ACHMM Ready to Descend on Minneapolis

Partnerships—Better Together

Lessons Learned by NEACHMM Members

Michigan's Andrews is Recruit-A-Member Winner

Mausser, Festa CHMMs of the Month

Call for "ACHMM of the Month" Nominations

States Granted Control of Emissions

Tug of War Over New Bio Lab

EPA, Arizona Plant Settle Case

Environmental Cleanup Needs Latest Sensor Technology

ACHMM Internet Resources

Mausser, Festa CHMMs of the Month

Join us as we salute two members as CHMMs of the Month for their dedication and contributions to the organization and its members. Our recent honorees are:

• Herb Mausser, CHMM of the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of Hazardous Materials Managers (NEOCHMM), and
• Vincent Festa, who is a retired CHMM and longtime treasurer of the Miami Valley Society of Hazardous Materials Managers (MVSHMM).

Mausser is the environmental, health and safety technology program director for Cuyahoga Community College. For his work he received the 2007 Cuyahoga Community College Professional Excellence Award. He is a longtime NEOCHMM member and currently is the chapter's president, running for the office at the last minute after the then-vice president stepped aside to focus on work commitments. Through the years Mausser has:

• Coordinated networking events with the Cleveland chapters of various national environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) organizations.
• Coordinated the chapter's annual EHMM course.
• Helped the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management develop the Certified Hazardous Materials Practitioner (CHMP) program.

NEOCHMM immediate past president Mark Baumgardner, CHMM, wrote that Mausser "keeps a low profile but he is someone you can always count on to pitch in and help out. He attends most every NEOCHMM meeting, including our CHMMunity® effort in Riversweep, a program to beautify and protect the Cuyahoga River."

Although he is retired, Festa remains very active in the MVSHMM and has served as the chapter's treasurer for many years and acts as a mentor to new chapter officers. He is a regular attendee at chapter meetings and also volunteers on behalf of MVSHMM at events around the state, such as the Cincinnati Environmental, Health and Safety Symposium; the Southwest Ohio District Science Fair and the Ohio Riversweep. "Vince has an easy-going, humorous manner that makes newcomers feel at ease. He is quick to use that talent to get them involved," wrote Sharmila Pradhan, CHMM, Environmental Specialist at Miami (Ohio) University in his nomination. "He is enthusiastic and open to new ideas about chapter activities. His support helped the chapter get through a slow period when memberships were low and few people were volunteering to serve on the Executive Committee."

Please join us as we honor and congratulate Herb Mausser and Vince Festa for a job well done.

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Call for "ACHMM of the Month" Nominations

Each month ACHMM recognizes the hard work, extraordinary achievements and contributions of a member or chapter. You can submit an ACHMM of the Month nomination via e-mail today. Nominees must be an ACHMM certified or affiliate member or an ACHMM local chapter.

When submitting a nomination, be sure to include the name(s), contact information and a brief description (250 words or less) of the deserving member's or chapter's accomplishments or contributions. The ACHMM Awards Committee will select an honoree to be featured in The Manager each month.

Honorees will be notified in advance and asked to provide a photo. ACHMM of the Month honorees receive a special certificate of recognition.

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States Granted Control of Emissions
Washington Times
© 2008 Information, Inc.

A new ruling by a federal appeals court highlights some of the Environmental Protection Agency's shortcomings in monitoring emissions. On Aug. 19, a three-judge panel ruled 2-1 in favor of the Sierra Club in its case against the EPA over whether states should be able to reinforce the Clean Air Act. Previously, only the EPA could monitor emissions from companies holding Clean Air Act Title V permits, which detail emissions limits for industries with fixed sources of air pollution. But many states believe the EPA's monitoring standards are inadequate for industries that produce copious amounts of soot, smog, mercury, and other contaminants. The decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a boon for environmentalists, who have fought for years with the EPA over regulation of industrial pollution.

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Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas are in the running to build a new lab that will study contagious animal diseases. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to spend almost $500 million to construct the new lab to replace the current facility at Plum Island. DHS officials say that the existing lab, built on an island off the coast of New York, is outdated. The new facility will research vaccines and antidotes to some of the world's deadliest diseases, such as foot-and-mouth. The world's last major outbreak of foot-and-mouth, in 2001 in Great Britain, resulted in the slaughter of 7 million animals and approximately $16 billion in losses. Experts are concerned that the five locations chosen by DHS officials will not be as secure as the Plum Island facility because they are all on the mainland. However, it would cost over $750 million to build a new lab on Plum Island, so DHS is focusing on less-expensive alternatives. "The risk-reward ratio is something that needs to be discussed in more detail," says B.J. Lawson, a congressional candidate in North Carolina. "I'd be happier if it stayed offshore."

