Annual Report 2007: FY July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007
Division of Environmental Geosciences
As of March 1, 2007, DEG membership was 1,339, a 7% decrease from the previous year. Of the 1,339, 1,220 paid dues for 2006–2007.
FY 2006-2007 began with a fund balance of $22,587. The statement of income, expense, and change in fund balance as reported by the AAPG accounting department indicated a $639 gain for 1Q, a $1,219 net loss for 2Q, and a $12,831 gain for 3Q. Only 1Q was audited as of February 9, 2007. Net gains in 1Q and 3Q resulted from two AAPG Foundation grants. Accounting information for 4Q is currently unavailable.
DEG received a $16,000 AAPG Foundation grant to partially cover Environmental Geosciences (EG) production costs and EG advertising in geosciences publications. Ads for the DEG Journal–Environmental Geosciences (EG) designed by Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Dorsey were submitted to AAPG Explorer, Geotimes, GSA Today, and Eos. AAPG Divisions Manager Norma Newby facilitated an online version of EG for DEG members and non-member subscribers at the AAPG Web site “Members Only” area. The Executive Committee approved: a one-year continuation of EG in GSW; making EG issues available back to 2000 to GSW; and adding 1997–2002 EG past issues to AAPG Datapages. A DEG/EG dues split, EG as a totally digital publication, and an AEG proposal to merge EG and AEG publications are being evaluated.
Matthias Grobe, EMD/DEG CO2 Book Committee chair and lead editor, reports 45 papers submitted and reviewed for the AAPG Special Publication Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Geological Media–State of the Art. Anticipated submittal date is October 2007. Estimated publishing costs are approximately $70,000. DEG received a $5000 AAPG Foundation grant to help defray production costs of this special volume, and Bureau of Economic Geology Director Scott Tinker offered $20,000 on behalf of BEG.
Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Dorsey and I attended the AAPG Divisions workshop on August 25, 2006, in Dallas. 1740 Annual Report President-elect Charles “Chip” Groat and I attended the Leadership Conference in Tulsa, February 9–11, 2007. Groat was appointed the DEG representative to the AAPG Global Climate Change Ad Hoc Committee.
The DEG Advisory Board recommended and the Executive Committee approved a slate of award recipients. Awards were presented during the DEG Luncheon, April 4, 2007, in Long Beach, Calif.
The Executive Committee approved the 2007–2008(09) officer candidate slate comprised of Rebecca Dodge and Stephen M. Testa for president-elect, Nancy S. Dorsey and Hannes E. Leetaru for vice president, and Nancy J. “Anne” Fix and Barbara D. Houghton for secretary/treasurer. Rebecca Dodge, Hannes E. Leetaru, and Nancy J. “Anne” Fix were elected to the 2007–2008 Executive Committee.
Don Clarke, DEG vice chair/Oral-Poster Sessions co-chair/Awards chair, and Robert Menzie, Oral-Poster Sessions co-chair, organized an excellent DEG program for the 2007 annual meeting in Long Beach. The program included five technical sessions, luncheon, and awards ceremony. Dr. Lee C. Gerhard presented the luncheon address. Tidelands Oil Production Company and D.B. Stephens and Associates sponsored the luncheon.
The following DEG-related programs were held at AAPG Section Meetings:
- Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (GCAGS) Meeting, Lafayette, Louisiana, September 25–27, 2006. The program included four oral sessions, two poster sessions, and a field trip.
- Eastern Section AAPG meeting, Buffalo, New York, October 7–10, 2006. The program included one oral session and All-Division luncheon.
- Southwest Section meeting, Wichita Falls, Texas, April 22–24, 2007. The program included one presentation and All-Division luncheon.
Cynthia Dinwiddie was appointed DEG vice chair for the 2008 annual meeting in San Antonio. The proposed program includes five technical sessions, five joint technical sessions with EMD or AAPG, a forum with AAPG/EMD/SEPM, three short courses, a field trip, and the DEG luncheon.
Michael Jacobs and Charles Groat are working with Cape Town 2008 AAPG International Convention and Exhibition chairs to solicit technical participation in environmental session talks/ programs/forums.
New DEG committees were developed under Vice President Michael Jacobs’ leadership and approved by the Executive Committee: Hydrogeology Committee, Robert Maric, chair; Environmental Geophysics Committee, Bruce D. Smith, chair; CO2 Sequestration Ad Hoc Committee, Hannes E. Leetaru and Matthias Grobe, co-chairs; and Public Outreach Ad Hoc Committee, Dibyendu Sarkar, chair. An alternative fuels/biofuels/waste utilization committee was considered. Revitalization of the Research and Geohazards Ad Hoc Committees was discussed. The Health and Safety Committee is preparing a standard set of procedures to be implemented by all AAPG field trips by 2008. The initial draft “outline of expectation and responsibilities” has been delivered and reviewed. Vicki Harder was appointed Web Site Committee chair. An update, reorganization, and expansion of the web site are underway.
Other items proposed were an EMD/DEG Special Publication about coalbed methane and a one-day environmental symposium in Aberdeen.