geoscientists and geotechnical engineers, especially those that have a professional ethics requirement for licensing will benefit from this course.

● TS#19: Material Properties ● TS#20: Seismic and Environmental Hazards

About the Course

● TS#23: General Landslides - Part II ● TS#25: Hydrogeology ● TS#26: Mine Reclamation ● TS#27: Environmental Site Remediation

Symposiums ● TS#1: Tunneling Symposium ● TS#7: Dams Rehabilitation Part I ● TS#8: Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part I ● TS#10: Rock Cut Slope Design Symposium - Part I ● TS#12: Symposium - Dams Rehabilitation - Part II ● TS#13: Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium Part II ● TS#16: Rock Cut Slope Design Symposium - Part II ● TS#17: Symposium - Dams Rehabilitation - Part III ● TS#18: Rock Cut Slope Design Symposium - Part III ● TS#21: Symposium: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” - Part I ● TS#22: Symposium - Dam Rehabilitation - Part IV ● TS#24: Symposium: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” - Part II

June 2015

Most state licensure boards require that all licensed Professional Geologists and Professional Engineers complete a onehour course in professional ethics each year. The course is designed to meet the requirement for ethics training and professional licensure and to address numerous questions. How do ethics differ from the board’s code of conduct? What is the driving force for ethical practices? Are we trained to be unethical? How does the political arena respond to ethics violations?

Completion of the course will result in AEG providing certification for Professional Development Hours/Continuing Education for those attendees that require it for their license.

50% of the proceeds from this short course fee will go to the Christopher C. Mathewson Scholarship Fund of the AEG Foundation. This scholarship was established by the AEG Texas Section in 2007 and provides supporting funds to AEG Student Members studying in Texas.

Instructor Dr. Christopher C. Mathewson, PE, PG, is a Regents Professor Emeritus, specializing in Engineering Geology, at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. He retired in 2011 and is now a Senior Training Specialist with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service. Professor Mathewson received a BS in Civil Engineering from Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1963, and his MS and PhD degrees in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1965 and 1971. He has served as President of AEG and currently serves on the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists.

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING owners and agencies. He completed a BS at Kent State University where he focused on hydrogeology and field studies and an MS at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a thesis project in structural geology. He has worked for large engineering firms (Ebasco Services, Inc.), was a founder of an environmental and engineering firm (Applied Geosciences and Engineering), and is now with a mid-size employee-owned firm (Schnabel Engineering). He is past Chair of the Carolinas Section of AEG and is active on both section and national committees of AEG.

Short Course 4 Characterization of Rock Core and Borehole Conditions for Engineering and Environmental Projects Date:

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Time:

8:00 am–5:30 pm

Fee:

$260 Professional, $75 Student

Who Would Benefit?

Geologists, engineers, and technical staff who need to turn visual observations and field testing into usable input for evaluation, analysis, modeling, engineering design or environmental remediation would find this course valuable. The course is equally appropriate for younger professionals as well as those who are more experienced due to the depth of instruction, range of topics, and wide experience of the instructors. Participants will be able to put their training into practice during hands-on sessions with rock core. Employers benefit from the very reasonable cost of this training—equivalent to the cost of drilling less than five feet of rock core.

About the Course Information gleaned from rock cores and testing in the resultant borehole creates the fundamental data source for use in analysis and design on many engineering and environmental projects.

This course will train participants in collecting data during drilling, describing rock core, in-situ testing in the borehole, and interpreting and presenting information from these sources.

The course instructors have wide experience with investigations in rock and include geologists specializing in engineering and environmental geology, a driller, and a geophysicist. Presentations will cover the most common rock description systems, rock coring techniques and tools, digital recording of observations, and supplemental down-hole geophysical and permeability testing methods. Description methods will focus on fundamental rock and discontinuity features using methods that the participant can apply with any of the large number of description systems used by consulting companies, owners, or government agencies. A wide range of rock core will be available for hands-on practice by participants. Special emphasis will be placed on development of information deliverables, including use of rock mass rating systems and various reporting and presentation approaches.

Daniel Kelleher, PG, CIPM, President and Hydrogeologist with Midwest GeoSciences Group, is a registered Professional Geologist and Certified International Project Manager (CIPM). He is recognized for his production and teaching of educational events through Midwest GeoSciences Group and is the principal author of the Field Guide for Rock Core Logging and Fracture Analysis™. His technical expertise is quantitative hydrogeology (in porous and fractured media), geotechnical analysis of sedimentary sequences, aquifer testing and predictive ground water modeling. Kelleher promotes field analysis during stratigraphic characterization from boring to boring in order to utilize QA/QC processes fully throughout a project and help identify unexpected conditions as soon as they arise. He earned his undergraduate degree in Geology from Monmouth College and his Master’s in Hydrogeology from Northern Illinois University. He is the former Solid and Hazardous Waste Subcommittee Chair for the Association of Engineering Geologists.

John R. Stowell was President of Mount Sopris Instrument Company from 1985 to 2013. Mount Sopris manufactures and sells borehole logging systems and software. He is currently board chairman. Prior to that, John served as deputy director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission, and as an engineering consultant. From 1970 until 1981, Stowell was an engineer and manager with Schlumberger. He received a degree in physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1970, and is a registered professional engineer. He is a member of SEG, EAGE, SPE, EEGS, and SPWLA. He is a past president of EEGS, the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society, and is general chair for the EEGS annual meeting, Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, to be held in Denver in the spring of 2016.

Mike Neal is the Eastern Operations Manager for Ruen Drilling Incorporated, with 35 years in the drilling industry. He is experienced in surface and underground diamond core drilling, tooling, equipment, operations and procedures.

Instructors Gary Rogers PG, Senior Associate Geologist and the Geosciences Service Area Leader with Schnabel Engineering, is a Professional Geologist with over 30 years of hands-on experience in engineering geology and hydrogeology related to dams, foundations, landfills, nuclear waste sites, power plants, slope stability investigations, tunnels and shafts, and subsurface exploration programs. In his work on these projects, he has used many of the rock description methods required by various 20

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Short Course 5: Environmental and Engineering Geology Applications in Marcellus and Utica-Point Pleasant Exploration and Production Date:

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Time:

8:00 am–4:00 pm

Fee:

$260 Professional, $75 Student

Who Would Benefit?

Geologists interested in learning more about the shale gas industry in general and applications of environmental and engineering geology, in particular.

About The Course The short course will be co-taught by Dan Billman and Jeffrey Dick. Other speakers may be added as needed. They are planning a full-day course with morning and afternoon sessions separated by a lunch break. Topics include: geological and historical overview of the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, unconventional well drilling and stimulation, drill pad location and design considerations, pipelines and midstream processing, induced seismicity issues associated with hydraulic fracturing and class 2 disposal, NORM and TENORM concerns and ground water monitoring.

Instructors Jeffrey C. Dick, PhD, Professor and Chair Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences is also Director, Natural Gas and Water Resources Institute. Dick started his professional career in the energy related fields of applied geology in 1980 doing permit work for the coal mining industry. He shifted to the petroleum industry in 1982 as an offshore Gulf of Mexico exploration and development geologist for Chevron USA before moving back to Ohio in 1986 where he worked for Locust Energy evaluating oil and gas joint venture opportunities for a variety of basins within the US. Dick currently divides his time between Youngstown State University where he has been a faculty member since 1991 and his private consulting business, J.D. Geological and Environmental Services. He received BS and MS Degrees in geology and a PhD in applied geology from Kent State University. His combined professional experience spans more than 30 years has established him as a leading expert on eastern Ohio hydrogeology and Appalachian region oil and gas exploration and production. Much of his attention in recent years has been devoted researching and solving problems related to the rapidly expanding shale gas industry of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

extensive experience both in both unconventional (shales and tight gas sandstones) and conventional development and exploration plays in the Appalachian Basin, and also has experience in the Illinois, Black Warrior, Anadarko, Delaware/Permian, East Texas and Fort Worth Basins. He has performed numerous geologic and economic reviews of natural gas and oil exploration prospects throughout Appalachian Basin, as well as feasibility studies for gas storage and coal bed methane development.

Billman is a visiting instructor for the University of Tulsa, Continuing Engineering and Science Education department, teaching “Basic Petroleum Geology for Non-Geologists.” Billman received his BS degree in geology from the University of Toledo (Ohio) and his MS in geology from West Virginia University. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and is currently the AAPG Delegate representing the Pittsburgh Geological Society. He is a Past-President of the Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, after serving as the organizations Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer. He is a former President (2 terms), Vice-President, and Treasurer (2 terms) of the Pittsburgh Association of Petroleum Geologists. He is a member of the Independent Oil and Gas Associations of Ohio and Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Association of Petroleum Geologists, Pittsburgh Geological Society, Ohio Geological Society, Appalachian Geological Society, Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists and Ontario Petroleum Institute. Billman is a board member of the Pennsylvania Council of Professional Geologists, and has written and/or co-authored numerous published papers and technical presentations on the petroleum geology of the Appalachian Basin.

