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Environment Quick News
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| A
Monthly Report on EPRI's Environmental Research Programs |
May
2009 |
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Program members can use their epri.com ID and password to download
Acrobat PDF files of EPRI technical reports. For assistance, contact
the EPRI Customer Assistance Center at (800) 313-3774. |
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Dear Environment Sector members:
There is never a dull moment in the environment business. When
it seems like climate is the dominant issue and others pale in comparison,
something else seems to pop up, adding more concern over how decisions
at EPA will affect the electric power industry.
One of the latest issues to emerge is the cancer slope factor for
inorganic arsenic. EPA is expected to announce a roughly twenty-fold
increase in stringency for this factor, which would have dramatic
impacts on several regulatory programs, including the drinking water
standard, soil cleanup levels (for example, at substations), and
water quality criteria (affecting wastewater discharges). EPA has
been working with EPRI on a study to examine whether the cancer
slope factor for inorganic arsenic is linear or whether there is
a threshold below which arsenic exhibits no toxicity. This study
is still under way, raising the question as to why EPA is moving
forward at this time before the science is complete. The outcome
will affect virtually every electric company in some way.
Another issue is the regulation of coal combustion products (CCPs).
EPA is in the midst of a rulemaking process for the management of
CCPs, with options ranging from continued management as a nonhazardous
waste to a hazardous waste designation. EPRI is working with members,
the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG), and the American
Coal Ash Association (ACAA) to provide information to EPA as the
Agency moves through the regulatory process. Following a workshop
in April and several webcasts, a series of projects has been developed
to address near-term needs to inform the Agency. This issue has
required us to delay some of our ongoing research in Programs 49
and 78 to start this new work. To fill the remaining funding gap,
a Supplemental Project Notice has recently been issued. We encourage
all of you with coal-fired assets to consider participation.
Let us know if you have any questions on either of these issues.
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| Program 42: Air Toxics Health and Risk
Assessment |
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With EPRI cosponsorship, the first sampling of mercury
originating in India will begin early in July at a mountaintop
observation station in southwestern China. |
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| . EPA has been working
on an update to the Integrated Risk Information System
(IRIS) evaluation of the human cancer risk from oral exposure
to inorganic arsenic (Toxicological Review of Inorganic
Arsenic [CASRN 7440-38-2]). |
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| EPRI Research Featured in Nature.
A recent
story in Nature cited EPRI-sponsored research
conducted by Elsie Sunderland at Harvard University and
colleagues, who suggest that microbes might use the surfaces
of ocean-borne organic carbon particles to methylate mercury.
For more information, contact Leonard Levin, (650) 855-7929,
llevin@epri.com. |
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| Program 91: Assessment Tools for Ozone,
Particulate Matter, Regional Haze and Atmospheric Deposition |
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Results from EPRI’s Emissions Inventory Improvement
project were presented at the Coordinating Research Council’s
On-Road Vehicle Emissions workshop, held recently in San
Diego. |
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| Program 92: Assessment of Air Quality
Impacts on Health and the Environment |
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EPRI’s comments on the First External Review
Draft of the Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate
Matter were presented to the EPA Clean Air Scientific
Advisory Council at its review meeting on April 1–2. |
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| Visit
the Global Climate Webpage |
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| Program 102: Global Climate Policy Costs
and Benefits |
| . The costs of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions have received much attention
from analysts and policymakers, but the benefits of reductions
have been examined far less. |
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| Program 103: Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Options |
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EPRI’s Adam Diamant participated in the Katoomba
2009 conference in Cuiaba, Brazil in April 2009. |
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| Global Climate Change Area News |
| Annual Global Climate Change Research Seminar
Scheduled for May 20–21. The
14th annual Global Climate Change Research seminar will
be held on May 20–21 in Washington DC. The seminars
communicate the latest global climate research findings
of interest to the electricity industry. For more information
see the seminar Event
Sheet. |
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| Program 49: Coal Combustion Products—Environmental
Issues |
| . EPRI hosted 31 senior industry
executives and technical staff members at a two-day workshop
on Sustainable Management of Coal Combustion Products
(CCPs) held April 1–2 in Pittsburgh, PA. |
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| Program 50: Manufactured Gas Plant Site
Management |
| . On April
8, sponsors of the Reactive Capping supplemental project
met for a status report on installation of a 10,000-square-foot
sediment capping system in the Hudson River. |
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| EPRI Improves Method for Estimating Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbon Releases From Stabilized Soil.
