GRA Members, This is the first issue of the Groundwater Resources Association of California's electronic news, "HydroFlash". It will compliment the more in-depth information on the GRA Web site and in "HydroVisions" by providing timely news flashes every month or so. It is intended to take only a minute or two of your time to scan. To go to the details on items of interest to you, click on the links (or copy and paste into your web browser). I hope you will find "HydroFlash" useful in your work!

Martin Steinpress, Editor

In this issue:

1. Hexavalent Chromium Symposium (January 2001) Updates
2. Announcement of Characterization and Remediation of Recalcitrant & Emerging Contaminants Symposium in June 2001
3. Legislative Updates- Groundwater Recharge & Hexavalent Chromium
4. On-line Employment Postings
5. GRA Membership Renewals On-line
6. HydroVisions- Newest Issue Available On-line

HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM SYMPOSIUM UPDATES - SYMPOSIUM SUMMARY, PROCEEDINGS AND ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE

A summary of GRA's January 25th, 2001 symposium in Glendale, CA is on the GRA web site at http://www.grac.org/CrVI.html. To order a hard copy binder of the complete symposium proceedings on-line, go to http://www.grac.org/CrVI_binders.html. The presentations that were not in the proceedings at the time of the symposium are also available on the web site - http://www.grac.org/CrVI_presentations.html.

CHARACTERIZATION AND REMEDIATION OF RECALCITRANT AND EMERGING CONTAMINANTS - SYMPOSIUM ANNOUNCEMENT

The Series on Groundwater Contaminants continues with the above presented by GRA, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and the Northern California Fuel Oxygenates Committee. This Symposium will address advances in MtBE Remediation; Solvent Stabilizers -- Occurrence, Behavior and Treatment of 1,4-dioxane; Successes and Failures with In-Situ Treatment Technologies at Chlorinated Solvent Sites -- Case Studies from the Bay Area; Web-based Environmental and Geographic Information System Solutions, and other topics. The symposium will be held on June 14-15, 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Watch for online registration and the program soon, and read the announcement at http://www.grac.org/contaminants.html.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Groundwater Recharge - Assembly Bill 92

Introduced by Assembly Member Chavez on January 9, 2001, would amend § 831.8 of the Government Code by extending the protection for public agencies that operate flood control and water conservation facilities from liability for injuries to third parties caused by the condition or use of unlined flood control channels or adjacent groundwater recharge spreading grounds under certain prescribed conditions. The law as currently written expires on January 1, 2002. This bill would extend that date until January 1, 2007. No other change is made to the existing law. Bill status: referred to Judiciary Committee on February 1, 2001 - http://www.grac.org/AB_92.html.

Hexavalent Chromium - Multiple Bills

A flurry of activity in the California legislature is directing DHS to investigate technologies that remove Chromium VI from drinking water (SB_460), to establish a primary drinking water standard for Chromium VI (SB_351), and to determine the levels of Chromium VI in the drinking water supplied by the public water systems in the San Gabriel Basin (SB_393) and the Chino Basin (SB_472). SB_387 declares that it is the intent of the Legislature to commence the process for adopting a primary drinking water standard for total Chromium of 2.3 parts per billion and to commence the process for adopting a primary drinking water standard for Chromium VI of 0.2 parts per billion.

ONLINE EMPLOYMENT POSTINGS

GRA Members may now post job announcements for their companies directly on the GRA web site - a great way to reach groundwater professionals in California! http://www.grac.org/jobpost.html You can also search the site for jobs with this link to the listings page - http://www.grac.org/jobs.html.

SUPPORT GRA FOR YEAR 2001 - MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS ON-LINE

If you haven't renewed yet for 2001, please do so soon online at http://www.grac.org/support_GRA.html.

HYDROVISIONS - NEW ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE

The latest issue of HydroVisions is available online at http://www.grac.org/Spring_01.pdf. Back issues are also available at http://www.grac.org/hydrovisions.html.

FEEDBACK - CONTACT THE EDITOR

To provide feedback or suggestions for future issues of HydroFlash, contact the editor, Martin Steinpress.

This issue of HydroFlash was brought to you by Montgomery Watson