Dan Billman, PG, CPG, Billman Associates has over 25 years of experience in the Appalachian Basin with the last 21 as a consulting geologist and president of Billman Geologic Consultants, Inc. Prior to independent consulting, Billman worked as an exploration and development geologist for Mark Resources Corporation and Eastern States Exploration Company. He has June 2015

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Guest Tours Be sure to sign up for one of these exciting Guest Tours when you register for the AEG Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.

New This Year – Guest Opportunities

Guest Tour 2: Heinz History Center

We are offering just one Guest Registration option this year.

Included with every Guest Registration:

Date:

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015

Time:

9:45 am-–2:15 pm

● Ability to sign up for our four amazing Guest Tours

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby

● Coffee and Tea Station with morning and afternoon snacks near Registration on Monday and Tuesday ● Access to the Exhibit Hall with coffee/tea offered every day (Wednesday-Friday) ● Icebreaker Reception – Tuesday, 9/22 from 6:30–8:30 pm (one drink ticket included) ● Complete Registration with Conference Giveaway

Guest Tour 1: Pittsburgh Neighborhood Tour Date:

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015

Time:

9:00 am–2:15 pm

Cost:

$89/person by 8/1/15, $99/person after 8/1/15 (Transportation and lunch included)

Visit the Senator John Heinz History Center, Pennsylvania’s largest history museum and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, to celebrate more than 250 years of Western Pennsylvania history. The Center features six floors and 370,000 square feet of traveling and long-term exhibitions that appeal to children and adults alike. From George Washington’s first adventures in the region during the French & Indian War to the Super Steelers, Pittsburgh’s greatest stories are told at the History Center. Join us for a guided tour of this fascinating space.

Lunch will be provided.

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby Cost:

$65/person by 8/1/15, $75/person after 8/1/15

Learn about the development of Pittsburgh, from a fort in the wilderness to one of America’s Most Livable Cities. This comprehensive tour includes a stop at the West End Overlook with its magnificent view of the Golden Triangle. This tour will cover downtown Pittsburgh, including Pittsburgh’s Crown Jewel, PPG Place and Oakland, the city’s cultural center. A visit to the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning and its Nationality Classrooms is one of the many highlights on this tour.

Guest Tour 3: Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water and Kentuck Knob Date:

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015

Time:

8:00 am–3:45 pm

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby Cost:

$135/person by 8/1/15, $145/person after 8/1/15 (Transportation and box lunch included)

Falling Water and Kentuck Knob are Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigned houses located in the beautiful Pennsylvania Laurel Highlands. Fallingwater was commissioned in 1935 22

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL HEADER MEETING HERE

Guest Tour 4: Burgh Bits and Bites Walking Tour Date:

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

Time:

10:00 am–12:00 pm

Location: Departs from the Wyndham Lobby Cost:

$49/person by 8/1/15, $59/person after 8/1/15

Strip District Market Tour – Smoke hangs in the air along Smallman Street in the Strip District. Yet unlike a century ago when it was the numerous factories and mills along the rivers belching smog into the atmosphere, today it’s the bakeries, coffee shops, and eateries emitting fragrant wafts to tempt passers-by. The Strip District Market Tour is a late morning/early afternoon weekday jaunt featuring a behindthe-counter look at a variety of eateries in Pittsburgh’s historic market district. This tour links local history with the eating establishments peppered along Penn Avenue, with taste samples from around the world including Italian pastries, Mediterranean and Polish specialties, European meats, and French bread.

by Pittsburgh department store magnate Edgar Kaufmann as a summer home so that he and his family could enjoy the simple comforts of nature. The result was an architectural milestone, which has been named “50 Places of a Lifetime”

by National Geographic Traveler magazine and included in Smithsonian Magazine’s “28 Places you Should See in Your Lifetime.” In the more than seven decades since its completion, it has been visited by millions of travelers, including Albert Einstein and Frida Kahlo.

Not far from Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s mountain house, Kentuck Knob, sits. Built in the early 1950s on a bluff 2,000 feet above sea level, it stands just below the crest of the mountain with which it shares its name. Facing east, just beyond the home’s back terrace, one sees an incredible panorama: a long stretch of the Youghiogheny River Gorge, surrounded by wooded mountainsides.

Tours at Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob are guided and led by professional interpreters. You will become aware of the rhythmic interplay between interior and exterior space by the numerous terraces, open-air walkways and unexpected views of the trees and water as you move through the houses on this guided experience.

June 2015

STUDENTS: Check the inside front cover for details on these terrific student OPPORTUNITIES at the Annual Meeting: Student/Professional Networking Event Student/Young Professional Career Discussion

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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t n e v E l a i c e Sp

HEADER HERE SPECIAL SECTION – 2015 ANNUAL MEETING

SPECIAL SECTION – 2014 ANNUAL MEETING

Registration Rates & Deadlines

Dinner Cruise on the Gateway Clipper

Rate

By 8/1/15

After 8/1/15

AEG Member – Full Registration

$395.00

$445.00

Non-Member – Full Registration* $495.00

$545.00

*BECOME AN AEG MEMBER and save $100 on your registration fee.

Wednesday, September 23 6:00–9:30 pm $95 per person

Corporate Registration $395.00 $445.00 One floating registration pass for employees for the three days of technical sessions; one pass for Ice Breaker; one pass for Exhibitors’ Lunch

(includes food and two drink tickets)

This unique Pittsburgh dining experience is aboard one of the magnificent riverboats of the Gateway Clipper Fleet, presenting an unforgettable experience that truly captures the personality of a great river city—Pittsburgh. Aboard this fabulous riverboat tour, you will dine on worldclass cuisine that is expertly prepared by our executive chef. Join us for this dinner cruise and see the spectacular city skyline as the sun sets on the three rivers—a night out on the water lets you see Pittsburgh from a whole a new point of view!

Field Trip ONLY – Limited Registration

$75.00

$100.00

AEG Student Member – $95.00 $120.00 Full Registration Full-time student with proof of current enrollment Not a member—student membership is FREE! Student Volunteer $0.00 $0.00 Volunteer 8 hrs (2 in Registration) and receive a complimentary meeting registration. Contact heather@aegweb.org to register.

Guest Registration $75.00 $125.00 (Includes Icebreaker, Exhibit Hall, Guest Giveaway and ability to sign up for Guest Tours) Daily – AEG Member

$200.00

$250.00

Daily – Non-Member

$300.00

$350.00

$55.00

$55.00

Gateway Clipper Dinner Cruise

$95/person

Daily – Student Member

SPECIAL EVENT –

Register Early!

Field Trips and Guest Tours

Field trips and special events can sell out. Be sure to secure your spot for these exceptional events. Go to www.aegannualmeeting.org for the full Registration Form

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AEG NEWS 58 (2)

Rates and Deadlines are listed within the description on their corresponding pages beginning on page 15 in this issue.

June 2015

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS HEADER HERE

GeoBot and GeoCopter Development

A

Max W. Perlow, Joshua Wagner, and Michael Perlow Jr., PE

unique four-step geohazard risk assessment methodology was developed by Engineering Knowledge Management LLC based upon an evaluation of thousands of failures over the past 35 years. The impact of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities and extreme weather on sinkhole collapse, subsidence, slope, and landslide failures were analyzed along with conventional triggering mechanisms and risk factors.

Failure evaluations indicated that aging infrastructure and extreme weather events were combining to greatly increase the risk and severity of sinkhole collapse, subsidence, slope, and landslide failures.

As part of the above research effort, a simple unmanned vehicle named GeoBot was developed for the assessment sinkhole, subsidence, and slope failures associated with storm water line, catch basin, drainageway, and detention-retention facility failures. The first use of the GeoBot was a 2013 forensic investigation of a sinkhole collapse adjacent to under a major 36-inch reinforced concrete storm water line. Migration of surface water caused a small sinkhole void to form adjacent to the major storm water line which eventually grew in size and caused collapse of a handicapped parking area. The GeoBot was used to inspect the condition of the storm water line and also provide monitoring of pressure grouting that was used to stabilize the adjacent sinkhole.

