Call for Abstracts – 2019 Spring Conference – Maui, Hawaii
We are looking for dynamic, engaging speakers with something valuable to teach industry leaders involved in the Geoprofessional Business Association. We would love to receive an abstract submission from you for our upcoming conference in Maui, Hawaii, where GBA will kick-off our 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Deadline: December 1, 2018
Read More: PRESENT AT A CONFERENCE
Nashville Mayor Proclaims Geoprofessional Week
As we prepare to gather for our 2018 Fall Conference in Nashville this week, Mayor David Briley, graciously provided an official proclamation of Geoprofessionals’ Week by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
His proclamation included:
WHEREAS, The Geoprofessional Business Association reminds us that the quality of our environment is a fundamental concern of our community,
WHEREAS, The Geoprofessional Business Association highlights that efficient, durable, and cost-effective infrastructure is as essential to our economy as it is to the welfare of our citizens’ everyday lives,
WHEREAS, The Geoprofessional Business Association underlines that our environment, our infrastructure, and the integrity of our construction are of paramount importance to the thousands of individuals of many technical disciplines who are proud to be known as geoprofessionals,
WHEREAS, The Geoprofessional Business Association raises awareness that the health, safety, and welfare of our community depend upon geoprofessional services and the geoprofessionals who provide them,
WHEREAS, The Geoprofessional Business Association recognizes that the nation’s geoprofessional consultancies participate actively in The Geoprofessional Business Association in order to enhance their ability to provide their services more effectively,
Let’s celebrate our many contributions to the health, safety, and welfare to the world as we gather to learn, network, and enhance professionalism of geoprofessional businesses world-wide this week as we prepare to gather in Nashville, Tennessee.
View Proclamation of Geoprofessionals’ Week Here
An experienced project manager assigned an
experienced field representative to be on site full time to observe construction of the building pad and MSE wall. Confident in the field representative’s abilities, the project manager confined his involvement to occasional site visits and preparation of written progress reports. Unfortunately, communication between the two was poor, field reports were not thoroughly reviewed, and significant issues that compromised the project including changes in design were missed.
Lessons Learned in this Case History:
Comments of the CEO
“This case study reminds me that it often is not our field representatives who let us down on projects, but rather the poor project-management skills of our engineering staff.”
GBA has a tradition of collaborating on issues that impact the geoprofessions through GBA Case Histories. GBA Case Histories provide unprecedented real-world learning examples related to project and business management. Learn where others went wrong, how they handled their problems, and how you can learn from their experiences to avoid the same problems in the future.
GBA Case Histories are FREE to all members.
What started out as a workshop among 50 industry
leaders to discuss the challenges of performing engineering services for mine tailings dams, resulted in a document that will guide mine owners, regulators, and practitioners toward a more efficient and safer approach to designing and maintaining mine tailings dams.
On January 26, 2017, GBA hosted over 50 industry leaders, subject matter experts, regulators, owners, and practitioners for a Tailings Engineer-of-Record (EOR) Workshop in Denver, Colorado. The event was designed to identify concerns of filling the role of the EOR’s for tailings storage facilities (TSF) projects and develop guidance for those working on TSF projects in the United States, Canada, and abroad. Kimberly F. Morrison P.E., R.G., (Newmont Goldcorp) a former GBA Board Member and Task Force Chair coordinated the workshop and was pleased by the support that she received from so many industry leaders from across North America. Ms. Morrison said, “In the wake of the Mount Polley (Canada) tailings dam failure in 2014 and the Samarco (Brazil) tailings dam failure in 2015, the issue of EOR for tailings storage facilities (TSFs) has become an industry-wide issue. This impressive group gathered to review available information, share professional opinions, and start preparing guidance for all in this industry.
In October 2018, GBA published the Proposed Best Practices for the Engineer of Record (EOR) for Tailings Dams. This document was prepared with input from the workshop and additional contributions of the Alberta Dam Integrity Advisory Committee (DIAC), Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Canadian Dam Association (CDA) and the United States Society on Dams (USSD). The document is supported by two supplemental documents and a just published; Important Information about this Tailings Storage Facility Design Report which is now available for distribution.
A special thanks to GBA’s Tailings Engineer of Record Task Force Chair Kimberly Morrison, Robert “Bob” Snow (D’Appolonia), and Sara Menase (GBA), for their many hours writing and editing the documents. Thanks also to the Member Firms who sponsored the workshop all those who contributed to this effort. The Task Force is supported by GBA’s Geotechnical Business Council.
