Future Environment Designs Training Center specializes in asbestos, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety training programs. We offer New York State asbestos and mold certification courses. We design, develop, and maintain the various indoor air quality, asbestos, and safety programs that are Keeping Your Employees Safe.
Here we are again! The Professional Abatement Contractors of New York's (PACNY's) 22nd Annual Environmental Conference is 13 days away. As usual, we are excited for the conference and looking forward to going to Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York to hear some presentations, gamble a bit, and enjoy some great networking. We are sponsoring the conference, again. So come visit Future Environment Design's (FEDTC) at booth 18! Ms. Sheryl Esposito will be womaning the booth! As we have done in the past, we will be tweeting the conference live at twitter.com/angelogarcia3 with the hastag #FEDTCPACNY on Twitter. There are some exciting presentations we look forward to hearing, this year!
Long Island is Usually Represented by Some Entertaining Characters!
Linda Reinstein, President & Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and the Global Ban Asbestos Network, presentation on Thursday, March 1, 2018, is the keynote speaker. She is inspiring and we are looking forward to hearing an update about the ban of asbestos under the current administration. Mr. James Meacham, of the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), presentation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, "Solving the Mystery of the ACB" sounds intriguing. Considering all the problems we have experienced on Long Island (Clemente Park & Dix Hills) with the dumping of asbestos and other hazardous materials, Richard Clarkson, of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), presentation on Thursday, March 1, 2018, on "Part 360 Revisions and Solid Waste Regulations" should be very interesting! On the same day, Mr. Adam Andrews, of the American Council of Accredited Certifications (ACAC), presentation on "The Advantages of Certification for Indoor Air Quality" will give us a different perspective. Mr. Bob Krell of IAQ Technologies and Healthy Indoors Magazine, presentation "Avoiding Potential Pitfalls of Mold Investigations and Remediation Projects" will close out Thursday. Leading us into the cocktail reception in the exhibitor hall.
Cocktail Reception in the Exhibitor Hall
The final day of the conference typically starts with a presentation before NYSDOL's panel and round table discussion. This year, we are looking forward to hearing AAC's Peter DeLucia's presentation on "Managing the Many Facets of the Silica in the Construction Standard". It will be interesting to hear how a contractor is dealing with this new standard that went into effect in September 2017. The conference will close out with the Panel from the NYSDOL featuring Dr, Eileen Franco, Director; Mr. James Meacham, PE, Program Manager; Ed Smith, PE, Engineering Services Unit; & Mr. Kirk Fisher, Licensing & Certification Unit. They will be giving us an update on what they are doing and an opportunity to ask questions. If you wish to attend you can register for the conference at PACNY's website. We look forward to seeing you there. It always a good time!
It has been over six
months since we did our presentation "Changes Are Coming" at the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) 2017 Environmental Conference. We figured it would be
a good time to see where we stand with the changes we discussed in our presentation. Our PACNY presentation can be viewed here if you
don't remember it or have not seen it yet:
We started our
presentation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the appointment of Scott Pruitt as the EPA
Administrator.Mr. Pruitt has been cutting agency staff and aggressive in reducing environmental regulations, all things that were expected once his appointment was announced. The primary regulation we discussed, under EPA, was the reauthorized Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) and the potential for an asbestos ban. Asbestos was listed by EPA as a top ten chemical listed for review. However, in June 2017, the EPA released a series of limitations on TSCA, including how broadly the agency will review potentially hazardous substances. It will be interesting to see how the Pruitt-led EPA will move this along. It is also interesting that the
US which was reducing imports of asbestos for many years (343 metric tons imported in 2015) all of sudden
increased imports last year (705 metric tons).Was the chloralkali and other asbestos using industries increasing inventories in anticipation of a ban? Not the changes many people were hoping for.
