European Federation of Geologists - GEO News December 2006
FYI
Paul
European Federation of
Geologists
GEONEWS December 2006
This Issue
contains:
• Info and news
from the European Legislation Process related to the working
groups:
1. GENERAL NEWS (Recent EFG
Multi-Country workshop, Budapest)
2. RESOURCES AND RESERVES –MINERALS
AND THEIR SUSTAINABLE USE 4.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
5. JOB
OPPORTUNITIES
-Multi-Country workshop on EU legislation and best
practices in geology for sustainable use ofnatural resources, Co-organized by
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF GEOLOGISTS (EFG), GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF HUNGARY, AND
HUNGARIAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY in collaboration with the European Commission, 21 –
22 November 2006, Budapest, Hungary.
This workshop gave the opportunity
to geologists and administrator coming from twenty Europe countries to discuss
how European Legislation influences the Geological Profesion, particularly with
regard to sustainable use of natural resources.
The aim of the
workshop was to present the current state of implementation of legislation and
initiatives at EU-level, which are related to the sustainable use of natural
resources and geology. A substantial discussion by representatives of regional
development and land use management authorities, relevant industries, and
geoscientist professionals took place about the current issues particularly
associated with geological expert based policies, regulations and the
availability of spatial geoinformation. The workshop focused in particular on
natural resources management and evaluation including minerals, water, soil, oil
and gas. Environmental impact, renewable energy and safety aspects of
sustainable development were also treated at national, regional, and local
level, taking into account the relationship to economic growth.
Very high
levels of presentations were made by representatives of the European Commission,
members of European Federation of Geologists, Hungarian Geological Survey and
other organizations such EuroGeoSurvey, and European Geothermal Energy
Council.
The participants were mostly geologists and they represented
more than twenty European countries. The countries supported by Taiex in this
workshop were the new EU Members. And some other countries participaticipated in
the workshop: Croatia, Serbia, Netherlands, Portugal. In total the number of
participants and speakers was 56. During the workshop, EFG had the opportunity
to strengthen relationships with some European countries and potential new EFG
members such as: Serbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia and
Estonia.
The workshop was divided into four sessions.
•Session A:
General Framework •Session B: Sustainable use of mineral
resources •Session C: Sustainable use of water and soil resources •Session
D: Sustainable Use of Energy
The workshop concluded with a discussion of
national practice in the different resources areas and the of views between
participants and speakers. Each session tried to answer two questins: What
support and services can Geologists offer in terms of a sustainable use of
natural resources? What do Geologists need to ensure these services?.
Geologists’ duties in the field of European legislation and the insufficient
penetration in regional development and land use planning were presented. More
communication between geologists and the regional, national and European
authorities will be necessary.
EFG has received a very
positive evaluation of the event and would like to thank all the participants,
speakers, and in particular the European Commission, Technical Assistance
Information Exchange Unit in DG Enlargement for facilitating this
workshop.
More information about the workshop can be found on the Taiex
website, http://taiex.ceceu.int/, Library,
EventId: 23132. EFG is preparing a CD containing most of the
presentations. If you are interested in obtaining the CD, please contact the EFG
Office in Brussels by email [log in to unmask]
EVENTS
-EFG
BOARD MEETING AND INFORMAL COUNCIL MEETING, BRUSSELS 8-10 DECEMBER 2006.
Geological Survey of Belgium, Rue Jenner, 13, B-1000, Brussels,
Belgium.
2. RESOURCES AND RESERVES –MINERALS AND THEIR
SUSTAINABLE USE
-EFG attended the European Minerals Forum 2006
“Addressing The Social Challenges”. This Forum took place on Tuesday 28
November 2006, Brussels Belgium. The different policy groups
were: • PG 1:Preventing Occupational
Accidents, • PG 2: Managing land and
communicating with the local community (EFG
attended) • PG 3: Attracting Young People
to the Industry (EFG attended) • PG 4:
Reducing Noise, Vibration and Dust
PG 3: Attracting Young People to the
Industry (Summary report) Chair: Claude Stenneler, president,
IMA-Europe Introduction:Professor Nicolai Martens, Technical University of
Aachen, Germany Policy Rapporteur: Corina Hebestreit, Secretary General,
Euromines Lead Commission Representative: Jackie Morin, DG Employment, Social
Affairs and Equal Opportunities
The number of students in programmes
related to the mining sector has been reduced. In the last 20 years, 20% of
programmes have been closed. Among the main reasons are the negative image
of the sector and lack of knwoledge about the industry. Many young people choose
preferencially other engineering programmes and graduates often develop their
proffessional carreers in other engineering sectors.
The main conclusions
were support of mining departments in Universities, improvement of the
recruitment and assumption of teaching responsibilities by the professors. The
cooperation between industry, EU and university is
necessary.