Leaching
Assessment Methods for the Evaluation of the Effectiveness
of In Situ Stabilization of Soil Material at Manufactured
Gas Plant Sites (1015553). This report describes
ongoing research to develop and demonstrate an improved
method for estimating the release of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons from solidified/stabilized soil at former
manufactured gas plant sites. For more information, contact
Jeff Clock, (845) 608-0642, jclock@epri.com. |
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| Improved Approaches Ensure Better Risk
Management at Contaminated Sediment Sites.
Improved
Approaches for Predicting the Toxicity of PAH-Impacted
Sediments to Benthic Macroinvertebrates (1018458).
To ensure that site cleanup addresses only those sediments
presenting unacceptable risk, EPRI has developed better
methods for predicting the toxic response of benthic organisms
to sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,
as well as a tiered approach for managing contaminated
sediment sites. For more information, contact Jeff Clock,
(845) 608-0642, jclock@epri.com. |
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| Program 59: Power Plant Toxics Characterization |
| EPRI Publishes Methodology for Estimating
Ammonia Releases. Estimating
Ammonia Emissions from Stationary Sources (1017985).
This report provides a methodology for estimating ammonia
releases that electric power plants burning fossil fuels
may be required to report under the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory program. For more
information, contact Naomi Goodman, (650) 855-2193, ngoodman@epri.com. |
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| Program 53: Water Quality Criteria Development
and Assessment |
| . EPA has been working
on an update to the Integrated Risk Information System
(IRIS) evaluation of the human cancer risk from oral exposure
to inorganic arsenic (Toxicological Review of Inorganic
Arsenic [CASRN 7440-38-2]). |
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| Program 54: Fish Protection at Steam
Electric Power Plants |
| EPRI
will Reevaluate Research Needs Following Court Decision.
On Apr. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Entergy
v. Riverkeeper that EPA has the jurisdiction and authority
to use cost-benefit analyses as part of Clean Water Act
Section 316(b) permitting decisions. |
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| Updated Evaluation of Fine-Mesh Screens
Published. Laboratory
Evaluation of Fine-Mesh Traveling Water Screens for Protecting
Early Life Stages of Fish at Cooling Water Intakes: Research
Progress Update Through 2008 (1015578). This
report is an update of report 1014021 and includes an
additional year of data. For more information, contact
Doug Dixon, (804) 642-1025, ddixon@epri.com. |
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| Report Published on Factors Affecting Post-Impingement
Survival. Literature
Review and Laboratory Evaluation of Factors Affecting
Adult, Juvenile and Larval Fish Survival in Fish Return
Systems at Cooling Water Intakes (1016805). Knowledge
of larval post-impingement survival from screen to discharge
point in the receiving waterbody has potential application
for generating companies seeking technologies to reduce
entrainment losses at intakes. For more information,
contact Doug Dixon, (804) 642-1025, ddixon@epri.com. |
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| Program 55: Strategic Water Issues: TMDLs,
Availability, Climate |
| Interest
in Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project Increasing.
EPRI’s first-of-its-kind Ohio River Basin
trading project is an innovative market-based approach
to achieving water quality standards by allowing emitters
to purchase credits for nitrogen and phosphorus reductions
from other sources. |
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| Report Published on Regional TMDLs for
Atmospheric Deposition of Mercury and Nitrogen.
