March 2010
| PLEASE NOTE: Some newsletter content is only available to members in good standing of NMSHMM. |
- President's Message: Annual Dinner and a New Board on the Way
- NMSHMM Annual Dinner 2010
- Local News Stories
- Upcoming Meetings and Events
- Monthly Meeting Location
- Job Openings (Last Update: February 24, 2010)
- 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: Annual Dinner and a New Board on the Way
Mike Sanders, CPG, CHMM
GRAM, Inc.
This is my last month as the 2009/2010 President of NMSHMM. The past year has been an active and successful one for our organization, due in large part to the substantial time and effort put forth by current board and committee members. It has been a challenging, rewarding, and fun experience to work with the dedicated group of individuals who spend a lot of time and effort to keep NMSHMM an active and viable professional organization. I anticipate that the coming year will be equally active and successful, and as Past-President, look forward to working with incoming President Debbie Finfrock and other board members on events and activities during the year, and working behind the scenes to keep the NMSHMM engine running smoothly!
Plans and preparations are underway for the NMSHMM annual banquet. As noted in the announcement below, the dinner will be held on Friday, March 26, starting at 6:00 p.m., and will again take place at Seasons Rotisserie and Grill on Mountain Rd. near Old Town. Please join us for a delicious buffet dinner, keynote speaker, introduction of new board members, and general socializing. The cost for dinner has been lowered to $30.00/person (down from $35/person last year)-a real bargain for a high-quality establishment like Seasons.
I look forward to seeing you at the annual dinner, or at other upcoming NMSHMM social events, including Isotopes Night in August, the holiday social in December, and one or two field trips to be determined.
NMSHMM Annual Dinner 2010
Friday, March 20, 6:00 pm
Seasons Rotisserie and Grill
2031 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque
Make your reservations by March 23 for the annual dinner! It promises to be a super evening with great speakers and great food.
Menu
For only $30, attendees will receive a splendid buffet, including:
Appetizers
- Crispy Fried Rock Shrimp
chipotle aioli - Stuffed Crimini Mushroom
roasted peppers, herbed goat cheese
Salad
- Mixed Greens
tomatoes & cucumbers, red wine-honey vinaigrette
Entrees
- Pesto Cream Penne
grilled vegetables, toasted pine nuts, shaved grana padano cheese - Sliced Angus Flank Steak
creamy garlic mashed potatoes, julienne vegetables, bordelaise sauce - Asian stir-Fry
pork, jasmine rice, aromatic vegetables, spicy peppers
Dessert
- New York Style Cheesecake
seasonal fruit sauce
Speaker
Our keynote speaker this year will be Pete V. Domenici Jr., an Albuquerque small business owner and nationally recognized attorney specializing in environmental matters involving compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. Born and raised in Albuquerque, he received his B.A. from the University of Virginia, and graduated from the University Of New Mexico School of Law. He has been practicing law in New Mexico and Federal Courts for nearly 25 years.
His professional experience includes acting as lead counsel in administrative, State and Federal court matters, including water rights adjudications in the Mimbres and Gila Rivers, permits and permit modification involving Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP), and the Triassic Park commercial hazardous waste disposal facility near Roswell, New Mexico Environment Department groundwater discharge issues, solid wastes and other permits, and numerous State and Federal Compliance Orders and Enforcement Actions. Pete is also a Republican candidate for Governor of New Mexico.
Election inductions will also take place for the new NMSHMM Board. We look forward to seeing you there!
RSVP
All reservations or cancellations must be made by Tuesday, March 23 by e-mailing . Members with reservations may pay at the door, but will be responsible for payment even if they cannot attend.
The following are news stories reported during the past month:
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Solar Distinction, Inc. intends to build a photovoltaic manufacturing plant in Albuquerque that would employ 300 workers within two to three years and eventually expand to 500 employees. The plant would produce solar panels to fit on lighting, personal electronics, and other products. Gov. Bill Richardson said the company's decision shows New Mexico is "becoming the center of North America's solar industry."
(KOB, 2/9/10; Albuquerque Journal 2/10/10)
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NMED is requesting assistance from a New York bankruptcy court regarding the cleanup of a former circuit board manufacturing site in Albuquerque’s South Valley. NMED filed a motion for summary judgment asking the court to rule that a former owner and operator of the plant, Mark IV Industries (now bankrupt), is still responsible for the clean up of contaminated groundwater at the site. NMED stated that groundwater contamination remains beneath the site and includes trichloroethylene, dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride.
