March 2008 - PUBLIC EDITION

• Annual Meeting At Season's Rotisserie and Grill
• Have You Motivated a Child Today?
• Committee News
  • Website Volunteer Needed
  • Government Affairs and Local News Stories
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Monthly Meeting Location
• Job Openings
• NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs

Annual Meeting At Season's Rotisserie and Grill
Richie Spangler, CHMM
Sandia National Laboratories

Let me open my last message as the 2007-8 NMSHMM President by thanking each and every one of you for the opportunity to be the president during NMSHMM's tenth anniversary year. It has truly been my privilege to serve this organization, and I look forward to continuing my involvement on the board as Past-President. We have had a wonderful year filled with opportunities to meet professionally (luncheon meetings and field trips), meet socially (holiday social, annual banquet, and Isotopes game), and to make NMSHMM's presence felt on a national level (hosting the 2007 ACHMM National Leadership Workshop). Thank you for all of the support both in the planning and execution of the NMSHMM events as well as the incredible participation from the membership as a whole.

Speaking of the NMSHMM membership as a whole, it is again time for our annual banquet where the NMSHMM "torch" will be passed to the new board members for the 2008-9 year. The good news is that this year we decided to upscale a little bit and have our banquet at Season's Rotisserie and Grill on March 21, 2008 beginning at 6:00 pm. We will start the evening with some wrapped asparagus and baked brie appetizers and cocktail time and then dinner will be served at 6:30 pm. Dinner will start with a mixed green salad with matchstick green apples and a champagne vinaigrette and then move on to a Seafood Brochette with rice pilaf, Newburg sauce and Rotisserie Pork Loin with roasted Yukon gold potatoes, sautéed julienne vegetables, caramelized shallot & sage sauce as the entrée. We will finish the evening with a Lemon Meringue Tart with raspberry coulis.

Hopefully that got your interest up, but if that is not enough, we have managed to get Cedric Calhoun, Executive Director of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) to fly in from Washington, D.C. and join us as our featured speaker for the evening. Cedric will update us on ACHMM activities and upcoming initiatives. The cost for attending will be $30 per person this year. The bad news is that we can only accommodate 45 people due to the space available at Season's, so it will be on a first come (RSVP) first served basis for attendance. Please RSVP to .

I want to thank, Chuck Akeley, Manager, New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Solid Waste Bureau/Enforcement Section for his presentation of Management of Solid Waste in New Mexico at our luncheon meeting this past month. He provided a great presentation on what the scope of the Solid Waste Bureau does and discussed the changes to the solid waste regulations that took affect on August 2, 2007. His presentation was filled with interesting photographs of the work the enforcement section has done over the years, and we were all thankful that most of us were finished with lunch by the time he showed the photographs (if you were there you know what I am referring to, but if not ask someone who was!).

The results of the election are in! I want to congratulate Mike Sanders for his move from Secretary to the new president elect; Brian Salem for recycling on the board from his old position of Past-President to Secretary; Paul Karas for returning to the board as a director at large (though he has been active as the education chair for some time now); and Sandra Martin for adding some new blood to the board filling our second director at large position. I will be moving on to the Past-President position on the board and Brian Pence will be taking over as the President for this year. Debbie Finfrock will stay on as our treasurer and she has been doing a fantastic job. I want to take this opportunity to heartily thank Barry Birch as he leaves the board for his service as a director at large. In particular, we have Barry to thank for many of our recent luncheon speakers from the NMED.

I hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patrick's Day holiday this month and that those of you with children in school enjoy your spring break this year. Given that it is March, it is time to consider what toxic material might be in green food dye given the amount of it you are likely to ingest this month in various food/beverage items (beer, etc). Another random thought: How much sodium is in corned beef anyway?

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Have You Motivated a Child Today?
Christopher M Cutler, CHMM

We all know that there has been concern for several years over the way that American teens' math and science scores lag behind those of some other industrialized nations. There are the vast differences between different states, cities, school districts and even individual schools. Some of the lowest scores in the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) are within the Highland cluster, which is comprised of those elementary and middle schools that feed into Highland High School.

With the intent of increasing science and math skills through motivation of students, APS and the Albuquerque Mayor's Office have partnered to implement a pilot version of the National Wildlife Federation's "Green Hour" at two schools; Sandia Base Elementary and Van Buren Middle School. This program, the Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Team (EAST), endeavors to improve test scores through practical application and utilization of problem solving skills. It is designed to get children out into the "real world," exploring the environment; learning about math, science, and conservation, while making a connection between the practical lessons in the classroom and the real world application of those lessons. If this program is successful at these two schools, it will expand to all APS schools within the next couple of years.

Sandia Base Elementary is requesting assistance with field trips, guest speakers and hands-on activities to get students involved and motivated, and to possibly progress to becoming future science leaders, scientists, and explorers. The program meets from 3:45-4:45 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The potential is there for speakers and activities to be funded through the grant that was received from the Mayor's Office, but volunteers are always appreciated. For more information, contact Mr. Blair Kaufman, Sandia Base Elementary Principal, or Ms Andrea Sullivan, EAST Program Coordinator, at 505-268-4356.

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Committee News

Website Volunteer Needed
Eric Johnson, AICP, CHMM

NMSHMM needs a volunteer to coordinate with Sheldon Liebman, our extraordinary website manager. The NMSHMM website volunteer would coordinate with Sheldon to keep the website up-to-date, provide new material, and remove dated material off the web site. This task should take about 1-2 hours per month at most.

