Meeting and Local Section Activities Notices

Our Next Meeting

Date: Tuesday, December 14, 1999

Time: 11:30 for all members. Remember… CIHs can obtain certification maintenance points for attending meetings!

Where: BP Exploration, Benson Blvd., Anchorage, AK

 

Message from the President

 

Hello, everyone. Once again it is time to send out another newsletter, and once again I am having to scratch my head to put one together.

 

The first thing I would like to do is thank Larry Taylor for his presentation at our last meeting. He discussed the Municipality of Anchorage’s air quality monitoring program. It was a very interesting discussion. Anchorage is the only area in the country that has not given up the use of PM 10 (The NAAQS for municipal areas monitors particulate matter 10 microns in size). The rest of the country has gone to PM 2.5 (which is primarily condensed matter-diesel exhaust being a big culprit). However, there has been a correlation between hospital visits for upper respiratory distress and PM 10, so EPA has kept the PM 10 standard for Anchorage. All in all, the presentation was informative and entertaining.

 

In the course of his discussion, Larry mentioned that he is the Regional Coordinator for Alaska for the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice. As such, he administers the Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) and Environmental Professional Intern (EPI) examinations. The Institute of Professional Environmental Practice is the certifying body for the QEP registration. Their stated mission is to improve the practice and educational standards of environmental professionals. The institute’s governing board is appointed by some pretty big organizations:

 

Ø      The Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA)

Ø      The American Academy of Environmental Professionals (AAEE)

Ø      The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP)

Ø      The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)

Ø      The State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA)

Ø      The Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials (ALAPCO)

Ø      The Water Environment Federation (WEF)

 

There are two types of exams for the QEP. You can take an oral exam, provided you have a baccalaureate degree and 15 years of subsequent professional environmental experience, or a written exam, if you have a baccalaureate and 5 years of experience. If any one is interested, you can get an application packet from Stephanie Walsh, at 412-232-0901. Or you can call Larry at the Municipality’s Air Quality Department, 907-343-4713.

 

As far as new business goes, I have a few important items to cover:

 

1) AIHA has requested nominations for Fellow Awards. The Fellow Award is intended to recognize members who have made “significant contributions to the practice of industrial hygiene”.

 

I would like very much to have at least one of our members put forth. However, there are some qualifications. The nominee must be a full member of AIHA, currently employed in the field of industrial hygiene, and must have 15 years continuous membership in the organization (the last one lets out a lot of us).

 

Anyone who is nominated must have a supporting statement of qualification (250 words or less) that explains why the nominee is worthy of Fellow status. A resume must be included as well. The recognized contributions must be in at least three of the following areas:

 

a) original research or invention

b) public policy

c) IH leadership

d) teaching, or other contributions to the field of IH

e) directly serving AIHA in some capacity

 

The deadline for nominations is Dec 30. If you know anyone you would like to nominate, please contact me at my email address (cle_wade@hotmail.com) and I will work with you on putting the nuts and bolts together.

 

2) The second item I want to go over is our upcoming section meeting, to be held on Dec. 14 at 11:30 am in the BP building. Deborah Choromanski is our guest speaker. She is the Program Manager for the Occupational Injury Prevention Program of the Alaska Department of Health, and has graciously agreed to present on overview of NIOSH’s Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) project. Maybe not the topic most people would think of for the holiday season, but it will be interesting, nonetheless.

 

So, please attend, if you can.

 

3) Vicky Vobp, an extremely helpful member of our parent organization, sent me an email saying that AIHA will reimburse the local chapter up to $800 for travel expenses to the next Leadership Conference. That will help us a lot.

 

4) AIHA is having a sale on their reference books (just in time for Christmas). They are taking 10% off all published books until the end of 1999. You might want to drop a hint to your friends and family. Call 703-849-8888 and ask for customer services, or visit them online at www.aiha.org (the AIHA Marketplace).

 

Finally, I would like to leave you with a reminder. As you all know, we are coming up on the holiday season. While you are out spreading good cheer, please remember that it takes an hour or more for your body to process an ounce of alcohol. So if you have a drink with a friend, you need to sit there for a while afterwards before you head off in your car. If you don’t have time to wait, please take a taxi.

 

Have a happy holiday!

 

Cle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPLICATION FOR LOCAL SECTION MEMBERSHIP

 

 

Name:
Employer / Business:
Business Address:
Home Address:
Business Telephone:
Home Telephone:
Do you prefer home or business for mail?				Do you prefer home or business for phone calls?
Email Address:
Fax Number:
Education and Training:
Professional Associations and Certifications (circle all that apply):			AIHA ACGIH ASSE OTHER (List)
Prior Related Experience:

 

 

 

 

Signature: ____________________________ Date: __________________

 

Please send check for $20.00 to: Midnight Sun Section, AIHA

3705 Arctic #2591

Anchorage, AK 99503