(Associated Press, KOB, 2/9/10)
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Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) nuclear specialists spent a week training a team from the African nation of Ghana. The two scientists from Ghana were studying how LANL oversees a program to retrieve surplus radioactive material from other nations. The Off-Site Recovery Program retrieves packages of material for shipment and arranges long-term storage. The program is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) program to keep civilian nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.
(Associated Press, KOB, 2/9/10)
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently issued a report that showed New Mexico maintains excellent air and hazardous waste regulatory programs for which the federal agency has oversight. The review indicates that NMED’s Clean Air Act compliance monitoring and enforcement programs “are strengths” for the State, according to the report. In addition, NMED’s Hazardous Waste Bureau’s data management, inspection coverage and quality, as well as the bureau’s enforcement program “continue to be NMED strengths.”
(NMED Press Release, 2/10/10)
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LANL is nearly doubling its number of weekly shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico. Lab officials say the campaign will eliminate a backlog of about 1,500 drums of transuranic waste that are awaiting shipment to WIPP. A crew from Tennessee's Oak Ridge National Laboratory will temporarily relocate to Los Alamos to double the lab's loading capacity. LANL usually completes four shipments per week to WIPP, but the number of shipments will increase to seven during the campaign. The transuranic waste consists of tools, rags, protective clothing, sludge, soil and other materials contaminated with radioactive elements.
(Associated Press, KOB, 2/11/10)
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Six significant accidents at LANL over the past year have federal managers concerned about safety priorities of LANL management, according to a January 20 memorandum. In one case, an inadvertent explosion caused significant damage to a lab building, and in another incident, a worker suffered a serious shock after touching a high-voltage battery. Cumulatively, the accidents suggest a pattern that, if not addressed, could lead to more serious accidents, "up to and including serious injuries or fatalities," NNSA officials wrote in a memo to lab management. (Albuquerque Journal, 2/12/10)
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The New Mexico House of Representatives proposal that would give private citizens the power to file motions in court against polluters who violate the Environmental Improvement Act, the Water Quality Act and the Oil and Gas Act. The measure also would allow citizens to file civil actions against state agencies if they fail to enforce the laws. The House defeated the measure on a 34-32 vote based on the objections of lawmakers who argued the proposal would open the door to frivolous lawsuits.
(Associated Press an, KOB, 2/14/10)
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An anonymous Bernalillo resident paid to have the drinking water tested because sludge deposits showing up in water filters. The study found the water came out to 176 parts per billion, aluminum. A usual water system is reported to contain around 10 parts per billion. "Anything over 100 is hazardous to your health, ours is 176, so it's a problem,” said the resident. The study also found that the gel that is clogging resident's water filters is contaminated, containing too much aluminum and arsenic. The town has admitted the new filtration technology meant to remove arsenic from the water isn't working properly after numerous complaints about a bi-product used to get rid of the arsenic accidentally getting through to people's homes. The Town of Bernalillo terminated its contract with Arsenic Removal Systems, who designed and installed the arsenic removal system. NMED had previously issued a Notice of Violation stating that arsenic levels in the town’s wells exceeded permitted standards.
(KOB, 2/17/10; Albuquerque Journal, 2/24/10)
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The Camino Real landfill in Sunland Park may obtain a 10-year extension on its state permit. NMED Secretary Ron Curry issued a one-year permit in 2008, but the New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled that state permits for landfills are valid for at least 10 years, not just one year.
(Albuquerque Journal, 2-19-10)
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Chevron will construct a solar energy facility at its molybdenum mine near Questa. The facility will consist of 175 solar panels that would supply up to 75 percent of Questa’s energy demand on sunny days.
(Albuquerque Journal, 2/24/10)
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The Louisiana Energy Services (LES) uranium enrichment facility in southeastern New Mexico is expected to go into operation soon. Centrifuges at the $3 billion National Enrichment Facility will produce enriched uranium for commercial nuclear power plants. National Regulatory Commission staff members conducted site inspections as part of a review that must be approved before LES can begin operations. LES stated that three of the five buildings at the facility are already occupied, and the two remaining buildings are nearing completion.