Brent Kynoch of EIA Presenting at the PACNY Conference
In our next section, we
discussed the changes coming to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Well probably the best description for what is going on there is delay
and re-evaluate. OSHA still does not
have an Administrator to head the Agency. The first regulation we talked about was the Respirable Crystalline Silica standard which was to take effect in the construction industry by June 23. OSHA delayed that enforcement to September 23. Then delayed that enforcement for employers making a good faith effort to comply for another 30 days (see the OSHA memorandum here). The next standard, the Beryllium standard has been delayed by a proposed rule-making on June 27, 2017. This rule-making would eliminate the ancillary provisions (determining whether other sections of the OSHA construction and shipyard standards provide adequate protection) but not the lowered permissible exposure limit (0.2 micrograms per cubic meter) and the short term exposure limit (STEL of 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter, over a 15 minute sampling period). OSHA has published a fact sheet (click here for the fact sheet) on the proposed rule-making. The rule requiring companies to electronically submit injury and illness information was delayed from July 1, 2017 to December 1, 2017. OSHA's Injury Tracking Application is now available and can be accessed here. Remember establishments with 20-249 employees in certain high-risk industries (i.e., Construction, Services to Buildings & Dwellings, and Remediation & other waste management services) must submit information from its 2016 Form 300A by December 1, 2017. Probably the most significant change at OSHA has been the elimination on OSHA's website of the ticker that listed the fatalities that have occurred daily across the country and the reduction of publishing employers who have been issued significant violations.
Thursday Night In the Vendor Hall
Our final section
was reserved for New York State (NYS) regulations in particular the asbestos and mold state
regulations. Nothing has changed for the
asbestos regulation, but our desire for Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) type clearance testing for all floor tile projects
opened up a healthy debate (see our blogpost "Asbestos Floor Tile Debate Results" and our article in Healthy Indoors Magazine). The NYS's Mold Law Article 32 still does not have regulations and so nothing has changed regarding the mold supervisor, how to pass clearance, if the underlying cause is not fixed, etc. However, NYS Department of Labor did publish a renewal process. To renew your license you will need to take a
4-hour mold refresher course and resubmit your paperwork with the appropriate
fee (see our blogpost "Future Environment Designs Approved to Offer NYSDOL Mold Refresher Courses").
Friday's NYSDOL Roundtable
The 2018 PACNY Environmental Conference will be held from February 28 to March 3, 2018 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Its too early yet for the registration information and speakers, but you can expect Thursday Night in Vendor Hall and NYSDOL will probably be there on Friday, March 3. We look forward to seeing you there.
The theme for this year's annual fishing derby was definitely quantity. On July 12, 2017 we attended the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York's (PACNY's) 4th Annual Pro-AmFishing Tournament (Derby). This year, Future Environment Designs had its own boat called "Catchin Hell" piloted by Captain Tom and First Mate Mike. There were 10 boats that went out of Point Breeze at Oak Orchard Creek to fish Lake Ontario. A big THANK YOU to PACNY and Darrin Yehl for again sponsoring this Tournament (Derby), giving us more opportunities to get together and network. Here was this year's lineup of PACNY members and the boats they were on:
Paradigm Environmental on the Free Spirit
NRC on the Intimidator
Sessler on the Rusty Lure
Catch'N'Hell T-shirt on First Mate Mike
As usual, the day started out beautifully with a nice sunrise over Lake Ontario. We started loading the boats around 5:50 in the morning. PACNY's Darren Yehl organized the event and did a fantastic job. Everybody was ready for the shotgun start at or about 6:30. We stay out on the lake till around noon. Then come to shore for the weigh-in, a catered buffet lunch at the Black North Inn (which is always fantastic), and awarding of the trophies/prizes. As many of you know, we are a beer enthusiast and the Scotch Ale, by Rohrbach Brewing Company, available at the Black North Inn is fantastic. Definitely one of the pleasures of the catered buffet lunch (see our reviews of this beer on Untappd). This year's winners were:
Dival for the Box & Big Fish
We had a great time and was entertained by social media's busting on us for the size of our catch compared with our wife's catch. But all in all, we caught 8 King Salmon and 2 Rainbow Trout which was the most fish we've caught over the 4 years. Though we were in last place for the box (3 largest fish) and the biggest fish, we came home with a lot of fish for curing and eating, so it was a successful and fun trip, again! It was great having our own boat and we plan on hosting our own boat next year. If you think you would be interested send us an email so we can start making plans. The Tournament (derby) is always on a Wednesday and usually the second or third one in July. We're already looking forward to next year's fishing!
Day Three of the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York's (PACNY's) 21st Annual Environmental Conference started with Mr. Angelo Garcia, III's, of Future Environment Designs, Inc, presentation "Changes Are A Coming." Our presentation can be found in our dropbox folder under conference presentations. We discussed the many changes that will affect the abatement/restoration industry including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (the new Director and Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)); Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (the new Director, Silica, Beryllium, Safety & Health Programs, Recordkeeping & Reporting Requirements; & the increase in penalties); New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) proposed asbestos regulation changes to Industrial Code Rule 56; and changes coming from NYSDOL on the mold regulation (Article 32). Our presentation, was videotaped and is attached below.
