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Climate change assessment and risk management is becoming an increasingly important topic in the field of environmental assessment. An ASTM task group is developing proposed new standards that cover all aspects of climate change assessment. The first standard to be approved by this task group is ASTM E2718 , Guide for Financial Disclosures Attributed to Climate Change. The task group is under the…
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Proposed Standards for Green Meetings Being Developed by ASTM International Sustainability CommitteeSince 2004, when the Convention Industry Council (CIC) appointed a green meeting task force that produced a white paper of best practices for suppliers and planners, interest in the concept of green meetings has steadily been growing. Discussions between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CIC and the Green Meeting Industry Council revealed a tremendous need in the meeting and event…
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The rate at which a volume of light non-aqueous phase liquid, such as oil, will flow through a unit width of porous material, such as soil, for a unit gradient is termed LNAPL transmissivity. Being able to measure LNAPL transmissivity is an important aspect of environmental assessment work. It is possible to measure LNAPL transmissivity via several methodologies (for example, baildown tests,…
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Sustainability — addressing the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs — will be the topic of an October workshop and standards development meetings of ASTM International Committee E60 on Sustainability. The committee will meet Oct. 18-22 during the ASTM October 2009 committee week in Atlanta, Ga. “All of us need to incorporate sustainable means…, Life Cycle Assessment Workshop to Be Held Oct. 18-19, A workshop, Life Cycle Assessments: Methodology, Current Development and Application in Standards , will be held Oct. 18-19. A fundamental concept in sustainability, LCA is becoming more expected from industry while little guidance exists about how best to incorporate LCA criteria into product standards, according to Meadows. Use of LCA and LCA criteria in product standards is directly related to…, Infrastructure and Packaging Forums to Be Held Oct. 19, Standards Development Work to Continue, Forums on infrastructure and packaging will be held the afternoon of Oct. 19 to identify resources and information about the sustainability aspects of the two topics. The subjects, determined at a previous E60 meeting, could lead to a database or possible standards development projects for the future. E60 subcommittees on buildings and construction, hospitality and general sustainability…
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Offers Students a Direct Line to Developing Important Sustainability Standards Sustainable development considers the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, according to ASTM E2114 , Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Performance of Buildings, a standard under the jurisdiction of ASTM International Committee E60 on…
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As interest in energy efficiency and green buildings continues to build, it is easy to imagine that property due diligence by prospective buyers and lessees will begin to include such environmental considerations, which can impact property values and rental rates. This is particularly true in light of legislation such as California’s Assembly Bill 1103, a new law that became effective Jan. 1 and…, ASTM WK24707, , Guide for Building Energy Performance Disclosure, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E50.02 on Real Estate Assessment and Management. ASTM WK24707 will be used by professionals conducting due diligence for prospective property purchasers and lessees. “It is anticipated that energy disclosure obligations will be incorporated into the traditional legal obligations of landlords and sellers…
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Six months after the spring 2008 publication of ASTM standard E2600 , Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions, the task group that developed it surveyed users to receive feedback on the new standard. According to Anthony Buonicore, CEO of the Buonicore Group and chair of the vapor intrusion task group, the survey results have led…
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Subjects Include Vented Construction Systems, Furnace Exposure and Tunnel Fire Resistance, Subcommittee E05.11 on Fire Resistance, part of ASTM International Committee E05 on Fire Standards, is currently developing a number of proposed standards, including the following three test methods on vented construction systems, furnace exposure on test samples and tunnel fire resistance. All parties interested in working on fire resistance standards are encouraged to join in the activities of…, Vented Construction, Understanding how construction systems will perform in the earliest moments of a fire is crucial. A proposed new ASTM standard, WK22660 , Test Method for Evaluating Fire Performance of Vented Construction, will provide tests for evidence on how vented construction systems are affected by the first five minutes of a fire and will be used to complement existing fire testing methods test results “…, Furnace Exposure, Fire test laboratories and fire protection engineers will be the primary users of proposed new standard ASTM WK23795 , Test Method for Measuring the Uniformity of Furnace Exposure on Test Samples. The proposed standard provides general principles for measuring the uniformity of furnace exposure on samples tested in accordance with the following standards: - ASTM E119 , Test Methods for Fire…, Tunnel Fire Resistance, Fires in tunnels can reach temperatures as high as 2,500°F [1371°C], but current standards that deal with building fires provide for a maximum temperature of 2,000°F [1093°C] and are not specific to tunnels. A proposed new standard, ASTM WK23821 , Test Methods for Tunnel Fire Resistance, will be developed with the special considerations of tunnel fires in mind. According to Barry Badders, manager…
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Coinciding with Earth Day 2009, the inaugural meetings of ASTM International Committee E60 on Sustainability covered standards work, an expanded sustainability database, a student liaison subcommittee and more. Ninety-five stakeholders from a range of industries met April 21-23 in Vancouver, British, Columbia, Canada, and discussed best practices for sustainability and the potential to…, Life Cycle Assessment Workshop to Be Held in October, On Sunday, Oct. 18, and Monday, Oct. 19, Committee E60 will host a workshop on life cycle assessment and both its theory and practice. The purpose is to share information on the effective use of LCA methodology in supporting standards development. The workshop will be held during the ASTM October committee week meetings in Atlanta, Ga., E60 Develops Submission Criteria and Expands Online Sustainability Database, Through new criteria and a new task group, Committee E60 has expanded the scope of its online sustainability database, and it encourages all ASTM committees and outside organizations to submit sustainability-related standards for possible inclusion in the resource. According to Meadows, the sustainability database fills a void in having one place to gather sustainability standards from both ASTM…, Proposed Standards from New Student Liaison and Affairs Subcommittee, To give a voice to ASTM student members who represent universities around the world, Committee E60 has established Subcommittee E60.95 on Student Liaison and Affairs. Sustainability, notes Meadows, is about managing resources today so that they are available to future generations, and as such, students have a vested interest in the work of the committee. E60 plans to communicate with interested…
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the 2008 revision to an ASTM International standard describing the environmental assessment needs of parties involved in the acquisition of forestland and rural properties is now compliant with the agency’s All Appropriate Inquiries Rule (40 CFR Part 312, Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquires). The EPA decision came in a…