GeoBot was used again in the 2014 forensic investigation and stabilization of an aging concrete storm water arch that collapsed due an extreme rainfall event. GeoBot provided a condition assessment of the 100-year-old concrete and stone storm water arch as well as monitoring of the filling of the arch to prevent any future collapse.

The success of the low technology off-the-shelf components of the GeoBot on storm water related sinkhole collapse and subsidence failures led to consideration of adding ther-

mography, microgravity, ground penetrating radar (GPR), lidar, acoustic, and GPS sensors to the GeoBot for sinkhole collapse, slope and landslide failure investigations. Development of a companion GeoCopter unmanned aerial vehicle system was also initiated that would utilize the same interchangeable sensors as the GeoBot. Applications for the next generation of GeoBot and companion GeoCopter were studied by authors Max Perlow and Joshua Wagner while at the University Pittsburgh as part a 2014 undergraduate internship program sponsored by Engineering Knowledge Management. The study objective was to develop specifications for the next generation of the unmanned vehicles to provide unique pre- and post-failure assessments of sinkhole, landslide, slope, wall, and utility failures. Details of the above next generation plans for the GeoBot - GeoCopter are summarized in the following sections.

Unmanned Vehicle and Sensor Options Both system prototypes were to be designed to utilize offthe-shelf radio controlled crawlers, aerial copter and eventually drone platforms. The configuration of the crawler or copter units would be dependent upon the terrain and survey area requirements. Payload, cruise speed, power needs, and wireless control range would dictate the type of unmanned vehicle used.

Each system would have the ability to deploy single or multiple interchangeable wireless sensors including real-time video, high resolution panoramic photo, acoustic, GPS, tilt-level, 3D scanning, lidar, thermography, and microgravity.

Roof or front mounted sensor packages could also be used with conventional vehicles for urban infrastructure applications or off-road ATVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for site-specific, pre- and post-failure investigations and monitoring programs.

Figure 1. GeoBot-GeoCopter Prototypes & Sensor Applications June 2015

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

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HEADER HERE CONTRIBUTIONS PROFESSIONAL

GeoBot - GeoCopter Applications

Landslide – Slope Failure Application Matrix

Typical pre- and post-failure application uses are highlighted using actual failure case histories to demonstrate how the GeoBot and GeoCopter systems would be used in the assessment of geologic hazards, monitoring of previous failures, and most importantly emergency response assessment of on-going failures.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Sinkhole Collapse – Subsidence Application Matrix 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Emergency stability assessment of cavity bottom & slopes Stability assessment of sinkhole side slopes – adjacent areas 3D scanning for estimation of ground loss Thermography-microgravity-GPR forensic survey Water, sanitary, storm utility line forensic inspections Post-stabilization utility geophysical surveys Bi-annual utility line condition assessment Periodic thermography-microgravity-GPR Survey

Emergency stability assessment of landslide – slope failure Stability assessment of assessment of adjacent slope areas 3D laser scanning of slope topography and volume GPS, acoustic, seismic monitoring of slope movements Thermography-microgravity geophysical survey Post-stabilization GPS, acoustic, thermography surveys Post extreme precipitation event GPS, acoustic, thermography surveys

Figure 3. Landslide Case Histories PHOTOS BY PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, NASA

Railroad Retaining Wall Failure Application Matrix

Figure 2. Sinkhole Collapse Case Histories PHOTOS BY M. PERLOW & MORNING CALL

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Emergency stability assessment of retaining wall failure Stability assessment of assessment of adjacent areas 3D laser scanning of slope failure for volume estimates GPS, acoustic, seismic monitoring of slope movements Thermography-microgravity-GPR geophysical surveys Post-stabilization GPS, acoustic, geophysical surveys Post extreme precipitation event GPS, acoustic, geophysical surveys

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

June 2015

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS HEADER HERE

Figure 5. Water Main Break-Gas Explosion Case History

NASA Technological Developments The technologies developed by NASA over the years with its Mars Rover programs have demonstrated the great potential of sensor packages deployed from small unmanned crawler robots. Opportunity, also known as MER-B, is a robotic rover active on the planet Mars since 2004. Launched on July 7, 2003, it landed on January 25, 2004 and remains active as of 2015. Opportunity has exceeded its planned operation life by 11 years moving about Mars gathering scientific observations and reporting back to Earth.

Summary and Conclusions The advancement in technology of small unmanned aerial vehicles and drones enables the deployment of a wide variety of sensors that have been used on robotic crawlers and rovers.

Engineers and geologists are on the threshold of a major technological revolution with the use of unmanned vehicles for geologic hazard assessment, 3D Scanning and imaging.

The GeoBot and GeoCopter concept of using small offthe-shelf crawler and UAV platforms to deploy a suite of interchangeable sensors will greatly enhance geo-environmental hazard failure investigations, risk assessments, mitigation, and prevention programs.

For more information contact, Michael Perlow Jr., PE, via email at mike@perlowmp.com or 267-664-3250.

Related Publications and Presentations: Figure 4. Retaining Wall Failure Case History PHOTOS BY FERN SHEN

Water Main Break – Gas Explosion Application Matrix 1. Emergency assessment of main break voids and pipe support 2. Stability assessment of assessment of adjacent areas 3. Thermography-microgravity-GPR geophysical surveys 4. Water, sanitary, storm water utility inspection and condition assessment 5. Post extreme precipitation event utility and geophysical surveys June 2015

Perlow M. Jr. and Perlow Max W. (2014) Utility Failure Risk Assessment, PAAWWA Infrastructure Expo, Hollywood Casino, Grantville PA, November 12–13, 2014.

Perlow M. Jr. and Perlow Max W. (2014) Extreme Precipitation and the Landslide Multi-Hazard Conundrum, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Vancouver BC, Canada, October 19–22, 2014.

Perlow M. Jr. and Perlow Max W. (2013) Eastern PA Sinkhole, Slope and Utility Failures Triggered by Extreme Precipitation Events, 56th Annual AEG Meeting, Seattle Washington, September 10–14, 2013.

Perlow M. Jr. (2012) Sustainable Utility Infrastructure Planning & Replacement in Karst Areas, 64th Annual Conference, Pennsylvania Section – American Water Works Association, Lancaster PA, May 2–4, 2012.

Perlow M. Jr. (2011) A Simple Risk Assessment Model for Municipal, Transportation, and Energy Infrastructure in Karst Areas, 25th Central PA Geotechnical Conference, Hershey PA, March 30 – April 1, 2011

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HEADER FIELD TRIPS HERE

AEG Carolinas Section Field Trip – April 11, 2015

Reed Gold Mine – Midland, NC

G

Sue M. Buchanan, Field Trip Chair

old fever was in the air this past April! Phil Bradley, Senior Piedmont Geologist for the NC Geological Survey; Heather Hanna, Geologist for the NC Geological Survey; Stephen Challenger, geology graduate student at North Carolina State University; and Aaron Kepley, Reed Gold Mine Historic Interpreter hosted this successful spring trip.

These knowledgeable volunteers took 50+ people (geoprofessionals, students, and kids) on a tour of the Reed Gold Mine historic site. It was a hoot, but we didn’t run off with any loot (maybe next time!).

Phil Bradley, Heather Hanna, and Stephen Challenger took folks on a geology tour of the site. We first discussed the regional structural geology of the area within the Gold Hill shear zone and the Silver Hill fault. The main structural feature at the site is the Reed Mine northeast plunging anticline that includes a greenstone body mapped on the Upper, Middle, Lower, and Lake Hills. The host rocks of the Tillery Formation are laminated argillite and felsic tuff with secondary greywacke and rhyodacite. The trio walked the group through the site stopping at outcrops in and near Little Meadow Creek, to look at the northeast plunging anticline and explained that the greenstone is likely either a sill or concordant layer involved in regional folding. The gold at the site is confined to quartz veins within the greenstone body. The quartz veins are likely the result of along-axis extension during folding.

The geology story continued into the Reed Gold Mine underground and above ground tours, led by Aaron Kepley and other Reed Gold Mine staff. Some of the features shown and discussed on this phase of the tour included Little Meadow Creek and the story of how gold mining began at this site with a 12-year-old boy named Conrad Reed tracking down his arrow in the creek and finding a shiny rock in 1799. At the underground mine at Linker Adit, we learned that the gold was mined by following quartz veins; saw a kibble (Cornish for bucket) where miners, equipment, and ore were raised and lowered into the mine; watched a demonstration on how miners used hammer, chisel, and blasting to mine out the quartz and rock; learned about miners digging holes a few feet below the ground surface to find gold nuggets; and saw a Stamp Mill in operation where rock is crushed and gold is separated out from the crushed rock on a large panning table.

