March 2007 - PUBLIC EDITION

• Just Around the Corner - NMSHMM Annual Meeting and ACHMM Leadership Conference
• February Luncheon Photos
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is Just Around the Corner - Literally!
• Government Affairs and Local News Stories
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Monthly Meeting Location
• Job Openings
• NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs

Just Around the Corner - NMSHMM Annual Meeting and ACHMM Leadership Conference
Brian Salem, CHMM
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Hazardous Waste Bureau

This will be my last column as your President. I would like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement over the last year. It's been a pleasure to meet many of our members and to learn more about the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM). Richie Spangler, our new President will take over the writing duties next month.

Our new NMSHMM Board members have been elected. Thanks to all of you that voted. Barry Birch and Eric Johnson have been elected as At-Large Directors. Debbie Finfrock is the new Treasurer and Brian Pence has been elected President-Elect.

NMSHMM has achieved much in the last year. Our membership has increased, as well as attendance at our lunch meetings. We submitted the winning proposal to host the Annual ACHMM Leadership Workshop. A successful National Overview Course was held in October. New bylaws were approved by ACHMM and should be presented to the membership at the Annual Dinner Meeting this month. The new bylaws will allow NMSHMM to solicit corporate sponsorship. One suggestion for the incoming funds is a scholarship to a university student to recognize their hard work and introduce NMSHMM to the next generation. Field trips to Eclipse Aviation and the General Electric (GE) remediation site were well attended and enjoyed by all. We are scheduling our field trips for this year and welcome any suggestions or volunteers.

The 2007 ACHMM Leadership Workshop will be held April 18-20 at the Courtyards by Marriott. Registration as well as the Agenda is now available at the ACHMM web site. It is free to ACHMM members. NMSHMM has raised over $4,000 to sponsor the Workshop. It will give NMSHMM national exposure and hopefully lead to other opportunities for ACHMM to put on events in Albuquerque. ACHMM has confirmed many excellent national speakers for the Workshop. Recertification credits (0.75 CMPs) will be available for the workshop. Further e-blasts should be going out to the ACHMM membership advertising the Workshop.

NMSHMM will hold our annual membership dinner on March 16 at the Garduno's at the Balloon Park. Please RSVP by March 12 (extended deadline) to  and remember that due to space and menu commitments, any cancellations must be received by close-of-business March 8 to avoid billing for the dinner. Gary King, the newly elected State Attorney General will be giving a presentation to us. The topic has not been set to date, but we should know soon.

Our lunch meeting presentation in February was by Steve Zappe, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Project Leader at NMED / HWB. Mr. Zappe told us about the winding road that led to the permit modifications allowing WIPP to receive remotely handled waste. The first shipment arrived on January 23. For those of you who participated in the WIPP tour NMSHMM arranged a few years ago, the waste is stored in the holes drilled in the sides of the main panels where the drummed waste is stored. Our next lunch meeting will be May 16. The NMSHMM Annual Meeting in March and ACHMM Leadership Workshop in April will take the place of our next two lunch meetings.

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February Luncheon Photos

Steve Zappe, NMED / HWB, describes the exciting world of WIPP permits at the NMSHMM February luncheon.

NMSHMM President Brian Salem informs the NMSHMM luncheon crowd that his experience as NMSHMM President has inspired him to run for US President in the 2008 election.

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Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is Just Around the Corner - Literally!
Jim Studer, NMSHMM Member

The Best and the Brightest Are Coming To Town! Let's Greet Them With Gusto! That's right. As many as 1500 young future scientists and engineers from around the world who have qualified to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2007, and as many as 3500 additional young scientists and engineers to be, will be right here in Albuquerque May 13 to 18. Who better to show them and the Fair organizers and sponsors the respect and appreciation they deserve then the engineer or scientist reading this note right now! And the timing could not be better. With interest in science and engineering waning in the hearts and minds of the American youth nothing less than the future security of our nation is at stake. Opportunities to be a judge or to volunteer to help out in various ways are available for the taking. The act of any one person volunteering in some capacity may not be noticeable all that noticeable but the combined acts of many of us volunteering will surely be noticeable to those talented young people, their families, sisters and brothers, parents, fair organizers and sponsors. What a great opportunity to give back to the community and show others from around the world what Albuquerque is all about!

There are two ways to contribute: 1) judging and 2) volunteering to help with logistics/operations. A brief summary of each is given below along with links to websites for more information and to sign up.

You can sign up to be a judge by going to www.intelisef2007.org and clicking on the JUDGES tab. Of particular interest to engineers are three engineering categories and the two environmental categories: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (Code EE), Materials and Bioengineering (Code EN), Energy and Transportation (Code ET), Environmental Management (Code EM), and Environmental Sciences (Code EV). The website lists the specific topic areas which are covered in each category. Judges must have a doctoral degree or at least six years experience in their specialty and be available to work from noon, Tuesday, May 15, through Wednesday evening, May 16. Each judge will interview and rate eight to twelve entrants.

If judging is not your thing then you can sign up to help in fair operations by going to www.intelisef2007.org and clicking on the VOLUNTEERS tab. Fill in the form and note what days and times you could be available and what tasks you are interested in. Tasks include such things as assisting in unloading students' project materials from delivery trucks, helping students set up their projects, serving as gate keepers to be sure that only certain groups of people are in the exhibit hall at certain times, and doing whatever else needs to be done.

