National Academies Press: OpenBook

Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States (2010)

Chapter: Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches

« Previous: Appendix A: Legislative Authorization Language H.R. 6 - Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 1811. Coal Bed Methane Study
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
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APPENDIX B
Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches

William L. Fisher (NAE), Chair, is a professor and the Leonidas T. Barrow Centennial Chair in Mineral Resources in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He has extensive experience in academia and in state and federal government, including service as Texas state geologist and director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, and as assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior. Dr. Fisher is past president of the Association of American State Geologists, American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), American Geological Institute (AGI), American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), and Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies. He has received the Powers Medal from AAPG, the Campbell Medal from AGI, the Parker Medal from AIPG, and the Hedberg Medal from the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man. His research interests include energy and mineral policy, basin analysis, energy and mineral resource evaluation, stratigraphic facies analysis, seismic stratigraphic analysis, oil and gas recovery, environmental geology, and waste disposal. Dr. Fisher is a former member of the NRC’s Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, former chair of the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, and a former member of the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems. Dr. Fisher was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1994.


James W. Bauder is a professor and soil-water specialist with the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman, where he also serves as coordinator of the MSU Coalbed Methane Product Water Management/Outreach Education Project. His current work focuses on developing educational resources and materials for local government agencies and interested groups, with emphasis on groundwater quality, irrigation, management, and soil and water conservation. Dr. Bauder is a certified professional soils scientist. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2007 American Society of Agronomy International Agronomic Exten-

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
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sion Educator Award. He earned a B.S. in forestry management and an M.S. in watershed science from the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. in soil physics and irrigation science from Utah State University.


William H. Clements is a professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University. His research interests include aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology, community responses of aquatic organisms to contaminants, stressor interactions in aquatic ecosystems, and effects of climate change and ultraviolet radiation on streams. Dr. Clements is the author of two textbooks on ecotoxicology. He received the 2006 Presidential Citation from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. He previously served on the National Research Council Committee on Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites. Dr. Clements received his B.S. and M.S. in biology from Florida State University and his Ph.D. in zoology from Virginia Tech.


Inez Hua is a professor in the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University, where she is also founding interim head of the Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, College of Engineering. Dr. Hua has completed research projects and published results on various aspects of industrial ecology and sustainability, water pollution control technologies, environmental chemistry, contaminant fate, and remediation technologies. One major theme in her research is technology development for water pollution control in which she has conducted research on innovative technologies such as supercritical water oxidation, ultrasonic irradiation, and engineered photochemical systems. Dr. Hua previously served as a member of the National Research Council Committee for the Technical Assessment of Environmental Programs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Hua received a B.A. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in environmental science and engineering from the California Institute of Technology.


Ann S. Maest is an aqueous geochemist with Stratus Consulting, Inc., in Boulder, Colorado, where she designs, conducts, and manages groundwater and surface water hydrogeochemistry studies at mining and other industrial sites. She also works on independent monitoring and capacity-building projects with community and indigenous groups in North and South America. With expertise in the fate and transport of natural and anthropogenic contaminants in groundwater, surface water, and sediment, her work has focused on the environmental effects of mining and petroleum extraction and production and, more recently, on the effects of climate change on water quality. Before joining Stratus Consulting, Dr. Maest was a research geochemist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, where she conducted research on metal speciation, and a senior scientist at Environmental Defense in Washington, D.C., where she designed technical and policy approaches to minimize the

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×

release of toxic substances from mining and manufacturing facilities. Dr. Maest has served on a number of national and international committees, including three National Research Council committees related to earth resources and minerals research and international committees on mining and sustainable development. She holds a Ph.D. in geochemistry and water resources from Princeton University and an undergraduate degree in geology from Boston University.


Arthur W. Ray currently serves as the president of Wiley Environmental Strategies, a minority-owned environmental consulting firm. He has been engaged with the firm since 2001, with exception of a short period as a senior regulatory analyst and environmental justice coordinator for the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) in Washington, D.C. From 1995 until 2001 he served as deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, where he directed all aspects of pollution control and environmental protection in the state. He has also served in legal and managerial capacities at three major utility companies, assisting each company’s environmental compliance efforts. Mr. Ray worked in the Office of Enforcement at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1979 to 1990, during which time he was involved in the prosecution of major hazardous waste enforcement cases. A recognized expert in the field of environmental justice (EJ), Mr. Ray has been the lead attorney in several groundbreaking EJ enforcement actions. He has done extensive work with EJ community groups throughout the country and has assisted in setting up EJ programs for businesses and government agencies. He received his B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from George Washington University.


W. C. “Rusty” Riese is a geoscience advisor with British Petroleum Alternative Energy and has more than 37 years of industry experience in both nonfuel and fuel minerals as a geologist, geochemist, and manager. Dr. Riese has written extensively and lectured on various topics in applied science, including biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, isotope geo-chemistry, uranium ore deposits, sequence stratigraphy, and coalbed methane petroleum systems, and holds numerous domestic and international patents, most developed during his 15 years of coalbed methane work and research. He has more than 30 years of teaching experience, including 24 years at Rice University where he developed the curricula for petroleum geology and industry risk and economic evaluation. Dr. Riese participated in the National Petroleum Council (NPC) evaluation of natural gas supply and demand for North America, conducted at the request of the secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy and in the recent NPC analysis of global supply and demand requested by the same agency. He is a member of the house of delegates and is sections vice president for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and a fellow of the Geological Society of America and the Society of Economic Geologists. A certified professional geologist, certified petroleum

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×

geologist, and registered geologist in the states of Texas and South Carolina, Dr. Riese earned his B.S. in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and both his M.S. and Ph.D. in geology from the University of New Mexico.