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The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement & Power District has agreed to install pollution-controlled equipment on generating units under terms of its settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. Justice Department said the retrofit of the Coronado Generating Station will cost the Arizona-owned utility district about $400 million and should lower combined emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by over 21,000 tons annually. The Arizona coal-fired power-plant owner will also pay a $950,000 fine for violating federal air-quality standards. "The reductions in harmful emissions secured by this settlement are substantial and will have a beneficial impact on air quality in Arizona and downwind areas," said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Ronald J. Tenpas. The settlement stemmed from the utility's unlawful modification of two generating units at the plant, which elevated air pollution.

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The ability to precisely measure harmful environmental contaminations is hindered by a lack of sufficient sensor technology. There is widespread need for better sensor technology, and according to University of South Florida researcher David Fries, cleanup efforts could be misguided or wasted without it. "The technology for environmental sensing has been around for a while, but it hasn't been small and cheap enough to use easily," says Fries. "Now there are low-power, low-cost sensors with long-range wireless communications, but they're not widely understood enough to be deployed." The researcher himself is a pioneer in the field, having developed a versatile mobile mass spectrometer that can quickly analyze water samples. "Small tools that can see, hear, smell and taste then report back have a lot of fascinating applications," says Fries.

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A Message From ACHMM
Donna Ratkowski, CHMM
ACHMM Member Services Director

It is an exciting time at ACHMM as we all work together to solidify the future of our organization. I was fortunate to be elected to the ACHMM Board of Directors at the end of 2007. My election to one of three newly created positions was the beginning of many new things.

Over the past few years the ACHMM Board has embarked on an ambitious plan for the long-term development of our organization. In 2006 we hired a professional executive director, A. Cedric Calhoun, CAE, who provides outstanding leadership and manages the day-to-day operations. Cedric and the Board immediately began working together to expand the products and services offered by ACHMM to create better value for members.

One of these new services is the CHMMunity® program, initiated in the fall of 2006. This community-relations program provides up to $2,000 per year of grant money for selected environmental or safety projects sponsored by ACHMM chapters or members in good standing. In the past two years, grants have been awarded to five chapters—stretching from New Mexico to New England. One project—a river cleanup by the Northeast Ohio Chapter—was featured in a documentary to air on PBS stations this year.

As part of this organizational development process, ACHMM is placing a strong emphasis on growth of the association, increasing its membership and broadening its appeal to new and varied members. In late 2006 we announced the "10-by-10" initiative, which set a goal of 10,000 members by the end of 2010. This program's objective is to increase ACHMM membership among newly certified CHMMs and those credential-holders who have never joined, and to increase the diversity of our membership by recruiting members outside the CHMM community.

Membership recruiting takes place at the national, chapter and individual levels. On the individual level, ACHMM has a "Recruit-A-Member" campaign that awards American Express gift cards or a free conference registration to individuals who recruit new members.

Over the past 12 months American Express gift cards have been awarded to Keith Cole of Woodstock, Ga. and to Paul Karas of Albuquerque, N.M. The winner of the free registration to the 2008 ACHMM National Conference is Doug Andrews of Commerce Township, Mich. Doug is employed as regulatory compliance manager for Performance Environmental Services and is active in the Michigan chapter.

In 2007, the Career Center job board was added to the ACHMM Web site and now gets a great deal of use. This monthly e-newsletter was enhanced to include more technical content as requested by you—the members. This year, ACHMM also modified the format of its annual Leadership Conference to include more professional-quality leadership training for members.

Earlier this year ACHMM began offering targeted Webinars to address the membership's need for more affordable and timely educational programming. These Webinars have been popular because they are a great (and inexpensive) way to provide training for individuals, groups or local chapters. Each course is archived in the ACHMM Webinar Library so you can access them at any time.

Also this year ACHMM introduced the new online Essentials of Hazardous Materials Management (EHMM) course, which makes this indispensable course available to you at any location, 24 hours a day. Like the previously mentioned new member benefits, this online course increases the organization's value, visibility and accessibility to the global EHS&S community.

We now are looking forward to the report of the Branding Task Group that will address a possible name change, an expanded membership base, and improvements to the local chapters-ACHMM relationship. Also, the upcoming ACHMM National Conference in Minneapolis provides plenty of opportunities to speak with Board members and Committee chairs about volunteer opportunities as well as attend committee meetings.

