July 2009
| PLEASE NOTE: Some newsletter content is only available to members in good standing of NMSHMM. |
- President's Message - Learn About Air Quality in the San Juan Basin
- Plan Now to Attend the 2009 Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management Course
- Local News Stories
- Upcoming Meetings and Events
- Monthly Meeting Location
- Job Openings
- NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs
| Our Mission |
| To
provide environmental professionals in the Southwest a
forum for professional development, education, and networking opportunities; and to offer our community environmental, health, and safety expertise |
President's Message - Learn About Air Quality in the San Juan Basin
Mike Sanders, CPG, CHMM
GRAM, Inc.
The Wednesday, July 15 NMSHMM lunch meeting will be held at the Golden Corral restaurant, on the northeast corner of Eubank and Central. Our speaker this month will be Roger Polisar, who is an environmental scientist with the City of Albuquerque Air Quality Division. Roger will speak about air quality issues related to the oil and gas industry in the San Juan Basin, which he dealt with during his tenure with the New Mexico Environment Department Air Quality Bureau in Farmington. As usual, the meeting will start at about 11:30 am, and the talk at about noon.
NMSHMM is again teaming up with the Albuquerque Health Physics Society to bring you another fun night at the Isotopes Park on Sunday, August 9. This same event was held in July 2008 and a good time was had by all, so a repeat is in order. There will be upper deck seats behind third base at Isotopes Park, and all you can eat food. Seating is limited: minimum of 40 people and maximum of 50. Seats will be split between NMSHMM and Health Physics Society. Cost is $25.00/person. Reservations taken on a first-come / first-served basis – so please make your reservations early and RSVP to . I look forward to seeing you there.
NOTE: the Isotopes night event is being held in lieu of the regular NMSHMM August lunch meeting. There will be NO LUNCH MEETING IN AUGUST.
Planning and preparations for the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals (AHMP) National Conference are in full swing. The conference will be held in San Diego, CA from Sunday, August 30 to Wednesday, September 2. Additional training courses and seminars will also be held before August 30. Speakers at the conference will include Michael D. Brown, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who led the federal government’s initial response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005. Brown will present a talk focusing on three primary themes: Communicating in a Crisis, Making Things Work When All the Wires Are Cut and Homeland Insecurity. He will also field questions on Hurricane Katrina and other disaster preparation and management topics.
A number of very interesting field trips are being held in conjunction with the conference, including a disaster preparedness exercise aboard the U.S.S Midway, a behind-the-scenes look at environmental management issues at Seaworld, and a trip to the San Onofre nuclear generating station near San Diego.
A number of NMSHMM members will be attending the conference, so you’ll be in good company if you plan to attend! Learn more about the AHMP National Conference at http://www.achmm.org/sandiego2009/. I hope to see you there.
Plan NOW to Attend the 2009 Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management Course
Paul Karas, CPG, CHMM
The 2009 Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) Course will be held November 16 - 18, 2009, at the NMED District 1 office, 5500 San Antonio Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM. The 3-day course offers a comprehensive review of the physical and chemical properties of hazardous materials, environmental laws and regulations, and safety and health principles important to every environmental and safety professional. This is an excellent opportunity to prepare for the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) or Certified Hazardous Materials Professional (CHMP) Exam or to satisfy training or re-certification requirements, enhance competence in the profession, and to stay current with new rules and regulations.
Watch for information about course registration and logistics in future newsletters and on the NMSHMM website. Please contact Paul Karas, NMSHMM Education/Professional Development Committee Chair, at 505-243-3200 or if you are interested in learning more about the EHMM, to volunteer for the EHMM organizing committee, or to be considered as an instructor.
