In other news below:
-- CDS Technologies Inc. joins StormwaterAuthority.org
-- JEA enterprise software upgrade allows link to Oracle
-- Ex-USACE director joins MWH executive team
-- Army Corps' $27 million NY/NJ Urban Wetlands Program springs into gear
-- American Rivers announces 'Most Endangered Rivers of 2006'
-- King Innovation recognized as O'Fallon, Mo., manufacturer of year
-- Ecolab antimicrobial now EPA-registered to reduce pathogens in fruit, veggie waters
-- EPA 'cap-and-trade' program damages Pa.'s competitiveness, endangers environment
-- Calif. high school student first recipient of ITT student water journalism award
-- Waterlogic International to acquire Mutual of Omaha's innowave
• Process Control Systems Forum releases agenda for its June meeting -- Featured sessions include keynotes delivered by renowned control system security experts and first-ever 'SCADA Vulnerability Disclosure Case Study and Panel' -- FALLS CHURCH, VA, April 24, 2006 -- The Process Control Systems Forum (PCSF), established to improve efficiencies and accelerate the development of best practices crucial to securing control systems worldwide, today released the full conference agenda for its 2nd Annual 2006 Spring Meeting to be held in La Jolla, Ca. on June 6-7. This two-day event builds upon the past year's efforts by the PCSF to raise awareness for control system security issues, and will feature several keynote sessions, workshops and panel discussions to engage attendees and accelerate the critical work that is being done currently to address these threats.
"Over the past few years, myriad organizations have been established and conferences have been planned that work toward improving control systems security," said Michael Torppey, PCSF Technical Manager. "While these activities have done a good job of identifying the problems, action to make progress in this area has been slow. Our Spring Meeting is truly a one-of-a-kind event that will provide the venue for our participants to become engaged with others who face similar challenges while cross-connecting them with solution providers. Together, these parties will actively collaborate to not only identify best practices in control systems security, but also collectively work towards providing the tools necessary to put these ideas into practice."
The theme for the PCSF Spring Meeting is "A Call to Action: Now is the Time to Achieve Results" and the meeting participants -- international stakeholders from industry, academia, standards bodies, vendors and government -- will utilize this inclusive venue to develop common architectures, protocols and best practices for locking down cyber security for control systems.
Keynote speakers for the event will be delivered from renowned control systems security experts, including Dr. Paul Dorey, CISO of BP plc; William Crowell, IT consultant and former NSA deputy director; and Margaret "Peg" Grayson, member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which provides recommendations to the President on critical infrastructure security and other issues. These leading executives will share their perspectives on overcoming the challenges of embracing a pervasive security management approach, how to deal with the unique challenges to securing control systems, and what hurdles lie ahead.
The Spring Meeting also will feature several noteworthy panel discussions and workshops pertaining to control system security issues, including:
First SCADA Disclosure: Case Study, Panel Session, and Workshops -- This talk will provide detailed "behind the scenes" information such as response timelines, summary of vendor/CERT communications, and actions to measure the effectiveness of current response procedures and frame the debate within the control system security community. Four panels representing control system vendors, national coordination centers, security researchers, and asset owners will discuss and debate central questions regarding the disclosure and dissemination of information on control system vulnerabilities.
SCADA Cyber Self-Assessment (SCySAG) Workshop -- This PCSF Working Group assists with the development and adoption of the next generation of self-administered tools and methodologies for the assessment of the cyber security readiness of control systems. During this workshop, participants will present a compendium of existing SCADA self-assessment efforts/resources, continue to work on analysis of the unique characteristics of the control system environment versus the generic IT environment, and plan for a gap analysis publication to identify areas of cyber self-assessment requirements that are inadequately covered.
Control System Event Monitoring Workshop -- This Group is leveraging existing solutions and identifying ways to augment these solutions with control system detection sources and correlation intelligence. The results will be good practices, information sharing, product and service solutions, and case studies that will help asset owners detect cyber attacks on their critical infrastructures. This workshop will progress the Security Event Monitoring (SEM) Group's two projects; collecting and correlating control system attack statistics and integrating control system application logs in SEM products. Real-world results will be demonstrated, and work to improve and broaden the solution will be debated.
Over 250 attendees are slated to attend this year's meeting, which will take place at The Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines hotel. Attendees should register online now to receive the best rates: https://www.pcsforum.org/events/2006/spring/index.php
In February 2005, the Process Control Systems Forum (www.pcsforum.org) was established in response to the growing vulnerability of infrastructure asset control systems in an increasingly computerized, automated, and interdependent operating environment. With funding from the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (DHS/HSARPA) and managed by a public/private collaborative Interim Governing Board (IGB), the PCSF charter is to improve efficiencies and accelerate the development of best practices that are crucial to securing critical infrastructures. It operates as an open, collaborative, voluntary forum to leverage and unify the experience, capabilities, and contributions of stakeholders through meetings, interest groups and working groups. The IGB provides guidance on strategy, management, legal matters, processes, and conflict resolution for the PCSF. Forum participants include international stakeholders from government, academia, industry users, owner/operators, and systems integrators and the vendor community. The PCSF is facilitated by Mitretek Systems.
