Technical Working Groups Update

Technical Working Groups 2019–20 Summary

Coordinator–Dave Fenster, 2019–20 AEG Past President The following article updates information on AEG’s Technical Working Groups (TWGs) published in the March AEG News as part of the 2020 Directory. Please review the listing below as several points of contact have changed and most of these technical committees are looking for members who want to get involved. The contact information below should be used where different from the information in the March Directory. I will be working with the TWG co-chairs and Headquarters to update their websites, as needed. The current TWG web pages are located on the AEG website by clicking on Volunteer and Technical Working Group. If you are interested in learning about, staying current with, or advancing current technical practices please contact a TWG cochair at their listed email addresses or me at PP@aegweb.org.

Coastal Hazards

Curt Schmidt has been serving as a Co-chair. During the last TWG meeting, Cheryl Hapke agreed to be a new Co-chair. Curt Schmidt schmidtcas.aeg@gmail.com Cheryl Hapke hapke.coastal@gmail.com or chapke@coastalsciencessoutions.com Coastal Hazards Technical Working Group is charged with disseminating information, organizing conferences and workshops, developing training, and writing general and technical articles regarding geologic hazards along the coasts of the United States: Atlantic, Arctic, Caribbean, Great Lakes, Gulf, and Pacific. This group will foster the integration of engineering and environmental geologic information into policy and management actions in order to reduce the nation’s future vulnerability to these hazards and to create more resilient and sustainable environments along the nation’s coasts.

Coastal Hazards is currently planning a Technical Forum on sea level rise resilience and engineering along the Atlantic Coast. This is being planned as an interdisciplinary forum to be held in Norfolk, VA, May 5–7, 2021. Curt Schmidt and Rick Kolb are co-chairs for the forum and are looking for enthusiastic members who are willing to be on the Forum Organizing Committee. You can contact Curt and Rick at schmidtcas.aeg@gmail.com and rick.kolb1@gmail.com, respectively. Ryan Fandry is involved as the Mid-Atlantic Region Director. The TWG is seeking additional members.

Dams and Levees

Kevin Richards & Cassie Wagner, Co-chairs Kevin Richards kevin.richards@comcast.net Cassie Wagner cwagner@usbr.gov This TWG has the responsibility of reviewing environmental, engineering geology, and geotechnical questions and issues related to dam siting, construction, and safety. The group makes recommendations to the Board for consideration with respect to position or policy statements on dam-related matters. The technical working group activities include: informing our membership of new and emerging technologies; improving public awareness of dam safety issues and promoting our profession; providing input to local, state, or federal regulations; and publishing papers and organizing AEG dam symposia and short courses

Holly Nichols and Bruce Hilton will be co-conveners for a symposium during the virtual Annual Meeting. This TWG has an active membership and has conducted several symposia at annual meetings and several successful technical conferences including a Forum on Dam and Levee Foundations in 2019. They are planning another technical forum for late 2021.

Environmental

Patty Bryan & Loren Lasky, Co-chairs Patty Bryan pbryan@bryanenv.com Loren Lasky geolorenpg@gmail.com The Environmental TWG disseminates information to the membership on regulations; regulatory guidance; and methods of investigation and remediation of soil/sediment, ground water and surface water impacted by releases of petroleum products, chemicals, mining wastes and naturally occurring contaminants such as asbestos and radon. Activities include providing information to the practitioners, public, and educators on the importance of geology in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the ecosystem from environmental contamination. The group’s activities include: quarterly conference call to pursue upcoming actions; providing input to local, state, or federal regulators; and organizing AEG’s environmental symposia, professional forums and field trips

This TWG is planning to hold a symposium, Radon Recurrence and Remediation, during the virtual Annual Meeting and has been discussing the potential for a technical forum in 2021. Please notify Patty or Loren if you have been an environmental geology practitioner and would like to join their group. This is a great opportunity for environmental practitioners to show they are essential to AEG and that this is the organization to be part of.

