December 2007 - PUBLIC EDITION

• Have a Happy Holiday with Your NMSHMM Friends
• Committee News
  • Government Affairs and Local News Stories
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Monthly Meeting Location
• Job Openings
• NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs

Have a Happy Holiday with Your NMSHMM Friends
Richie Spangler, CHMM
Sandia National Laboratories

Thank you - I would like to take the opportunity to thank Polly Wagner of Rinchem Company, Inc. for her tour of the east and west warehouses at their 6133 Edith Boulevard location in Albuquerque. The east warehouse is used for their chemical management operations and their west warehouse houses their Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B Permitted facility and their household hazardous waste collection operation for the City of Albuquerque. Several members took advantage of the household hazardous waste collections operations by bringing their household hazardous waste for disposal.

This month marks NMSHMM's holiday social instead of our normal luncheon meeting. The social will take place on Thursday, December 13^th from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Billiard Palace located at 2288 Wyoming Blvd NE in Albuquerque. We have a private room with a pool table, big screen TV, and sound system for our members' enjoyment. NMSHMM will provide some beverages and appetizers to get things going. We look forward to connecting with all of you at the social!

Once again we are in the process of collecting the names of interested people for next year's NMSHMM Board of Director's elections. The President-elect position is available as well as the secretary and two Director-at-large positions. If you or anyone you know is interested in running for one of these offices, please contact any current board member to let them know. If not, there are also some committees that could use some motivated help as well.

The Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) National Leadership Workshop registration is now open. This year's workshop is being held from April 23-25, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the Harley Davidson Powertrain Operations factory. Branta, Inc. will provide the training, which is free to all ACHMM members in good standing. There will be a behind-the-scenes tour of the Harley Davidson plant the day before the workshop.

As we slide into the 2008 as an organization, I want to again congratulate everyone on 2007 being a banner year for NMSHMM. Some of the highlights include hosting the 2007 ACHMM National Leadership Workshop, Attorney General Gary King at our annual dinner, updated bylaws, and celebrating NMSHMM's 10^th anniversary at Isotopes Park. I look forward to 2008 being another great year! First thing out of the starting blocks for next year will be to update the NMSHMM logo, so please keep your eyes open for that.

In the mean time, I wish a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season for you and those you love. Please be careful while you are hanging those holiday decorations on your roof and be certain to secure your ladder so you return to earth the same way you left it: one rung at a time. With that in mind, don't forget the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliant fall protection on your roof for the big guy on Christmas Eve . . . we want him to stay "Up on the roof top" now don't we … HO … HO … HO …!

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Committee News

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

• In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Governor Bill Richardson asked Congress to pass the Energy Bill this year. He recommended that the Energy Bill include the following provisions: a strong renewable electricity portfolio standard, increased vehicle fuel economy standards, an extension of the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit and the Solar Investment Tax Credit, and Energy Efficiency Incentives and Standards. (Governor's Office Press Release, 10-30-07)
   
• Only 10 percent of New Mexico's solid waste is diverted to recycling according to E. Gifford Stack, of the NMED Solid Waste Bureau. The national average is 32 percent. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-03-07)
   
• Santa Fe city councilors and county commissioners want additional measures implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to ensure protection of drinking water supplies. The measures are aimed at preventing radioactive and toxic contaminants from flowing into the Rio Grande. (Santa Fe New Mexican 11-5-07)
   
• LANL is a leading candidate to become a permanent nuclear weapons plutonium manufacturing center. Plutonium pits would be produced on a moderate scale at LANL under a proposal under consideration before Congress. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-15-07)
   
• Governor Richardson is setting state energy goals. He wants New Mexico's per capita energy use lowered by 10 percent in 2012 and executive branch energy use in buildings reduced by 20 percent in 2015. (Associated Press, 11-15-07)
   
• NMED fined Helena Chemical in Dona Ana County for 15 violations of its air quality permit. Helena Chemical operates a fertilizer processing plant. Each violation has a potential of $15,000 for each day the violation occurred. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-15-07)
   