---
Among other recent headlines:
CDS Technologies Inc. joins StormwaterAuthority.org
WILMOT, NH, April 24, 2006 -- StormwaterAuthority.org, a multi-partnered national website designed to assist both the private and public sectors in making informed decisions about stormwater treatment and management, announced CDS Technologies, Inc. as a Thunder Affiliate of the company. StormwaterAuthority.org is a comprehensive resource of information, news, events and research designed to help professionals make informed decisions on stormwater. CDS Technologies provides Continuous Deflective Separation (CDS) units and Media Filtration System (MFS) BMPs to treat stormwater. Either can be deployed as a standalone unit or configured in a treatment train. It also put together an engineered treatment system to achieve primary clarification or secondary filtration stormwater effluent quality standards of private and public development projects.
Also see:
-- "Baysaver Technologies Inc. joins StormwaterAuthority.org"
-- "Roscoe Moss Company joins StormwaterAuthority.org"
• JEA expands use of Spescom eB -- Enterprise upgrade to link with Oracle's financial solution -- SAN DIEGO, CA, April 24, 2006 -- Spescom Software Inc., a leading provider of enterprise content and configuration management solutions, announced today that Jacksonville, FL, water and power utility JEA has selected Spescoms' eB DM suite to implement document and content management across its enterprise. Spescom has provided limited content and document management solutions for various JEA projects since 1997. However, several new business initiatives within JEA have resulted in the need for an enterprise level deployment of eB. JEA is expected to complete the procurement process for the upgrade, valued to Spescom at more than $450,000, by February 2007. JEA's initial implementations of eB supported its engineering document management needs, like drawings for plant engineering maintenance, underground distribution, relay stations, building maintenance, and environmental services permitting, as well as employee training records. More recently, eB replaced a legacy IBM solution, and is currently being implemented as the content management repository for the Oracle Financials solution. The enhanced security found in eB version 14 meets JEA's requirements for human resource content...
• Stephen Browning joins MWH executive team -- Former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers director aided in Iraq reconstruction and 9/11 recovery efforts -- BROOMFIELD, CO, April 24, 2006 -- Stephen Browning has joined MWH's executive team, where he will be responsible for assisting in developing its strategic intent and unit strategies, and helping to facilitate overall growth objectives. Browning brings with him 25 years of diverse international engineering experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Previously, Browning served as programs director - South Pacific Region, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and was a senior civilian responsible for all military, civil works and environmental programs throughout the U.S. Southwest. In 2003, Browning served on the initial reconstruction team in Iraq, where he was a member of the first Coalition Civil Authority Team and the senior advisor to the Ministries of Health, Religious Affairs, Transportation and Communications. He also served as the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority's deputy director for Infrastructure. And he played a key role in the 9/11 recovery efforts, deployed as a senior Department of Defense leader at the World Trade Center (WTC) site in response to the attacks...
• Army Corps' $27 million NY/NJ Urban Wetlands Program springs into gear -- Program overhauls 143 acres of land, hand planting 1.5 million new plants -- NEW YORK, April 24, 2006 -- Creating urban wetlands, which clean our water, reduce flood risks and provide essential fish and wildlife habitat, in one of the most populated regions in the world is no easy task. Balancing the needs of the Port of New York and New Jersey, the third largest port in the nation, and the Hudson Raritan Estuary, one of the largest estuaries on the east coast, takes planning, partnership and good science and engineering. As part of Earth Day celebrations across the nation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today broke ground on a $4.3 million Woodbridge Creek Ecosystem restoration project to build and preserve wetlands in New Jersey. Land for the site was donated by the Township of Woodbridge and property access granted by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. This project is part of the ongoing $27 million environmental mitigation program in the Hudson Raritan Estuary and being implemented in conjunction with the $1.6 billion New York and New Jersey Harbor Deepening Project. The overall program will require a variety of more than 1.5 million plants to be replanted throughout the region...
Also see: -- "American Rivers blasts Army Corps of Engineers for endangering waterways"
-- "American Rivers announces 'America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2006'"
• King Innovation recognized as 2006 O'Fallon Manufacturer of the Year -- O'FALLON, MO, April 24, 2006 -- King Innovation was announced Friday as O'Fallon, MO's "Manufacturer of the Year." Sponsored by the city of O'Fallon and the O'Fallon Economic Progress Committee, the award was presented to Frank Vlasaty, president of King Innovation. The King business originally was begun in the 1940s by Lloyd King. In the 1980s, current CEO and owner, Herb King, took over what his father Lloyd began and founded King Innovation. Seeking to establish further growth for the company, King Innovation relocated in 1995, becoming the first tenant of O'Fallon Corporate Centre. Originally focused on providing products to the irrigation industry, King Innovation has grown its innovative product portfolio to now include manufactured goods for the irrigation, electrical, gas and water utility industries...
