|
Speaker
William E. Motzer, PhD, PG, CHG
Forensic Geochemist/Geologist
Abstract:
Perhaps there was no other material discovery that shaped a city, its surroundings (and subsequent formation of a State) than that of the 1848 discovery of gold, in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Some historians suggest that the Civil War had the greatest impact on American society. This may have been largely true in the east, but the Civil Wars impact was somewhat less felt in the far west. The discovery of gold, just slightly more than a decade earlier, impacted the entire nation but more importantly shaped society in San Francisco, the Bay Area and California particularly in demographics, transportation, and economics. However, the Gold Rush also left behind environmental contamination that lingers today, including mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), silting of San Francisco Bay, and fill. This presentation is an excerpt of chapters by the author that will be published later this year in Cities and Geology by the International Association of Engineering Geologist (IAEG) 13th Congress and Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) 61st annual meeting.
Biography:
William E. Motzer, PhD, PG, CHG
Forensic Geochemist/Geologist
William E. (Bill) Motzer is a registered California Professional Geologist (PG) and Certified Hydrogeologist (CHG), with PG registrations in five other states. Bill has more than 30 years experience in conducting surface and subsurface water quality chemistry and environmental forensic investigations throughout California and other western states. Although now somewhat retired he still consults, loves hiking/leading hikes and geology field trips for organizations such as the Contra Costa Hills Hiking Club (CCHG), Northern California Geological Society (NCGS), and PEMA. He is a past President of the San Francisco Bay Branch of the Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA) and currently is contributing editor to the California Section of the American Chemical Societys (ACS) newsletter The Vortex (www.calacs.org) for which he writes a monthly column on various chemical and geochemical topics.
Date
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
11:30am 1:30pm
Location:
Scotts Seafood
2 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
|
|
 |
LocationScott's Seafood - Jack London Square (View)
2 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94607
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
|
Contact
|