Geologic and Seismic Hazards

Gerry Stirewalt, Co-chair; 2nd Co-chair TBD Gerry Stirewalt glstirewalt1@comcast.net Gerry Stirewalt is the new co-chair of this re-invented TWG which is newly reorganized and working on developing a scope. His goal is to expand the previous Seismic Hazard Technical Working Group (TWG) into this new TWG that will consider potential hazards related to karst issues and volcanism, as well as characterization of seismotectonic features that provides essential information to seismologists for analyzing seismically-induced ground motion as input to the design of critical facilities. In addition, the TWG will work to integrate the assessment of geologic hazards with geotechnical information

obtained during characterization of potential sites for critical facilities. Please contact Gerry if you would like to join this “dynamic” group.

Geophysics

Doug Lambert has been the temporary lead but desperately needs a new co-chair. Doug Lambert dlambert@geotechnology.com This TWG was established to communicate information to the membership on methods, applications, and limitations of surface, subsurface, and on-water geophysical surveys for engineering and environmental projects. This group has some new members and is looking for other practitioners.

Greg Hempen (Hempen69@sbcglobal.net) is planning a Technical Forum on karst, tentatively scheduled for May 2021—which is the International Year of Karst. Karst is found throughout the US and is widespread in many eastern states such as Indiana, Missouri, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Please contact Doug if would like to join the TWG and contact Greg if you are interested in participating in the forum.

GeoUAS (drones)

Josh Wagner & Brian Simpson, Co-chairs Julia Frazier was the temporary lead. Josh Wagner jwag792@gmail.com Bryan Simpson bksimpson@usbr.gov To ensure the TWG is being afforded a broad spectrum of perspectives, three panelists will be selected to assist in administrative tasks and to help source relevant content. A panelist will be selected by the co-chairs from one of each of these three sectors: academia, government, and industry (likely a consultant). Additionally, a fourth panelist may be considered to represent the perspective of a UAS data collection service provider or manufacturer. A list of potential members is currently being developed based on the co-chairs’ existing first-degree contacts. Once finalized, an inaugural conference call will be held to formally introduce the TWG to the attendees. TWG membership will initially be based on the outcome of the inaugural call and the level of interest it can solicit.

This TWG will focus on the applied use of UAS and ancillary technologies in geology and geotechnical engineering. Please contact Josh and Bryan if you are interested in joining.

Hydrogeology

No Present Lead. We are seeking a new co-chair and active members. The TWG on Hydrogeology serves to keep the membership informed of significant developments within the fields of ground water and karst control, usage, protection, and regulation. Hydrogeology concerns are currently being considered by the environmental TWG but is broadly applicable.

Landslides

Casey Dowling & Kevin McCoy, Co-chairs Casey Dowling cdowling@bgcengineering.ca Kevin McCoy Kmccoy@bgcengineering.ca Geologists identify active landslides and areas subject to slope instability so that they may be avoided or mitigated. Together, geologists and civil engineers develop and implement measures to improve the stability of slopes, repair existing landslides, and prevent damage from future landslides. Slope stability can be improved by removing material from the top of the slope, adding material or retaining structures to the base of the slope, and reducing the degree of saturation by improving drainage within the slope.

The Landslides TWG has organized and sponsored several symposia at annual meetings and several very successful technical forums, including a workshop on Debris Flows during 2019. This is a very active group of practitioners and is a great source of knowledge and are a nation-wide network. They are planning to hold symposia during our virtual annual meeting.

Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA)

Sarah Kalika & Mark Bailey, Co-chairs Sarah Kalika sarah@georx.net Mark Bailey mark@asbestostemlabs.com This TWG has the responsibility of communicating news and regulatory information regarding management, mapping, sample collection, laboratory analysis techniques, construction mitigation, education, and regulatory requirements related to the natural occurrences of asbestos and asbestiform minerals within the United States. The group’s activities include: quarterly dinner meetings with an invited speaker; improving public and industry awareness of the variety of issues related to NOA; providing input to local, state, or federal regulators; publishing papers and organizing AEG’s Naturally Occurring Asbestos symposia and field trips

AEG’s NOA TWG is an active group and has sponsored symposia at annual meetings and successful technical forums. The co-chairs, along with colleagues in Italy and South Korea, have successfully petitioned IAEG to create Commission 39: Naturally Occurring Asbestos. IAEG Commission 39 and AEG’s TWG will work as a single group to advance the development of analytical laboratory practices and awareness of NOA and Elongate Mineral Particles on a global scale. They are planning a symposium for our virtual Annual Meeting. Please let the co-chairs know if you’re interested in joining their group. continued…

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