October 2007 - PUBLIC EDITION

• Field Trips and More
• Committee News
  • Government Affairs and Local News Stories
• NMSHMM Member Profile: Paul Karas
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Monthly Meeting Location
• Job Openings
• NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs

Field Trips and More
Richie Spangler, CHMM
Sandia National Laboratories

Thank you to all those that took the time to participate in the NMSHMM spring field trip to Advent Solar that happened on September 28^th. There was a group of NMSHMM members that took their Friday afternoon to meet with representatives from Advent Solar to learn about their exciting new solar technology. We received a detailed presentation from Advent on how they produce their new photovoltaic solar cells from start to finished product to install on your roof. A special thank you goes out to Steve Gunther from Advent for hosting us.

On a related note, there is a "Hands-On Photovoltaic Design and Installation" course the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA) will present over two weekends — October 12-14 and October 20-21. Topics to be covered include photovoltaic components, designing and sizing a system, siting, and the configuration of stand-alone (off-grid) and grid-tie (utility-connected) systems. Safety and energy efficiency will also be covered. The class comprises three days of classroom instruction and two days installing a photovoltaic system. The instructor will be Marlene Brown who works at Sandia National Laboratories and is president of NMSEA. She has worked with photovoltaic systems for more than 15 years and has installed hundreds of systems in the United States and the developing countries. Marlene has been teaching photovoltaice classes for more than 10 years. Other instructors also will participate during the two weekends of classes. For more information, call NMSEA at 246-0400 or go to http://www.nmsea.org/Workshops/pv-workshop.php.

I want to take the opportunity to thank Steve Jetter from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for his presentation of the North Railroad Avenue Plume Remediation - Project Update. Steve provided up-to-the-minute data showing the progress of the in-situ bioremediation study. The results look promising for removing the impact of the contamination present in the groundwater. Thanks again for sharing this interesting project with our membership.

Next month's luncheon meeting is being replaced with our fall field trip! Rinchem Company, Inc. has graciously offered to host NMSHMM for our fall field trip to tour their Albuquerque operations. Many of you have probably visited their City of Albuquerque household hazardous waste collection site to drop off your household hazardous waste, but this tour will give us a behind the scenes view of what happens both with the waste and the products Rinchem manages. The household hazardous waste collections operations will be open that day, so be certain to bring yours along for disposal. The tour will take place on Wednesday, November 14 from 11:30 AM to approximately 1:00 PM with lunch provided. To cover the cost of the lunch a $10.00 fee per person will be collected at the time of the tour and there is a limit of 20 people for this tour. Please contact me at  if you would like to attend. A map and final field trip information will be e-mailed to participants prior to the trip. Thanks to Polly Wagner of Rinchem for arranging this tour.

Our Santa Fe dinner meeting, instead of our luncheon meeting, is scheduled for October 17^th. Please see the announcements later in this newsletter for more details. We are also providing the Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management course this month from October 10-12.

Finally, I would be terribly remiss if I did not at least mention one of my favorite events of the year . . . the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is taking place this month from October 6 through 14. The web site for all the information on schedules and vendors is located at www.balloonfiesta.com. I know I will be attending with my family and hope to run into you on the field . . . singing . . . wouldn't you like to ride in my beautiful balloon . . . . balloooooooon . . . balloooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

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Committee News

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

• Savoy Travel Center near Deming received a $257,158 compliance order from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for discharging sewage effluent into a storm water drainage area without a permit. After receiving a Temporary Permit to Discharge from NMED in April 2006, Savoy Travel Center failed to submit a discharge permit application within 120 days as required by NMED. (NMED Press Release, 8-24-07)
   
• NMED issued a proposal to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to close a low-level radioactive waste dump at Area G. The outcome of this proposal is not certain since NMED has regulatory authority over hazardous waste but not radioactive waste. (Albuquerque Journal, 8-28-07)
   
• Copar Mining Company's pumice mine could face a $101,240 fine from the NMED Air Quality Bureau for failure to control dust and operating the mine for more than 10 hours a day. Copar sued NMED in January for illegally visiting the mine and taking business record without the company's permission or a warrant. (Albuquerque Journal, 8-30-07)
   
• The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board issued an air quality permit to a proposed 35 megawatt biogas plant near Estancia. The board's decision overruled an earlier decision by NMED Secretary Ron Curry to deny the air quality permit. (Albuquerque Journal, 9-11-07)
   