GBA’s Tailings Engineer of Record Task Force Members are:
Kimberly Finke Morrison, P.E., R.G. (CMOC International), John Baker, P.E. (BGC Engineering USA Inc.), Jeremy Boswell (Thurber Engineering, Ltd.), Peter H. Bush, P.E. (Fugro USA Land, Inc.), Brett Richard Byler (WOOD), Dean B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E. (Gannett Fleming, Inc.), Peter Duvigneaud (Haley & Aldrich, Inc.), Gordan Gjerapic, Ph.D. (Golder Associates Inc.), Christopher Hatton, P.E. (Haley & Aldrich, Inc.), Richard D. Heckel, P.E., D.GE. (Ardent Geotechnical Consultants LLC), Keith Mobley, P.E., G.E. (Northern Geotechnical Engineering – Terra Firma Testing), Joergen – Pilz, P.E., P.G. (Golder Associates Inc.), Michael Gilbert Rowland, P.E. (S&ME, Inc.), Robert E. Snow, P.E. (D’Appolonia Engineering Division of Ground Technology, Inc.), Alex Sy, Ph.D., P.Eng. (Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.)
The Task Force and resulting documents are examples of GBA’s ability to positively impact our industry through planning, collaboration, and ability to complete assignments expeditiously.
Download Proposed Best Practices for the Engineer of Record (EOR) for Tailings Dams
Download Important Information About This Tailings Storage Facility Design Report
GBA is excited to announce two new conference locations and dates. In addition to the already announced conferences in Nashville (November 1-3, 2018)
and Maui (April 4-6, 2019), GBA has finalized plans for the Fall 2019 at the Omni Hotel in Louisville Kentucky and Spring 2020 at the J.W. Marriott Sawgrass Resort. GBA’s Executive Director, Joel Carson said, “I am thrilled to have been able to finalize agreements for these two great locations. I am confident our members will find these to be exceptional venues to hold our annual meetings.”
Mark your calendars now for all future GBA events!
For more information: GBA Events Calendar
Learn from others. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the past! GBA Case Histories are being used by our
members for loss prevention discussions in support of professional development and mentoring. That is why GBA case histories are so valuable, and why GBA is updating them all, while adding new ones, too. We are halfway there as five more case histories have been re-issued.
CASE HISTORY NO. 46 (download)
Conducting an error-free ESA is not enough. Eighteen months after the client purchased the site, its representative called the Member Firm’s project manager to report that state regulators were claiming they had discovered exposed, friable asbestos at the site. The exposure constituted an unlawful release of hazardous material, the regulators said, and posed a threat to public health.
CASE HISTORY NO. 47 (download) 
Four months after the Member Firm completed the geotechnical study, ownership of the property was transferred to a partnership formed to develop the site. The CEO of the development company’s friendship with the CEO of the Member Firm apparently was of little consequence, however, given that, eight months later, the member firm received a note threatening a lawsuit for not clearly stating in its report that the site could have significant contamination problems.
CASE HISTORY NO. 48 (download)
The client signed a GBA-Member Firm’s proposal without the standard terms and conditions pages. Then the PM thought he was doing a good deed by providing preliminary rock-excavation estimates during a project meeting. Ultimately the Member Firm’s CEO decided to settle a lawsuit that never should have happened.
CASE HISTORY NO. 49 (download)
When slag contaminated with flue dust was used instead of the recommended clean, well-graded gravel, the project was halted, and the EPA engaged. The member firm proactively took charge and solved the problem without legal battles.
CASE HISTORY NO. 50 (download)
After field work was complete and the GBA-Member Firm had demobilized from sampling at a Superfund site, it was discovered the laboratory exceeded certain sample holding-times and some of the testing it performed fell short of the prescribed quality-assurance minimums.
GBA Case Histories are FREE to all Members. Access all GBA’s Case Histories HERE
You may have seen “BPA Free” labels on plastic water bottles and other containers or products.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a colorless solid that is poorly soluble in water, and durable,making it suitable for use in creating some plastics. It can be found in common consumer goods such as sports equipment,DVDs, and some water bottles (not as much any longer) . BPA epoxy resins were previously, and sometimes still are, used as lining in food/beverage cans. They are still currently used in thermal papers like receipts and other “glossy” papers.
How does BPA impact the environment?
BPA is a xenoestrogen, meaning that it exhibits estrogen-mimicking, hormone-like properties that raise concern about its suitability in consumer products and food containers. Disposal of BPA-containing products into landfills and throughout the environment is of concern due to the potential for contamination of our groundwater, soils, and food supply.
What do Regulatory Agencies recommend?
