SRA-ERASG 2-26-2004 conference call notes

Attendance:
	Gary Drendel
	Bruce Hope
	Grace Kim
	Igor Linkov [past-chair]
	Ron Marnicio
	Randy Ryti [chair]
	John Scheffer

Others interested but could not participate:
	Clifford Duke
	Pat Kennedy
	Evelina C. Morales
	David Svendsgaard
	Javier Urbina-Soria

Topics discussed:

1) ERASG Student Fellowship for the Annual Meeting
The student fellowing is one of the main things that the ERASG funds and it is 
essential to get more student interest in SRA. Generally students go to SETAC 
and not to SRA. We discussed ways to advertise this fellowship:
- Risk Analysis list server (Igor action item)
- SETAC Globe ERA section (Randy action item)
- Announce at SETAC chapters and to faculty (Gary volunteered for SETAC-Rockies)

2) Updates to ERASG Web Site
- Randy will continue to update the web site with notes from this call and 
other information on the annual meeting. If you want to advertise a SRA-related 
activity on the ERASG web page send a synopsis to Randy.

3) Continuing to Build Membership and Finances
- Membership for ERASG was set at $5 for 2004. There was discussion about 
collecting dues from SRA non-members but it was decided to let people participate 
as their interest dictated and not based on membership (at least for 2004).

4) Annual Meeting Continuing Education (CE) Plans
CE short courses at the annual meeting have been good ways to raise funds for 
ERASG. For example, the Bayesian course at the 2003 annual meeting attracted 27 
people. However, the spatial ERA short course had to be cancelled due to lack of 
registrations. We should try to get some interesting CE short courses for the Palm 
Springs SRA annual meeting. One option considered for the 2004 annual meeting was 
to have 2-1/2 day short courses. Morning might be basics in ERA and the afternoon 
might be an arid lands focussed short course. The arid lands course might even have 
a field trip to increase interest.

5) Annual Meeting Technical Symposia; ideas floated for symposia included:
- waste site siting issues (arid land focus)
- threatened and endangered species (desert tortoise, fringe toed lizard)
- Salton Sea as a unique environment
- pipeline siting
- military installations (or federal facilities more generally)
- multicriteria decision analysis (Igor will contact CHPHM)

6) Nominations for ERASG Chair-Elect
- the committment is for 1 year as chair-elect, 2 years as chair, and 1 year as 
past chair
- work load mainly relates to annual meeting and serving on the program committee 
when chair
- nominations for chair-elect will be solicited in advance of the annual meeting

7) Other topics
- Bruce discussed some issues regarding publishing ERA case studies in journals and 
compared some of the pros/cons of Risk Analysis vs HERA vs the new SETAC journal 
(Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management). Some of the issues for Risk 
Analysis have been the long turnaround time and kinds of reviewers available for 
ERA papers.
- Bruce also mentioned some Canadian guidance on "Strategic Risk Assessment" - you 
can find out more at this url -- http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/016/index_e.htm

8) Next conference call in late May after abstracts are submitted for the annual 
meeting. Ron agreed to set up the dial-in number for the next conference call. Until 
May communication for ERASG will be via e-mail.

9) Ecological Society and ERASG connection
Clifford Duke of ESA was interested in interfacing with SRA ERASG in addition to 
collaborating with SETAC. Randy will be in contact with Clifford and let people know 
what opportunities arise. We also discussed why the ERASG was a useful group within SRA. 
This group provides a set of peers doing risk assessment, which is different than the 
historical focus of SETAC. One area for ERASG is to focus on management/interpretation 
for ERA applications. Igor noted that this is an objective of the Army Corps MCDA 
efforts. We also may be able to enhance and develop tools for NRDA. Other topics 
include population level risk assessments and the lack of bright line thresholds for 
problem/non-problem results for population and/or probabilistic ERAs.

END