Monthly Bulletin and Meeting Announcement Summer is Approaching... Section Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 26, Meeting Location:

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1 May 2009 Monthly Bulletin and Meeting Announcement Summer is Approaching... which means that evenings and weekends will soon be filled with the kids ball games, backyard BBQ s, and lot s of outdoor time. Before your summer schedule gets totally booked why not plan for a relaxing Tuesday evening with friends and hear a great presentation by Jeff Wright, Rebecca Domingo- Neumann, and Brenda Saldana of the California Air Resources Board. They will be talking about Potential Changes to Air Resources Board Asbestos Test Method 435 and Corresponding Revisions to the Airborne Toxic Control Measures. Section Meeting Date: Meeting Location: Meeting Schedule: Tuesday, May 26, 2008 Sudwerks in Davis, 2001 Second Street, adjacent to I-80: get off at Richards, turn right, right on 5th, then right on L St ; left on Second St to Sudwerks, under the Pole Line Rd bridge superstructure fronting I-80 Fwy. 5:30-6:30 Sign-In and Social Hour 6:30-7:30 Dinner and Announcements 7:30-8:30 Speaker Talk 8:30-8:45 Questions and Answers

2 Abstract: Potential Changes to Air Resources Board Asbestos Test Method 435 and Corresponding Revisions to the Airborne Toxic Control Measures Jeff Wright, ARB, Air Resources Supervisor Rebecca Domingo-Neumann, ARB, Air Pollution Specialist Brenda Saldana, ARB, Air Pollution Specialist Test Method 435 (M435), a method to quantify the asbestos content of aggregate, was adopted by the Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) in April 1990 in support of an Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) aimed at reducing public exposure to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) by limiting the asbestos content of surfacing material. A second ATCM, focusing on construction, grading, quarrying, and surface mining operations that can disturb and entrain NOA fibers into the air, was adopted later and also referenced M435 for determining the asbestos content of the source material. Due to recent concerns among many different stakeholders, ARB staff led an interlaboratory study (ILS) to determine whether significant variability exists in the determination of asbestos content while following the current test method. The ILS confirmed that there is significant variability among the participating laboratories. Because of this finding, ARB staff are working with laboratories and other stakeholders to identify appropriate revisions to M435. The Board is expected to consider staff s proposed revisions to M435 in early Staff expect to hold at least two additional public workshops before the Board Hearing. In this forum, ARB staff will present their ILS findings and provide an update of the M435/ATCM revision process. Jeff Wright Jeff Wright is a supervisor with ARB and is currently supervising the effort to revise Test Method 435. Jeff has 17 years of experience with ARB working on a variety of technical and regulatory projects. Jeff received his B.S. degree in Atmospheric Science and a minor in Statistics from U.C. Davis. Rebecca Domingo-Neumann Rebecca is a soil scientist and licensed professional geologist currently leading the Test Method 435 revision effort. She holds a Ph. D. in Soil Science from U.C. Davis with a dissertation on dust generation from soils and characterization of mineral dust. Rebecca has 12 years of work experience as a field geologist and petrographer and has published some of her work in peer-reviewed journals. She has been with ARB since Brenda Saldana Brenda Saldana has twenty years of experience with developing environmental state policies and programs for the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Brenda transferred to ARB in January 2009 and will assist with the M435 revision effort. She received her B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from CSU, Chico. 2

3 Greetings AEG Sacramento, Chairman s Message by John Pfeiffer Welcome back to the warm days of spring. In keeping with molecular behavior, increased temperatures bring increased activity. The 2009 Annual Meeting Planning Committee is working hard on many fronts to prepare for what promises to be a great AEG Annual Meeting at Harrah s in South Lake Tahoe, September 21-26, 2009 (in case you hadn t heard); our Governor is working hard to consolidate the Board of Geologists and Geophysicists into the State Mining & Geology Board; and Kelly Tilford, Pete Holland, and Eric Chase are working hard to assemble a summer field trip to the Pit River canyon in eastern Shasta County. Last week, our lobbyist, Judy Wolen, informed us that the Governor s proposal to consolidate the Board of Geologists and Geophysicists (BGG) into the State Mining & Geology Board (SMGB) was back on the table. AEG has successfully rallied against such a move on prior occasions on the basis that there is no financial benefit (BGG is entirely self-supporting) and the two Boards serve distinctly different (and important) functions. It appears that the Governor and staff are primarily focused, in this case, on taking actions that can be claimed as reducing the size of government. Judy and Sacramento Section s Regulatory Affairs liaison, Eric Chase, among others, are actively working on this matter. We anticipate preparation of position/opposition letters in the very near future and a possible legislative day in later June. On a brighter political note, a geophysicist (Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, R San Luis Obispo) has been named as the new Assembly Republican Leader. As you will see elsewhere in this newsletter, we are planning a field trip to the Pit River area in eastern Shasta County (vicinity of Burney Falls) on the weekend of July If you have been to the area, then you already know that the scenery and geology are spectacular. If you haven t, then you should! The trip will provide an engineering geologic smorgasbord at the intersection of the Modoc Plateau, Basin & Range, Cascade Range, and Klamath Mountains. I hope you will join us at our upcoming meeting on May 26. Best regards, John Pfeiffer John Pfeiffer Chairman, AEG Sacramento

