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ACS NEWS
OFFICIAL REPORTS
FROM THE
PHILADELPHIA MEETING
The major actions taken by the American
Chemical Society Board and Council during
the national meeting in Philadelphia were
reported in C&EN, Sept. 15, page 48. Following
is the last installment of official committee
reports from that meeting. The first group was
published in the Oct. 27 issue.
BOARD COMMITTEE
REPORTS
OTHER BOARD STANDING AND
JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL
COMMITTEES
CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS SERVICE
The committee met in executive session on
Aug. 15 and in open session with the Joint
Board-Council Committee on Publications
and the Division of Chemical Information
on Aug. 18. Chemical Abstracts Service
(CAS) management reported on a number
of new CAplus and Registry content developments
including record timeliness of
Asian patent coverage and a significant increase
in the number of experimental and
predicted physical properties.
The Web version of SciFinder was discussed
along with an announcement that
SciFinder provides the largest collection of
disclosed chemical synthesis information,
with more than 29 million preparations including
single- and multistep reactions.
During the committee session, Sabine
Brünger-Weilandt, the president and chief
executive officer of FIZ-Karlsruhe, gave an
overview of the STN Partnership and the
FIZ-Karlsruhe business. FIZ-Karlsruhe is
a nonprofit service institution within the
German government, and their task is to
make science and technology information
publicly available worldwide and to provide
related services. CAS and FIZ-Karlsruhe
are partners for STN International. In
related discussion, committee members
learned about new enhancements to the
STN family of products.
The committee continues to fulfill its
responsibilities to provide a conduit for
communication from members to CAS
management. Members relay questions,
concerns, and suggestions from colleagues,
as well as from their own academic or
industrial perspective. CAS management
reports on the response and progress to
committee feedback at each meeting.—
PATRICIA L. DEDERT, CHAIR
CHEMICAL SAFETY
At its meeting in Philadelphia, the Committee
on Chemical Safety (CCS) reviewed the
progress of 2008 activities, which mainly
focused on organization. CCS discussed
final changes to the “Operations Manual,”
a document designed to familiarize committee
members as well as the society with
CCS’s work and what is expected of members,
associates, consultants, and liaisons.
A number of new appointments were
made, including recording secretary and
liaisons to Occupational Safety & Health
Administration (for the Process Safety
Alliance), to the Women Chemists Committee,
to the Academy of Hazardous
Material Managers, to the Local Section
Activities Committee (LSAC), and to the
International Activities Committee (IAC).
The LSAC appointment is in support of the
ACS partnership with the Environmental
Protection Agency on the School Chemical
Cleanout Campaign (SC3). The committee
serves as the ACS representative on the
SC3 campaign and will continue to assist
ACS members who would like to help their
local school districts with chemical management
and disposal.
CCS has numerous publications in print
and works continuously to keep these
updated. The committee discussed final
edits to two publications to be released this
year, “Chemical Safety for Small Chemical
Businesses” and an add-on to “Safety in
Academic Chemistry Laboratories,” which
consisted of a narrated PowerPoint CD on
eye protection.
In late June, the committee completed
a two-year process of developing a list of
chemicals that should not be in secondary
school inventories. This list, along with
recommendations on safe use of chemicals
in secondary schools, has been published
in the document titled “Reducing Risks to
Students and Educators from Hazardous
Chemicals in a Secondary School Chemical
Inventory.” This new resource is available
at the committee website, membership.
acs.org/c/ccs. The committee also continues
to monitor current studies on nanotechnology
safety.
The committee also reviewed the “ACS
Strategic Plan 2008 and Beyond” for additional
projects within the overall scope of
the society’s strategic thrusts.—RUSSELL W.
PHIFER, CHAIR
CHEMISTRY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs
(CCPA) advises and recommends ACS
action on public policy matters involving
the chemical sciences and technologies.
This spring, CCPA partnered with the
Divisional Activities Committee to invite
divisions’ comments on the ACS research
funding policy statements to better engage
the expertise of ACS members.
At the Philadelphia meeting, CCPA
members continued the effort by speaking
at the Division of Polymer Chemistry, the
Division of Agricultural & Food Chemistry,
and the Division of Chemical Education
meetings about the areas of research funding
important to division members.
In March, CCPA members visited members
of Congress to advocate for increased
science and technology support. Our message
focused on the America Competes
Act, passed last year, which authorizes
doubling research funding at the National
Science Foundation, the Department
of Energy, and the National Institute of
Standards & Technology. CCPA members
visited more than 20 congressional offices,
joining forces with more than 200 scientists
from other scientific organizations,
universities, and business groups to highlight
the importance of research funding to
our nation’s future competitiveness.
Annually, we select two congressional
fellows from ACS member applicants to
work in a congressional office for one year.
These fellows bring informed scientific
perspectives to the issues on the congressional
agenda. Recent graduates as well as
more seasoned midcareer applicants are
encouraged to apply.
Additionally, CCPA is working to involve
the local sections more in advocacy at the
state level, working with the government
WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG 37 NOVEMBER 3, 2008