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

The following are news stories reported during the past month:

• NMED reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy and TRU Solutions, LLC, related to shipments of transuranic waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The agreement provides for a $110,000 penalty and continued funding of NMED's Oversight Bureau through fiscal year 2009. The settlement concerned the disposal of 121 containers of dewatered sludge waste between August 2005 and February 2006 for which visual examination was used instead of more in-depth X-ray inspections known as real-time photography. (NMED press release, 2-7-08; Associated Press, 2-8-08)
• Amigos Bravo and the Western Environmental Law Center filed a law suit against LANL alleging that LANL has violated water-quality standards and failed to conduct representative monitoring, conduct quarterly visual monitoring, conduct benchmark monitoring, conduct compliance monitoring, and report violations. The environmental groups are concerned that polychlorinated biphenyls could make it into the Rio Grande and northern New Mexico drinking water. (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-7-08)
• According to the New Mexico Department of Health, black yeast found in bottles of treated river water distributed by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority poses little health risk. There have been no reported cases of the water affecting anyone's health, and laboratory tests identified the substance as black yeast. (Albuquerque Journal, 2-12-08)
• The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a five-year air permit for Asarco's smelter operations in El Paso. The commission required Asarco to add air quality monitoring devices and work with officials from New Mexico and Mexico to monitor its air emissions (Associated Press, 2-14-08)
• NMED cited Helena Chemical Company with 11 violations related to air quality, monitoring, and recording. NMED imposed fines of $270,600 for these violations at Helena's fertilizer plant near Mesquite. (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-12-08)
• Irrigation Districts in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, have agreed to a settlement for apportioning water from Elephant Butte Reservoir. The settlement will allow Elephant Butte Irrigation District to continue using wells to supplement river water provided that the district meets delivery requirements to the El Paso County Improvement District No. 1. (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-16-08)
• Anthony Edwards, a University of New Mexico graduate student, has conducted research showing that LANL is a major source of PCBs in fish at Cochiti Reservoir. LANL research has shown that LANL is one of many sources of PCB contamination in the Rio Grande. Ralph Ford-Schmid, a NMED environmental specialist, said the "juries still out" regarding the extent of LANL's responsibility for PCB contamination in the Rio Grande (Albuquerque Journal, 2-16-08)
• Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Secretary Joanna Prukop granted a tax credit worth $2.4 million per year to Western Water and Power for a planned $90 million, 35-megawatt electric plant that would be fueled by wood and forest products. The decision overruled earlier recommendations from the Energy Conservation and Management Division that the energy production tax credit application for the plant near Estancia was incomplete. (Albuquerque Journal, 2-18-08)
• Remediation of the historic De Anza Motor Lodge on Central in Albuquerque could start in the spring according to the City of Albuquerque Planning Department. Asbestos and lead paint will need to be removed from the former motel. (Albuquerque Journal, 2-18-08)
• Several tenants at the Plaza Mercado Shopping Mall in Santa Fe say harmful mold made them sick, and they have filed a lawsuit against Gerald Peters, the property owner. In their legal complaint, they state that the heating and cooling systems drew air from sealed air spaces that had no access for cleaning. (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-20-08)
• A leaking propane tank caused an explosion at the Brazos Canyon Fire Department station and killed Michael Hays, the recently retired Fire Chief. Heavy snow had accumulated on the station's roof and damaged a propane gas line. (Albuquerque Journal, 2-23-08)
• Richard Cook's (Copar Pumice) mining claims for pumice at the El Cajete mine in the Jemez Mountains were invalidated by a U.S. Forest Service decision, which was confirmed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Forest Service determined that the demand for pumice had plummeted, and the mineral's reduced value no longer warranted removal. (Albuquerque Journal, 2-23-08)
• As many as 70 truckloads of plutonium-contaminated waste will be shipped through Chattanooga, Tennessee, in addition to the shipments of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel rods that are already shipped through that city. The plutonium-contaminated waste is being shipped from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). (Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-24-08)
• Oil and gas drilling is being considered in eastern Mora County. Residents are divided on this issue. Some residents believe drilling would help the effort to make the United States more energy self-sufficient and generate income for local residents. Other residents believe drilling would damage the environment. (Albuquerque Tribune, 2-18-08; Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-26-08)
• The Santa Fe County Commission banned Galisteo Basin oil and gas development for at least one year. Tectron Energy's proposal to drill in the basin has been controversial. Tectron Energy has indicated that it may sue if Santa Fe County continues to block its oil and gas drilling plans in the Galisteo Basin. (Albuquerque Journal Business Outlook, 2-18-08; Albuquerque Journal, 2-27-08; Santa Fe New Mexican, 2-26-08)
• The New Mexico Supreme Court denied an appeal from Citizen Action, an environmental group, to stop Sandia National Laboratories from covering waste at the Mixed Waste Landfill rather than excavating and removing the waste. NMED had determined in 2005 that excavation of the landfill was not required. (Albuquerque Journal, 2-27-08; Associated Press, 2-26-08)

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Upcoming Meetings & Events

March 18, 6:30 pm, Mid Rio Grande Chapter, American Red Cross, Disaster Action Team meeting. Red Cross Office, 142 Monroe NE, Albuquerque. Disaster volunteers needed. For information call Scott Snyder at 265-8514.

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

March 21, 6:00 pm, NMSHMM Annual Meeting and Dinner at Seasons Rotisserie and Grill, 2031 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque. Speaker will be Cedric Calhoun, ACHMM Executive Director. Space is limited. RSVP .

April 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. Speaker to be announced.

April 14, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

April 16, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Richie Spangler, NSHMM Past President, will present "Reflections on India: An ES&H Journey."

May 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. Speaker to be announced.

May 20, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

May 21, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Speaker to be announced.

June 5, 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. Speaker to be announced.

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

June 19, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Speaker to be announced.

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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