We all know to call 811 to mark underground lines before digging or drilling below 16 inches. House Bill 1818, the Commission’s Sunset Bill passed by the 85th Legislature last year, gives RRC authority over damage incidents on interstate pipelines that cross state boundaries. Previously, the Commission’s damage prevention authority was limited to intrastate pipelines that begin and end in Texas.
President Henry Wise, P.G., C.P.G., announced last night at the regular monthly meeting of the Texas Section Board that he has appointed William C. Farrell, a graduate student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of Rice University in Houston, Texas as the first Student Councilor-at-Large of the Texas Section of the AIPG. In 2016, Mr. Farrell was awarded a Shoemaker Scholarship by the Texas Section of the AIPG (more).
The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) adopts an amendment to 22 TAC §851.21 to establish guidelines for applicants requesting to sit for a licensing examination. Adopted changes add language to provide that an applicant who does not fully meet the education requirement for licensure may sit for a licensing examination as long as the applicant has submitted certain documents and has acknowledged that the applicant does not meet the education requirement. The applicant will then need to resolve the education deficit once the applicant has received passing scores on the licensing examination in order to obtain a Professional Geoscientist license.
Henry Wise just announced that he has appointed Dr. Regina Capuano, P.G. to the position of Councilor-at-Large of the Texas Section of the AIPG. She is widely known as an outstanding Professor at the University of Houston’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Over the years she has mentored more than 20 students for their M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Her primary areas of research are in hydrogeology and geology related to sedimentary-basin fluid flow associated with oil field systems, hydrogeology of fluvial-deltaic sediments, shale permeability, bioremediation, uranium genesis and geothermal fluid exploration. For additional information, see her biography and associated University of Houston webpage and CV (more).
Dr. Capuano is particularly interested in providing students with the best possible heads-up on job prospects, requirements for employment and financial aid. Her role in the Texas Section of the AIPG will likely focus on those areas.
Glen A. Collier, P.G, C.P.G., and Chair of the AIPG-TX Scholarship Committee, announced today that AIPG-TX will once again award scholarships to outstanding geology students in the year 2018 (more). Scholarships consist of $1,000 each to outstanding undergraduate majors (a Foss Scholarship) and $2,500 each to outstanding graduate students (the Shoemaker Scholarship) in geological sciences enrolled in a Texas university. Winners of the scholarship awards are based on non-academic achievement, scholastic performance, recommendations of a professor, and a written essay. See previous winners (more).
Preliminary notice of the 2018 scholarships has been sent to over 50 department chairs and other interested parties. A more detailed announcement will be made in January 2018. Applications should be received by email no later than February 15, 2018 for consideration of one of these scholarships.
Henry M. Wise, P.G., C.P.G., President of the Texas Section of AIPG, announced this afternoon the appointment of Robert S. Kier, Ph.D., P.G., C.P.G., as the new District II Representative. After an extensive search, Rima Petrossian, Ph.D., P.G., C.P.G., AIPG-TX Vice President – Western Texas, vetted a number candidates for the position and ultimately recommended Dr. Kier to President Wise as the outstanding candidate.
Mr. Wise accepted the recommendation and made the announcement of the appointment to Dr. Kier today. Mr. Wise said that he is pleased to have Dr. Kier and his many years of professional experience and accomplishments to bring to bear to the activities of the Texas Section of the AIPG.
Geologic guidebooks tell stories about the history of our continent’s beautiful natural landscapes, but to date they have not been easily obtained by today’s researchers. To facilitate greater access to these guidebooks, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) have jointly launched a free database, which catalogs decades of these guidebooks from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Geologic Guidebooks of North America Database – as it is called – fills a significant gap in existing geoscience information. Many parts of North America are not sufficiently mapped by geological surveys, so guidebooks from university field trips and amateur excursions can contain some of the richest information available – or in some cases, the only information available – for a given location. Now, anyone can explore more than 10,000 of these guidebook references with ease using the geographic search option, which was previously not possible.
Henry M. Wise, P.G., C.P.G. announced today the appointment of Roger W. Lee, P.G., Ph.D., Austin, Texas and John L. Berry, P.G., C.P.G., Austin, Texas as Councilors-at-Large for the Texas Section of the AIPG. Mr. Wise indicated that he was particularly pleased about the new Councilors joining the Officers and other Councilors-at-Large and Members-at-Large, and District Representatives of the AIPG Texas Section Board. They will help us move forward into the future with new programs for the benefit of the members of the Texas Section of the AIPG. Summaries of their backgrounds are presented below:
This is a brief update produced by Henry Wise (President-AIPG Texas Section) and Michael D. Campbell (VP-Eastern Texas-AIPG-Texas Section) since the 2017 Annual Report from the Chair, Uranium (Nuclear and Rare Earth) Committee of the Energy Mineral Division (AAPG) was released April 1, 2017. Some 99 nuclear power plants in the U.S. remain in operation, a few are scheduled for retirement, two new reactors are being built in Georgia. Japan is slowly upgrading and re-starting its fleet of nuclear power plants after Fukushima. China is rapidly building some 25 new plants and hundreds more are planned, along with financially underwriting the construction of more than 40 projects in joint ventures with other countries.
Russia too is building new nuclear plants at home, and they are testing a “fast breeder” design that consumes most waste. Russia is building nuclear plants on behalf of other countries as well, and providing financing in competition with China. India has turned to nuclear to ramp up electricity production to match population growth rates and is also working on “fast breeder” designs. Other countries are also building nuclear plants funded from a variety of sources. For the details on the above topics and more, see: (more).
The stewardship of natural resources and the environment is an important part of the Railroad Commission of Texas’ (RRC) mission. On the evening of November 8, 2017, Mr. Peter Fisher and Mr. Peter Pope discussed the environmental issues and regulations related to activities under the jurisdiction of the RRC, with a focus on regulation of oil and gas exploration and production activities, as well as such related topics as reclamation, remediation, the EPA hydraulic fracturing study, and seismicity, among other topics during their presentation during the Houston Geological Society Environmental & Engineering Dinner Meeting & Seminar. The HGS announcement (here). See PDF of presentation (here).
