July 2006 - PUBLIC EDITION
July 2006 - PUBLIC EDITION
| PLEASE NOTE: Some newsletter content is only available to members in good standing of NMSHMM. |
| Our Mission |
| To provide environmental professionals in the Southwest a forum for professional development, education, and networking opportunities; and to offer our community environmental, health, and safety expertise |
NMSHMM Workshop, Field Trip, and Baseball
Brian Salem, CHMM
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Hazardous Waste Bureau
Summer is here. I would like to remind you all again about the high fire danger and ask that you all be careful this summer until the rains arrive. Several fires have already started in the Bosque. Recent models suggest that wet summers follow dry winters. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
For our members that work at academic labs, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed alternative Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) generator standards on May 23, 2006. Most waste previously classified as hazardous waste will now be called "unwanted materials" and no longer count toward the generator status. Other changes will also apply as discussed in the Federal Register at 71 FR 29712.
Another rule change that will affect all of us regards diesel fuel. By October 15 of this year, all diesel sold in this country will be required to be Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. This will reduce air emissions from diesel-powered vehicles by 10% overnight.
Our June lunch presentation introduced our members to the Albuquerque Citizen Corps Council (CCC) and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. NMSHMM has chosen this program to be one of our CHMMunity efforts this year. CERT is actively recruiting people to patrol the Bosque to lookout for fires. The next CERT class will start in August or September. Check the City of Albuquerque web site (www.cabq.gov) for a link to the CCC site for information about the class. You can also contact Brian Fields with City of Albuquerque Emergency Planning at 833-7293.
By the time you read this newsletter, NMSHMM will have attended their first Isotope games as a group. It promises to be a fun time for all and will hopefully be repeated in the future. Thanks to CDM for sponsoring this event.
The NMSHMM Board decided to submit a proposal to sponsor the next Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) Leadership Workshop in April 2007 here in Albuquerque. This will increase our chapter's profile within ACHMM and provide some quality training for our membership. The Board will need to do some planning, line up a few sponsors, and find a speaker or two for the workshop. More information will follow as we finalize the plans
Lastly NMSHMM is always looking for good locations for a field trip. A field trip to the Eclipse Aviation facility has been scheduled for October. Three Board members recently visited Eclipse to work out details of the trip. This promises to be an excellent opportunity for members to check out a new and exciting industry here in Albuquerque. If you know of any other places that would make an interesting field trip please contact the Board or me, and we will be glad to schedule it.
Committee News
Education/Professional Development
Larry A. Watson, CHMM
Committee Chair
NOC Planning is Underway - Volunteers Needed
The "kickoff" meeting for NMSHMM's October 25-28, 2006 ACHMM National Overview Course (NOC) and Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (CHMM) Exam offering took place at the University of New Mexico on Monday, June 26. The "Call for Instructors" letter was finalized and approved (click here to view the PDF version), as was the related electronic distribution list. I would like to once again thank all of our volunteer instructors from past courses and urge them to contact me via email once again to express their interest in this year's course as well. Once selected, new instructors will be offered a copy of ACHMM's "Hazardous Materials Management" desk reference and returning instructors will be offered a different but substantial gift. At our next meeting scheduled for Monday, July 17 at 5:15 pm, we will finalize the course brochure, as well as the related electronic distribution list, and also deal with a host of other planning issues. We would like to have a number of volunteers rise to the occasion so we can make this a true NMSHMM team effort. Please let me know if you are willing and able to contribute in any way, even via email. I hope to see you all at our next meeting!
Legislative Affairs
Debbie Finfrock, PE
Committee Chair
As of June 12, oil and gas exploration, production, processing, and treatment facilities are exempt from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements for stormwater discharges (see Code of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR 122). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed an amendment to its NPDES permit requirements to exempt water transfers from one "waters of the United States" to another without intermediate use. Comments are due July 24, 2006 on these proposed revisions to 40 CFR 122 (see the EPA web site at www.epa.gov).
Effective August 7, 2006, Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting is transitioning to using North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes from the former US-only Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) industry codes. The TRI reports due on July 1, 2007 for the 2006 calendar year will use these codes to determine which industries are required to report releases (40 CFR 372). Anyone wishing to print and distribute the new national uniform hazardous waste manifests required for hazardous waste shipments after September 5, 2006, may now register with the EPA (40 CFR 262.21). On May 23, the EPA proposed a more flexible "performance-based" approach for college and university laboratories to comply with the hazardous waste regulations. Comments will be accepted until August 21 on these proposed revisions to 40 CFR 261 and 262, Subpart K (see the EPA web site at www.epa.gov).
Local News Stories
Society luncheon meetings are held at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Blvd. NE, at 11:30 on the third Wednesday of the month (except Mar. and Dec.)
| JULY 2006 |
July 11, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.
July 17, 5:15 pm, Education/Professional Development Committee meeting to plan the National Overview Course. Volunteers needed! University of New Mexico (UNM), Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs office, 1801 Tucker Street NE (just north of University and Lomas intersection). Contact Larry Watson at for more information.
July 19, 11:30 am, NMSHMM General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Blvd. NE. Jerry Kamieniecki, P.E., CHMM, of Gordon Environmental will discuss "Arid Landfill Design Innovations."
| AUGUST 2006 |
August 1, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque. Sandra Ely, Environment and Energy Policy Coordinator for the State of New Mexico, will present: "New Mexico's Climate Change Initiative."
August 15, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.
August 16, evening NMSHMM Dinner/General Meeting in Santa Fe. Speaker and location to be announced.
| SEPTEMBER 2006 |
September 17-20, ACHMM National Conference in Orlando
September 19, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.
September 20, 11:30 am, NMSHMM General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Blvd. NE. Speaker to be announced.
| OCTOBER 2006 |
October 17, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.
October 18, 2:00 pm, NMSHMM Field Trip to Eclipse Aviation.
October 25-27, CHMM National Overview Course at the University of New Mexico.
October 28, CHMM Exam at the University of New Mexico.
Did we miss something?? To get your event added to the calendar please contact Eric Johnson at .
| Society business meetings are held at CDM's offices, 6000 Uptown NE, Suite 200, at 6:00 on the third Tuesday of the month (except Mar. and Dec.) |
Monthly Meeting Location
Our regular monthly meetings are held at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill (6601 Uptown Boulevard Northeast; click here for a map). Meetings are held the third Wednesday of the month (unless replaced by a special event as announced via this newsletter) from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm. If you have any ideas for speakers or field trips, please contact a NMSHMM board member.
For the latest job openings, please click here. Last Update: May 2, 2006 (MEMBERS ONLY).
Please send contributions for future newsletters to Eric Johnson at . Thanks!