The last activity was trying our luck at panning for gold.

The Reed Gold Mine staff gave each of us a pan of sediment dug from along the banks of Little Meadow Creek, the location of the first documented discovery of gold in the United States, and taught us how to maneuver the pan to reveal any gold.

Some folks were lucky that day and found a flake or two of gold in their pans!

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Entrance to Reed Gold Mine underground tour at Linker Adit

Phil Bradley, Heather Hanna, and Stephen Challenger explaining the regional and local geology to the AEG field trip attendees

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FIELD TRIPS AEG would like to thank Phil, Heather, Stephen, Aaron, and the Reed Gold Mine staff for all their hard work in putting together a wonderful field trip. Many field trip attendees enjoyed learning about the geology, the gold mine, and panning.

TOP LEFT: Morgan Shaft and kibbleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this shaft is 50 feet deep and used to raise and lower men, equipment and ore.

TOP RIGHT:Phil Bradley and Heather Hanna showing the structural geology of the greenstone body to AEG field trip attendees.

LEFT: AEG field trip members panning for gold

We appreciate your MEMBERSHIP in AEG. Names in BOLD throughout AEG News indicate current members.

June 2015

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ISSUES PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE HEADERIN HERE In this series, we present the opinions of the author as he explores the issues that are important in the implementation and operation of statutory licensure for geologists. The author’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists or any other organization or entity.

Issue LXXIV Licensure As a Job Qualification: Who Absolutely Needs It, Who Might Need It, and Who Does Not Need It? Robert E. Tepel, PG, CEG, and Past President AEG

Introduction Which geoscientists absolutely need licensure to do their job?

For which geoscience jobs is licensure an optional? Which geoscience jobs do not require licensure at all?

The answers are important in terms of career opportunities, and are also in terms of the liabilities and responsibilities accepted by (or placed on) the practitioner. This article addresses these questions in two ways: career planning for students and professionals, and, career flexibility for professionals in typical employment settings in the major practice disciplines.

This is a general discussion about typical practice situations broadly categorized. There are exceptions for specific situations that might apply to some readers, so, as always, it is up to the professional do dig into the details.

Students: Career Planning and Licensure The best time to become licensed is as early in a career as possible. Passing the Fundamentals of Geology examination (the first of a two-part licensure exam) is easier for students and recent graduates than for more experienced professionals simply because it is focused on academic knowledge.

Some states allow students to take it in their senior year. For any individual the question “Do I now or will I in the future need a license to practice geology?” can be answered by considering their desire for career flexibility in either the technical sense (the knowledge base used by the practitioner) or geographic sense (practice location desired by (or thrust upon) the practitioner.

The answers also vary according to employment setting. An employer or client might require licensure of their geologist(s) either as a condition of working for them based on their own internal standards, even if there is no legal requirement for the geologist to be licensed in a particular situation. Some employers have career (promotion) ladders that do not require licensure at the entry level but do require it at supervisory levels.

For students, the value of a professional license is in their future. Licensure offers the professional geoscientist career flexibility and promote-ability, even if the student plans to practice in an exempt part of the profession or to practice in a jurisdiction that lacks a licensure law. Career changes can occur quickly and, for some us, often. As a matter of career planning, students should be aware of where licensure is required, and 30

for which practice disciplines, and they should take courses that will help prepare them for (and qualify for) the licensure examination (for additional discussion, see Tepel, 2012)

Professionals: Licensure Requirements In Practice Disciplines And Employment Settings Who Does Not Need a License?

Employment Settings. Federal government employees are exempt from state licensure laws when acting in the course of their federal duties. Geoscientists who work in 1) an exempt industry, 2) in academia, 3) in some state and local government positions, 4) in some nonprofit organizations, 5) in tribal positions, or, 6) work in a jurisdiction that does not have licensure, do not need to be licensed. Geoscientists working in subordinate positions do not need licensure. In some cases, geoscientists who work in these employment settings, whether as an employee or as a consultant, can have an entire career without the need to be licensed imposed by law. A geologist who does not charge for (or receive non-monetary compensation for) his/her geological services does not need to be licensed for such practice if state law allows this exemption.

Practice Disciplines. As noted in Issue LXXIII (Tepel, 2015), petroleum geologists and (or) mining geologists are exempt from licensure in several jurisdictions. This exemption might apply only to those employed in industry, or might be available to independent consultants who practice before the public or who practice only for industry, depending on state law. Geologists who offer geologically-based expert witness testimony before a court of law or a state regulatory agency might, in specific situations, either be required to be licensed (especially if acting on behalf of a client), or the body accepting their testimony might rule that the public interest over-rides a requirement for licensure (see, for example, Tepel, 2003).

Who Must Be Licensed?

Employment Setting. Positions in engineering geology or environmental geology (typically contaminant hydrogeology) require licensure for practice in responsible charge of the work (as a sole proprietor consultant or as an employee of a firm) in almost every instance in almost every licensing jurisdiction.

Eventually, this will also apply in Louisiana and New York, but those boards are not yet fully functioning under mature rules and laws Positions in state and local regulatory or permitting

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ISSUES IN PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE HEADER HERE agencies typically require licensure for those in responsible charge of the work. See Oregon State Board of Geologists Examiners (2015) as an example of how a typical state law applies to employment settings in that state.

Practice Setting. Geologists who .offer to practice before the public in economic geology (petroleum and mining) consulting must be licensed if not exempt under the law. Geologists in industry whose work products travel outside the offices of their employer (e.g., if the geologist signs a geologically-based request or report to a state regulatory agency) must be licensed unless a specific exemption is in state law.

For Whom Is Licensure Optional?

Employment Setting. Licensure is optional for subordinate employees who qualify for it and who want to remain in a subordinate position, if their employer’s policy allows. They give up career flexibility, and like give up mid-ladder promotional opportunities by remaining unlicensed. Licensure is optional for geoscientists in employment settings exempt under the law. If they remain unlicensed, they give up career flexibility and possibly promotional opportunities. Licensure is optional for academic and research geologists; if unlicensed they give up consulting opportunities that require licensure, and might give up career flexibility. Licensure is optional for geologists practicing in jurisdictions that do not license geologists. They can become licensed in any convenient state; failure to do so may have a cost in career flexibility or promotional opportunities. These people might think of the license as either 1) “nice to have if I need it, nice to have on my resume, and the certificate looks good on the wall” (if they become licensed), or 2) “I’ll take my chances on career flexibility and development” (if they opt to not become licensed). As licensure laws became more common in recent decades, so did the laments I heard from geologists who practiced in exempt employment and, upon retirement, realized that they now needed a license for almost all consulting work, and had let convenient opportunities pass them by during their careers.

Practice Setting. Licensure is optional for geologists practicing in economic geology if employed in a exempt industry.

Summary and Conclusions State licensure laws vary considerably in defining who must be licensed across the employment settings and practice disciplines of geology.

Professional licensure is a job requirement for a relatively small proportion of all practicing geologists in the United States. In terms of discipline, a requirement for licensure most commonly applies to engineering and environmental geologists who are in responsible charge of geological work on which the public will rely, if they practice in in jurisdictions that have licensure laws. That makes sense because these are the geologists whose work most directly and most commonly (and likely most probably and most profoundly) affects the public health, safety, and wellbeing. In terms of employment setting, employers who offer geological services in engineering June 2015

geology and environmental geology may require licensure for employment in (or promotion to) a highly responsible position.

Licensure is also required in some jurisdictions for economic geologists in positions that produce work products on which the public will rely. The public interest in their work hinges mostly on the need for accountability to the public for work in both the economic sense (mineral deposit evaluation, e.g.) and the public health and safety sense.

Licensure is desirable for almost all geologists because of the career flexibility it offers. In some employment situations, being licensed (even if it is optional) can be a positive in competing for a career advancement opportunity.

References Cited Oregon State Board of Geologist Examiners, 2015, Geology Practice in the Public Sector, Oregon Geologist Examiner, Spring, 2015, p. 1.

Tepel, Robert E., 2003, Issue XXIX: Is Professional Licensure Required for Testimony before a Public Decision-Making or Policy-Making Body? AEG News, June 2003, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 20-22.

Tepel, Robert E., 2012, What Geology Students Need to Know about Professional Licensure. The Professional Geologist, American Institute of Professional Geologists, Vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 10-11.

Tepel, Robert E., 2015, Issue LXXIII: The Industry Exemption in Geology Licensure Laws: Should it Stay? AEG News, March 2915, vol. 58, no. 1., pp. 27-29.

