AIPG annual business meeting at AZGS

AZGS hosted the annual business meeting of the Arizona Chapter of the AIPG on Saturday as we have for most of this century.    The Chapter holds the meeting in conjunction with the mid-year meeting of the AIPG national board.

In addition to the business part of the meeting, briefings are given from a variety of geoscience groups and agencies. This year, ADEQ, Board of Technical Registration, AZGS, USGS, and the Oil & Gas Conservation Commission provided updates.   Misael Cabrera, Deputy Director of ADEQ [right], described programs underway that are dramatically reducing the time and resources needed to process environmental permits by the agency without compromising the integrity of the process or environmental protection.    Despite at least a 30% reduction in staff since the recession began and increasing workload, ADEQ is cutting processing times by 25-40% in many areas, through elimination of unnecessary bureaucratic processes and other means.    He impressed the gathering with both the agency's approach and accomplishments.