As of February 2018, based on the FDA’s ongoing safety review of scientific evidence, the available information indicates that BPA is safe for its currently approved uses in foods, food containers and packaging.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed scientific information on BPA in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2015. On each occasion, EFSA’s experts concluded that BPA is safe at the known exposure levels and they could not identify new evidence which would lead them to revise their opinion. The EFSA does recognize some uncertainties and continues to investigate them.
Currently, the safety of BPA-free products is being questioned. The reality is that no one can specify the levels of BPA at which it can be deemed safe, or if it is even safe at all.
What are the potential Business Opportunities for my consulting firm?
BPA is still used in a variety of products and will continue to accumulate in our environment. There is still significant uncertainty about whether BPA is safe. Regulations from Federal and State agencies have yet to confirm what concentration levels could be considered safe. As such, anyone currently using products containing BPA are unknowingly test subjects. As with many environmental contaminants, the real effects of long-term exposure likely will not be known for decades. BPA is an emerging contaminant to be aware of, and anticipate that future business opportunities may be present themselves as standards are refined and additional study data is made available.
EDUCATE YOUR CLIENTS: GBA Updates Message to Owners – Construction Risks and Limitation of Liability
Designed for distribution to construction-project owners,
this concise flyer points out effective means for managing risks, including limitation of liability. It explains that limitation of liability is not only a fair and reasonable approach, it can also result in lower construction costs while also encouraging design excellence.
The flyer underscores the importance of relying on a qualified geotechnical professional, noting that “the fee premium paid to achieve high quality is tiny compared to the cost of correcting the problems high quality can prevent.”
This valuable document is FREE to GBA Members and can be shared with clients to help them better understand how to manage risks and why limitation of liability is fair and reasonable
GBA Releases Five More Case Histories: 41-45
GBA Case Histories are being used by our members for loss prevention discussions in support of professional development and mentoring. Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeating mistakes of the past which is why GBA case histories are so valuable, and why GBA is updating them all, while adding new ones, too. Five more case histories have been re-issued.
CASE HISTORY NO. 41 (download)
When two geotechnical engineering firms failed to collaborate on a Southern California apartment project, the result turned a $3,500 fee into a $1 million uninsured loss.
CASE HISTORY NO. 42 (download)
A Member-Firm, working on a new highway alignment in mountainous
terrain performed a 
geotechnical-engineering study, report with criteria and recommendations, and provide on-call consultation to support design and construction of a roadway subdrainage system and related structures. Read how drought conditions and a belligerent landowner impacted this project.
CASE HISTORY NO. 43 (download)
A Member Firm did a favor for one of its major clients and took on a project with inadequate oversight. Problems occurred during dewatering and, when the subcontractor was dismissed, both the member and its client were sued.
CASE HISTORY NO. 44 (download)
An environmental consultant performed a hurried Phase I ESA for a developer and found no serious problems. A chlorinated solvent was discovered later, when the consultant performed a more rigorous study for a prospective purchaser. The developer initiated a suit against the owners of two suspected contamination sources. Both owners were clients of the environmental consultant.
CASE HISTORY NO. 45 (download)
An environmental consultant was retained to perform a Phase II ESA. When laboratory tests indicated unacceptable levels of a contaminant, the prospective purchaser reneged and demanded a return of its deposit. The developer refused, and a lawsuit ensued. In discovery, the parties learned that the site was not contaminated after all. Both the developer and prospective purchaser then sued the environmental consultant, who wound up paying $300,000, less $185,000 contributed by the laboratory.
GBA Case Histories are FREE to all Members. Access all GBA’s Case Histories HERE
Per- and Poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAs) concerns in the environment are one of the hottest emerging environmental topics in the country. The compounds, developed in the 1950’s, have been used in a wide variety of everyday products including paper and plastics, water resistant fabrics coatings such as Gore-tex, non-stick coatings including Teflon, paper and packaging products, and stain resistant carpet and fabric coatings. Along with the processes and facilities responsible for the production of the goods, as the final repository for societal waste, PFAs are increasingly showing up in landfill leachate as the leaching process takes place within the landfill mass.
In the past 20+ years, an extremely effective class of flame 
suppressants, commonly referred to aqueous fire-fighting foam (AFFF), have been extensively used to contain fires at fuel refineries,industrial complexes, airports, and fire training facilities. Developed prior to the increasing concern of potential adverse health effects of PFAs and phased out both in the US and globally, AFFF is a significant source of PFAs.
With emerging concerns regarding human health risk and the increasing discovery of PFA-impacts in the soil, groundwater and surface water, in 2016 EPA issued a “non-binding” human health lifetime advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) as a threshold value. With increasing national concern and lack of toxicity research, the EPA held a National PFAs Summit in May 2018 with the state health agency points of contact and other invited agencies. The purpose of the summit was to develop a plan to address the PFAs issue from a federal level. Specific PFA compounds discussed in the summit meeting include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). A summary of the discussion can be found here: (https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-national-leadership-summit-and-engagement).
