Membership Committee
Chair: Debbie Finfrock, PE, CHMM

The Membership Committee maintains a membership database, provides membership applications and renewal forms, and provides membership information upon request. To volunteer or obtain more information, contact our Membership Committee chairperson at .

Your $30 NMSHMM dues payment provides you with:

If you are interested in joining NMSHMM and would like more information, please click here to fill out our membership form. You can also join on-line with a credit card using a secure link from this page.

NMSHMM is one of 60 chapters across the country associated with the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM). ACHMM is the membership organization for CHMMs and is the only national organization devoted to the recognition and professional development of CHMMs. To become a member of ACHMM, go to http://www.achmm.org. Dues are $85. ACHMM membership allows for individual members to network and increase their effectiveness as professional hazardous materials managers. This nationwide capability expands the horizons of technical information and assistance to members and help them explore new and better career opportunities.

Combined ACHMM/NMSHMM dues are now available. For more information, visit the ACHMM web site at www.achmm.org.

November 2007 News: Program Ideas
Debbie Finfrock, PE, CHMM
NMSHMM Treasurer and Membership Chairperson
 

Although NMSHMM does not have an active program committee, many of you members have signed up with an interest in programs. If you have an interesting speaker or field trip in mind, please submit those ideas for 2008 to any member of the board. Folks where you work who have recently presented a program at a conference or meeting are often happy to repeat their presentation for a local audience. The programs only need to have some relevance to the hazardous materials field and last about 30 minutes with questions. We can provide most audio-visual equipment needed with sufficient notice. Plus, the speakers get a fine cold lunch from the Uptown Grill! (The lunch is served hot, but speakers don't always get a chance to eat the lunch right away.) As our lives progress quickly from month to month, we often need last-minute replacements as well. Being responsible for a lunch program will help you become more involved in the chapter.

Northern New Mexico members - what kind of program do we need to present to lure you from your homes once a year for our annual Santa Fe meeting? The last couple of years, our Santa Fe dinner meeting has been attended primarily by Albuquerque NMSHMM members. Our choice of restaurants is limited to those who will provide us a private area for free, and the dinner meeting time is necessary so we can get some cross-pollination of central and northern New Mexico folks. Please let me know what you would like to see in a Santa Fe meeting - a different time of year? We want to see you!

January 2007 News
Kelly Bowles, CHMM
Committee Chair

Renewal Time for NMSHMM Members
Happy New Year! The Board of Directors of NMSHMM hopes that one of your resolutions is to continue your membership in NMSHMM and maybe even take a more active role. If you are a CHMM, active membership is an easy way to earn recertification points. You receive points for attending the luncheon meetings and can earn even more by serving on the Board of Directors and taking other leadership roles. The Board of Directors is always looking for fresh new faces to participate in planning, committees, meetings, etc. Log onto our website for contact information for all of our officers if you have any questions or would like to find out more about actively participating in NMSHMM.

At the very least, please make it one of your new year's resolutions to renew your NMSHMM membership. Dues are only $30 and can be conveniently paid on-line or by check. Check the website for information on both types of payment. If you are a CHMM and belong to the national organization, ACHMM, you have probably received your annual membership invoice. NMSHMM joined forces with ACHMM in 2006 and initiated the combined dues program. This allows you to pay for membership in both organizations (ACHMM $85 and NMSHMM $30) with one check. We encourage all CHMMs to take advantage of this convenient program. However, the ACHMM membership year is January through December, and the NMSHMM membership year runs from April 2007 to March 2008. We'll be happy to take your money any time - dues received earlier than April will still renew your membership until March of 2008 and will assure that you won't miss any communications.

March 2006 News
Kelly Bowles, CHMM
Committee Chair

Time to Renew Your Membership!!
NMSHMM's new year begins April 1st, so if you haven't renewed your membership, now is the time to do it. CHMMs can still renew using the combined dues option, and all members can renew through the website by credit card or print out a renewal form and send it in with a check. All options are detailed on the NMSHMM website – just click on the membership link for more information.

