June 2008 - PUBLIC EDITION

• Fun, Barbeques, and the Isotopes
• NMSHMM Member Profile: Debbie Finfrock, PE, CHMM
• Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management Course
• Encourage a Colleague to Join ACHMM and Increase your Impact!
• Recruit-A-Member Campaign Recognition!
• Committee News
  • Government Affairs and Local News Stories
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Monthly Meeting Location
• Job Openings
• NMSHMM Officers and Committee Chairs

Fun, Barbeques, and the Isotopes
Brian Pence, CHMM
Assaigai Analytical Laboratories, Inc.

Greetings NMSHMM,

I want to take this opportunity to thank Kerrie Greenfelder, P.E., a project engineer for CDM, Albuquerque, for giving a guided tour of the Albuquerque Arsenic Removal Plant for the NMSHMM spring field trip. Thanks to Paul Karas, CPG, CHMM, a NMSHMM Director-at-large and education/professional development committee chair, for organizing and coordinating this trip. And thanks also to Joe Cwirka, PE, Chief Engineer for the Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Utility Authority for the opportunity to visit this impressive facility. Several people attended the field trip and had a close-up look at state-of-the-art technology for high purity drinking water. The only challenge for the day was to hold on to lunch in the good old New Mexico gale force spring winds.

Summer is here. Time for backyard barbeques, vacations, and fun in the sun. In that spirit, NMSHMM is teaming up with the Albuquerque Health Physics Society to bring you a fun night at the Isotopes on Sunday, July 6. Please make your reservations early and RSVP to . There will be pper deck seats 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.  Reservations taken on a first-come / first-served basis.  Cost for Isotopes Night is $25.00/person.  RSVP to . I look forward to seeing you there.

Please note, our monthly board meeting and luncheon meeting will be on slightly different days this month. The board meeting will be on Wednesday, June 18, 5:35 pm at the CDM offices, and the luncheon will be on Thursday, June 19, 11:30 am at the Uptown Bar and Grill. J.W. Biava will be giving a presentation on mold detection and remediation.  J.W. is VP/Laboratory Operations Manager at Assaigai Analytical Laboratories, Inc. and Operations Manager for CitriSafe

Tips for the month: When you buy gas in the warmer weather, make sure to fill up in the morning. The cooler temperatures mean less volatilization and higher specific gravity of the fuel, which translates into more fuel in your tank. Or go a step further, and bike, ride, carpool, or walk to work, the park, the grocery, etc. Most of all, be safe!!

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NMSHMM Member Profile

Company Name and Location: Finfrock Engineering, post office Edgewood, New Mexico, but actually in Bernalillo County

Title: Senior Environmental Engineer

Hometown: Fort Thomas, Kentucky

Family: Cats Smudge, Nellie, and Kimbeto

Words that best describe me: Creative, funny, well-rounded.

Favorite current project: Due diligence for a ton of SWMUs at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Biggest challenge on job: Convincing clients that I can do just about anything!

If I won the lottery: Would finally go to Alaska and the Yukon for about a month, would buy way too much yarn and fabric, would hire a maid, and then do what I'm doing now.

People would be surprised if they knew: I had a Swiss bank account when I lived in Geneva.

An accomplishment that makes me feel great is: Staying solvent as a sole proprietor for 5 years.

Last books read: Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein and the Bhaghavad Gita.

If I could travel any place, I would go to: Alaska and the Yukon - got started too late in the year on my trip across Canada, so I missed these.

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Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management Course
Paul Karas, CPG, CHMM

The NMSHMM Board has initiated planning for this year's Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) Course (formerly the ACHMM National Overview Course). The course is tentatively scheduled for November 17 - 19, 2008, at a location yet to be confirmed. The change from our typical October course dates is intended to better fit with Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) exam offerings from the Institute of Hazardous Material Management (IHMM).

For those unfamiliar with the EHMM Course, this 3-day course offers a comprehensive review of environmental laws and regulations as well as a basic review of safety and health principles that you need as a hazardous materials manager. This course provides an excellent opportunity to review the three general categories that are covered on the CHMM Exam:

• Science and Technology
• Regulations and Compliance
• Management Issues

The course provides an overview of major topics and issues involving hazardous materials management, and is an excellent way to prepare for the CHMM Exam. Many environmental professionals take the CHMM Overview Course to satisfy training or re-certification requirements, enhance competence in the profession, and obtain information regarding new rules and regulations. NMSHMM utilizes the EHMM Course training materials provided by the national ACHMM. Additionally, enrollees benefit from course instructors who are practicing environmental professionals in business, industry, academia and government agencies who possess specialized knowledge and expertise in each of the course's technical areas.

