October 1, 2005

Some of us just got back from the National ACHMM Conference in St. Louis.  It was appropriately named "Gateway to the Future of EHS Management".  The conference was very successful and was attended by over 700 CHMMs.  There were many technical sessions and few technical tours.  I think one of the best things about the conference is meeting others who are facing the same issues as you and learning how they manage the problem.  It's a great knowledge resource.  Our chapter was represented by Annie Richardson (Chapter VP and Delegate), Susan Bostian (Secretary), Stuart Kerkhoff, Trent Dilworth, Jerry Walker and myself. 

As you know we did not win the chapter web site award.  At the awards ceremony, it was announced that the Northern California Chapter was the winner.  While I am disappointed we did not win, their web site is impressive, but ours is not far behind.  One of the conference leaders told me he thought our web site was "awesome", so maybe we will consider trying again next year.  The 2006 conference will be in Orlando, Florida, September 17-20.  So go ahead and mark your calendars. 

The Northern California Chapter also has 250 chapter members!  Membership is free because they have so many corporate sponsors.  It's clear that we need to continue efforts to grow our chapter base.  For the size of our region, I think we should have at least 100 chapter members.

Hold the press! Stuart informed me that had dinner with some members of the national awards committee and they told him there was a mix up and one of the chapters in Wisconsin was the real winner.  I will find out for sure.

9/13/2005 Chapter Meeting
We had a good turnout at the 9/13 chapter meeting.  Our own Ron Horton hosted the meeting at the HEPACO headquarters in Charlotte.  Andy Jackson of HEPACO made 2 presentations.  The first one involved an explosion at a large hazardous waste incinerator site located in Arkansas.  This response was the most complex hazmat response HEPACO has ever experienced.  They had to continually deal with changing conditions, chemical reactions, changing chemical compounds, fires and explosions.  This second presentation was a movie developed by a fellow CHMM on the Graniteville, SC chlorine leak from a train derailment.  I think everyone will long remember the 911 call.  It should always be a reminder why we, as CHMMs, are committed to properly managing hazardous materials.  We really appreciate the hospitality of Ron and HEPACO for hosting the chapter meeting and providing our meal. 

During the meeting, we communicated the 2006 election plans and took nominations officers.  The following chapter members were nominated.
 
Vice President - Stuart Kerkhoff
Treasurer - Christina Field
Director - Dewitt Whitten

Election ballots with instructions and nominee bios have been emailed to all voting (paid) chapter members.  Ballots must be received back by October 24.  If you are a voting chapter member and did not get a ballot, please email me immediately. 

More details about the 9/13 meeting can be found in the meeting minutes.  The training attendance database has also been updated so if anyone is preparing for recertification, you can print your records at any time.    

Next Chapter Meeting
Mark your calendars for the last Queen City ACHMM Chapter meeting of 2005.  The date is Tuesday, November 15 at 6pm.  I will send out an announcement with details as we get closer to the date.  The 2006 officers will be announced at the meeting and we will also present our annual awards.  

FREE Hazmat Transportation Workshop
Here's a FREE workshop presented by the Department Of Transportation.  You may want to attend, especially if you have DOT Hazardous Material responsibilities. Here are the details:

• November 15, 2005
• Ramada Conference Center
• 212 Woodlawn Road
• Charlotte, NC 28217
• More Workshop Info: 202-366-4900
• Motel Reservation: 800-847-7829
• Free Parking

Seating is limited to 250 people, so if you want to take advantage of this free training, you should reserve a spot soon.  See their brochure for more information.

CHMM Overview Course
For anyone who wants to pursue the CHMM certification, there will be an overview course November 1-3 at the Triangle Life Science Center in Durham, NC.  This course is designed to assist you in preparing for the national certification examination administered by the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM).  For more information, see their flyer.  If you have any questions, contact John Tassitino at (919) 713-4301.
 

Reminders

Remember, stay Informed at http://www.queencitychmm.org.  If you have any ideas how to make our web site or chapter more informative and useful, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Jim Reece, President
Queen City ACHMM

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