According to the Environmental Council of States (ECOS) representing the collective states, four action items came out of the Summit:
While the EPA has been accelerating the process of evaluating PFAs on a federal level, some states such as New Jersey, have set “state health advisory guidelines” that are lower than the EPA 70 ppt threshold. As recent as last week, California took the first step to establishing a state Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) in drinking water of 14/13 ppt for 2 specific PFAs compounds most often found. New Hampshire has adopted a statewide testing program for water supplies as have most other states.
Assessing the water supplies is a specialized process since the laboratory detection levels are looking at ppt levels Parts per trillion can be equated to a drop of water in the volume of a large scale supermarket warehouse! At these detection levels, particular caution needs to be taken to not introduce contamination from surfaces that could contain PFAs such as treated clothing, plastic containers, etc.
The expanding PFAs concern will continue to present opportunities in the environmental areas of due diligence in property transactions, assessment and remediation of impacted sites, and consulting regarding client risk identification and mitigation. Regarding deep foundation construction such as drilled shaft piers (caissons), impacted soil and groundwater containing PFAs will require special management.
The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) is a state-lead private-public coalition dedicated to advancing the study of environmental solutions. They currently have a PFAs Team dedicated to developing technical guidance documents to provide a platform for better understanding PFAs assessment and management. More information regarding PFAs can be found on their website such as 7 fact sheets including AFFF, an introductory document, and acronym list. A link to the website can be found here: https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/ . A final Tech Reg document is anticipated by late 2018 early 2019.
*Note: All images courtesy of the internet.
Read the real-life saga of a landowner’s tenant who tries to swindle a member-firm for medical costs for his horse and for lost breeding opportunities.
The Client
A real-estate development company
The Project
An 87-acre, single-family home subdivision
Assignment of the GBA-Member Firm
Perform a pre-acquisition, preliminary geotechnical-engineering study.
Background
A real-estate development company – a long-time client – engaged the GBA-Member Firm to perform a preliminary geotechnical-engineering study of an 87-acre tract of land the developer was considering for a single-family residential development. The tract, still being used for cattle grazing, was enclosed with barbed-wire fencing and a single-access gate. It was part of a larger section of land that was gradually being developed for residential and supporting commercial use.
On the first day of drilling, a wrangler on horseback rode up to the property and asked what was going on. This was the first of many engagements with the stranger on horseback.
Lessons Learned include:
GBA Resources for Site Access:
GBA’s Site-Access Authorization for Geotechnical Engineering Services
GBA’s Model Access Authorization for Phase I ESA’s
GBA has a tradition of collaborating on issues that impact the geoprofessions through GBA Case Histories. GBA Case Histories provide unprecedented real-world learning examples related to project and business management. Learn where others went wrong, how they handled their problems, and how you can learn from their experiences to avoid the same problems in the future. GBA Case Histories are FREE to all members.
Download GBA Case History #104 Here
The Fall Conference agenda has been finalized and this will be an incredible gathering. The theme for the conference is “Committing to Continuous Improvement” which supports our members’ daily effort to build stronger, smarter, more successful businesses. Conference speakers will help you to build a high-performance culture, communicate your brand clearly to employees and clients, stay current with new technology, and in GBA’s unique way, learn from the mistakes of others as we explore several case histories from our members.
Join us in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee — November 1-3, 2018
Keynotes include:
Principles for Building a High-Performance Culture
Brent Gleeson — Former Navy SEAL combat veteran, Brent Gleeson, turned his discipline and battlefield lessons to the world of business and has become an accomplished entrepreneur, bestselling author and acclaimed speaker on topics ranging from leadership and building high-performance teams to culture and organizational transformation.
Building Your Story Brand
Donald Miller — When it comes to discussing their businesses, many people are so close to their services that they do not know where to start. Donald Miller, the CEO of StoryBrand and a New York Times Bestselling author of three books — knows how hard it is to communicate clearly and has helped hundreds of large and small businesses clarify their messaging.
Uncomfortable Truths: Somebody Needs to Tell Folks What They Don’t Want to Hear, and It Might as Well Be Me…
Edward Wilson, P.E., F. GBA – Changes that member firms should adopt to cause their enterprises to be more profitable, more valuable, and more successful in the rapidly changing professional services market.
Bringing the Geoprofession to Life Barry Thacker, P.E. — Learn a fun and rewarding way to communicate with a multi-generational and diverse audience.