EVENTS -15th Meeting of the Association of European
Geological Societies (MAEGS-15), “Georesources and public policy: research,
management, environment”. 16-20 September 2007, Tallinn, Estonia. Co-organized
by the Association of European Geological Societies (AEGS) and the Geological
Society of Estonia (EgeoS). The scientific focus of the MAEGS-15 conference will
be on the formation, sustainable use management of various georesources
including, but not limited to, oil and gas (including methane hydrates),
oil-shale and coal, mineral ores (including platinum group elements), raw
materials, peat and soil, and groundwater. 1 January 2007. Deadline for
“Early Bird” registration and payment of reduced fee. Should you have any
questions or need further information please check the conference website and do
not hesitate to contact the organizers. Website: www.maegs15.org E-mai:
[log in to unmask] Phone: +327 620 30 10
-The 11th Nordic Research
Seminar about Aggregates. 16-17 January 2007, Trondheim, Norway. The aim of this
seminar is to spread information about new research projects to map out research
activities in the Nordic countries and to create a contact net between different
research fields and institutions. The conference will focus on the following
themes: • Stone Materials in the Nordic
Countries • The Business
Situation • Health, environment and
safety • Sustainable development and
production in the Nordic countries • Test
methods •
Properties •
Technology Contacts: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]
-2nd
Extractive Industry and the Environment in Central Europe (EIECE 2007), 12-14
September 2007, Brno, Czech Republic. Organized by Tezebni unie CZ (Czech Mining
Union) in cooperation with EUROMINES – European Association of Mining
Industries. Topic of the conference “Extractive development and competitiveness
of the extractive industry in the EU”. Topics of presentation blocks: -1.
Sustainable development / license to operate -2. Competitiveness of the
extractive industry in the EU -3. EU legislation and the extractive
industry If you are interested in participating or giving a presentation at
the conference on any of the above mentioned topics, please contact the
conference organizer. Contacts: Tezebni
unie Tel:
+420 545 193 411, Fax: + 420 545 211
014
E-mail:
[log in to unmask]
www.tezebni-unie.cz Mgr. Milena Sandova, Executive Director of Tezebni unie
CZ
[log in to unmask] Mgr. David
Poc
[log in to unmask] Renata
Netouskova
[log in to unmask]
3. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY AND CO2
SEQUESTRATION
- The EFG office attended 2nd Follow-Up Committee
meeting of the project PSS-CSS (Policy Support System for Carbon Capture and
Storage PSS-CSS). This meeting took place on Friday 10 November in the Royal
Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and The Arts.
The EFG office
attended this meeting, where Kris Piessens contract geologist in the project,
and also member of the PE in Geothermal Energy and CO2 Sequestration, was
the chair person.
The meeting was focused on the following
themes: Introduction • The PSS-CCS
project: Progress report, Kris Piessens •
Transport of CO2 in Belgium, Veerle Vandeginste and Kris Piessens, Royal Belgian
Institute of Natural Sciences. The topics treated were mainly
technicalities of the project as engineering (diameter), cost calculation and
route determination.
Session 1: Carbon
Capture
• Inventory of national large
sources of CO2; Construction, content and role of the source inventory, Chris
Hendriks, Ecofys.
• Capturing CO2
from industrial sources: current projects; International overview of recent
evolution and achivements in capture projects, Philippe Mathieu,
Ulg. Example projects were The Castor project under FP6, Esbjerg
(Denmark); and Shell/Statoil EOR/storage project with expected operation at
Tjeldbergodden (Norway), starting in North Sea.
Session 2: Carbon
Storage
• Storage options in
Flanders: with specific attention to aquifers, David Lagrou,
VITO.
• Storage options in the
Walloon Region, with specific attention to coal deposits, Jean-Marc Baele,
FPMs.
• Storing CO2 in coal:
Enhanced Coal Bed Methane; Results from the RECOPOL project and application to
Belgian context. FPMs, Huges Legrain. Overview of the main goals of the RECOPOL
project as improvements in knowledge of CO2/CH4 adsorption and desorption
processes, the study of the long term behaviour, establishment of co-operation
on this topic in Europe but also with USA and China.
More information
about PSS-CSS project please
visit:
www.naturalsciences.be/PSS-CCS
-EFG
participated in the Geothermal workshop organized by the European Geothermal
Energy Council (EGEC) 24 November 2006 in Brussels.
The goal of this
workshop was to launch a debate to see if it could be interesting for the
Geothemal sector to have a technology platform.
The workshop aimed to
show the conditions : - Firstly : create
a steering committee to write a vision report
2030 - Secondly : define a research
agenda - Thirdly : implement this
agenda
A representative of the European Commission, DG Research, members
of EGEC and Engine Project made presentations.
EFG supports this platform
on Geothertomal Energy:
- This
platform could increase the Geothermal Energy
Sector. - EFG has included geothermal
energy as an important item in its Action plan, since the Geological profession
is intimately linked with it. - Its
geological experts in these fields have an important capacity and knowledge to
develop this renewable energy in
Europe. - The broad network of EFG and
its promotion capabilities will be able to improve the visibility and raise
awareness of geothermal energy as a relevant energy source.
The decision
was taken to have another discussion during the Engine mid-conference at Postdam
10-12/01/2007 and probably another meeting in March-April 2007.The final
decision will be taken at the EGC 2007, 29-31/05/2007.
4. JOB
OPPORTUNITIES
-Contaminant Hydrogeologist Offered by: Beresford
Blake Thomas (Shropshire , West Midlands) UK Reference: DH823 Date posted:
01 December 2006 Application deadline: 04 January 2007 Level of
appointment: Consultant Type of contract: Permanent
Responsibilities
will include client management / business development, significant technical
inputs and delivery of projects with a groundwater protection
bias. Experience: You are likely to have an MSc or PhD, with strengths in
projects of Contaminant Hydrogeology / Geochemical / Groundwater protection
nature. You will ideally have previous experience within Hydrogeology including
the scoping and overseeing of site investigation, site conceptualization,
quantitative risk assessment, report writing, project / task management and
working closely with clients to secure new work. However, consideration may be
given to candidates who possess a strong academic background either at MSc or
PhD level and have the skills and knowledge required to undertake this role
successfully.
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