News Stories for 2009
M&A sponsors and participates in APCOM 2009
October 2 — M&A’s Mike Rosko and Janis Blainer-Fleming will present a paper at the upcoming 2009 Applications of Computers and Operations Research (APCOM) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from October 6–9. The 34th APCOM is a major forum for mining professionals, researchers, and suppliers worldwide. Organized by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum, APCOM 2009 will focus on knowledge management systems, operations research, automation, robotics, virtual reality, and modeling for different areas of the mining process. In addition to supporting the conference as a bronze sponsor, M&A is providing a student host sponsorship. Rosko and Blainer-Fleming will present a paper entitled “Improvements in Use of Satellite Images for Monitoring Changes in Hydro-Environmental Conditions.”
M&A participates in PERUMIN 29th Mining Convention
October 2 — M&A’s Mike Rosko and Dan Weber participated in PERUMIN, an international mining exhibition held in Arequipa, Peru, from September 14–18, 2009. Since 1954, PERUMIN has been organized every 2 years by the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru to promote not only professional and technological exchange but also business networking opportunities. Reportedly the largest such exhibition in Latin America, an estimated 15,000 visitors attended the exhibition, which showcased the latest developments in mining technology, services, and supplies.
M&A sponsors and participates in AHS 2009 Symposium
October 2 — Ed McGavock and Taylor Shipman gave oral presentations at the 2009 Arizona Hydrology Society (AHS) Symposium held in Scottsdale, Arizona, from April 20–22. Cosponsored by the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH), the symposium focused on this year’s theme — managing hydrologic extremes. More than 80 technical papers were presented for publication in the proceedings. M&A sponsored the symposium and contributed papers entitled “Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Upper and Middle Verde River Watershed” and “Conceptual Plan for Recovery of CAP Water Tonopah Desert Recharge Project, Maricopa County, Arizona.”
M&A participates in 8th ICARD
October 2 — M&A principal Dan Weber participated in the 8th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (ICARD) held in Skelftea, Sweden, from June 22–25, 2009. The conference showcased international experts on the environmental aspects of mining and metals — experts representing the scientific community, government agencies, and mining-related industries. Weber presented a poster entitled “Measuring Groundwater Pressures Using the Fully Grouted Piezometer Method: Applications for Mining Hydrology.”
M&A participates in NGWA 2009 Ground Water Summit
October 2 — M&A hydrogeologists Mark Thomasson, Dan Weber, Tim Allen, Mark Cross, and Ed McGavock participated in the 2009 Ground Water Summit, which was held by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) in Tucson from April 20–22. The summit addressed a range of topics; M&A staff presented papers on these four: Modeling of Ground Water Systems, Deep Groundwater Investigations, Water-Energy Nexus in the Southwestern U.S.: Can Desalination Be a Solution?, and Ground Water Remediation.
M&A participates in geologic carbon sequestration project
October 2 — M&A is working with the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB) on a pilot project for storing CO2 near APS’ Cholla Power Plant. The project has been initiated to study the effects of injecting CO2 at depths of 3,200–3,700 feet in the Holbrook basin. It will entail drilling and testing an injection well in two target reservoirs — the Pennsylvanian Naco Formation and the Devonian Martin Formation — which are expected to be saline and porous enough to support CO2 storage. Download a PDF (586 MB) to learn more about this project.
M&A names two new principals
January 27 — Montgomery & Associates is pleased to announce that Mark Thomasson, PhD, and Edward Peacock, P.G., have accepted invitations to become shareholders in the corporation.
Mark Thomasson has been with M&A for about 3 years. He leads our Hydrologic Modeling team. After completing his doctorate in hydrology, Mark conducted research at the University of Arizona (2001), characterizing flow and transport through the deep unsaturated zone at the field scale. He subsequently took a position as Assistant Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2002–2006). Since joining M&A, Mark has focused on developing data collection / analysis methods to characterize hydrogeologically complex systems (saturated and unsaturated) and to simulate their behavior.
Ed Peacock worked with M&A in its early years as a senior hydrogeologist and returned to us in the late 1990s to provide support in the area of water resource engineering. He has a B.S. and M.S. in geology and a B.S. in civil engineering. Ed now focuses his expertise on supervising field operations and interpreting data for groundwater development projects in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Mexico, and South America.
M&A presents at the Annual Salinity Summit in Las Vegas
January 27 — M&A’s Ed McGavock presented a poster at the 2009 Multi-State Salinity Coalition Annual Salinity Summit in Las Vegas. His poster, entitled “Opportunities for Desalination of Brackish Groundwater in Arizona,” highlights critical areas in the state where desalinated brackish groundwater could replace fresh groundwater or surface water supplies. It also explores how brackish resources could facilitate the use of groundwater that is too saline for direct potable use.
More than 600,000,000 acre-feet of brackish groundwater are estimated to be stored in Arizona aquifers, generally at depths of less than 1,200 feet. Brackish groundwater is integral to Arizona’s future water supply, and M&A is taking on an increasingly more critical role for clients to use this resource. Download his poster (2.7 MB PDF).
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