August 2009
| PLEASE NOTE: Some newsletter content is only available to members in good standing of NMSHMM. |
- President's Message - Isotopes Baseball in August
- Seats Still Available for the 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 - Isotopes Baseball in August
Mike Sanders, CPG, CHMM
GRAM, Inc.
Our speaker for the Wednesday, July 15 lunch meeting was Roger Polisar, who is an environmental scientist with the City of Albuquerque Air Quality Division. He gave a great presentation on air quality issues (especially green house gas emissions) related to the oil and gas industry in the Four Corners area. Advances in technology are now being applied to individual gas and oil production units including generators, dewatering units, and pump stations. He also discussed the development of the resources, as in the history of drilling and which formations hold the resources. Thanks to Roger for taking the time to speak to our group!
Plans are being finalized for the joint NMSHMM/Albuquerque Health Physics Society gathering at the Isotopes Park on Sunday, August 9, starting at 5 pm. A total of 48 folks have signed up for the event as of Friday, July 31 (50 is the limit). There will be upper deck seats behind third base at Isotopes Park, and all you can eat food. This was a well-received and fun event in August 2008, and promises to be again this year. 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, California, 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/.
SEATS STILL AVAILABLE for the 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.
The EHMM course materials, including the manual and hazardous material reference/textbook, are provided through agreement with the AHMP, but course management and instruction is administered by NMSHMM. We have been offering this course annually for 12 years to very positive reviews from participants and a consistently high success rate (routinely 80% or better pass rate) for those who go on to take the exam. A key advantage of NMSHMM’s EHMM course is the participation of accomplished subject matter experts; typically more than 20 carefully selected instructors lead individual modules over the 3-day course. We recruit our instructors from industry, the national laboratories, consulting, regulatory agencies and academia, selecting each based on depth of experience, relevant education, training experience, and the results of student critiques from previous EHMM offerings.
You can find information about course registration and logistics on the NMSHMM website. Note the discounted rate available through October 4, 2009. 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 SunZia Southwest Transmission Project team held a public meeting in Deming to present their proposal for a 500 kilovolt transmission line across southern New Mexico. The transmission line would serve solar and wind energy projects. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-7-09)
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released $1.5 million in federal stimulus funds to cleanup contamination from leaking underground storage tanks in New Mexico. The funds will be used for projects where the responsible party is unknown, unwilling, or unable to pay for the cleanup. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-11-09)
- The High Lonesome Wind Ranch south of Willard is about to start generating electricity. Forty wind turbines were undergoing final tests in July. (The Independent, 7-15-09)
- New Mexico State Parks officials believe blue-green algae may have caused the deaths of two dogs that were swimming in a cove at Elephant Butte Lake State Park. The algae can produce toxins that are harmful to animals and people. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-17-09)
- New Mexico State University received $272,816 in U.S. Department of Energy stimulus funds to study how wind farms affect the electrical grid during disturbances. The university’s Electric Utility Management Program will conduct the research. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-18-09)
- Sandia National Laboratories, in cooperation with Purdue University of Indiana, is investigating ways to improve wind turbine efficiency. Jose Zayas, manager of Sandia’s Wind Energy Technology Department summarized the challenges of obtaining energy from wind: “Wind is very random; it’s very active. You get gusts; you get all kinds of phenomena. Machines need to be designed to withstand all those variables.” (Albuquerque Journal, 7-11-09)
- The City of Albuquerque is considering a $5 million loan program to make solar panels more affordable to home and business owners. A combination of loans along with federal and state tax credits would be used to encourage solar panel installation. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-11-09)
- A federal jury determined that Copar Pumice Company’s constitutional rights were violated when New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Air Quality Bureau employees took records from an El Cajete mine employee. NMED employees obtained time sheets that according to Copar indicated when employees were working and not when the mine was in operating. NMED determined that the mine had violated the terms of their air-quality permit by operating more than 10 hours per day and failing to control dust. (Santa Fe New Mexican, 7-21-09)
- A study prepared for NMED found that ozone levels would be lowered by reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants and oil and gas operations in the Four Corners region. Ozone is formed by a chemical reaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds under sunlight. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-22-09)
- The University of New Mexico received a surprise gift in July. An anonymous “donor” deposited 68 boxes of hazardous chemicals, along with a note that said “donation,” in front of the University of New Mexico chemistry building. Nine of the chemicals were included on the Department of Homeland Security’s list of chemicals of interest. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-24-09)
- NMED Secretary Ron Curry rejected an offer by Helena Chemical Company to donate $150,000 for installation of central air conditioning at Garfield Elementary School as a supplement environmental project. NMED is negotiating with Helena regarding alleged air quality permit violations at its Mesquite fertilizer plant. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-29-09)
- The EPA and United Nuclear Corporation reached agreement to clean up soil contamination at closed uranium mines near Gallup. United Nuclear Corporation will excavate a radium contaminated arroyo and regrade a uranium waste pile at the abandoned Northeast Church Rock Mine. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-30-09)
- The U.S. Department of Energy does not plan to send spent nuclear power plant fuel to the Waste Isolation Power Plant (WIPP), but the agency did not rule out the possibility of sending spent fuel to a new site in the same area. State officials do not support that idea. (Albuquerque Journal, 7-31-09)
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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.) |
| August 2009 |
** Note: there will be no NMSHMM luncheon meeting in August.**
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.
September 30-October 2, Southern New Mexico Safety Roundup in Las Cruces presented by the ZIA section of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Speaker proposals currently being accepted at http://asse-ziasection.org/Conference.aspx.
| 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 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. For more information, e-mail .
November 12, 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 .
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.
November 17, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
November 18, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.
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
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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!