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t n o r f e m o The H

Carolinas Section Alex Rutledge (Chair) and Madeline German (Vice Chair) The Carolinas Section held our most recent meeting at Natty Greene’s Brewing Company in Raleigh on April 16. Jahns Lecturer, Eldon Gath, presented a well-received talk on Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleo Seismic Investigations for the Panama Canal. Approximately 80 geologists, students, engineers, and regulators attended the meeting. The Carolina’s Section is planning to add a summer meeting to our schedule, also in Raleigh, with the focus on fostering conversation between regulators and consultants.

During his trip to the Carolinas, Eldon enthusiastically endured the demanding schedule prepared by our Student Liaison Rick Kolb and visited students at eight Universities: Furman University, UNC Charlotte, UNC Asheville, East Tennessee State University, Guilford College, NC State, Wake Technical Community College, and UNC Chapel Hill.

Rick Kolb has also had great success with the Visiting Professionals program this spring, coordinating geologist presentations with students at UNC Wilminton, UNC Charlotte, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State and Clemson.

Sue Buchanan planned and executed another fantastic field trip, this time to Reed Gold Mine, in Midland, NC, on April 11, 2015. Approximately 40 geologists, students, and rock enthusiasts toured the mine, museum and viewed the local outcrops related to gold prospecting with Phil Bradley from the NC Geological Survey. Everyone was able to try their hand at panning for gold, with many geologists returning home with gold souvenirs (See the article on page 28 for the full story). We are looking forward to another successful field trip with a “Wine Terroir and Tasting Tour” in the Yadkin Valley this fall.

The Charter for the Carolina’s Section Scholarship, which was seeded with surpluses from the Vapor Intrusion Conference held in January 2014, was recently finalized by our Section Board and the AEG Foundation. We hope to be issuing scholarships by the spring of 2016.

The Carolinas Section has 196 members, 108 of which are students, that we hope will translate into full members following graduation. We have made a concerted effort to increase and hold membership this year. The work of Eric Cross, our Membership Chair, and others in our section has resulted in an increase in seven full members and many more student members for our Section this year!

We currently have 23 sponsors for the Carolinas Section for 2015. Rick Kolb, our Sponsorship Chair, has been busy getting our existing sponsors renewed and recruiting new ones.

The generosity of our sponsors allows AEG Carolinas to fund our outreach programs to students, our profession, and to the general public.

Jennifer Thomas is producing our quarterly Section newsletter, GeoNews. The latest issue was published in April 2015, and provides section members with section and national 32

AEG news updates, a summary of our section financials, geology-related articles, and a place for our section sponsors to advertise.

The Social Committee, led by Adam Phillips, is planning more baseball-related networking events, a few brew pub socials, and a sporting clay shoot over the spring and summer.

Great Basin Section Jesse Ruzicka, Chair Despite the economic slump in the Great Basin region, we are fortunate to have continued solid attendance at our monthly meetings. We have had a series of great presenters the last quarter of 2014 continuing through the first quarter of 2015.

Speakers and topics in the last quarter of 2014 included: Get Reacquainted No-Host Social; Gary Luce (Resource Concepts, Inc.), Tailings Dams 101 – An Introduction; Stephen Dickenson (New Albion Geotechnical, Inc.), Geotechnical Challenges Associated with “Unique” Soils: When the Engineering Behavior is Not as it Seems; and, Corné Kreemer (University of Nevada, Reno), Plate Tectonics 2.0: Using GPS to Rewrite Textbooks and Forecast Earthquakes.

The first quarter of 2015 featured Jonathan Pease (Marvin E. Davis & Associates), Crossing the Truckee River and the Truckee Canyon at Vista: Geotechnical Design and Geologic Implications, Washoe County, Nevada; Eldon Gath (2014–15 Jahns Lecturer), Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations for the Panama Canal; Brett Whitford, Oil Sands and the Kearl Project; and, Richard Perry (State of Nevada, Division of Minerals), Mineral Production and Mining Activities, Geothermal Production and Activities, Hydraulic Fracturing Regulations, and Oil Activity.

Whereas in the past, the Great Basin Section has sponsored up to three students each month, we have recently called upon local firms to sponsor increase that to four. This approach has been successful and provides a venue for local firms and students to connect. As a result we have seen an increase in student attendance at our monthly meetings.

We are also excited about our recent coordination with the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada-Reno to encourage student participation, and have gained large support from the dean, several professors, and career development faculty at the school. Furthermore, Gary Norris, current section vice-chair and long-time professor at the university, continues to provide a valuable link with the department of civil and environmental engineering at the university.

Through the efforts of Merrily Graham (our “unofficial” community liaison), we have been fortunate to raffle several items donated from the community at our monthly meetings to raise funds for student involvement. The hope is to hold a Student Night next year where students can present and discuss their various projects with members and community professionals.

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THEHEADER HOMEFRONT HERE Finally, we continue to explore ways to provide additional member benefits including workshops, field trips, and professional development hour (PDH) opportunities. Information regarding these opportunities will be available as discussions and planning progress, so stay tuned.

New York – Philadelphia Section Mia Painter, Newsletter Editor The NY-P Section has had an active spring! In February we welcomed Dr. Lee Slater, Professor and Chair of the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University Newark. His talk, A Fractured Rock Geophysics ToolBox (FRGT) for improving Characterization and Monitoring at Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Sites, was well received. We are pleased to continue increasing student participation at our meetings.

Dr. Greg Herman (NJDEP) gave us another great presentation—his fifth for our Section since 1999 (and we know it won’t be his last!)—Update on Borehole Imaging and Visualization of Fractured-Bedrock Aquifers. Greg discussed the bigger picture view about his theories and research looking at how the fractures observed in New Jersey are related to impact tectonics.

Check out his website at www.impacttectonics.org for more information.

(l to r) student Derek Harzinski, Dr. Chad Freed, Benjamin MacLuckie, Sarah Gensel—all of Widener University

Student Presenters: Brian Wlodawski (Ramapo), Derek Harzinski (Widener), Michael Papili (Ramapo), Sara Rife (Villanova), Sarah Gensel (Widener)

Greg Herman linking fracture patterns with impact tectonics.

April brought our first annual Student Night! Many thanks to Dr. Chad Freed, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Widener University, for organizing the event. Six universities were represented: Widener, Penn, West Chester, Villanova, Ramapo, and Delaware County Community College. Over 12 student posters were on display and we enjoyed excellent discussions about their research. After dinner, five student speakers made presentations on their recent research, and were well received. We are very pleased to have awarded all student presenters with a small gift for their efforts, and to award one larger gift to a speaker based on evaluations June 2015

Students Beatrice O’Hara and Matt Serzega (West Chester University) with their Student Night poster

completed by the audience. The gifts were made possible by personal and corporate sponsorships. Thank you all and we are already looking forward to next year’s student night!

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HEADER THE HOMEFRONT HERE In May, Steve Spayd spoke on the naturally occurring boron and arsenic in the Newark Basin. Our annual field trip will be held in early June, exploring dinosaur paleontology in New Jersey. Visit our LinkedIn page for future activities and how these events turned out.

NY-P Chair Curt Schmidt and Niall Henshaw attended the mid-year board meeting in Columbus. Niall is serving as cochair of the finance committee and Curt is serving on the Governance Restructuring Committee.

Upcoming Event The RE3 Conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA, September 16–18, 2015. NY-P members will be assisting in the review of the abstracts, marketing of the Conference, and we will likely host an exhibition table and spend some time promoting AEG. Stop by to see us! And of course we’ll see you at the AEG Annual Meeting in Pittsburg!

We continue to thank everybody for keeping our NY–P Section vibrant, either by attending, presenting, serving on a committee, and/or by offering feedback or ideas. We always welcome new ideas and look forward to meeting you at our next meeting!

New Student Chapter Formed – Widener University In other news, we are proud to support our new Student Chapter at Widener University! The Widener University Engineering Geology Club was started to promote the applied geosciences across the disciplines of civil engineering and environmental science and also to be active in our AEG Section. The club is inclusive to any student at Widener interested in geology. Club officers are President Benjamin MacLuckie (Environmental Science), Vice President Olivia Pfautz (Civil Engineering); Treasurer Alexander McCarthy (Environmental Science), Secretary Brooke Durnin (Environmental Science). Dr. Chad Freed, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Widener University, is the Chapter advisor. Currently the club is studying the hydrology surrounding a lake in the Poconos experiencing eutrophication.

Summer and fall include plans for field trips to areas of geologic interest in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Oregon Section Mark Swank, Secretary The Pacific Northwest has been going through the West Coast’s drought, just in our Oregon way—with slightly milder temperatures and a little more sun than usual in March and April. With that, the Oregon Section has continued its great participation at the monthly meetings due to a strong line-up of presentations throughout the year—and attendance rarely suffers when local partners sponsor the beverages.

