IRG Newsletter 0108

01/2008 26 March

Member News

IRG Travel Award for Short-term Scientific Missions
Funds are still available for Travel Awards. If you are interested, please take advantage of the on-line application procedure available on the IRG website. The maximum amount that can be granted is Swedish Kroner SEK 12 500, i.e. approximately USD 1900 or EUR 1300.

Regulatory News

Europe: Biocidal Products Directive - Need for action on creosote!
In its first proposal concerning creosote, the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate KEMI has proposed not to include the substance in annex I of the BPD, which would mean the end of its use.
The main background for this decision is the fact that creosote is classified as a carcinogen. According to the BPD, the use of carcinogens should be avoided.
The proposals from KEMI were discussed at a special WEI meeting on creosote on 28 November 2007. There, the following was agreed:

WEI will prepare, with input from the members, a dossier on the socio/economic impact of the envisaged measure;
Members will use this information to lobby their national authorities and representatives on the EU committee dealing with the BPD;
Members will supply information on workers’ safety and protection when working with creosote and creosoted wood;
Alliances will be made with main customers of creosoted wood;
Information on the advantages of creosote and the use of creosoted wood will be collected.

Please find the WEI position paper here
Source: WEI Newsletter Issue 06/07 – December 2007.

Business News

US: Osmose® MicroPro^TM technology earns certification
Osmose Inc.Osmose Inc. have announced that Osmose's MicroPro technology has been certified by SCS as an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP).
Read more
From Friday Offcuts – 15 February 2008.

USA: New wood preservative gains EPA approval
Viance LLC announces United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval of EcoVance(TM) Preservative - a high performance, non-metallic preservative with superior environmental benefits for use in wood protection. Viance will first introduce EcoVance Preservative to its wood preservative line in its new Ecolife(TM) Stabilized Weather Resistant Wood.
Read more
From Friday Offcuts – 29 February 2008.

Canada: Beetle killed timber continues to fuel sawmilling industry
In December's special report in the WOOD Markets International Report it's predicted that the BC Interior industry's ongoing massive salvage of mountain pine beetle "killed" timber and the processing of this timber into SPF lumber will continue to be very strong for at least the next five years.
Read more
From WOOD Markets International Report – 18 December 2007.

Situations Vacant:

Janssen Pharmaceutica NV: International Business Development Manager
For our Janssen Preservation and Material Protection Division , Janssen Pharmaceutica NV in Beerse, Belgium we are currently looking for a International Business Development Manager.

POSITION
To facilitate and coordinate the business and portfolio strategy in the fields of activity from Janssen PMP. To maximise Janssen PMP business contribution from these key markets through a complete offer of products and services capturing all available opportunities including 3rd party partnerships and licensing-in activities. To develop and execute tactical initiatives that will create demand for current and future product offerings. To challenge and provide business strategic support to the functional area and demand generation teams to ensure maximum profitable market share growth in the respective functional areas.
Please see attached the job advertisement.

Interested parties please contact:
Mrs. Linda Diels
Human Resources
Turnhoutseweg 30
B - 2340 Beerse, Belgium

Scientific News

USA: Researchers develop breakthrough composites technology
Researchers at the University of Maine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Centre have developed a new composite fabrication process that they hope will revolutionize the industry. Their method involves the use of applied pressure to infuse polymer resins into fabrics, wood, concrete, ceramics and other materials to produce stronger, more durable composites for the marine, automotive, construction industries and others.
Read more or goto Barry S Goodell's web site.
From Friday Offcuts – 29 February 2008.

Australia: Bio-crude turns cheap waste into valuable fuel
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Monash University have developed a chemical process that turns green waste into a stable bio-crude oil. The bio-crude oil can be used to produce high value chemicals and biofuels, including both petrol and diesel replacement fuels.
Read more
From Friday Offcuts – 08 February 2008.

USA: Recycling decommissioned treated timber
Louisiana State University AgCenter's Calhoun Research Station is developing methods to recycle decommissioned preservative-treated wood.
Read more
From Friday Offcuts – 11 January 2008.

People in the News

IRG Secretariat News

Reminder - IRG 39 in Istanbul, Turkey

The Annual Meeting in Istanbul is coming closer. So far, nearly 100 papers have been received and a number of late papers are expected. An interesting programme is foreseen.
Please note that papers received after the CD-ROM has been prepared and circulated will be included on the website (Compendium), but the opportunity to make an oral presentation will be at the discretion of the Scientific Programme Committee chair. Presentations not supported by a paper will not be allowed.
The final programme will be posted on the website by 15 May at the latest.
Please also note the deadline 30 March for hotel reservations. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) cannot guarantee a reservation after that date. There are other conferences going on in parallel with the IRG meeting, so early booking is recommended.
For those who need supporting letters/Invitations for visa applications, please contact the LOC. Contact person for the LOC is Dr Ilker Usta.
The invitation and registration package for IRG 39 in Istanbul 25-29 May 2008 is available through the IRG website or by clicking on this link. If you have any problems with the registration, please contact the IRG Secretariat.

