1. Arizona Insurance Claims Association February Meeting. Thursday, February 21st . Networking/Social Hour 5 p.m. | Dinner/Meeting 6 p.m. Doubletree Hotel | 320 N. 44th Street | Phoenix, AZ
| Company/Independent Adjusters | $ 5.00 |
| Current Members | $ 30.00 |
| Non-Members | $ 45.00 |
RSVP by Monday, February 18th
https://aicaonline.org/event/2019-february-monthly-meeting/
February Guest Speaker
Topic: Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for Arial Inspections
This is a one-hour course designed to educate adjusters or other insurance industry professionals on potential and practical use of UAS (commonly called drones) for aerial inspections. The courses will overview FAA regulations, requirements, aircraft specifications and capabilities. Forensics, property, industrial, construction and vehicular accident reconstruction applications will be discussed with a variety of examples that demonstrate the benefits of their use.
Speaker – Lindsay Oleson
Lindsay Oleson is a graduate of Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering. Her primary areas of consulting expertise include vehicle accident reconstruction and injury causation biomechanics. Lindsay is an ACTAR accredited accident reconstructionist and is a Licensed Remote Pilot for drone usage by the Federal Aviation Administration. Her Drone piloting capabilities support a variety of forensic inspections including property evaluations, workplace construction accident analysis and vehicle accident reconstruction. Lindsay’s “Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Aerial Inspections” presentation will cover the benefits on drone usage in many of these instances.
2. Water Treatment Seminar: Current Issues Impacting Ground Water and Surface Water Treatment.
MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION HERE https://www.azwater.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1174157&group= Tuesday, February 12, 2019
GateWay Community College Integrated Education Building, Copper Room, 108 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034
Up to 7 PDHs available! AGENDA
| 7:30 | 8:00 a.m. | Registration |
| 8:00 | 8:15 a.m. | Welcome and Introduction |
| 8:15 | 8:45 a.m. | SRP Reservoir and Watershed status Update |
| 8:45 | 9:15 a.m. | CAP Update |
| 9:15 | 10:00 a.m. | Preparing for Harmful Algal Blooms in Arizona |
| 10:00 | 10:15 a.m. | Morning Break |
| 10:15 | 11:00 a.m. | Arizona State University Regional Water Quality Project |
| 11:00 | 11:45 a.m. | Beating the Invaders |
| 11:45 | 12:45 p.m. | Luncheon Presentation |
| 12:45 | 1:30 p.m. | What are Emerging Contaminants and Concerns |
| 1:30 | 2:15 p.m. | Arizona’s First Chloramine System – Start to Finish |
| 2:15 | 2:30 p.m. | Afternoon break |
| 2:30 | 3:15 p.m. | Latest Developments in Well Drilling |
| 3:15 | 4:00 p.m. | High-Resolution Well Characterization |
| 4:00 | 4:15 pm | Wrap-up and Prize Drawings |
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to us at enews@azwater.org
3. Climate Change: States Look To Act As Oceans Rise. Officials along the East and Gulf Coasts are pushing for projects valued at billions of dollars to protect populous coastal regions from rising oceans and extreme weather.
In Maine, Democrats are seeking a public vote on a $50 million bond to fund a steel waterfront structure to protect against rising sea levels. Florida’s new Governor Ron De Santis, a Republican, recently proposed investing $2.5 billion to protect the Everglade and the appointment of a chief science officer to address environmental concerns. Louisiana’s Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards pledged $55 million in state surplus and about $300 million in offshore oil revenue for coastal and levee improvements.
In Massachusetts – where a tidal surge pushed the water level at Boston Harbor to the highest ever recorded, causing flooding – Republican Governor Charlie Baker proposed raising the tax on real- estate transfers by 50% in much of the state to generate more than $1 billion over the next decade. The funds would help local communities fortify infrastructure, from sea walls to flood control systems.
For more information and the reminder of the article, go to Wall Street Journal, February 4, U.S. News
4. Arizona Legislature Passes Historic Colorado River Drought Plan Hours Before Deadline.
Arizona lawmakers passed a historic Colorado River drought deal Thursday afternoon, about seven hours before a midnight deadline set by the federal government.
Gov. Doug Ducey promptly signed the legislation, clearing the way for Arizona to join in the threestate Drought Contingency Plan together with California and Nevada.
