ACHMM 3rd Quarter Board Meeting Report

Voting Referendum: Organizational Name Change

Sponsor and Exhibitor Applications Rolling in for ACHMM 2009 National Conference

ACHMM INTRODUCES NEW MEMBER SERVICE

ACHMM Regulatory Update: Hazardous Waste at Academic Laboratories Final Rule Issued

Doug Nelson Passes Away

Call for "ACHMM of the Month" Nominations

States Seek First-Time Water Act Controls On Mercury Emissions

U.S. Decides One Nuclear Dump Is Enough

Feds Reject Protest to Nuclear Waste Storage Plant

Microfluidics Joins Fight Against Bioweapon

ACHMM Internet Resources

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 Seek First-Time Water Act Controls On Mercury Emissions
Water Policy Report
© 2008 Information, Inc.

Section 319(g) of the Clean Water Act, a never-used provision that requires plant-specific controls on air emissions of mercury, is the subject of a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by several Northeastern states concerned about mercury emissions. The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission coordinated the petition that requests EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson bring together a management conference with 11 states that contribute much of the mercury emissions that end up in water bodies in the Northeast.

"It is our belief that eliminating our fish consumption advisories deserves to be a national priority addressed through federal programs that will meet the reduction targets in the Northeast Regional Mercury" total maximum daily load (TMDL), the petition states. The EPA approved a Northeastern regional mercury TMDL last year that the states say only can be achieved through stricter federal emissions controls on mercury. However, the approval letter from the EPA does not address the issue of whether additional emissions controls are needed.

Under Section 319(g) of the Clean Water Act, states can petition the EPA to bring together "a management conference of all states which contribute significant pollution resulting from nonpoint sources,". The petition says that Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina and Illinois each contribute significant nonpoint source mercury pollution that prevent the petitioning states from meeting their goals.

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U.S. Decides One Nuclear Dump Is Enough
New York Times
© 2008 Information, Inc.

President Bush is set to recommend that Congress expand the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository instead of building a second dump.

Citing the amount of time it has taken to open the Yucca Mountain facility, the Bush administration says it would save time and money to build one large site instead of two.

In a Nov. 6 conference call, Edward F. Sproat III, head of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository, said the facility could hold all the waste that has been produced up until now, plus waste that would be produced by the 103 existing nuclear power reactors for the rest of their shelf life and all waste from several new reactors that might be built.

The request would undo an agreement negotiated in the 1980s when Congress appointed the Energy Department to search for a permanent site to store spent fuel from reactors.

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Feds Reject Protest to Nuclear Waste Storage Plan
Associated Press
© 2008 Information, Inc.

Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. can store radioactive waste in aboveground casks without further safety assessments, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has ruled.

A group called Mothers for Peace had argued that PG&E did not sufficiently study whether the casks could withstand possible terror attacks. Mothers for Peace won a federal court ruling in 2006 that called for the NRC to consider the group's views.

The NRC said studies conducted by its staff and by PG&E agreed that there is a low likelihood for significant radioactive release in a terrorist attack. NRC staff said they examined potential scenarios and that even the worse-case attack would lead to low-dose radiation exposure for the plant's neighbors.

Meanwhile, the attorneys general of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts also have challenged the NRC's decisions on similar grounds; those cases are pending. Nuclear reactors nationwide have collectively amassed more than 50,000 tons of spent fuel. The spent fuel is contained in dry storage at 47 power plant sites, which may rise to 70 sites by 2020, forecasts the Nuclear Energy Institute.

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Microfluidics Joins Fight Against Bioweapon
Chemical Technology
© 2008 Information, Inc.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new sensor that can detect trace levels of botulinum toxin A—a lethal substance that causes botulism. The toxin is one of the deadliest naturally occurring substances, with a single contaminated food source capable of quickly killing many people.

The team, led by David Beebe, designed a portable microfluidic device that is faster and more sensitive than the mouse bioassay currently used to detect the neurotoxin. The device contains toxin-specific beads that release fluorescently labeled fragments when they react with a solution containing the toxin.

The solution then flows to a detection port where it is evaporated. Members of the research team hope to adapt the device for other uses, including rapid tests for tuberculosis and HIV in developing countries.