In March, this year’s Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer in Engineering Geology, Eldon Gath, presented his Mitigation of Surface-Fault Rupture: Updating California’s Alquist-Priolo 34

Earthquake Fault Zoning Act for the New Millennium. This was our second AEG Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer of the fiscal year, as Greg Hempen presented at the October meeting. His discussion focused on how the public, and our profession, is better served by upgrading the A-P for consistency with the risks associated with other natural hazards. The Oregon Section enjoyed hearing the application of these guidelines, which has been so important in California’s development and response to natural hazards.

Our April guest speakers were Michael Reynolds and Brian McNamara with Shannon & Wilson and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) respectively. The duo presented Advantages of Early Hazardous Material Assessment: Hwy 212/224: Sunrise Corridor JTA, Clackamas County, Oregon.

The talk covered one Superfund site, six DEQ cleanup sites, numerous leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs), and one military reservation with the potential for unexploded ordinance.

So how do you build a new 2.5-mile-long expressway in a heavily industrialized area? It takes early involvement and the development of a comprehensive Contaminated Media Management Plan addressing more than 150 project elements.

In May, we held our annual Oregon AEG Student Poster Night where the student awards (the always-needed cash) were presented to four winners in different categories. We always encourage the professional community to attend this event to support our student members and future geologists. In addition, this year the Oregon Section will be offering TWO Student Awards to attend the Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.

Membership Challenge The Oregon Section was proud to have initiated the first annual BOD Membership Challenge earlier this year, wherein we challenged all the other AEG Sections to add 10 new full members in the first quarter of 2015. Five of our sections met this goal including New York-Philadelphia, Oregon, Rocky Mountain, San Francisco, and Southern California. Due to this initiative, 146 professionals either became new members or renewed. Congratulations to the Southern California Section for winning the contest with a whopping 30 individuals signing up.

Philanthropic Endeavors We have also begun a fundraiser for GeoGirls Youth Technology and Geology Field Camp and are matching donations up to a total of $500. In conjunction with an anonymous sponsor who is also matching funds up to $7,000, we are hoping to create a fund that could sustain several years of activities for the group.

Looking Toward 2020!

A very hearty congratulations goes to the Section awarded the 2020 AEG Annual Meeting—Oregon! We could not be more excited to be hosting the meeting in our great region with its diverse climates (yes, we have a desert—with sun and little rain) and varying geology that includes just about everything you could think of from volcanoes carved by glaciers, lava plains, the basin and range, with accreted terrane, landslides, and earthquakes (a big one is coming!), oh my.

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Rocky Mountain Section Denise Garcia, Secretary The Rocky Mountain Section annual Student Night was held in March, with six students from Colorado School of Mines (CSM) presenting their research: Robert Duran, Ethan Faber, Benjamin Haugen, Joshua Stewart, Kevin McCoy, and Mack McLain. We continued to use the format of both poster and oral presentations, and it worked out well again this year.

All of the student presenters were impressive and the Section enjoyed learning of their ongoing research. Ethan Faber took home the grand prize for his poster and research presentation Landslide Risk Identification and Reduction Matrix for Precarious Settlements in Guatemala City. The CSM AEG Student Chair organized a silent auction to raise money for the student chapter. Due to the generosity of our members and affiliate companies, we raised significant funds to support students at our monthly meetings throughout the year. Thank you to all those generous sponsors!

We did not have an April meeting because our March meeting was so late this year. In May, we had a work meeting to discuss the I-70 Hogback POGI Trail Clean-Up Project and to start planning the 2017 Annual Meeting to be held in Colorado Springs. The purpose of the clean-up project is to maintain the walkways along the north and south sides of the I-70 road-cut through the Dakota Hogback in Jefferson County, CO. We plan to remove soil and rock that has accumulated on the walkway and clean it. There is also the goal of upgrading the signage.

The Rocky Mountain Section will take a Summer break from meetings for June through August, however, we plan to have some field trips this summer and fall. All are welcome to attend!

beautiful and interesting specimens were donated for the cause, including a solid 5-foot stick of granite rock core, a section of a polished countertop slab of granite pegmatite, peridot-bearing basalt from Arizona, a cut and polished section of Precambrian schistose metasediments from the Canadian Shield, and even a couple bottles of El Dorado County wine! Thanks to the generosity of both our members who donated items and those who attended the meeting and bid on them, the Section raised $411 from the silent auction to augment the scholarship fund. Thank you all for your generosity and support!

Sacramento Section members Bill Fraser and Chase White peruse and bid on items during the scholarship fundraiser silent auction held during the March meeting.

Sacramento Section Chase White, Secretary The Sacramento Section held its February 2015 meeting at Sudwerk Brewery in Davis. We were honored and pleased to host the 2015 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer, Eldon Gath for our meeting. Eldon spoke and presented on the Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations for the Panama Canal, summarizing five years of geological exploration in Panama to identify and quantify fault hazards to the Panama Canal and Canal Expansion Project.

Our March meeting was held at Aviatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant at the Executive Airport in south Sacramento. Speaker Robert Burns, CEG, with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) gave a presentation entitled ShakeMaps, ShakeCast, and California Dam Safety. He explained how DSOD uses the USGS ShakeCast software to continually download, compile, and analyze strong-motion record data and enable DSOD to prioritize responses and mobilize field inspection personnel after significant earthquakes. Prior to dinner and the presentation, the Section hosted a rock and mineral specimen silent auction as a fundraiser for the Section scholarship funds. Many June 2015

Sacramento Section Scholarship Committee Chair Wendy Key looks over some of the specimens donated for the scholarship fundraiser silent auction held at the March Section Meeting.

Annual Student Night On April 21 we held this, one of the most anticipated events of each year. We tried a new venue this year, the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant in eastern Rancho Cordova.

In addition to over 20 professionals, we had more than two dozen students and four professors in attendance from four university campuses within the Section boundaries, including:

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HEADER THE HOMEFRONT HERE incentive for student-professional interaction, a ticket was entered in the raffle drawing signed by the student and the professional participating in each conversation (a little like an AEG “speed dating” session!). Raffle prizes were donated by professionals, employers, and sponsoring vendors, and included geologic maps and reference publications, mineral/rock and fossil samples, rock hammers, giftcards, and cash.

Coming Events We expect to hold an election sometime in June to select new Section Officers and will in turn have a new Section Chair to represent us at the 2015 Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA. We want to express our gratitude and appreciation for the years of service and efforts from Pete Holland who will be stepping down as Chair, and from Tim McCrink who will be stepping down from many years of dedicated service as our Section Treasurer. We will share the results of the election and names of the new Section officers in the next issue of AEG News!

Students and professionals mingling and networking during the 2015 Sacramento Section Student Night Meeting

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St. Louis Section Stefanie Voss, Section Editor

PHOTO BY STEFANIE VOSS

University of California, Davis (UC Davis); California State University, Sacramento (CSU Sacramento); California State University, Fresno (CSU Fresno); and California State University, Chico (CSU Chico).

The first portion of the evening focused on providing dedicated time for interaction and networking between students and professionals before sitting for dinner, allowing student poster presenters to give brief summaries of their work, and announcing the 2015 Section Scholarship winners and awards.

Seven students submitted abstracts and presented posters and summaries of their research projects at the meeting, with each presenting student awarded $50 at the meeting. The poster presentation titles and students follow: Looking for Normal in the Lodo Gulch: Magnetostratigraphy Across the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary, Julie Rieth, CSU Fresno; Rapid Scientific Response as an Educational Opportunity Integrating Geoscience and Advanced Visualization, Justin Lindeman, UC Davis; Seismic Profiling and Volume Estimates of the Cleveland Corral Landslide, Joan Lopez, CSU Sacramento; Ground Water Assessment of the Dotta Canyon Meadow Restoration Project, Jason Dunn, CSU Sacramento; Waste Water Injection in Ventura County Basins, Ed Treguboff, CSU Sacramento: Arroyo Seco Gravels, Eric Page, CSU Sacramento; and, Laguna Formation Outcrops and Overview, Kathryn Jelinek, CSU Sacramento.

Following a secret ballot vote from all those present, the “Best Poster” award and cash prize of $100 was presented to Jason Dunn of CSU Sacramento.

After dinner, our Section Scholarship Chair, Wendy Key, had the honor of announcing the recipients of the H. Ray Taber AEG Founders Scholarship awards from the Section (beginning in 2013 the annual scholarship awards were named in honor of Harmon Ray Taber, one of the founding members of AEG).