To make all this happen, we need energetic new volunteers to participate on national committees. More information about ACHMM's committees is available in the "Committees" section of the ACHMM Web site. Also, the upcoming ACHMM National Conference in Minneapolis provides plenty of opportunities to speak with Board members and Committee chairs about volunteer opportunities as well as attend committee meetings.

To volunteer to serve on a committee, contact ACHMM by e-mail at academy@achmm.org or click here to complete the Volunteer Sign-up Form online.

As your contact for the ACHMM Member Services Committee I encourage you to e-mail me at donna.ratkowski@aftonchemical.com if you have any questions or suggestions for additional improvements.

I hope to see you at the National Conference!

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ACHMM Ready to Descend on Minneapolis

The ACHMM National Conference is just a little more than a week away with hundreds of members and other environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) professionals poised to participate.

The ACHMM meeting, themed "Navigating the Future of EHS&S", is scheduled for September 7 through 10 at the Hyatt Regency at Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.

Here's a sampling of some of the great things you will experience:

• Five insightful preconference workshops
• Nearly 60 informative technical session presentations
• Several top industry speakers, including former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman
• A hands-on Emergency Response Scenario
• A packed exhibit hall with 70 sponsors and exhibitors

Additionally, there will be a number of informative sessions specific to ACHMM that will help you learn more about the organization, its many member benefits and its exciting plans for the future. These are:

ACHMM Business Meeting—This Sept. 7 session will review the past year and look forward to many new initiatives that ACHMM has on the horizon. The meeting will be led by President Michael J. Mandracchia, CHMM; Vice President Harry S. Kemp, CHMM; and Executive Director A. Cedric Calhoun, CAE. ACHMM Business Development Director Zehra Schneider Graham, CHMM, will unveil the organization's proposed new brand identity—name, tagline and logo. The Business Meeting will take place in Nicollet Ballroom AB from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

ACHMM Brand Identity Session—ACHMM Board members and Branding Task Group members will be available for a Sept. 8 question-and-answer session from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Mirage Room. This gathering will allow you to familiarize yourself with the proposed new organizational name, tagline and logo and hear these ACHMM leaders discuss why this new brand identity is needed to safeguard the future of your membership organization.

ACHMM Board Meeting—This Sept. 8 session allows ACHMM members to observe as the organization's leadership discusses matters that are key to ACHMM, its members and the EHS&S industry. You will hear about current programs, receive updates about ongoing projects and learn about new initiatives. The Board Meeting takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the St. Croix Room.

In addition to these sessions there will be a First Timer's Breakfast (Sept. 8) and plenty of committee meetings (September 7, 8 and 9) with countless opportunities to get involved and to network with fellow ACHMM members.

It's not too late to register for the EHS&S industry's premier meeting. You can do so online at www.achmm.org by clicking on the conference banner on the homepage. You will find additional information about the event there as well.

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Partnerships—Better Together
A. Cedric Calhoun, CAE
ACHMM Executive Director

I am sure you have heard the adage: "Two heads are better than one". ACHMM feels the same way. Based on that belief we have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This MOU, which will last five years, was signed by ACHMM President Michael J. Mandracchia, CHMM and Dr. John Howard, M.D., J.D., NIOSH director, earlier this summer.

This agreement marks a significant shift from the type of strategic partnerships with other professional organizations that ACHMM had entered into in the past to meet its mission of providing professional development and networking opportunities to members.

This new agreement gives ACHMM access to a government agency that will provide ACHMM and its membership entrée to additional resources, tools and research to fulfill their respective missions. It also will give ACHMM greater access to similar government agencies that eventually will provide greater recognition for the hazardous materials management profession.

Here is an excerpt from the agreement that shows the potential of what this MOU will deliver to ACHMM and to you:

"NIOSH and ACHMM hereby form a partnership to use their collaborative efforts and expertise to advance the protection of workers, promote best practices, and encourage employers to develop and utilize occupational safety and health management systems and effective prevention strategies and technologies to advance the field of hazardous materials management.

"NIOSH and ACHMM will work cooperatively through the Partnership to provide outreach, communication, and professional expertise regarding occupational safety and health, and facilitate the transfer and implementation of effective workplace illness and injury prevention measures by:

• Develop and promote programs that address environmental, health, safety and security issues;
• Explore potential areas for joint research on topics related to hazardous materials management that advance the effectiveness of occupational health and safety."