Look forward to seeing you in Istanbul!

IRG Survey - Where is IRG heading?
So far, more than 130 members and sponsors have filled in the Survey circulated to the members and sponsors in February.
If you have not yet responded you'll get a last opportunity to do so. The Survey is attached, and you may send it back as an attachment by email to the IRG Secretariat or to info.IRG@gmail.com by 15 April.
The information gathered from the survey will be used to develop a business plan for IRG and a status report will be presented at the Annual Meeting in Istanbul.
We value your opinion and your effort to participate is appreciated.

Invoicing 2008 - Reminder
A substantial number of members has not yet paid up for 2008. From the Secretariat we want to remind you to do so now to avoid further reminders. Members who do not want to retain their memberships are kindly asked to inform the Secretariat immediately.
Please note that members born in 1950 or earlier, may pre-pay a membership fee for the rest of their life. Ten years' of consecutive, fully paid-up membership is required.
The membership fee is waived for members born in 1938 or earlier, with at least 20 years' continuous, fully paid up, membership.
Please contact the IRG Secretariat if you are interested in life-long membership or if you qualify for having the fee waived.

IRG Directory 2008
The Directory of Members and Sponsors will be updated and a new version issued after the Annual Meeting in May 2008.
It is therefore important that your contact details are correct. Please report any changes to the IRG Secretariat. A draft will be circulated for final checking by all Members/Sponsors.

Receipts
As stated on invoices and in the Conference invitation package, receipts for membership and conference registration fees will be issued on request only. Members/Sponsors are kindly reminded about this.

Problems with the Compendium login ID?
Some members have reported problems with the Compendium login.
The following procedure seems to work in most cases:
First you need to clear your Internet cache. If you are using Internet Explorer, click on the Tools menu and then Internet Options. Find and select Clear temporary internet files.
In Mozilla Firefox, you choose Tools and then Clear sensitive data. Check Cache and Session data and hit clear.
If you have other problems with the Compendium access, please report back to the IRG Secretariat.
NB. In order to get renewed login ID, the 2008 dues must be paid.

IRG Americas Regional meeting
An IRG Americas Regional meeting will be held December 1 and 2, 2008 at Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, commencing with a reception the evening of November 30. This is a more limited meeting than the usual IRG annual meetings with no excursion and a very accommodating conference hotel. The meeting is being co-sponsored by the Red Iberoamericana de Protección de la Madera (RIPMA) and aims to provide the opportunity to develop and foster interactions between participants from North, Central and South America in various areas of wood products protection. A central part of the conference is the aim of providing travel support to up to 20% of attendees, and that this support will be targeted towards attracting participation from Latin American attendees. The conference itself will be in parallel sessions with simultaneous PPT presentations in English and Spanish for all papers, although presentations may be in either language. The conference is structured to provide the opportunity for the presentation of a wide range of papers in a relatively short timeframe. Also, we have set the conference fee for all attendees, regardless of IRG affiliation, at $250 USD. Further information will be provided through a bilingual website for English and for Spanish. Participation is welcome from not only the Americas, but from all working in wood protection who are interested to attend.

Sponsor the IRG e-Newsletter in 2008
IRG regular sponsors and members' institutes are kindly invited to sponsor the production of the IRG e-Newsletter in order to cover the costs involved for production of the same.
The IRG e-Newsletter is scheduled for six issues per year, and for each issue a sponsor is welcome. The fee for sponsoring the e-Newsletter is USD 450 (SEK 3 000) in 2007. The e-Newsletter sponsor will then get the company/institute logo on the front page and a link to the company/institute website.
Sponsors so far have been: Arch (UK), Arch (US), CSI, Dr Wolman GmbH, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Lanxess, Nisus Corporation, Osmose (US), Troy Corporation, US Borax, Dyrup (DK), Sankyo Agro, Viance, SP Trätek, Zelam and FCBA.
Please contact the IRG Secretariat, if you are interested in sponsoring the e-Newsletter.

Contact details
Please report any change of contact details (address, e-mail, tel, fax) to the IRG Secretariat immediately in order to keep our register up to date and to facilitate the Secretariat's communication with Members and Sponsors.

Legal Information
Read legal information here

Editorial
If you have information related to wood protection being of general interest for Regular Members, Student Members or IRG Sponsors, please email to the NiB editor with the name of the web page and the URL.