Scott Mitchell of CSU Fresno was announced as the recipient of the $1,000 undergraduate scholarship, and Casey Polon, also of CSU Fresno, was announced as the recipient of the $1,500 graduate scholarship.

After the scholarship winners were announced, it was time for our raffle prize drawing. Since the focus was on networking between students and professionals, and to offer some extra

AEG St. Louis welcomed Curt Fahnestock, PG, of McMillanMcGee Corporation as our speaker in February. He discussed Electro-Thermal Dynamic Stripping Process for In-Situ Thermal Remediation. The presentation focused on the use of closely spaced subsurface electrodes to heat the soil (through electrical resistance) and remediate volatile organic compound contamination. The method, although expensive up-front, has been shown to be very effective in quickly reducing concentrations of volatile organic compounds in soil. The meeting was sponsored by Bulldog Drilling.

Nick Eldred was our speaker for the March meeting. His talk entitled Canterbury Earthquakes, near Christchurch, New Zealand: Impact, Response, and Recovery was a personal topic for him, as he experienced the earthquake first-hand. The magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred 5 km below the surface, causing the death of 185 people.

The alluvial deposits, upon which the city was founded, liquefied and flowed to the surface. Over 4,000 metric tons of sediment was removed. The region also experienced lateral spreading, 0.5 to 1 meter of settlement, flooding, cliff collapse, and boulder rolls from nearby mountains into homes and other structures. Recovery has consisted of rezoning residential areas to restrict building in areas of severe earthquake hazards; replacing 500 km of wastewater sewers and 1,000 km of roadways; and closing and redesigning the downtown and central business district.

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June 2015

THEHEADER HOMEFRONT HERE Our April meeting saw the return of the Student Panel presentations. Students from the University of MissouriColumbia and Missouri University of Science and Technology presented their research to AEG members. Their topics were varied and illustrated research on the forefront of engineering and environmental geology.

Southeastern Section Matthew Howe, Chair Over the course of the last four months, we had the pleasure of welcoming both, Ken Fergason, 2014–15 AEG President, and Eldon Gath, the 2014–15 Jahns Lecturer, to the Atlanta area on separate occasions. Following is a chronological list of activities that the Southeastern Section has been involved with from October 2014 to April 2015.

Shortly after the Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, the Southeastern Section helped to promote the Southeastern States Vapor Intrusion Symposium on October 1 & 2, 2014.

The meeting was a success with a capacity crowd of people in attendance and even a few AEG Members.

On December 5, 2014, Eldon Gath was able to do a quick visit to South Florida and make a presentation at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He gave a presentation entitled, Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations for the Panama Canal. Many thanks for Section Secretary Ron Kaufmann for doing much of the legwork and coordination for this campus visit.

Ken Fergason and Matt Howe posing with both AEG members and non-members at AEG Meet & Greet

“Meet and Greet” for AEG members and non-members at a local British-style tavern in Northwest Atlanta. The following day started out at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA, where Ken gave a presentation entitled Someone is Paying Me to Do This! The Geologic, Geohazard, and Geotechnical Field Investigation for the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. He ended his visit to the area, with a trip to the University of Georgia in Athens, where he gave a presentation to the UGA geology club entitled Application of Satellite-Based Interferometry (InSAR) to Geologic and Geotechnical Investigations.

Eldon Gath presenting at the Annual AEG–AGS meeting at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Eldon Gath presenting to students, faculty, and staff at Florida International University

Ken Fergason visited Atlanta on January 22 and 23, where he gave presentations at Georgia State University, the University of West Georgia, and the University of Georgia. While at Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta he gave a talk entitled Between a Rock and Geologic Disaster – Working as an Applied Geologist. This presentation was intended for students, where he discussed impressive projects he has worked on during his career. Later that evening, he attended a low-key

June 2015

Eldon Gath visited Atlanta on March 31 and April 1, where he gave presentations at the University of Georgia, the AEG-AGS meeting, University of West Georgia, and Georgia State University. Eldon began his tour at the University of Georgia, where he gave a presentation entitled Natural Hazard Identification, Impact Analysis, and Risk Assessment for Community Disaster Mitigation Planning to the UGA Geology Club.

From there he drove to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, where AEG had a joint meeting with the Atlanta Geological Society. Eldon spoke on Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations for the Panama Canal. The next day, he drove out to the University of West Georgia, and presented

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HEADER THE HOMEFRONT HERE The Santa Ana Mountains: Indenter Tectonics and the Earthquake Hazards of The OC. He finished up his visit to Atlanta by traveling to Georgia State University, where he spoke on Natural Hazard Identification, Impact Analysis, and Risk Assessment for Community Disaster Mitigation Planning.

On April 8, Southeastern Section Officers Matthew Howe (Chair) and Michael Arles (Vice-Chair) were able to meet with United States Army Corp of Engineers Chief Geologist, Marty Goff in downtown Atlanta at a USACE Geotechnical and Materials Community of Practice Meeting. The pair discussed Marty’s interest in getting more USACE employees to the next Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh and getting employees plugged-in to local meetings. In addition, the Southeastern Section Chair was able to give a quick five-minute presentation on what to expect at the next Annual Meeting.

On April 9, Section Chair Matthew Howe visited the University of West Georgia to participate in their geosciences career night. At the event, a variety of professionals gave a brief introduction as to who they were, where they worked, and what they did.

After a brief presentation by the West Georgia Career Services office, the rest of the evening was spent individually interacting with students. This was the fourth year that he has done this and has enjoyed this event every year that he has been able to attend.

Southern California Section Inland Empire Chapter Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

Shaun Wilkins, Secretary The first quarter of 2015 provided an array of interesting discussions for the members of the Inland Empire (EC) Chapter.

The topics were all derived from California geology and showed how diverse California geology can be.

February’s meeting was held at the Cask ‘n Cleaver in Riverside, which was convenient as the discussion was provided by Dr. Gareth Funning, Associate Professor at the nearby University of California, Riverside campus. Dr. Funning entertained one of the largest turnouts of professionals and students we have hosted since our wine cave discussion in March. In total, 33 attendees (a majority of which were UCR students) enjoyed dinner and a discussion entitled The 2014 South Napa, California Earthquake: A Complex Event on an (Almost) Unknown Fault. Dr. Funning detailed how he and his students were some of the first geologists to be on the ground following the August 24, 2014, earthquake (even beating the teams from the USGS!). His talk’s focus was modeling the movement and loading of the crust as observed by space geodesy (InSAR and GPS) and seismology, based on field instruments placed throughout the vicinity of the fault, both prior and subsequent to the earthquake. Some important findings were that this earthquake ruptured along multiple strands, many of which were previously (almost) unknown, and continued to show significant shallow afterslip following the event. In some places, the afterslip actually caused more damage to roads and utilities than the original earthquake

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movement. Dr. Fanning provided a wealth of geologic, geodetic, and geophysical datasets to help model the movement and deformation associated with this event across a much broader area than just the surface fault traces.

The annual Jahns Distinguished Lecture was provided by Eldon Gath, President of Earth Consultants International. The Geology Department at UC Riverside was kind enough to host the event this year and everyone enjoyed a BBQ dinner prior to the discussion. Our Section chose Natural Hazard Identification, Impact Analysis, and Risk Assessment for Community Disaster Mitigation Planning from Gath’s offerings. This discussion was particularly suited for the location as it detailed Gath’s participation with planning and collecting data for Riverside County’s Land Information System, which provides a variety of geotechnically-relevant information for use in land use planning, hazard mitigation, and loss prevention such as subsidence and liquefaction susceptibility and active fault zonation. This database is useful for geotechnical studies within the county as very few portions of the county have seismic hazard analysis performed by the State of California. Gath provided a follow-up discussion on how properly identified hazards can help to reduce risk and damage in project planning and land use.

In April, we participated in the Annual Inland Geoscience Societies joint meeting between AEG–IE, the Inland Geological Society (IGS), and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME). Held at the historic Old Spaghetti Factory in Riverside, the meeting was organized by the California State University – San Bernardino. The presenter was a Distinguished Lecturer from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Kay Pitts, a California PG with over 34 years of experience in the petroleum industry, principally in the Bakersfield area. Pitts is now retired, but was most recently a project manager for Aera Energy LLC, a California company owned by Shell and ExxonMobil. Her discussion A Petroleum Geologist’s View of Oil and Gas in Southern and Central California; the Past, Present and Possible Future was presented to almost 100 people from a wide array of backgrounds—including students and professionals in the geotechnical, environmental, governmental, academic, and mining industries. Pitts provided a brief historical background to oil exploration and production in California, as well as where California and the U.S. have ranked historically compared with the country and the world. She also described technological advancements over the years as well as some of the technical, environmental, and political hurdles faced by the petroleum industry. A special emphasis was placed on the controversial topic of hydraulic fracturing, with a discussion on the historic setting, environmental concerns, and recent political compromises that affect current, and especially future fracturing practices in California.

