Brits and Yanks: Are we separated by more than a common language?

January 14, 2011

Yet again I found myself in a remote and deserted location. It was coming up to midnight and I’d had a long flight from London to Los Angeles where I had an interminable wait for a flight to San Diego  only to find that the flight was oversubscribed and so my only option was to fly to Carlsbad some 35 miles North of  where I had to be.

As soon as the 20 odd passengers disembarked from the little Braemar turbo prop they disappeared, the airport building was locked up for the night and I was left standing at a very empty taxi rank. Finally after a few phone calls one turned up and I enjoyed a lecture in high finances from the driver for the 45 minute duration of the journey to my Hotel in San Diego; the venue of the 2011 North American Environmental Field Conference and exposition.

Many years ago, a lawyer told me that he needed to know just a little more (but no much more) about the law than his clients: I’ve adopted this pearl of wisdom to our job, which is selling equipment for environmental research yet find it now increasingly difficult to live up to. Customers know an awful lot and we have to make increasing efforts to remain just a little ahead in our knowledge of equipment, techniques procedures.

Many of the European standards to which we must adhere to are derived from directives, guidelines or regulatory procedures emanating from this great country. Interestingly, in the four days here there was not one reference to the way Europeans do things or to European methodology. It was as if we did not exist. Nonetheless the information gleaned during this conference was wide ranged and will no doubt percolate to our side of the pond over the next months and years. So for example there is a huge development in passive sampling: a technique whereby samples are collected without purging. This technique has three main benefits: it saves time and lots of money, it requires simple logistics and perhaps most importantly it is green technology. The Columbia RPP samplers, Gore VOC and SVOC samplers, the Snap Sampler are just a few new devices which have not only passed the test of initial research but have also been successfully deployed in commercial projects.

It was illuminating to learn at a presentation from the University of Toledo that to date we know extremely little about what really happens in a well wherein there are so many forces which are responsible for water movement in just about any direction. So much so that it prompted someone from the audience to state quite firmly that in fact you could take a good “representative” sample with just about anything including a tennis shoe.

Americans however do have a certain advantage or some might say disadvantage. It seems that there are so many different regulatory bodies that what is permitted in one state is not in another. For example; optical DO sensors can be used in some states and not in others. In Florida (or was it Iowa) down well turbidity measurements are not permitted and so on.

This variability in (sampling) methodologies must be a nightmare for consultancies which work in different regions. After a week I almost long for the more rigid approach as prescribed by the Environment Agency and the European Standardisation Commission.

There is something else I learned. Even in the face of confusing regulations and economic downturn the Americans remain amazingly positive. Even a mediocre beer receives the accolade “fantastic”. As to the service: it is impeccable yet I’m getting a little tired of having to make decisions, first thing in the morning, as to whether I want skinny milk, whole milk, soya milk in my coffee. As to what medium easy eggs and popovers are: I’m still confused but I might yet find out as it’s now time to play and spend the week-end with friends visting Lajolla, Long Beach and Playa del Rey.

My thanks go to David and Gillian of the Nielsen Environmental School and also to our friends at Geotech for making our visit extra pleasurable and interesting.

Vincent van Walt