Applicability
of Regional Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Atmospheric
Deposition of Contaminants: Mercury and Nitrogen
(1015581). The characteristics of mercury and nitrogen
emissions, speciation, deposition, and watershed processes
were evaluated in order to determine the importance of
atmospheric deposition to total waterbody loading and
applicability of the regional TMDL approach to atmospheric
deposition. For more information, contact Robert
Goldstein, (650) 855-2593, rogoldst@epri.com. |
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| New
Project on Water Resource Trend Analysis and Implications
for Power Industry. A new EPRI
project will focus on identifying trends in water resource
availability and quality and on providing a review of
different factors that may lead to changes in these attributes. |
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| Program 56: Effluent Guidelines and Water
Quality Management |
| New
Updates Available on Flue Gas Desulfurization Water.
Six new Technical Updates have been published on
various topics related to flue gas desulfurization (FGD)
water characterization, management, and treatment. |
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| Program 58: Waterpower |
| Workshop
Addresses Revenue Optimization at Hydropower Projects.
On Apr. 7–8, EPRI sponsored a workshop on
Hydropower in a Carbon-Constrained Future: Application
and Markets, hosted by Exelon in Mendenhall, PA. |
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| Program
58 Research Open for Industry Input at WaterPower XVI
Conference. In conjunction with
the WaterPower
XVI Conference scheduled for July 27–30 in Spokane,
WA, EPRI will hold a workshop on July 26 at which any
conference attendee can review and comment on EPRI’s
waterpower research program. |
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| Program 51: T&D Facilities & Equipment:
Environmental Issues |
Environment
Risk Management for Aging Infrastructure.
EPRI is developing a relative risk model to help
companies assess environmental and financial risks from
aging equipment and to prioritize actions to minimize
overall risk. |
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| Potential Impact of Climate Change on Wood
Available for Utility Poles. Climate
change might affect the availability of wood used for
utility poles. Researchers will present a white paper
on this topic at the mid-year joint meeting of programs
51 and 57 scheduled for July 8-9 in Charlotte, NC. Initial
results suggest that habitats will shift for some species
of trees traditionally used in pole fabrication. For more
information, contact Mary McLearn, (650) 855-2487, mmclearn@epri.com. |
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| Program 60: EMF Health Assessment and
Radio-Frequency Safety |
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| Visit
the EMF Health Assessment and RF Safety Public Webpage |
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Kavet
Addresses Chinese Audience on International Electromagnetic
Field Exposure Standards. An
audience from the State Grid Corporation of China and
the China Electric Power Research Institute recently
heard EPRI’s Rob Kavet describe the “IEEE
Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure
to Electromagnetic Fields, 0–3 kHz,” published
in 2002 (IEEE Std C95.6™). |
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| EPRI Comments on a Study of Maternal Occupational
Exposure to Magnetic Fields and Childhood Brain Cancer.
Li P, et al. “Maternal occupational exposure
to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and the risk
of brain cancer in the offspring,” Cancer Causes
Control, advance online publication 2009 Feb 18;
doi:10.1007/s10552-009-9311-5. EPRI evaluates the strengths
and limitations of this study, whose authors report no
strong associations between mothers’ occupational
magnetic field exposure and risk of brain tumors in their
children. Comments
are available on epri.com. For more information,
contact Gabor Mezei, (650) 855-8908, gmezei@epri.com.
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| Gateway
Information Services Available to EMF Health Assessment
and RF Safety Program Members. EMF
Health Assessment and RF Safety Program members are eligible
to receive the latest information on extremely low frequency
(ELF) and radio-frequency (RF) EMF research and events
from Resource Strategies’ ELF Gateway and RF Gateway. |
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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY |
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ENVIRONMENT FEDERAL HIGHLIGHTS (Washington D.C. Office, John Novak) |
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| For more information on the items below, contact
John Novak, 202-293-6180, jnovak@epri.com.