• Ecolab's Tsunami 100 product is only EPA-registered antimicrobial water additive to reduce pathogens in fruit, vegetable process waters -- ST. PAUL, MN, April 24, 2006 -- Ecolab Inc. today announced that its Tsunami 100 product was recently registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce 99.9% of pathogens in process waters used to clean fruits and vegetables. It's the only EPA-registered antimicrobial water additive product on the market that can make such a claim. Tsunami 100 works against the dangerous pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica in fruit and vegetable processing waters. In addition, it provides control of spoilage and decay-causing non-public health organisms present on the surfaces of post-harvest, fresh-cut and processed fruits and vegetables so product spoilage is minimized and shelf life is enhanced...
Also see:
-- "Ecolab expands its European food & beverage business"
-- "Ecolab acquires water care company"
• PA DEP: EPA's use of 'cap-and-trade' program damages state's competitiveness, endangers environment -- Pennsylvanians have paid to upgrade other states' plants more than other states' ratepayers -- HARRISBURG, PA, April 24, 2006 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's use of a "cap and trade" to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants not only will send energy dollars and construction jobs out of Pennsylvania, but it also will make the commonwealth less competitive by discouraging enhancements to in-state energy infrastructure. Because of banking and trading provisions in the federal mercury rule, utilities do not have to make emission reductions in Pennsylvania. Instead, they can purchase these reductions from upgraded facilities in other states as opposed to investing to clean up plants here. Power companies in Pennsylvania have bought credits to a greater extent than power companies in any other state in the union. Because of that, they've paid for upgrades at plants outside the commonwealth, making in-state facilities less competitive compared to upgraded plants helping to feed an increasing integrated power grid. In just the last few years, the grid that serves Pennsylvania now serves all or part of 13 states. This means that Pennsylvania plants now compete with plants that Pennsylvania ratepayers have been paying to upgrade, while Pennsylvania power companies have delayed in-state improvements...
Also see:
-- "Pa. DEP fines Wayne County summer camp $50,000 for water quality violations"
-- "Governor says new grants will help communities provide cleaner drinking water"
• Calif. high school student first recipient of ITT student water journalism award -- SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, 2006 -- Alyse Ritvo of Oakland, CA, was today announced the inaugural winner of the ITT Award for Excellence in Student Water Journalism (AESWJ), a program created by ITT Industries (ITT), a world leader in the development and production of technology for moving, handling and treating water and wastewater. Through this award, ITT recognizes an aspiring journalist who reports on water-related environmental issues, and in-turn raises awareness and encourages further exploration of solutions to global water challenges. Ritvo, 18, a senior at Head-Royce School in Oakland, was given the award for her feature article titled "Sure You Drink Bottled Water, But Do You Know Why?," which explores America's love for bottled water and the lack of access to safe drinking water for billions of others in developing nations. Ritvo's article was named the winner by a judging panel of top environmental, science and water journalists and industry leaders from a pool of articles submitted nationwide. The competition was administered by the Quill and Scroll Society, the international honorary society for high school journalists...
• Waterlogic International to acquire Mutual of Omaha's innowave affiliate -- OMAHA, NE, April 24, 2006 -- Waterlogic International Ltd., a global manufacturer and distributor of point-of-use water distribution systems, will acquire the assets of Mutual of Omaha's innowave inc. Founded by Mutual of Omaha in 1996, innowave markets a line of point-of-use water treatment systems through a network of dealers in the United States and Canada. Waterlogic is a leading manufacturer and distributor of point-of-use water systems and has been an innowave supplier since 1998. Under the agreement, the assets of innowave inc. will be transferred to a new Waterlogic subsidiary named innowave USA LLC. The sale is expected to be finalized on May 5, 2006. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed...
***
In earlier newsbriefs, see: "WaterBriefs: ITC moves forward with activated carbon investigation" -- Also in this report (April 21, 2006): Earth Day sunnier than we might imagine; Aqua America prepares for National Drinking Water Week; Severn Trent picks Fla. development district for environmental award; Black & Veatch launches first corporate rain garden in Kansas City; Flowserve offers 'Experience in Motion' at ACHEMA 2006; Spiroflow exhibits at Powder & Bulk show; Alfa Laval receives record order for heat exchangers for LNG plant; Michigan takes ownership of Blue Water Isles wetland from Waste Management; Calif. DWR awarded over $70 million in dispute with Sempra Energy; Seprotech awarded $1 million order to refurbish Army water treatment plants; Siemens to invest $7.2 million in New Kensington, PA, plant expansion; TCEQ announces 2006 winners of Texas Environmental Excellence Award; Rwandan President visits AWWA, Water For People, AwwaRF offices; GigaBeam sells two additional WiFi links for San Francisco PUC...
###