• The Department of Energy (DOE) Inspector General issued a report stating that LANL has a good system for tracking nuclear material. However, the DOE Inspector General found problems with LANL's failure to inventory its main nuclear storage vault and a case where a single LANL employee served as both shipping and receiving agent in the transaction of nuclear material, which violates DOE requirements. (Albuquerque Journal, October 2007)
   
• Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., signed a contract with Fluor Corporation to build the $3 billion 1,500 megawatt Desert Energy Project, a joint development of the Navajo Nation's Dine Power Authority and Sithe Global Power. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has noted concerns about the thoroughness of the environmental impact statement (EIS) prepared for the project. (Navajo Nation Press Release, 9-7-07; Santa Fe New Mexican, 9-16-07)
   
• EPA awarded $110,000 to the Pueblo of Acoma for the General Assistance Program (GAP). The purpose of GAP is to support the formation of a tribal environmental protection program. (EPA News Release, 9-18-07)
   
• EPA added the Eagle Picher Carefree Battery facility to the National Priority List (Superfund sites). The site was listed because levels of trichloroethene and other chlorinated solvents are above safe drinking water maximum contamination levels. (EPA News Release 9-19-07; Associated Press, 9-20-07)
   
• Española Transit Mix wants to relocate one of its five crushers from Espanola to near Velarde, but the company could eventually relocate all five crushers to Velarde. Some local residents have expressed concerns with this proposal. NMED will make a decision on the application. (Albuquerque Journal, 9-20-07)
   
• The New Mexico Attorney General's Office determined in August 2007 that a 2006 TechLaw analysis on waste leaking from Sandia National Laboratory's Mixed Waste Landfill should be placed in the public record. David McCoy, head of Citizen Action, filed a public records act request in January 2007 for the report. In February 2007, James Bearzi, NMED Hazardous Waster Bureau Chief, responded in a letter that it was a draft report and not subject to the public records law. (Albuquerque Journal, 9-24-07)
   
• EPA issued 11 administrative orders to diaries located between Las Cruces and Anthony, New Mexico. The administrative orders require the diaries to keep proper records in their pollution prevention plans on the presence of property lined waste lagoons and require the dairies to handle and dispose of animal waste in a manner that does not cause environmental harm. (EPA News Release, 9-25-07)

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NMSHMM Member Profile

Company name and location: CDM, Albuquerque

Title: Senior Environmental Scientist, Client Service Manager

Hometown: Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Family: My best friend and wife of 24 years, Eileen; our adventurous and confident daughter, Lindsey (21); our independent and high-spirited son, Ryan (18); and our elderly but content yellow lab, Emma (16).

Words that best describe me: gregarious, optimistic, adaptable, scrupulous

Favorite current project: Working with a bunch of talented hazardous materials professionals to accomplish the annual NMSHMM Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management Course!

Biggest challenge on job: Finding the time to keep up with my to-do list.

If I won the lottery: I would travel widely, work abroad, find opportunities where my wife (a teacher) and I could use our professional skills to improve living conditions and quality of life for those less fortunate than the majority of us born into the prosperity that is America.

People would be surprised if they new: That I'm a former vice president of the Mid-Columbia Zymurgy Association.

An accomplishment I'm proud of is: My small part in raising two great kids to adulthood.

Last book read: The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

If I could travel any place, I would go to: Patagonia

If I just had more time, I would: Spend it with family and friends, preferably outdoors.

Words of wisdom (borrowed): As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do. ~Zachary Scott

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Upcoming Meetings & Events

October 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.

October 10, 11, and 12, NMSHMM's Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (National Overview Course) for the CHMM Exam, University of New Mexico, Science and Technology Park Rotunda, 801 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque.

October 16, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

October 17, 6:00 pm, NMSHMM Dinner in Santa Fe at Tiny's Restaurant, located at 1015 Pen Road east of Saint Francis Drive.  Jackie Burton, of Sundance Environmental, will discuss the Uses of 3-Dimensional Data Visualization in Environmental Investigations for the Gila River Project in Arizona. This software has been used by EPA Region 9 (this project), U.S. Navy, and U.S. Department of Agriculture to help visualize contaminant migration.

October 18, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) monthly technical meeting at Black Angus Restaurant (Wyoming NE South of Menaul) in Albuquerque.

November 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.

November 13, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

November 14, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Speaker to be announced.

November 15, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) monthly technical meeting at Black Angus Restaurant (Wyoming NE South of Menaul) in Albuquerque.

December 4, 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.

December, 6:00 pm, Annual Christmas Social. Date and location to be announced.

December 20, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) monthly technical meeting at Black Angus Restaurant (Wyoming NE South of Menaul) in Albuquerque.

January 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.

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

January 16, 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 - Updated October 5, 2007)

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

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