(Associated Press and KOB – 2/25/10)
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Money to fund a state advocacy program to help workers exposed to nuclear radiation will come from a federal compensation fund under a bill approved by New Mexico legislators. House Bill 101, sponsored by Representative Nick Salazar (Democrat from Ohkay Owingeh) would fund the NMED Office of Nuclear Workers Advocacy through a portion of the federal funds set up in 2000 to compensate uranium miners, lab workers and others suffering illnesses related to radioactive exposure. The bill is awaiting the governor's signature. The two-person Office of Nuclear Workers Advocacy was established and funded by the state in 2008 to help workers fill out paperwork and obtain federal compensation. The office has helped 330 workers so far and the number is expected to grow.
(Santa Fe New Mexican, 2/25/10)
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Cleanup of legacy waste at LANL would go faster if only one branch of the federal Department of Energy (DOE) managed it, according to NMED Secretary Ron Curry. He said the problem is the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management and the NNSA both make decisions about cleanup work at LANL. That's one agency too many, Curry said. In a February 22 edition of Weapons Complex Monitor, Curry said he's concerned the two-agency approach has slowed cleanup efforts and DOE won't meet a 2015 deadline agreed to under a federal consent order for cleaning up the radioactive waste.
(Santa Fe New Mexican, 2/25/10)
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A report released by two environmental groups says toxic seepage from coal ash ponds at Four Corners Power Plant, operated by Arizona Public Service Company, is contaminating a major water source for cattle and wildlife. Earthjustice and the Environmental Integrity Project said that since 1968, the plant has deposited waste byproducts from coal combustion into unlined pits surrounding the site. The report said the deposits are believed to be seeping into groundwater and deposit high levels of boron, copper, lead, mercury and zinc into New Mexico's Chaco Wash.
(Associated Press and KOB, 2/26/10)
- The cost to prevent a brine well near Carlsbad from collapsing could exceed $25 million. The brine well, owned by I&W Inc., is located between US 285 and the Carlsbad Irrigation District canal east of the US 62/180 intersection. Under a bill sponsored by Representative John Heating (Democrat from Carlsbad) and awaiting signature by Governor Bill Richardson, $2 million a year in funding to remediate the well would be available from the state’s oil and natural gas reclamation fund by increasing the tax rate on oil production when prices exceed $70 per barrel of oil. Carlsbad City Administrator Harry Burgess is waiting for a state district judge to allow access to the brine well site for equipment installation and work initiation. (Albuquerque Journal,2/7/10 and 2/26/10)
|
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.) |
| March 2010 |
March 2, 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 .
March 11, 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 .
March 16, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
March 20, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Albuquerque Open Space – Trail Watch Volunteer Training, Open Space Visitor Center, 6500 Coors Boulevard NW. Call (505) 897-8831 if interested.
March 23, Alliance of Hazardous Materials Managers (AHMP) Regional Regulatory Review in Washington, DC. For more information, visit AHMP web site at www.netforumachmm.org.
March 26, 6:00 pm, NMSHMM Annual Dinner, Seasons, 2031 Mountain Road NW, in Old Town Albuquerque east of Rio Grande Blvd. All reservations or cancellations must be made by Tuesday, March 23 by e-mailing . Members with reservations may pay at the door, but will be responsible for payment even if they cannot attend.
| April 2010 |
April 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 .
April 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 .
April 8-9, Alliance of Hazardous Materials Managers (AHMP) Leadership Conference in Cambridge, MA. For more information, visit AHMP web site at www.netforumachmm.org.
April 20, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
April 21, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.
| May 2010 |
May 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 .
May 11, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
May 13, 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 .
May 19, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.
| June 2010 |
June 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 .
June 7, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at AMEC Earth and Environmental, 8519 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque. All members are welcome.
June 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 .
June 16, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Golden Corral (10415 Central NE, northeast of Eubank) in Albuquerque.
| September 2010 |
September 12-15, Alliance of Hazardous Materials Managers (AHMP) National Conference in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit AHMP web site at www.netforumachmm.org.
Did we miss something? To get your event added to the calendar please contact Eric Johnson at .
|
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)
Last Update: February 24, 2010
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!