“There’s a lot more work to be done to ensure that Arizona is prepared for a drier water future,” Ducey said as he signed. A crowd of policy advisers and lawmakers applauded in the old state Capitol building.
He said the deal represented “the culmination of years of discussions” and called it a “historic bipartisan achievement.”
The hours of rushed work by Arizona lawmakers could still be overshadowed, as a California irrigation district’s demands threaten to delay efforts to finish the Drought Contingency Plan, which aims to protect levels in Lake Mead.
Nevertheless, Arizona officials were eager to meet the midnight deadline set by federal Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman.
In a major act of bipartisanship, lawmakers in the Arizona House and Senate voted almost unanimously to approve a plan aimed at stopping reservoirs from plunging to critical levels. Page 3 Arizona gets nearly 40 percent of its water from the river. If Lake Mead continues to drop and a shortage is declared next year, the state would lose 18 percent of that water, shrinking the amount that flows through the Central Arizona Project canal.
The plan’s final approval came after the House and Senate spent the afternoon debating its details. Most lawmakers voted for it, but there were a handful of critics.
Senators voted 27-3 to approve a package of bills that would make possible Arizona’s participation, together with California and Nevada, in the Lower Basin plan, which lays out plans for the states to share in water cutbacks between 2020 and 2026.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the Arizona House of Representatives voted 59-0, with one abstention, to pass the deal about 5 p.m. Thursday.
House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, said hundreds of people played a role in crafting the legislation. He had previously said finishing before the deadline wasn’t his “major concern.
” Bowers’ tone regarding the importance of the deadline changed after he met with Ducey and other legislative leaders last Saturday.
“I’m grateful to my colleagues, Gov. Ducey, and other stakeholders for setting aside partisan differences and parochial interests to reach a compromise on this deal,” Bowers said. Source: Arizona Republic
4. Do You Know? The Average American consumes “X” number of pound of food a year.
a. 960 lbs
b. 1280 lbs
c. 1550 lbs
d. 2280 lbs Source: Study released by New York Times
5. Do You Have A “Go Bag” By The Front Door And/Or In Your Car? As climate change exposes more people to heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires, the “go bag”—filled with the things you’ll need in the event of a hasty evacuation—has become trendy. You can find plenty of prestocked go bags for every emergency, including the zombie apocalypse. (A company called Preppi sells luxury ones with bergamot body cleanser and deluxe shortbread.) But since you know best what you will need in a crisis, why not make your own? Contents, naturally, should reflect your region and medical needs. Start with the following items, keep your car’s gas tank at least half full or the battery charged up, and you’ll be good to go. Continued on Page 5 Page 4 Items For Your “Go“ Bag
- Gallon jug of drinking water and protein bars (label the water and snack and change both periodically).
- A paper map(s) Your internet may be down on your phone
- “N 95 or 99” or “P95, 99, or 100” respiration masks to protect your lungs from smoke and other air borne particles
- If your electricity is out, know where you can go to physically pay or bills. Stock up on $1’s, $5’s, $10’s, and $20’s to pay bills and buy groceries.
- Copies of important documents (ie: social security card, social security cards, birth certificates, etc.)
- Charging cords for phones, laptops, cameras, .etc. (Solar powered charger, if possible)
- Sturdy bag or small suitcase for: – flashlight, batteries – cell phone – laptop computer – Waterproof matches – Goggles – Gloves – White Toilet paper – Pet food/ supplies – Roll of Duct Tape – Knife/ sissors – Medications Source: Sierra Club National Magazine
- flashlight, batteries
- cell phone
- laptop computer
- Waterproof matches
- Goggles
- Gloves
- White Toilet paper
- Pet food/ supplies
- Roll of Duct Tape
- Knife/ sissors
- Medications
Source: Sierra Club National Magazine
6. Scientist Call Past Five Years Hottest Since 1880. The past five years have been the hottest in modern records, federal scientists said Wednesday, the latest in a series of warnings as House Democrats promise to combat climate change.
The past five years have been the hottest in modern records, federal scientists said yesterday. Last year was the fourth warmest year since 1880, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The record was set in 2016 followed by 2017 and 2015, with 2014 following 2018 as fifth among the hottest years. The high temperatures stem from greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, the agencies added. NASA linked the rising temperatures to the extreme weather that has hit the U.S. Source: Wall Street Journal Feb 7, 2019