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A Message From ACHMM
Michael J. Mandracchia, CHMM
  ACHMM President

On Nov. 15 the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) opened voting on the proposal to change the name of our organization to the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals. Voting will close on December 14. On our Web page a special Branding Initiative resources section has been developed to answer questions that you have about our organization's steps for "Building for the Future". If you haven't already visited this section, I recommend that you spend some time reviewing the information there prior to casting your vote. I cannot stress enough how important this issue is to the future of our organization. I hope that each one of you will take the time to vote.

Over the next few weeks you will also have a second opportunity to affect the future direction of our organization via a Needs Assessment Survey. Your Board of Directors has spent a significant amount of time, first while at the National Conference and then during our Fourth Quarter Board Meeting earlier this month, developing a strategic plan for 2009 and beyond. This process is ongoing; our next step is to send you the needs assessment survey.

One lesson we have learned from the recent economic turmoil in the country is that we need to invest our organization's limited resources wisely in areas that will best serve you. This survey will provide your Board of Directors data that we need to continue this strategic-planning process at our January facilitated session. Specifically, this survey will be used to strategically position ACHMM through our membership products, services and delivery systems to better serve you and to add value for your dues dollar. Our goal is to have a new strategic plan finalized shortly after this January meeting, which will guide our planning and tactical decisions so we will better serve you next year and in the future. I look forward to seeing your responses.

Obviously, your votes and opinions are important to ACHMM and to setting its future direction. We are very fortunate as an organization to have a membership that traditionally has exceeded the national association average for membership voting and response to surveys. This level of member participation clearly demonstrates that you are actively involved in and concerned about your organization. It is a trend that I hope you will continue and will far exceed. It is important for the future of our organization that you take the time to carefully consider the rebranding issue prior to voting on the initiative and also to respond to our Needs Assessment Survey.

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ACHMM 4th Quarter Board Meeting Report
Elise Allen, CHMM
ACHMM Secretary

The ACHMM Board of Directors met at the National Office in Bethesda, Md. November 7 and 8. The first order of business was routine business tasks. This entailed status reports on the work of various committees and task groups and providing guidance as needed.

The main focus of the meeting was revisiting the draft strategic plan that had been developed during the September Board meeting in Minneapolis. ACHMM Executive Director A. Cedric Calhoun, CAE and Vice President/President-Elect Harry Kemp, CHMM had combed through the plan to evaluate progress over the past year and restructured it so that the committees and subcommittees could understand the long-range objectives and see the short-term path.

The strategic plan is broken into six objectives and there are a maximum of four tactical initiatives (TI) for each objective. Many of these TIs are based on gathering data through market research; this data will provide us a clearer idea of next steps. In the past the Board has relied on "gut instinct" to make decisions. Now we are looking forward to conducting the research project and seeing the qualitative and quantitative data that it will generate. This data will help us create a laser focus and keep us from "doing everything for everyone". We are going to focus on major themes identified by the research and focus the organization's volunteer and staff time as well as its limited resources on those areas that members identify as critical.

It was challenging, frustrating and interesting to go through the plan again and review all the items that as a Board we feel we can accomplish in one to three years. The budget for the coming years also was discussed to determine the resources we need to allocate to advance the strategic plan. This is an ongoing process that helps the organization meet member needs and address areas we must bolster.

Here are the six goals of the ACHMM strategic plan:

• Strengthening communications among members and stakeholders;
• Enhancing public and government relations;
• Strengthening our membership and partnership base;
• Improving management and governance operations and strengthening our financial base;
• Providing superior educational resources and opportunities; and
• Serving our membership and chapters by providing new products, services and tools for success.

We will provide more information to you as we refine and implement this strategic plan.

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Voting Referendum: Organizational Name Change

The referendum on changing ACHMM's name to the "Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals" will close at midnight Dec. 14. You must cast your ballot before the deadline for it to count.

The 30-day voting period began Nov. 15 when you received a personalized e-mail from the ACHMM National Office titled "Vote on a Referendum to Change the Organization's Name". This e-mail included a link to the Name Referendum Ballot as well a special ID number for this vote. If you do not have this e-mail and wish to vote, contact the ACHMM National Office at (800) 437-0137 to receive your ID number and the link to the ballot.