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Webcast
on Issues Affecting Coal Generation in the Obama Administration
and the 111th Congress. The
economic situation, the new President, and the new Congress—what
does this all mean for coal generation? On Mar. 3, John
Novak presented a webcast on “Issues Affecting
Coal Generation in the Obama Administration and the
111th Congress.” |
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Ocean Energy Briefing for Senate Commerce
Committee Staff. On March 23, EPRI
provided a briefing on ocean energy for Republican staff
of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee.
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EPRI Participation in International
Climate Meetings. From March 27
to April 3, John Novak participated in the United Nations
climate meetings in Bonn, Germany. The meetings
signaled the beginning of the negotiating phase in the
development of an agreement for the 15th Conference
of the Parties (COP-15) meetings in Copenhagen, Denmark,
scheduled for December 7–18. This was the
first climate meeting for the Obama Administration.
Special climate envoy Todd Stern’s opening
statement (available at: http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/remarks/2009/120974.htm)
received lengthy applause, but U.S. representatives
spent much of their time dampening expectations that
the United States will announce a commitment by December
and that it alone can solve the issues in the Copenhagen
process. During the meetings, John Novak gave
an update on CO2 capture and storage (CCS)
activities in the United States at a sidebar event held
by the International Electricity Partnership (IEP),
which involves the electricity trade associations from
Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United States.
The event highlighted the launch of the IEP and
the publication of a timeline for the development of
CCS technology. The CCS timeline is the first
element of a larger Roadmap for a Low Carbon Power Sector
being developed by the IEP. The event was well
attended and attracted numerous delegates. |
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Wave Energy Workshops.
EPRI was selected by the DOE to assess the U.S.
wave energy resource. To ensure that the EPRI
assessment uses the best measurements and data and the
best scientific practices for analyzing that data, EPRI
held two workshops in Washington, DC: an Experts Group
workshop on Apr. 13 and 14 and a Users Group workshop
on Apr. 17. |
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Eurasia Group/National Intelligence
Council Conference on CO2 Capture and Storage.
On Apr. 23, John Novak participated in a Eurasia Group
conference on coal capture and storage (CCS). Eurasia
Group is the world's leading global political risk research
and consulting firm. The National Intelligence
Council is a center of strategic thinking within the
U.S. government, reporting to the Director of National
Intelligence and providing the President and senior
policymakers with analyses of foreign policy issues
that have been reviewed and coordinated throughout the
intelligence community. Novak gave a presentation
on EPRI CCS activities. The conference included
speakers from the International Energy Agency, American
Petroleum Institute, DOE, and the Australian government.
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| NEW SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECT
OPPORTUNITIES |
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| NEW MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
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| *
denotes EPRI sponsored or cosponsored event |
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| Environment Sector |
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Environment Sector and Area Council Advisory Meetings
Oct. 5–8, Boulder, CO. Contact: Adina Kozuh, (650)
855-2991, akozuh@epri.com.
*
Environment Sector and Area Council Advisory Meetings
Mar. 15–18, 2010, Orlando, FL. Contact: Adina
Kozuh, (650) 855-2991, akozuh@epri.com.
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| Air Quality |
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| 11th International Congress
on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects
May 31–June 3, Research Triangle Park, NC. Contact:
Annette Rohr, (650) 855-2765, arohr@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
9th International Conference on Mercury as a
Global Pollutant
June 7–12, Guiyang, China. Contact: Leonard Levin,
(650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Air & Waste Management Association 102nd
Annual Conference & Exhibition
June 16–19, Detroit, MI. Contact: Naresh Kumar,
(650) 855-2990, nkumar@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Gordon Research Conference on Atmospheric Chemistry
Aug. 23–28, Waterville Valley, NH. Contact: Eladio
Knipping, (650) 855-2592, eknippin@epri.com.