Pre-Conference Workshops: Start your visit to Nashville by attending one of three pre-conference workshops to be held prior to the conference from 8:00 AM to Noon on November 1st.
PROJECT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: Managing Self & Others by Lee James, CPA., CMC., F.GBA
POSITIVELY IMPLEMENTING A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY by June Jewell, CPA
JUMP START YOUR GROWTH by Bill Siegel, P.E., and Kevin McMahon
Workshop Details 
Conference will also include:
This is a conference you won’t want to miss. Register now to attend on November 1-3, 2018 in Nashville.
CONFERENCE DETAILS
REGISTER NOW
The Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) has published new editions of two important legal references, both prepared for design professionals without use of “legalese”; both available free of charge. Limitation-of-Liability Case Index and Economic-Loss-Doctrine Case Index were prepared for GBA’s Legal Affairs Committee by Seattle (WA) law firm Skellenger Bender, P.S.
GBA introduced the limitation-of-liability (LOL) concept to the design and environmental professions in 1969. By applying the concept, now upheld in most states, a client agrees to limit a design professional’s liability to a given amount, most commonly $50,000 or the fee, whichever is higher. The Index describes each case in terms of its background and the points or holdings involved, and – to support additional research – identifies the case by name, jurisdiction, and citation. The cases span the period 1956 to May 2018.
The economic loss doctrine (ELD), another important protection for design professionals, bars use of tort claims (e.g., professional-negligence and negligent-misrepresentation claims) to recover purely economic losses, such as those stemming from property damage or construction delays. In states that uphold the ELD in full, claimants against design professionals may recover purely economic damages only via breach-of-contract suits, limiting claimants to design professionals’ clients. In other states, third parties, like constructors, can sue design professionals directly. Economic-Loss-Doctrine Case Index provides a state-by-state status report on the economic-loss doctrine, describing the cases involved and providing the additional information required for more research.
Download Limitation-of-Liability Case Index
Download Economic-Loss-Doctrine Case Index
For more than 15 years, GBA has been collecting key financial metrics frommember-firms so our members can measure their success and improve business performance and optimize efficiency. The newest GBA Business Brief — available only to members and free of charge – comprises the GBA Business Practices Committee’s 2017-18 Financial-Performance Survey report, covering key financial-performance issues surveyed firms reported.
GBA enhanced this year’s report with more data and trendlines so our members can track their progress on key financial indicators.
Thank you to all the firms that participated in the survey. We had more response to this survey than we have had in the past. A special thanks to Lee James (Lee James & Associates), Dan Cassidy, CPG (SME) and Phil Pettway, (GBA) for collaborating on the survey and for their efforts compilation of the results.
In the spirit of our Association, GBA publications are a collaborative effort of GBA Member-Firms. They are provided to GBA Members to make them stronger, smarter and more successful and they are FREE to all members.
GBA Emerging Contaminants Spotlight – June 2018
Emerging contaminants are being referenced in the news more frequently and impacting many public and private entities. It is imperative that geoprofessional businesses providing environmental consulting services, stay on the emerging contaminants issues. Currently, EPA defines emerging contaminants as representing “unique and challenging environmental aspects”. With the addition of thousands of new chemical formulations coming to market every year, and emerging laboratory testing methods, geoprofessionals are faced with evaluating and remediating contaminants more rapidly and differently than the past 48 years since RCRA and TSCA began.
How do emerging contaminants affect the environment?
Emerging contaminants represent a wide range of different compounds and materials that are gaining regulatory attention for how they affect the environment. Per-fluorinated compounds (i.e. PFAs, PFOAs, PBBs) are extremely difficult to treat and the current advisory toxicity levels are measured in the parts per trillion (ppt). This is analogous to detecting a single granule of sugar in an Olympic swimming pool. The effect on human health and the environment is long term, difficult to assess and costly to remediate. Other emerging contaminants (i.e. microbeads and personal care product residuals) may not be treated successfully with conventional waste water treatment processes which may require water and wastewater treatment plants to add new treatment processes and require facility expansions.
How does this affect my geoprofessional consulting business?
Geoprofessional consulting firms that are educated in the potential effects of emerging contaminants are better positioned to support clients including municipalities, water and wastewater treatment facilities and private industry who may be impacted by the release(s) of the new contaminants to the environment.
Each month, the Environmental Business Council of the GBA will spotlight a different group of emerging contaminants and discuss the evolving regulations and provide up-to-date knowledge of environmental contaminant distribution and the EPA’s position on them. GBA’s spotlight on emerging contaminants will help you and your clients stay ahead of this rapidly developing market so you will be smarter, stronger, and more successful.
