Sacramento AEG October 2022 Meeting

We are excited to welcome Vanessa Calder from Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. for an in-person meeting at Aviators on Tuesday, October 18 at 5:30PM! Vanessa will give a talk titled Abandoned Mine Lands (AML): Features and Characteristics to Help Identify AML Sites from Desk and Field. We hope to see you there! Registration is $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Student price is only $10 but be one of the first 5 students to RSVP and use the code STUDENT to attend for free!

5:30-6:15: Social hour

6:15-7:00: Dinner

7-7:15: Announcements

7:15-8:15: Talk

8:15-8:30: Q&A and Adjourn

Speaker Bio:

Vanessa Calder has been working in the field of environmental geology since the early 2000’s and holds a BA in geology with a botany minor from Cal Poly Humboldt. Her professional experience encompasses a wide range of topics from environmental restoration, remediation, and site characterization to hydrogeology to industrial hygiene. Her professional experience in abandoned mines traces to two contract positions with the GeoCorps America Program through the Geological Society of America (GSA), where she created interpretive material for the Calamity Camp Uranium Mining District through the BLM Grand Junction Office in 2010 and conducted AML inventory on National Park Service land for the California Department of Conservation’s Abandoned Mine Lands Unit in 2011-2012. Vanessa has been in environmental consulting since 2014 and continues to conduct initial environmental site assessments and site sampling on AML lands when the opportunity arises.

Speaker Abstract:

Abandoned Mine Land (AML) sites are present throughout the United States on federal, state, and private land and are comprised of a wide range of development from small prospects to processing mills with associated town sites. These sites, left to the elements and time, present multiple hazards to humans and the surrounding environment; from unstable structures and open holes, to surface, soil, and groundwater contamination that is often compounded by a lack of regulatory oversight during a given mine’s operation. When conducting field work in generally rural areas on western lands, there is the potential for encountering an AML site. The ability to identify features of an AML site aids in increasing the safety of field personnel, protecting wildlife that utilize AML sites for habitation, and helps to preserve the historical features associated with the site and surrounding region. Though there is a substantial amount of documentation of such sites; from historical journals, locational databases, and recent publications, there are still many holes, omissions, and gaps in information that can leave one unprepared. However, cursory desktop reviews can assist in locating potential AML sites prior to conducting fieldwork. Desktop review in combination with a general knowledge of AML feature and site characteristics can then lead to an increase in field personnel safety, the protection of the local ecology and historical attributes, and provide the potential for further work for the environmental professional.

Sponsorship Opportunities

To help offset event expenses and fundraise for future meetings, we are offering organizations the opportunity to sponsor meetings for $100. Sponsors will be recognized for their generous donation at the event, and their logos will be featured on our website, this landing page, and given a chance to speak at the meeting. If you are interested in attending and sponsoring our May meeting, please RSVP and chose the $100 Sponsorship registration option through the online platofrm linked above. Please also feel free to reach out to us with any questions and to submit company logos to aegsacto@gmail.com.