Additionally, if you require more information about this proposed new name before voting please visit the "Branding Initiative" resources area by clicking here. Resources in this special section including a Webinar, an informational brochure, FAQs, a PowerPoint presentation as well as a message ACHMM President Michael J. Mandracchia, CHMM sent you in September introducing the "Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals" name.

By participating in this referendum you will help shape the immediate direction as well as the long-term course for your membership organization.

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Sponsor and Exhibitor Applications Rolling in for ACHMM 2009 National Conference

We are pleased to report brisk activity in signing up sponsors for ACHMM 2009, the annual conference that will take place in San Diego Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. Click here to view our growing list of sponsors.

Conference sponsors gain industry-wide visibility with the opportunity to exhibit and advertise to nearly 1,000 environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S), hazardous materials and waste management professionals—75 percent of whom have purchasing and decision-making power.

Prime exhibit booth space is going fast and discounts for both exhibits and sponsorships are available only for a short time—through Jan. 30. Firms and organizations interested in sponsor and/or exhibitor opportunities are urged to examine their options and take quick action to lock in choice exhibit booth locations at today's favorable rates. Click here for sponsorship details and an application.

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Coming Soon! ACHMM To Introduce Recertification Tracking Service

In the coming weeks, ACHMM will be introducing the first-of-its-kind, online recertification tracking service in the EHS&S industry and is making this valuable product available to its members free of charge.

The Recertification Tracking Service is being developed in cooperation with OverNite Software, inc., an Angleton, Texas-based provider of Web-based distance-learning systems. OverNite Software is the developer of ACHMM's Online Course Library and is a "Green", or top-level, sponsor of ACHMM's Corporate & Community Relations Partnership Program.

"I encourage all ACHMM members to take advantage of this soon-to-be-released member benefit,î says A. Cedric Calhoun, ACHMMís executive director. "This tracking service will help you eliminate paper records by securely storing all of your recertification data online.î By using this unique service, holders of the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager^® (CHMM^®) and Certified Hazardous Materials Practitioner^® (CHMP^®) designations will be able to easily and efficiently track their progress toward attaining recertification from the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. This service also will be available for all EHS&S-related credentials through ACHMM for a nominal fee.

Users of this new ACHMM member benefit will be able to:

• Create a recertification portfolio;
• View their recertification documents and progress status;
• Update and add activity documents eligible for recertification points;
• Receive automatic credit for successfully completing courses in ACHMM's Online Course Library at www.achmm.org; and
• Print the information at the end of the recertification cycle for submission to their designation's certifying body.

More information about this new member benefit will be in a future issue of The Manager e-newsletter.

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ACHMM Regulatory Update: Hazardous Waste at Academic Laboratories Final Rule Issued

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding a new section—Subpart K—to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste generator regulatory requirements. The alternative set of regulations provides eligible academic entities the flexibility to make hazardous waste determinations in the laboratory, at an onsite central accumulation area, or at an onsite treatment, storage or disposal facility (TSDF).

Also, this new rule provides incentives for eligible academic entities to clean out old and expired chemicals that may pose unnecessary risk. Further, it requires the development of a Laboratory Management Plan (LMP) that is expected to result in safer laboratory practices and increased awareness of hazardous waste management. Eligible academic entities may also choose to remain subject to the preexisting hazardous waste generator requirements. Eligible academic entities are colleges and universities as well as teaching hospitals and nonprofit research institutes that are either owned by or formally affiliated with a college or university.

The rule was signed Nov. 18. The unsigned copy of the rule is being provided until the signed copy is available. The official rule will be available here as soon as it is published in the Federal Register.

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Doug Nelson Passes Away

Doug Nelson, CHMM of Tequesta, Fla. died last month. He was 46. Nelson worked for the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County since 1993 as the Manager for Hazardous Waste Services. He was active in the South Florida Chapter of ACHMM and the Florida Chapter of the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association (NAHMMA) and was a member of many other local environmental organizations.

Survivors include his wife of 20 years, Laura W. Nelson, and his children, Zachary D. and Lily C. Nelson, also of Tequesta. To express your condolences and/or make a donation visit PalmBeachPost.com/obituaries.

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