I was approached a few months back to be a judge so I will be busy with that activity. I hope to see ya'll there.

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Government Affairs and Local News Stories
Compiled by Barry Birch, CHMM, and Eric Johnson, AICP CHMM

• Under a compliance order, NMED fined S&S Septic $50,000 for dumping sewage into the Rio Grande near Alcalde in 2006 (Santa Fe New Mexican, 1-20-07).
  
• A.J. Eggenberger, chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board recommended that about 320 drums containing high-risk radioactive waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) need to be moved soon or stored more safely. LANL environmental managers intend to develop a plan for safe handling of the waste and then ship to the waste to the WIPP, possibly starting next summer (Santa Fe New Mexican, 1-25-07).
  
• The first shipment of high-level, remote-handled waste arrived at the WIPP in late January 23, 2007. A lead-lined shipping container holding three 30-gallon drums of debris from nuclear materials testing and research was shipped from the Idaho National Laboratory. The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to start with one remote-handled shipment per month and gradually increase up to six shipments per week in September (Albuquerque Journal and Associated Press, 1-25-07).
  
• Helena Chemical Company initiated clean-up operations of a chemical spill that occurred on September 29, 2006, near Mesquite. The company received approval of their clean-up plan for the spill in December. The spill occurred when a tank towed by a farmer ruptured when leaving the Helena plan and spilled a fertilizer called UCAN C-17, which contained water, calcium, and nitrate. NMED fined Helena Chemical Company $65,000, but Helena is appealing the penalty and is in negotiations with NMED on a settlement (Las Cruces Sun News, 1-29-07).
  
• DOE announced grants of $2.7 million study two New Mexico sites as possible locations for a nuclear fuel recycling plant. One potential site is located near Roswell and the other site is between Carlsbad and Hobbs (Albuquerque Journal, 1-31-07).
  
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave NMED a $1,75 million grant to implement projects from the state's Nonpoint Source Management Program. Nonpoint pollution sources affect rain and snow runoff.
  
• NMED fined Copar Pumice Mine $81,912 for air quality violations at the company's mine in the Jemez Mountains. Copar has denied the permit violations and has filed a lawsuit in federal District Court against NMED Secretary Ron Curry and two NMED air quality inspectors. Nearby landowners complained that Copar is mining pumice outside the hours allowed in its air quality permit and is not controlling dust (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-5-07).
  
• NMED intends to create a new Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit for hazardous waste at LANL. The permit will also initiate discussion of how to manage a 65-acre dump know as Area G where radioactive waste is accepted for permanent burial. The permit would cover current and future waste while old waste will be covered under an existing consent order (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-5-07).
  
• LANL Environmental managers are unsure of what is disposed of in Material Disposal Area B, one of the LANL's oldest radioactive landfills. According to historical documents and research, a series of trenches at the dump were used for the disposal of radioactive waste, solvents, chemical mixtures, and possibly entire trucks or jeeps that transported radioactive materials to the Trinity Site in southern New Mexico. Area B also includes five landfills and LANL's first plutonium processing facility. A two-year, $21 million clean-up project will be initiated in September. Low level waste will be sent to active LANL disposal areas, and higher level waste will be shipped to permitted out-of-state facilities (Albuquerque Journal, 2-12-07).
  
• Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining, Southwest Research and Information Center, and tribal members filed a petition in the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a Nuclear Regulatory Commission orders regarding Hydro Resources, Inc., proposal to mine uranium near Church Rock and Crownpoint. Hydro Resources intends to inject chemicals into the ground to release uranium. The solution would be pumped to the surface as part of an in situ leaching process (Albuquerque Journal 2-13-07).
  
• Approximately 150 tons of recyclable materials were sent to the City of Albuquerque's Cerro Colorado Landfill by mistake. The City's Solid Waste Department workers were sent to the landfill to gather recyclable material. Solid Waste Department Director Leonard Garcia is revising the department's procedures to prevent recyclable materials from being disposed of at the landfill in the future (Albuquerque Journal, 2-17-07).
  
• NMED received a Stage I Abatement Plan proposal to investigate groundwater contamination from a petroleum leak at Hooter Brown Truck Stop in Raton. Groundwater results show that the following pollutants exceed state standards: trichloroethane, trichichloroethylene, dicholorethane, and dicholoroethylene. The plan includes a description of past site investigation activities and installation of additional monitoring wells along with the collection of additional soil and groundwater samples (NMED Press Release, 2-22-07).

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Upcoming Meetings & Events

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. Please RSVP by March 8 to  and remember that due to space and menu commitments, any cancellations must be received by close-of-business March 8 to avoid billing for the dinner.

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.

April 23-24, American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) 32^nd Annual Professional Development Conference, For more information contact Bob Roehm at (505) 938-2839 () or Dan Byrne at (505) 277-9795 ().

April 25, ASSE Trenching and Excavation Training. For more information contact Bob Roehm at (505) 938-2839 () or Dan Byrne at (505) 277-9795 ().

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 13-18, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. For information go to the web site: www.intelisef2007.org.

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.

June 5, 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.

June 19, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

June 20, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Speaker to be announced.

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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