February 2007 - PUBLIC EDITION

• NMSHMM Annual Meeting Next Month
• Legislative and Government Affairs News
• Local News Stories
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Monthly Meeting Location
• Job Openings
• NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs

NMSHMM Annual Meeting Next Month
Brian Salem, CHMM
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Hazardous Waste Bureau

The temperatures are on the rise again. Most of the state should be starting to melt. Weather in New Mexico has proved to be very unpredictable last year. We went from record drought to record rain, back to drought and ended up with record snow. I hope this year is more average.

By the time you read this newsletter our new Board members should be elected. Thanks to all of you who voted. NMSHMM also gives thanks for those individuals who volunteered to serve on the Board.

The 2007 Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) Leadership Workshop to be held April 18-20 at the Courtyards by Marriott in Albuquerque promises to be an excellent event. It will put NMSHMM in the national spotlight, and hopefully, lead to other opportunities for ACHMM to put on events in Albuquerque. Registration should start soon. There will be a link at the ACHMM website. ACHMM has confirmed some excellent national speakers for the Workshop. Further e-blasts should be going out to the ACHMM membership shortly advertising the Workshop.

NMSHM is planning for our annual membership dinner in March. It will be held on March 16 at the Garduño's on the Green at the Balloon Park as last year where a good time was had by all. Gary King, the newly elected State Attorney General will be giving the keynote presentation. The topic has not been set to date, but we should know soon.

Our January lunch meeting presentation was by Richard Cartwright, ACHMM Director. Mr. Cartwright talked to us about plans ACHMM has to enhance the value of the CHMM. ACHMM is pursuing alliances with the Society of American Military Engineers, the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council and the Project Management Institute among others. Outreach to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other state and federal agencies continues.

Lastly, Steve Zappe, Manager of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Group at the NMED Hazardous Waste Bureau will give a presentation at the February luncheon on the arrival of remotely handled radioactive waste at WIPP. The first shipment arrived January 22. As those of you who participated in a NMSHMM WIPP tour a few years ago observed, the waste will be stored in the holes drilled in the sides of the main panels where the drummed waste is stored.

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Legislative and Government Affairs News
Barry Birch, CHMM
NMED Solid Waste Bureau

NMED Has a New Deputy Secretary
Governor Bill Richardson appointed Cindy Padilla as deputy secretary of the NMED. Padilla previously served as NMED's Water and Waste Management Division Director. Padilla and NMED Secretary Ron Curry previously worked together for the city of Santa Fe when Curry was city manager and Padilla was solid waste director.

Governor Richardson also appointed Deputy Secretary Derrith Watchman-Moore as intergovernmental policy adviser and communications officer Jon Goldstein as NMED Water and Waste Management Division Director.

Surface Protection Act Could Resurface in this Year's Session
During last years legislative session, environmental and agriculture groups backed a bill, the Surface Owners Protection Act, to compensate landowners for damage from oil and gas activities. Under state and federal law, oil and gas companies don't have to notify private landowners before they drill and are under no obligation to pay for any damage due to drilling activities. In New Mexico, landowners often don't own the oil, gas or hard rock mineral rights on their private land. About 2,100 new oil and gas well permits are issued a year on both public and private land, according to the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association. We will see if this bill surfaces again in this year's legislative session.

Renewable Energy Bill Is Also Under Consideration
House Bill (HB) 189, introduced by Representative José A. Campos, would create a Renewable Transmission Authority (House Bill [HB] 189) would allow New Mexico to generate and export solar, wind and other renewable energy. New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department Secretary Joanna Prukop has voiced her support for the bill, "The Renewable Energy Transmission Authority will expand New Mexico's energy industry, generate economic development and move New Mexico forward in becoming the clean energy state." This law would allow the development of a renewable energy generation and export industry, increase in-state electric system infrastructure reliability, and proactively pursue statewide electric transmission capital improvement planning.

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Local News Stories

• The Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General intends to investigate the environmental cleanup program at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The investigation will examine LANL's record in achieving environmental cleanup milestones as specified in an agreement (consent order) with the State of New Mexico (Albuquerque Journal, 1-5-07). On January 8, 2007, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) fined the operator of LANL $30,000 for not making adequate progress on environmental clean-up of Material Disposal Area C (Albuquerque Journal, 1-9-07). Subsequently, LANL Director Michael Anastasio pledged to drill four boreholes to look for contaminants in the area. U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici wrote in response, "While we are aware the laboratory had worker and safety concerns with drilling these final four holes, we are disappointed that addressing these concerns was not accounted for in LANL's timeline to meet the milestones in the consent order." (Santa Fe New Mexican, 1-12-07)
   
• ConAgra in partnership with Carlyle/Riverstone Renewable Energy Infrastructure Fund propose to construct an ethanol plant on US 60/84, just west of the Clovis city limits. The plant would use corn to produce 100 million gallons of ethanol per year. Nearby residents have identified environmental justice concerns since the proposed plant could result in a disproportionate industrial pollution burden on nearby low-income and minority communities. In November, the Curry County Commission passed a resolution opposing the project by a 3-2 vote, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) also oppose the project. Data provided by ConAgra indicate that the plant will meet state and federal air quality standards, and the NMED Air Quality Bureau staff has recommended the project be issued an operating permit. A decision from the NMED Secretary, Ron Curry, is expected by March 2007 (Albuquerque Journal, 1-14-07).
   
• Citizen Action opposes the placement of a dirt and vegetation cover over a toxic and hazardous waste landfill at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). James Bearzi, NMED Hazardous Waste Bureau Chief responded, "Environmental covers have proven to be effective, particularly in climates like New Mexico's." SNL spokesman Will Keener said, "Sandia's current work does not impede its ability to monitor and do sampling at the site." (Santa Fe New Mexican, 1-16-07)
   
• The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved preparations by the Idaho National Laboratory to send remote-handled waste to the WIPP near Carlsbad. EPA must still certify a computer tracking system for the waste shipments before this "hot waste" can be shipped to WIPP. Because of additional security regulations issued since the events of September 11, 2001, detailed information on waste shipments will remain secret until after the waste has arrived at WIPP (Albuquerque Journal, 1-17-07, and Santa Fe New Mexican 1-17-07).

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Upcoming Meetings & Events

February 6, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque. Speaker will be Bill Green, NMED Air Quality Bureau on the "Chemistry of Clean Coal: Energy for our homes from our homeland."

February 15, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) monthly technical meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque.

February 20, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

February 21, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Steve Zappe, NMED / HWB, on acceptance of remotely handled radioactive waste at WIPP.

March 6, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque.

March 15, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) monthly technical meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque.

March 16, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Annual Meeting at Garduños on the Green. Mark your calendars. Attorney General Gary King will be the keynote speaker.

March 20, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

March 30, 8:30 am, CHMM Exam, University of New Mexico Science and Technology Park, Executive Conference Room - #201, 851 University Boulevard, Albuquerque. Contact Larry Watson at  for more information and to reserve a seat at the exam.

April 3, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque.

April 17, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

April 18-20, ACHMM Leadership Workshop in Albuquerque. For more information, go to ACHMM web site at www.achmm.org.

April 21, ACHMM Board Meeting in Albuquerque.

May 1, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque.

May 15, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

May 16, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Speaker to be announced.

May 17, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) monthly technical meeting at Furr's Family Dining (6100 Central Avenue SE, southwest of San Pedro) in Albuquerque.

Did we miss something? To get your event added to the calendar please contact Eric Johnson at .

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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.

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Job Openings

For the latest job openings, please click here.  (MEMBERS ONLY).

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Please send contributions for future newsletters to Eric Johnson at . Thanks!

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