NIOSH and ACHMM currently are discussing what these diverse opportunities will encompass.

We expect to share the first project with you before the end of this year. We are very excited about this MOU and about the projects our two organizations will work on cooperatively.

Click here for a copy of the ACHMM-NIOSH MOU.

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Lessons Learned by NEACHMM Members
Joseph Callahan, LSP, CHMM

In June the New England Chapter of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (NEACHMM) heard the Honorable William B. Wark discuss the findings of an investigation into an explosion at a local chemical plant that caused widespread damage.



Wark, a director of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), discussed the causes of a massive chemical explosion that occurred at the CAI-Arnel paint and ink factory in Danvers, Mass. in November 2006 (Explosion at Danversport).

The meeting, NEACHMM's third professional meeting of 2008, was cosponsored by the Greater Boston Chapter of the Association of Safety Scientists and Engineers (ASSE). NEACHMM and the local ASSE chapter enjoy an excellent relationship built on cooperation and information exchanges.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the agency's four board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Wark was appointed by President George W. Bush in September 2006. Prior to that he served as an emergency management consultant to a number of companies, including a stint as director of emergency management practice at the Marasco Newton Group consulting firm. From 1985 to 2001, Wark worked at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in several capacities including director of the Technological Hazards Division for two years beginning in 1999.

The 2006 chemical explosion at the paint and ink plant ripped through the adjacent Danversport neighborhood in the early hours of November 22, 2006, destroying the facility and heavily damaging dozens of nearby homes and businesses. The explosion shattered windows as far as two miles away. At least 10 residents required medical treatment for cuts and bruises and at least 300 residents were evacuated. Twenty-four homes and six businesses were destroyed. Remarkably no loss of life occurred, a fortunate occurrence that Wark attributed to the timing of the accident, which happened while most people were asleep.

Wark's presentation included a 10-minute video of the explosion and discussion of its impact on the community. The CSB investigation found that CAI—the ink manufacturer—did not follow regulations or appropriate best practices for the handling of flammable solvents. Click here to view the video.

Wark said that on the night of the accident ink-base materials—including a volatile mixture of heptane and propyl alcohol—continued to heat and then boil after all employees had left the facility.

The heating was controlled by a single, manual valve that should have been closed to prevent the 3,000-gallon tank from overheating. To compound matters, the building ventilation system was turned off at the end of the workday, a routine daily procedure. As a result vapor from the unsealed tank spread throughout the production area and consequently was ignited by an undetermined source, possibly a spark from an electrical device.

In its report, the Board proposed changes to national fire codes and state licensing and inspection procedures to improve safety and oversight of facilities handling hazardous materials.

Lessons learned, hopefully, and one that a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager^® likely would have prevented.

CSB Board member Wark's appearance at the NEACHMM meeting is a great example of how local chapters and ACHMM benefit from creating relationships—strategic partnerships, working relationships and informational exchanges—with government entities at the local, regional, state and national levels. (Note: In this issue ACHMM announces a new cooperative relationship with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).)

More information about the Danversport accident and other CSB investigations can be viewed at www.chemsafety.gov.

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Michigan's Andrews is Recruit-A-Member Winner

Douglas Andrews, CHMM is the newest winner of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers' (ACHMM) "Recruit-A-Member" campaign.

Andrews is regulatory compliance manager for Performance Environmental Services, Inc. in Wixom, Mich., located 33 miles northwest of Detroit.

Andrews, a member of the Michigan Chapter of ACHMM, recruited Craig W. Howard as a new ACHMM and local chapter member.

Howard is an environmental, health and safety (EH&S) coordinator for Eagle Ottawa, LLC in Auburn Hills, Mich.

In recognition of his recruiting success, Andrews has received the campaign's top prize: A complimentary registration to the 2008 ACHMM National Conference in Minneapolis, Minn.

The ACHMM showcase event will be held Sept. 7 through 10 at the Hyatt Regency at Nicollet Mall. For more information about this premier environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) industry meeting, go to www.achmm.org and click on the National Conference banner at the top of the homepage.

You, too, can be a winner in ACHMM's Recruit-A-Member campaign. All you have to do is persuade a fellow hazardous materials manger or EHS&S professional to join ACHMM and your local chapter. Then let us know who you recruited. You will be entered into drawings for a free registration to the 2009 National Conference in beautiful San Diego or for one of three $100 American Express gift cards.

Click here for more information about how you can participate in ACHMM's Recruit-A-Member campaign.

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