The IE chapter is gearing up for a strong run to take us into summer, including a Field Trip to the Cajon Pass, a seismically active and geologically significant area; and a short course offering discussions on the Many Facets of Geologic Risk and how to reduce liability in the geotechnical and environmental industries, which all practicing professionals should find relevant, and will round out the quarter with a talk given by a representative of the USGS. It looks to be an exciting quarter!

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June 2015

THE HEADER HOMEFRONT HERE

Texas Section Christina Dance, Secretary The AEG Texas Section Summer Meeting, Deepwater Engineering Geology and Geohazard Assessment: From Tools and Techniques to Challenges and Opportunities, was held in Houston, TX, on April 25, 2015 and hosted by Fugro GeoConsulting, Inc. William C. Haneberg, PhD, PG, and Kerry J. Campbell, PG, introduced the tools and challenges of modern deepwater engineering geology from data collection to advanced analysis and process-based modeling. They also gave tours of the Fugro geotechnical testing and geohazard core lab. Thank you to the presenters, as well as those whom participated on the Ethics Panel, Cynthia Palomares, and Robert Traylor, for taking time to speak at the meeting.

Texas Spring meeting presentor William Haneberg of Fugro

You can follow Bertha here: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ Projects/Viaduct/About/FollowBertha Section Meetings

Washington Section Sabine Datum, Editor Seattle Area News As previously reported, Bertha, the world’s largest tunneling machine, has been stalled under downtown Seattle while digging the Alaskan Way Tunnel since December 2013. Bertha’s front end was finally lifted to the surface for repairs on March 30, 2015. The lift had to be accomplished using a huge crane designed by Mammoet. Planned repairs and enhancements include a new main bearing and system of seals as well as a 160,000-pound steel reinforcement. Assuming repairs go well and Bertha starts drilling again, her path will soon turn east, directly under the Alaskan Way Viaduct. She’ll then veer north, under downtown Seattle. While Bertha’s rescue pit was dug in its current location with minimal disruption to the city, that won’t be the case if she breaks down again farther along the route. Stay tuned…

June 2015

The February 2015 meeting was held in Seattle and featured AEG President Ken Fergason, PG, of AMEC Environmental & Infrastructure Inc., who spoke on Someone is Paying Me to Do This! The Geologic, Geohazard and Technical Field Investigation for the Hover Dam Bypass Bridge. A total of 75 members and students attended to hear Ken present. GeoStabilization International (GSI) graciously sponsored dinners for a limited number of AEG Student Members.

The March 2015 meeting was also held in Seattle and featured Dave McCormack, LEG, LHG, Senior Associate and Engineering Geologist with Aspect Consulting. Dave spoke on Emergency Stabilization of the Port Angeles Landfill. A limited number of AEG Student Members’ dinners were sponsored by Applied Professional Services (APS).

The April 2015 meeting was again held in Seattle and featured Tom Colligan, LG, LHG, Hydrogeologist and Associate Principal with Floyd/Snyder. Tom spoke on Electrical Resistive Heating of Soil – Overview and Case Study. Friedman & Bruya, Inc. graciously sponsored dinners for a limited number of AEG Student Members.

Index of Advertisers AEG 2015 Annual Meeting ..................................Back Cover AEG 2016 Annual Meeting........................Inside Back Cover AEG Sponsors ...................................................................40 Geotechnology....................................................................7 REG Review.......................................................................31

For Information on supporting AEG through sponsorship and/or advertising in AEG News, contact AEG Headquarters: advertising@aegweb.org.

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HEADER HERE

s r o s n o p S Corporate

AEG is grateful to the corporations and individuals who contribute to our operating fund through their sponsorship.

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Creek Run Environmental Jason Lenz PO Box 114 Montpelier, IN 47359 765-728-8051 www.CreekRun.com

Platinum Kleinfelder, Inc. Chad Lukkarila 550 West C Street, #1200 San Diego, CA 92101 619-831-4600 CLukkarila@kleinfelder.com www.kleinfelder.com

Ruen Drilling, Inc. Arlan Ruen 2320 River Road Clark Fork, ID 83811 208-266-1151 office@ruendrilling.com www.ruendrilling.com

Gold Parratt-Wolff, Inc. Gary Ellingworth 501 Millstone Dr. Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-644-2814 Gellingworth@pwinc.com www.pwinc.com

ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS LIST OF SUPPORTERS. See the ad on the inside cover to learn about the benefits of AEG Sponsorships.

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Silver

Bronze

Earth Consultants International, Inc.

Enviro-Equipment, Inc.

Tania Gonzalez 1642 East Fourth Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 714-544-5321 tgonzalez@earthconsultants.com www.earthconsultants.com

Exponent Betsy Mathieson 475 14th St., Suite 400 Oakland, CA 94612 510-268-5011 emathieson@exponent.com www.exponent.com Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc. Patrick Keating 2726 Walnut Ave. Signal Hill, CA 90755 562-427-6899 Info@greggdrilling.com www.greggdrilling.com Michael F. Hoover Consulting Michael F. Hoover PO Box 30860 Santa Barbara, CA 93130 805-569-9670 www.hoovergeo.com Robertson Geotechnical, Inc. Hugh S. Robertson 2500 Townsgate Road, Suite E Westlake Village, CA 91361 805-373-0057 info@robertsongeotechnical.com www.robertsongeotechnical.com

Sage Engineers, Inc. Ara Sanjideh 2251 Douglas Blvd., Suite 200 Roseville, CA 95661 916-677-4800 asanjideh@sageengineers.com www.sageengineers.com

Shannon & Wilson, Inc Bill Laprade 400 N 34th St Seattle, WA 98103 206-632-8020 wtl@shanwil.com www.Shannonwilson.com

AEG NEWS 58 (2)

Denise Chew 11180 Downs Rd Pineville, NC 28134 704-588-7970 info@enviroequipment.com www.enviroquipment.com

Feffer Geological Consulting Josh Feffer 1990 S Bundy Dr, Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90025 310-207-5048 www.feffergeo.com

Geodynamics Consulting Group, Inc. Harry Audell 33282 Golden Lantern Street Dana Point, CA 92629 949-493-1352 www.geodynamicsinc.com

Membership Drive SUCCESS! Congratulations to the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SECTION for winning the 2015 Board of Directors Membership Challenge by adding 30 new members so far in 2015!

A big thank you to the OREGON SECTION for sponsoring the award!

We urge all of our Sections, Chapters and individual Members to KEEP AT IT. Encourage your coworkers and associates to JOIN AEG! June 2015

PITTSBURGH, PA I SEPTEMBER 19-26, 2015 Below the steep slopes es of Mount W Washington aashington created create by three great rivers, the City of Pittsburgh blends its industrial heritage with its forward focus on technology y. Throughout this dynamic technology. urban landscape, past and present collide in land use, environmental impacts, and shifting economic forces.

The AEG 2015 Annual Meeting Planning Committee invites you to join us for the “Conference at the Confluence”.

WYNDHAM GR GRAND RAND DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN Discover the 90 distinct nct neighborhoods oof Pittsburgh Pennsylvania ylvania when you sta stay at the centrally located Wyndham Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh gh Downtown. ated in the Central The hotel is located Business District,, also known as the Golden Triangle, angle, at the eny and meeting of the Allegheny Monongahela Rivers to form the Ohio River River.. burgh’s Where soaring skyscrapers and Pittsburgh’s famous three rivers meet, an upscale hotel experience awaits in do downtown. owntown.

SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITOR EXHIBIT OR OPPORTUNITIES OPPOR RTUNITIES T

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FIELD TRIPS, GUEST T OURS TOURS AN SPECIAL EVENTS AND W Wee have an exciting lineup of trips, tours and a very special event this year, year, an evening aboard the Gateway Clipper Clipper.. Join us for a reception cruise and see the spectacular city skyline as the sun sets on the three rivers.

See our website for complete details:

www.aegannualmeeting.org

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Viisit www.aegannualmeeting.org www w.aegannualmeeting.org .aegannualmeetin . and click on the hotel link on the homepage.

Visit Pittsburgh photo courtesy Roy Engelbrecht

NEW!

Cutting edge interactive app.