Look for updates on the NMSHMM EHMM Course in this newsletter, on the web at www.nmshmm.org, and in special email notices over the next few months. 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, volunteering to assist with running the EHMM, or in being considered as an instructor.

Encourage a Colleague to Join ACHMM and Increase your Impact!

You are the greatest testimony to the benefit of membership! By influencing a colleague, staff or associate to experience an ACHMM membership you will:

• Expand your network of hazardous materials professionals in the EHS/S industry;
• Strengthen ACHMM to ensure the voices of EHS/S professionals are heard;
• Receive national recognition in The Manager E-newsletter and on the ACHMM website.

Be eligible to win fabulous prizes in the ACHMM Recruit-A-Member campaign! We hope to see your name in the spotlight as ACHMM launches this membership recruiting campaign! Check out the ACHMM website http://www.achmm.org.

Recruit-A-Member Campaign Recognition!

Congratulations to our new member recruiter recognized by ACHMM! NMSHMM's first winner of the Recruit-A-Member Campaign is Paul Karas. He recruited new ACHMM members between January 15 and February 29, 2008. He received a $100 American Express gift card for his efforts and will be entered to win a registration to the 2008 ACHMM National Conference.

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Committee News

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

The following are news stories reported during the past month:

• The University of California, the previous operator at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is being sued, in U.S. District Court, by Rene Ryman for the death of her father, Lowell Ryman. Rene Ryman believes that Lowell died of multiple myeloma at the age of 63, in April 2005, as a result of his exposure to radioactive waste and plutonium. As a young boy, he would play in streams in the Los Alamos area. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-6-08; Santa Fe New Mexican, 5-3-08)
   
• The 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments regarding a challenge to Nuclear Regulatory Commission permits that would allow Hydro Resources, Inc., to operate in-situ uranium mines near the Navajo communities of Crownpoint and Church Rock in western New Mexico. The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, Eastern Dine Against Uranium Mining, Southwest Research and Information Center, and local residents believe the mining activities would produce radiation in excess of federal human exposure limits in drinking water obtained from aquifers. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission denied that the combined effect of the in-situ mining and existing radiation would exceed federal exposure limits. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-10-08 and 5-13-08)
   
• In May, City officials and environmental policy leaders attended the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability summit in Albuquerque. The summit addressed topics such as attracting green-collar jobs, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and creating a "green" office. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-13-08)
   
• Shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad resumed after they were stopped temporarily. A leak in a 6-inch diameter water line outside WIPP's waste handling building had officials stop shipments from April 23 through May 7 while a bypass was installed to provide an alternate water source to the building. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-14-08)
   
• The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) issued a $55,000 fine to St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, of Santa Fe, for shipment of medial waste to the Caja del Rio landfill. The fine was for disposal of blood-soaked bandages, syringes, and other medical waste as well as disposal of waste inside plastic bags instead of biohazard containers during August 2007. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-16-08)
   
• The National Nuclear Security Administration issued a Notice of Availability for the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. Copies of the summary or entire document can be requested by calling 1-877-491-4957 or by e-mail at . Electronic copies are available at the web site: http://www.doeal.gov/laso/NEPASWEIS.aspx. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-16-08)
   
• Debate continues on the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant near Burnham on the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico. Navajo President Joe Shirley said critics should "stop picking on the Navajo" when Indian and China are bringing new power plants on-line every week. Alica Gilmore, a 76-year old Navajo living Burnham, said, "We want the smoke to stop," referring to the proposed plant and the two existing power plants in northwestern New Mexico. (Albuquerque Journal, 5-25-08) 

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Upcoming Meetings & Events

June 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.

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

SPECIAL DAY: June 19, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. J.W. Biava, of Assaigai Analytical Laboratories and CitriSafe, will discuss mold detection and remediation.

July 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.

July 6, NMSHMM at the Isotopes Game. Upper deck seats at Isotopes Park.  All you can eat food.  Seating is limited: minimum of 40 people and maximum of 50.  Seats will be split between NMSHMM and the Health Physics Society.  Reservations taken on a first-come, first-served basis.  Cost for Isotopes Night is $25.00/person.  RSVP to .

July 15, 5:30 pm, NMSHMM Board Meeting at CDM offices, 6000 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite 200. All members are welcome.

July 16, 11:30 am, NMSHMM Luncheon/General Meeting at Uptown Sports Bar and Grill, 6601 Uptown Boulevard NE, Albuquerque. Stephen Connolly, NMED ER Coordinator, will give a presentation on the Clandestine Drug Lab Laboratory Program, which is the statewide regulatory approach for clandestine laboratory cleanups.

August 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.

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

August 20, 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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NMSHMM OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

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Please send contributions for future newsletters to Eric Johnson at . Thanks!

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