Twenty-First Conference of the International
Society for Environmental Epidemiology
Aug. 25–28, Dublin, Ireland. Contact: Annette
Rohr, (650) 855-2765, arohr@epri.com.
National Atmospheric Deposition 2009 Annual Meeting
& Scientific Symposium
Oct. 6–8, Saratoga Springs, NY. Contact: Arnout
Ter Schure, (650) 855-2753, aterschu@epri.com.
Air Quality VII Conference
Oct. 25–29, Arlington, VA. Contact: Leonard Levin,
(650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
American Association for Aerosol Research 28th
Annual Conference
Oct. 26–30, Minneapolis, MN. Contact: Stephanie
Shaw, (650) 855-2353, sshaw@epri.com.
More information is available at the
event website.
American Geophysical Union 2009 Fall Meeting
Dec. 14–18, San Francisco, CA. Contact: Stephanie
Shaw, (650) 855-2353, sshaw@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website. |
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| Land and Groundwater |
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| 9th International Conference
on Mercury as a Global Pollutant
June 7-12, Guiyang, China. Contact: Leonard Levin, (650)
855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Air & Waste Management Association 102nd Annual
Conference & Exhibition
June 16–19, Detroit, MI. Contact: Contact: Babu
Nott, (650) 855-7946, bnott@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
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Coal Combustion Product Research Mid-Year Meeting—Joint
Programs 49 and 78
July 21–22, Beltsville, MD. Contact: Ken Ladwig,
(262) 754-2744, keladwig@epri.com.
Air Quality VII Conference
Oct. 25–29, Arlington, VA. Contact: Leonard Levin,
(650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
* EPRI MGP 2010
Symposium
Jan. 27-29, 2010, San Antonio, TX. Contact: Jeff Clock,
(845) 608-0642, jclock@epri.com,
or Jim Lingle, (414) 355-5559, jlingle@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website. |
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| Water and Ecosystems |
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| 9th International Conference
on Mercury as a Global Pollutant
June 7–12, Guiyang, China. Contact: Leonard Levin,
(650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Water and Ecosystems Summer Advisory Meeting
June 17-18, Holden, MA. Contact: Kent Zammit, (805)
481-7349, kezammit@epri.com.
American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting
Aug. 3–Sept. 3, Nashville, TN. Contact: Doug Dixon,
(804) 642-1025, ddixon@epri.com.
Doug Dixon is organizing a National Symposium on Fish Community
Monitoring in Big Rivers during this meeting. More information
is available at the event
website.
WaterPower XVI Conference
July 27–30, Spokane, WA. Contact: Doug Dixon,
(804) 642-1025, ddixon@epri.com.
More information is available at the
event website. EPRI will also hold a workshop on
July 26 at which any conference attendee can review and comment
on EPRI’s waterpower research program.
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| T&D Environmental Issues |
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| The Bioelectromagnetics Society
31st Annual Meeting
June 14–19, Davos, Switzerland. Contact: Rob Kavet,
(650) 855-1061, rkavet@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
* Mid-Year Joint
Meeting of P51 (Transmission & Distribution) and P57 (Rights-of-Way)
July 8–9, Charlotte, NC. Contact: Babu Nott, (650)
855-7946, bnott@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
* 2009
EMF Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting
July 20–21, Milwaukee, WI. Contact: Rob Kavet,
(650) 855-1061, rkavet@epri.com.
International Society of Arboriculture 85th Annual
Conference & Trade Show
July 24–29, Providence, RI. Contact: John W. Goodrich-Mahoney,
(202) 293-7516, jmahoney@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Ninth International Symposium on Environmental
Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management
Sept. 27–Oct. 1, Portland, OR. Contact: John W.
Goodrich-Mahoney, (202) 293-7516, jmahoney@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website. |
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Together…Shaping
the Future of Electricity® |
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Electric
Power Research Institute
3420
Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338 • PO Box 10412,
Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com
• www.epri.com
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