Unsubscribe
to monthly newsletter

Subscribe
to HTML newsletter

RSVP for the Next Meeting

Quick Links to News Articles:

» Highlights of the Previous Meeting

» Volunteers Selected for Two Committee Positions

» What Activities Have You Been Involved In

Quick Link to Printer-Friendly Version of Meeting Announcement

Upcoming Meetings:

» Thursday, Feb 15th
Joint Meeting with ASCE MN Chapter

» Thursday, Mar 15th
Combat Engineering

Quick Links to Post Leaders

Quick Link to our Sustaining Members

Please direct comments, questions, or advice to Newsletter Editor:
james.b.mosner
@usace.army.mil

We're at:
www.same-msp.org

Next Meeting Presentation

Thursday, January 18
 

Presentation:

Environmental Assessment Update -- AAI

Ken Haberman
Landmark Environmental, LLC

Presentation Synopsis:

The process of assessing properties for the presence or potential presence of environmental contamination has commonly been referred to as due diligence and has involved conducting a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA).  Another, less familiar term is all appropriate inquiries (“AAI”).  On November 1, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Final Rule establishing specific requirements and standards for conducting AAI.  The AAI Final Rule became effective November 1, 2006.  The final AAI Final Rule provides an EPA-approved process for conducting an environmental assessment in order to qualify for defenses to and exemptions from Superfund (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensations, and Liability Act [CERCLA]) liability and for meeting certain EPA brownfield grant requirements.  The final AAI Rule also provides that the EPA-approved process can be met by conducting an environmental assessment in accordance with the most recent American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice E 1527-05.

If you are in commercial real estate or brownfield redevelopment, it is important to be familiar with AAI and the ASTM Standard Practice E 1527-05.  It is also important to become familiar with a third environmental assessment process if you are planning on requesting assistance, written assurances or liability protections from a state agency.  Finally, it is important to know that the environmental assessment process can be useful in understanding the environmental conditions of the property and certain environmental business risks – even if there is no interest in seeking liability protections from the state or federal government.

The presentation is designed to provide information and practical advice on the application of the final AAI Rule and how it compares to the ASTM Standard Practice E 1527-05.

Presenter Bio:

.
 

Meeting Location:

December 2006 Meeting

Neil Schwanz (l) is thanked by Post Vice President Jim Mosner (r)
for giving a very informative and interesting presentation as to the how-and-why several I-walls in the New Orleans flood control system failed during Hurricane Katrina.

Preceding Neil's Presentation, COL Mike Pfenning gave an overview of the St. Paul District's FY07 outlook for operational and project funding in light of the current budgetary issues in Congress.  He also gave a nice lead-in to Neil's presentation based on his first-hand knowledge of how the overall hurricane protection system office is operating, the focus of their work efforts, and state of current flood control system designs to overcome the shortcomings of the original system.
 

We are pleased to announce that Disa Wahlstrand (Ayres Associates) has been selected to fill vacancy in the Post Secretary position for the remaining 6 months of the term.

We are also pleased to announce that Steve Alm (Bonestroo) has been selected to fill the remaining term of the Post Director position that Michael Bart is unable to fill due to his extended deployment to the New Orleans Hurricane Projection Office.
 

Last chance to submit information to Wayne Wambold (wwambold@sehinc.com) ... see last month's newsletter for complete information ... pertaining to your involvements in "mentoring" activities and/or publishing of papers.  If you have items that you would like to let him know about, please send Wayne a message by Friday, January 13th.

Thank you for your cooperation.  We appreciate your dedication to the Post’s success in the Awards and Recognition Program.