• Tecton Energy's purchase of 65,000 acres of mineral rights for oil and gas drilling south of Santa Fe County is creating great concern among local residents. More than 500 individuals attended a public meeting in November. Santa Fe County Commissioner Mike Anaya assured local residents that the county will strengthen its oil and gas ordinance. (Albuquerque Journal; 11-16-07, Santa Fe New Mexican, 11-15-07)
   
• Copar Pumice's permit to operate the El Cajete Mine expired in November. Copar Pumice owns four 80-acre mining claims on the southwest side of the Valles Caldera National Preserve. NMED issued more than $81,000 in fines against Copar, and the U.S. Forest Service may impose fines for permit violations. (Santa Fe New Mexican, 11-15-07)
   
• District Court Judge Daniel Sanchez upheld a $9000 fine against G & S Water Works in Grant County for failure to remove fluoride contamination from their water system. G & S Water Works serves approximately 45 residents of Hachita. (NMED Press Release, 11-16-07)
   
• New Mexicans are being urged to not dump electronic or "e-waste" such as computers, entertainment devices, medical tools, and industrial tools with their trash. Lead, mercury, cadmium, and other toxic substance are found in e-waste. People should drop off their e-waste at e-waste recycling locations - see web site www.recyclenewmexico.com. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-17-07)
   
• Construction and demolition debris should also be recycled and reused. Such material includes concrete, wood, drywall, asphalt roofing, scrap metal, bricks, and plastic. Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, at 200 San Mateo Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, sells new and used building materials. Information on other recycling/reuse options is available in the New Mexico Construction and Demolition Recycling Guide - call 505-983-4470 or visit web site www.recyclenewmexico.com for a copy and other useful information. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-24-07)
   
• LANL scheduled prescribed burns for 55 acres at Technical Area 36 and 33 acres at Technical Area 68 in November. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-25-07)
   
• NMED issued two Administrative Compliance Orders and one Notice of Violation to the DOE Carlsbad Field Office for permit violations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The Administrative Compliance Orders were for an errant drum shipped from the Idaho National Laboratory and for ensuring that waste shipments (for 121 drums) from LANL met appropriate characterization requirements of the permit. The Notice of Violation concerned deficiencies in the WIPP groundwater monitoring program. The fines totaled $996,200. DOE was preparing a response. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-27-07; Carlsbad Current Argus, 11-29-07; NMED Press Release, 11-26-07)
   
• The New Mexico Environment Improvement Board approved the Clean Cars Program. Effective January 1, 2008, car manufacturers will have to meet state standards for greenhouse gas emissions beginning with model year 2011. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-29-07; New Mexico Governor's Office Press Release, 11-28-07)
   
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new regulations for ozone that results in ground-level smog. If the regulations are enacted, Albuquerque would have to develop a plan to comply with the new regulations by 2013. (Albuquerque Journal, 11-27-07)
   
• In an editorial, the Albuquerque Journal was critical of the City of Albuquerque's proposal to expand the city's recycling program when the city is unable to handle the 2-3% of the city's waste that is currently diverted for recycling. "What's going to happen when everyone gets that bonus bin and the city moves toward zero-landfill like Mayor Martin Chavez wants? Where does the other 97 percent of the garbage go?" (Albuquerque Journal, 12-1-07)

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Upcoming Meetings & Events

Note: There is no NMSHMM board meeting or luncheon/general meeting in December.

December 4, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at the Golden Corral (10415 Central Avenue NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.

December 13, 5:00 pm, NMSHMM Annual Christmas Social at Billiard Palace, 2288 Wyoming Blvd. NE (next to Village Inn on east side of Wyoming just south of Menaul).

December 20, 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.

Note: NMSHMM board elections are scheduled for January. Ballots will be sent by e-mail.

January 3, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at the Golden Corral (10415 Central Avenue NE, northeast of Eubank) 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.

February 7, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at the Golden Corral (10415 Central Avenue NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.

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

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

March 6, 11:30 am, New Mexico Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) monthly meeting at the Golden Corral (10415 Central Avenue NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.

March 18, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

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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