In the last few newsletters, we introduced the new ACHMM/NMSHMM combined dues option that allows CHMMs to pay annual national and local dues with one payment. So far the combined dues program is a tremendous success. In December and January, 19 members used this option to pay annual dues, including several brand new members, and a few that had not renewed their NMSHMM memberships in a few years. Welcome to all!! We hope you will take advantage of the many benefits of NMSHMM membership. Please check out the rest of this newsletter for all the upcoming activities.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at Garduno's on the Green on March 10th for the annual NMSHMM dinner and social event. Richie Spangler has organized what promises to be a fun and food-filled event. Don't forget, you can also renew your membership in person at the annual dinner.

February 2006 News
Kelly Bowles, CHMM
Committee Chair

It is Membership Renewal Time
As the new calendar year gets underway, several NMSHMM members have sent in membership renewals via the NMSHMM website. Remember, you can renew your membership any time - you don't have to wait until the start of our fiscal year (April through March). If you renew now, your membership is good through March of 2007!!! If you are a CHMM, you should have received a combined dues statement from ACHMM by now. This convenient statement lets you join or renew your National Chapter membership ($85) and also pay your NMSHMM dues ($30) at one time. At the end of each month ACHMM sends us a list of renewals and a check for our local dues. You may have to get out your bifocals to find us on the list of chapters on the ACHMM dues statement, but I've checked and we are there - listed under New Mexico.

If you are confused by the new combined dues statement or want to verify your local chapter membership status, don't hesitate to send me an email (). We look forward to your continued support of our local chapter and hope to see you soon at a board meeting, lunch meeting, and annual dinner.

December 2005 News
Kelly Bowles, CHMM
Committee Chair

NMSHMM would like to wish all its members a safe and happy holiday season! We hope to see a lot of you at our holiday happy hour. I wrote a summary last month of the new combined dues program, which will combine ACHMM and NMSHMM annual dues on one invoice. The invoice will come to you directly from ACHMM, and since ACHMM follows the calendar year, you may receive dues notices soon. Just a reminder that NMSHMM's 2006 year extends from April 2006 through March 2007. If you pay your dues upon receipt of the invoice, you'll be a member in good standing in NMSHMM through March of 2007. Also, NMSHMM members not interested in national ACHMM membership may continue to pay NMSHMM dues locally in the spring, by signing up at a lunch meeting, sending a completed renewal form to our post office box, or on the web site using a credit card. If you have any questions about the new dues program, please contact any of your NMSHMM officers or board members.

November 2005 News

NMSHMM members can expect to receive a "combined dues" invoice from the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) in November. Last month this column described the new dues program that NMSHMM was instituting for 2006. You will have the opportunity to join or renew ACHMM national dues, plus pay your $30 dues to NMSHMM, with one check to ACHMM. ACHMM follows the calendar year, so that's why you'll see your dues notice soon; however, NMSHMM is not changing its fiscal year, which is April 2006 through March 2007. The dues you've paid this year will keep you in good standing until March 2006. If you pay the combined dues invoice when you receive it, you'll be good for the ACHMM calendar year (through December 31, 2006), and the NMSHMM membership year (through March 31, 2007). NMSHMM members not interested in national ACHMM membership may continue to pay NMSHMM dues locally in the spring. Please contact any of your NMSHMM officers or board members if you have any questions about the new dues program.

October 2005 News

As most of you know, NMSHMM is the Roadrunner Chapter of ACHMM. Your annual $30 membership dues entitle you to membership in the Roadrunner Chapter, hardcopy and electronic newsletters, email notices of special events and meetings, and great opportunities to interact with your professional peers. For the 2006 membership year, NMSHMM is looking at the possibility of a combined dues program with ACHMM. ACHMM collects $85 annual dues for CHMMs who want to belong to the national organization. You can earn CHMM recertification points for ACHMM membership, receive email newsletters, and obtain a host of other benefits. A combined dues program would allow those NMSHMM members who are also ACHMM members to pay a single annual dues payment that would cover both organizations. This is beneficial to members who can be reimbursed through their employer - you only have one invoice for the year. The payment goes to the national organization, and they in turn forward our chapter dues to us. As this program gets under way, you'll be kept informed of any changes, via the monthly newsletter and other communications. The combined dues program will not affect NMSHMM members who are not CHMMs or other NMSHMM members who are not interested in joining ACHMM. You will still be able to join our local chapter, as always, by sending in a $30 check or joining on the website with a credit card.