Donald I. Siegel is a professor of geology at Syracuse University, where he teaches graduate courses in hydrogeology and aqueous geochemistry. Prior to his professorship at Syracuse, he was a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. His research interests are in solute transport at both local and regional scales, surface water/groundwater interaction, stable isotope geochemistry, and paleohydrogeology. Dr. Siegel was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, the O. E. Meinzer Award, and the Birdsall-Dreiss Lectureship by the Hydrogeology Division of the Geological Society of America (GSA). He recently served as a counselor of GSA and has served or serves as associate editor of numerous professional journals, including Geology, Hydrologic Processes, Water Resources Research, the Hydrogeology Journal and Geosphere. He now is book editor for GSA. He has served on numerous NRC committees, including the Committee on Wetlands Characterization, Committee on Techniques for Assessing Ground Water Vulnerability, and Committee on River Science at the U.S. Geological Survey. Recently, Dr. Siegel was awarded a lifetime national associate designation by the National Research Council for his contributions. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from the University of Rhode Island and Pennsylvania State University, respectively, and a Ph.D. in hydrogeology from the University of Minnesota.


Geoffrey Thyne is a registered professional geologist and senior research scientist at the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) at the University of Wyoming. He has worked as a research scientist for Arco Oil and Gas; as assistant professor at California State University, Bakersfield in the Department of Physics and Geology; and as associate research professor at the Colorado School of Mines Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. He also served as project manager for the Colorado Energy Research Institute, supervising a U.S. Department of Energy-funded project to evaluate various water treatments for coalbed methane produced water. Before joining the EORI, he worked on a variety of research and consulting projects in the western United States involving impacts of energy production on water resources. He has authored of more than 35 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has given many professional presentations. Dr. Thyne holds a B.A. in chemistry and zoology from the University of South Florida, an M.S. in oceanography from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Wyoming.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×

NRC Staff

Elizabeth A. Eide is a senior program officer with the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. Prior to joining the NRC in 2005, she was as a research scientist for 12 years at the Geological Survey of Norway where she was team leader and built and managed the 40Ar/39Ar geochronology laboratory. Her research while in Norway included basic and applied projects related to crustal processes. She completed a Ph.D. in geology at Stanford University and received a B.A. in geology from Franklin and Marshall College.


Stephanie E. Johnson is a senior program officer with the Water Science and Technology Board. Since joining the NRC in 2002, she has served as study director for 10 committees, including the Committee on Advancing Desalination Technology and the Committee on Water Reuse. She has also worked on NRC studies on contaminant source remediation, disposal of coal combustion wastes, Everglades restoration, and water security. Dr. Johnson received her B.A. from Vanderbilt University in chemistry and geology and her M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia on the subject of pesticide transport and microbial bioavailability in soils.


Courtney R. Gibbs is a program associate with the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. She received her degree in graphic design from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute in 2000 and began working for the National Academies in 2004. Prior to her work with the board, Ms. Gibbs supported the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board, the former Board on Radiation Effects Research, and the Naval Studies Board.


Jason R. Ortego is a research associate with the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. He received a B.A. in English from Louisiana State University in 2004 and an M.A. in international affairs from George Washington University in 2008. He began working for the National Academies in 2008 with the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, and in 2009 he joined the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources.


Nicholas D. Rogers is a research associate with the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources at the National Academies. He received a B.A. in history, with a focus on the history of science and early American history, from Western Connecticut State University in 2004. Mr. Rogers began working for the National Academies in 2006 and has primarily supported the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources on earth resource issues and the board’s interdisciplinary projects.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×
Page 194
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×
Page 196
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×
Page 197
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches." National Research Council. 2010. Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12915.
×
Page 198
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In some coalbeds, naturally occurring water pressure holds methane—the main component of natural gas—fixed to coal surfaces and within the coal. In a coalbed methane (CBM) well, pumping water from the coalbeds lowers this pressure, facilitating the release of methane from the coal for extraction and use as an energy source. Water pumped from coalbeds during this process—CBM 'produced water'—is managed through some combination of treatment, disposal, storage, or use, subject to compliance with federal and state regulations.

CBM produced water management can be challenging for regulatory agencies, CBM well operators, water treatment companies, policy makers, landowners, and the public because of differences in the quality and quantity of produced water; available infrastructure; costs to treat, store, and transport produced water; and states' legal consideration of water and produced water. Some states consider produced water as waste, whereas others consider it a beneficial byproduct of methane production. Thus, although current technologies allow CBM produced water to be treated to any desired water quality, the majority of CBM produced water is presently being disposed of at least cost rather than put to beneficial use.

This book specifically examines the Powder River, San Juan, Raton, Piceance, and Uinta CBM basins in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The conclusions and recommendations identify gaps in data and information, potential beneficial uses of CBM produced water and associated costs, and challenges in the existing regulatory framework.

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