Local News Stories
Compiled by Eric Johnson, AICP, CHMM
The following are news stories reported during the past month:
- The New Mexico Economic Development Department is providing incentives to develop an industry cluster of solar energy firms in New Mexico. Signet Solar received $38 million in tax incentives for its plant under construction near Belen. Advent Solar received $17 million in state investments for its facility at Mesa del Sol. Schott Solar received $130 million in governments to build a factory at Mesa del Sol. Solar Array Ventures is slated to receive $175 million from industrial revenue bonds and $15 million from a revenue bond for construction of water and sewer lines to its proposed factory west of Albuquerque.
(Albuquerque Journal, 6-7-09)
- An Albuquerque Journal article announced that an “eSolar” energy plant is proposed near Deming. A Las Cruces Sun-News article announced that an eSolar energy plant would be constructed at the Santa Teresa port of entry. The eSolar plants use a “power tower” technology that was developed at Sandia National Laboratories.
(Albuquerque Journal, 6-10-09; Las Cruces Sun-News, 6-11-09)
- The Four Corners Power Plant near Fruitland released a cloud of black ash. The cloud of pulverized coal was released when equipment designed to capture the coal shut down unexpectedly.
(Farmington Daily Times, 6-11-09)
- Gasoline contamination found at the Santa Fe County courthouse site continued to keep construction on hold. Santa Fe County is paying the construction company $38,000 a month to do nothing while the contamination is being remediated, which is expected to start in September.
(Albuquerque Journal, 6-11-09)
- Stirling Energy Systems and Sandia National Laboratories have developed four solar dish prototypes to generate electric power. The dishes consist of curved mirrors that focus the heat from sun rays on an engine to generate electricity. (Albuquerque Journal, 6-27-09).
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Society luncheon meetings are held at
Golden Corral Buffet on Central and Eubank (10415 Central Avenue NE) at 11:30 on the third Wednesday of the month (except Mar. and Dec.) |
| July 2009 |
July 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. For more information, e-mail .
July 9, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at Mike Sanders' home. All members are welcome. Please email for the address and directions.
July 9, New Mexico Chapter of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) technical meeting, Furr’s Fresh Buffet, 2004 Wyoming Blvd. NE. For more information, e-mail .
July 15, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque. Roger Polisar with the City of Albuquerque will speak on air quality issues related to the oil and gas industry in the San Juan Basin.
| August 2009 |
August 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. For more information, e-mail .
August 9, Isotopes Night. NMSHMM and the Health Physics Society will share a skybox at the Isotopes Park. The cost for this event is $25.00/person and includes admission to the park, upper deck seating, and all you can eat food. Reservations will be taken on a first-come / first-served basis, so please make your reservations early and RSVP to .
August 18, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
August 30 - September 2, AHMP National Conference, San Diego. For more information see AHMP web site at www.achmm.org
| September 2009 |
September 1, 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. For more information, e-mail .
September 10, New Mexico Chapter of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) technical meeting, Furr’s Fresh Buffet, 2004 Wyoming Blvd. NE. For more information, e-mail .
September 15, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
September 16, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque. A fall field trip is being planned.
| October 2009 |
October 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. For more information, e-mail .
October 8, New Mexico Chapter of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) technical meeting, Furr’s Fresh Buffet, 2004 Wyoming Blvd. NE. For more information, e-mail .
October 20, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
October 21, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.
| November 2009 |
November 16-18, Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) Course presented by NMSHMM at the NMED Albuquerque office, 5500 San Antonio Drive NE. For more information, please click here.
Did we miss something? To get your event added to the calendar please contact Eric Johnson at .
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Society business meetings are
held at
AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, at 5:00 on the third Tuesday of the month (except Mar. and Dec.) |
Our regular monthly meetings are held at Golden Corral Buffet on Central and Eubank (10415 Central Avenue NE - 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.
For the latest job openings, please click here. (MEMBERS ONLY)
NMSHMM OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
|
Officers:
President
Past-President
President-Elect
Treasurer
Secretary
At-Large Director At-Large Director |
Committee Chairs: Communication Education/Professional
Development
Membership |
Please send contributions for future newsletters to Eric Johnson at . Thanks!