4 Engineering Geology and Geologic Hazards in the Pit River Area of Eastern Shasta County California. AEG Sacramento Section 2009 Summer Field Trip Co-Leaders- Bill Page- PG&E Tom Sawyer- Piedmont Geoscience Scott Lewis- Caltrans Kelly Tilford- HDR Eric Chase- HDR Save the Dates! The AEG Sacramento Section is hosting a fieldtrip on the week-end of July 25th and 26th, The trip will focus on the unique geologic setting of the Pit River canyon near Burney in eastern Shasta County, where it cuts through the intersection of the Modoc Plateau, Cascade Range, Basin and Range, and enters the Klamath Mountains. The trip will include case studies of slope stability, paleoseismicity and very recent and timely construction challenges that engineering geologists from the Sacramento Section have faced in the region in the last several years. Real-world insights on the tectonic setting and its effects on construction of critical facilities, as well as the volcanic stratigraphy of the Modoc Plateau will be covered. The unique aspects of the groundwater cycle within the basin will also be addressed, including results of an isotopic study in the vicinity of Burney Falls State Park. It will be prime trout fishing season on the meccas of Hat Creek and the Pit River, so bring your rods and artificial lures if you choose to add to your fun on the trip. Group camping has been reserved at Hat Creek Group Campground Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday evening will be the main social event. Attendees are responsible for their own meals Friday night and Sunday morning. Contact Pete Holland at holland@vectoreng.com for more information and to reserve your space.

5 REGISTRATION FORM: Engineering Geology and Geologic Hazards in the Pit River Area. Name: Address: Phone: Fees How Many Amount Enclosed AEG Member $45 $ AEG Non-Member $55 $ *Children (8 to 18) $25 $ Total Enclosed $ I can help with carpooling or vans: Yes No Please this form to Pete Holland at holland@vectoreng.com to reserve your space. Please mail this form along with the appropriate fees by July 10th to AEG Treasurer Pete Holland at: Pete Holland AEG Sacramento Section Treasurer 143E Spring Hill Drive Grass Valley, CA C h e c k s s h o u l d b e m a d e o u t t o A E G S a c r a m e n t o S e c t i o n. Newsletter Advertising! We are going to start offering advertising space in our monthly newsletters. The following advertising formats will be offered. Eighth Page (Business Card Size) - 2-inches high by 3.5-inches wide Quarter Page - 4-inches high by 3.5-inches wide Half Page - 4-inches high by 7-inches wide Full Page - 8-inches high by 7-inches wide Advertisements may be full color and include logos and other artwork. The digital format specifications and advertising rate structure are currently being developed and will be included in the next newsletter. Questions regarding advertising may be directed to either John Pfeiffer or Garry Maurath.

6 May 2009 AEG Meeting Facsimile Transmittal Sheet (or to the address below) To: Lisa Breckenridge (Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Inc.) Phone: (916) Fax: (916) From: Or You Can Sign Up Online at: Subject: May AEG Sacramento Section Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 26th, 2008 Place: Time: Sudwerks in Davis For directions, please see Page 1 Please RSVP s for this event. Space will be limited!!! RSVP s should be recieved no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, May. 22nd. Space (and more importantly, food) cannot be guaranteed for late-comers. 5:30-6:30 PM - Sign In and Social Hour 6:30-7:30 PM - Dinner and Announcements 7:30-8:30 PM - Speaker Talk and Slide Show 8:30-8:45 PM - Questions and Answers On the Menu: Tri-Tip and/or Sausages Vegetable Lasagna Vegetables Mashed Potatoes Garden Salad Cost: $30 member (w/ RSVP) $34 nonmember Notes: Alcoholic beverages are available for those 21 and over on a cash basis.

7 AEG Sacramento 2009 Event Calendar January 29th No Meeting February 24th Dr. Elmund Medley, AEG/GSA 2009 Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer The Comforts of Ignorance and the Benefits of Arrogance - Lessons of the Failure Kind for the Geopractitioner. March 11th (Wed) Mark Molinari, AEG President Practical Applications of Airborne LiDAR Data for Environmental and Engineering Geology Projects April 28th AEG s Annual Student Night, Special Student Guest Speakers Christopher Kemp (Fresno State) & nsteven Poletski (Sacramento State) May 26th June 23th Jeff Wright, Rebecca Domingo-Neumann, and Brenda Saldana of the California Air Resources Board will present: Potential Changes to Air Resources Board Asbestos Test Method 435 and Corresponding Revisions to the Airborne Toxic Control Measures TBA July No Meeting August 25th September 21st-26th October 27th November December Greg Stock, Park Geologist, Yosemite National Park New Tools for :Understanding and Mitigating Rock Fall Hazards in Yosemite NP. AEG National Meeting, South Lake Tahoe, California TBA No Meeting Joint AEG/GRA holiday meeting