In the photo: Nick Ecart, ASTM director of international sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Essa Al Maidoor, deputy director general of Dubai municipality and president of SOE–UAE

Third-grade students from Conshohocken Elementary School in the Colonial School District enjoyed a field trip to Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne, Pa., on Nov. 12 courtesy of ASTM International.

In conjunction with their current classroom science lessons, the students learned about ecosystems and had the opportunity to see and pet some of the animals in the Riverbend barn, including a turtle, gecko, snake, guinea pig and more.

Leah Scharff Hepler (back row, center), Director, Accounting and Financial Services, ASTM International, poses with the winners of the 2012 MacKenzie Park T-shirt contest at the 20th Annual West Conshohocken Community Day in West Conshohocken, Pa., on Oct. 6. ASTM has been a longtime sponsor of the contest, in which West Conshohocken children create T-shirt designs as part of the MacKenzie Park summer camp program.

On Oct. 26, ASTM International sponsored a field trip to Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne, Pa., for second-grade students from Bridgeport Elementary School in the Upper Merion School District.

ASTM International will hold an organizational meeting on Dec. 3, 2012, to discuss the potential for developing standards for spent lead acid battery recycling. The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m in Washington, D.C. To register for the meeting, go to www1.astm.org/MEETINGS/organizational-agenda.html.

Today’s signing of an Agreement on Standards between ASTM International and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) solidifies coordination between two organizations working in the common interest of highway construction, safety, maintenance and sustainability.

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and wild fires present enormous challenges to those attempting to minimize potential damage from future events, as well as to those who must deal with the aftermath of catastrophes. While technical standards cannot prevent natural disasters, they are used to ensure greater safety and security before disasters occur and to provide needed assistance in the wake of events.

Will Offer Development of Product Category Rules and Verification of Environmental Product Declarations

ASTM International announces its new initiative as a Program Operator for Product Category Rules (PCRs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which will provide the venue for developing PCRs and verifying EPDs.

La Dirección General de Normas y Sistemas de Calidad (DIGENOR) has outlined the success of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ASTM International and its use of ASTM standards in a recent annual report. DIGENOR and ASTM signed the MOU in 2009.