Stay tuned for more details!!!

August 2005 News

Meth Labs - An Issue of Interest for NMSHMM Members

An article recently appeared on the Occupational Health and Safety website concerning safety and environmental hazards associated with methamphetamine (meth) labs (see Occupational Health and Safety magazine at their web site - www.ohsonline.com). These hazards should be of interest to quite a few NMSHMM members—those who have first responder responsibilities, consultants involved in Phase I and other due diligence activities, and remediation professionals. According to the article, small-scale labs create hazards for public safety personnel and others who may be exposed to toxic chemicals during a response. An estimated 30% of fires that are responded to are the result of methamphetamine labs. Responders should be prepared for dealing with potential dangers and contaminants before entering the site. Additionally, improper cleanup of former labs can pose hidden and long-term danger to future residents of homes, apartments and hotel rooms. The meth production process can spread contamination over a wide area, including carpeting, draperies, and other furnishing. After improper cleanup, new residents or tenants can be exposed to residual amounts of chemicals. Environmental professionals can become involved in this issue through due diligence investigations, cleanup and decontamination activities. According to one cleanup contractor's website, each pound of meth produced results in 5 to 6 pounds of toxic waste. New companies that offer meth lab decontamination are springing up across the country. If you're interested in more information on this issue, I suggest a Google search on meth lab cleanup.

July 2005 News

Santa Fe Meeting in August!!

Thanks to all of you who responded to my request for feedback on an evening NMSHMM meeting in Santa Fe. The meeting will be held at Chilaca's (formerly Pepper's) located on Old Pecos Trail, just north of the I-25 Exit. We will dine in the Chilaca's covered patio. Our speaker will be Allison King, Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials (ACHMM) President. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the latest ACHMM initiatives and network with NMSHMM members from northern New Mexico. If you live in Northern New Mexico, we hope you'll put this date on your calendar and make an effort to attend the dinner. If you live in Albuquerque or the surrounding area, we are looking at the possibility of a carpool or other ride sharing to the event. Further updates, including a location and speaker, will be available in the August newsletter and on the NMSHMM website. This event will be a good opportunity to visit with NMSHMM members that don't often make the lunch meetings, meet some of our new NMED members, and network with other environmental professionals.

If you have not renewed your membership for 2005-2006, please do so as soon as possible. If you have not renewed, your name will be dropped from the August newsletter distribution list and you will miss out on notification of upcoming events!!! You can download a membership form from the website and mail it in with your $30 check, or you can renew with our secure on-line credit card form. If you have any questions on the status of your membership, please email me at  and I can quickly check our database.

We look forward to seeing you in Santa Fe next month.

June 2005 News

ATTENTION NORTHERN NEW MEXICO NMSHMM MEMBERS!!

As you may remember, NMSHMM put on a very successful National Overview Course (NOC) in November 2004 at the New Mexico Environment Department.  As a result of the course, we have 10 new Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (CHMMs) at the NMED in Santa Fe.  The Society also recognizes that we have many other loyal members in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and throughout Northern New Mexico.  Our general membership meetings are regularly held in Albuquerque, thus, we don’t get a chance to interact with our northern friends very often.  Although we would love to have everyone attend lunches at the Uptown Bar and Grill, it’s not very convenient for those of you working in Santa Fe and Los Alamos.   The NMSHMM Board of Directors is discussing the possibility of changing the August luncheon to an evening dinner meeting in Santa Fe on Wednesday, August 17th.  The format would be the same - a no-host dinner at a local restaurant with a speaker or other presentation.  We are hoping that some of our Albuquerque regulars will make the trip to Santa Fe for the event.

I’d love to hear some feedback about this idea, from both Albuquerque and Northern New Mexico society members:

Please provide any feed back to me by email at .  We’ll send out more details for the Santa Fe meeting when they become available.  Please mark your calendars and arrange your schedule so you can join us.  Our membership consists of consultants; industry and government environmental health and safety professionals; independent contractors; local, state, and federal regulators; and professionals in academic institutions.  The meetings are a great opportunity to meet with your professional peers and find out what’s going on throughout the state in the environmental world!!

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