The DiVal Safety Equipment Hospitality Suite caused a few late comers on Day Three
The next presenter was Mr. Jack Springston, of TRC Environmental, discussing "Mold Clearance Testing - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." Mr. Springston's presentation discussed all the different sampling methods for mold from spore traps (has a capture zone that collects air about the size of a golf ball), particle counters (not specific), Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) (still under research) and culture plates (tried and true method). In addition, he discussed the variability of data from certified laboratories and the interpretation of the that data.
Mr. Jack Springston, of TRC Environmental
After Mr. Springston's presentation, we took one last break in the Exhibit Hall to network with exhibitors Admar Construction Equipment & Supplies and Paradigm Environmental Services. Our staff, Ms. Kimberly Granmoe, Ms. Sheryl Esposito, and I would like to thank all of you who visited our booth this year.
The NYSDOL Round Table as usual is the highlight of the PACNY Environmental Conference. Having NYSDOL regulators at the conference allows for questions and answers that can be timely and very useful. The panel consisted of Dr. Eileen Franko, Director-Division of Safety and Health, Mr. Ed Smith, P.E., Engineering Services Unit, Mr. Kirk Fisher, Licensing & Certification Unit, and Mr. James Meachum, P.E., Asbestos Control Bureau.
Dr. Franko, Mr. Smith, Mr. Fisher, & Mr. Meachum on the Dais, Left to Right
This year's presentation they came armed with alot of information that was very useful. They presented an update on the mold regulation from 2016 including the number of complaints (40), the number that was related to issues NYSDOL could address (16), while the remainder was outside of their jurisdiction (24). The number of mold training courses held in 2016 were 31 assessor (1348 attendees), 26 remediation (1,668 attendees), & 32 worker courses (2,284 attendees). There are 553 mold assessor companies (451 individuals); 526 mold remediation companies (526 individuals); 910 mold supervisors; and 1,941 mold workers. Compare that with the 21,237 asbestos handling certificates, and 1,539 asbestos handler licenses (companies). In 2016, NYSDOL conducted 2,457 asbestos inspections, and resolved 494 cases with 1,094 violations. The top violations include:
Discussing Top Ten Violations
Asbestos Survey Required;
Certification & Training Required; and
Licensing Requirements and Procedures
As many of you know, our biggest complaint about NYSDOL is that they don't do enough to go after companies that do asbestos without an asbestos survey, an asbestos license, and asbestos certified workers. These three were the top three violations issued by NYSDOL, which means we say BRAVO! NYSDOL keep up the good work! It was interesting to us that one of the top ten violations was not having a manometer or working one (this piece of equipment literally can be purchased for about $30-50, the fine can be $5,000). One of the biggest issues discussed was the need for a mold rule and at this point NYSDOL does not see the need for a rule. After some questions and answers the conference ended with lunch. This year's conference definitely seemed more technical than previous years. As a trainer, this year's conference has provided significant information to bring back to our classes and provide to our attendees. We look forward to seeing your next year, which Future Environment Designs will be celebrating 30 years in business.
In the past week, NYSDOL announced the training requirements for mold refresher training. All mold licensees will have to take a 4-hour refresher course to renew the licenses. We are currently working on the submittal to become approved for these courses. Below is the video from our presentation from the conference.
The second day of
the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) environmental conference at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY started with the Technical Sessions. The day started with opening remarks from
Sean Hart, of Energy & Environment, President of PACNY and Deb Sanscrainte,
of Aramsco, the Conference Chair. This
year's Technical Session seemed much more intense & focused with a lot of
good information presented. The
presentations kicked off with Dr. Martin Rutstein, of Ecological Consulting
& Management Services, discussing "Talc with Tremolite & Other
Amphiboles." Discussed the issues of talc contaminated with asbestos or
silica and the potential for diseases correlated to talc related asbestosis,
silicosis or talcosis. Dr. Rutstein's
presentations are always entertaining and are eye opening in regards to the
science of geology. The next presenter was
Mr. Tom Laubenthal, of The Environmental Institute (a division of ATC Group
Services) discussing "Using ASTM E2356 Standard Practice for Comprehensive
Building Surveys". Mr. Laubenthal's
discussion brought up interesting points regarding the use of Safety Data
Sheets (SDS) and Architect/Engineer Certifications of no asbestos containing
materials used as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's)
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and its applicability for the
purposes of a "thorough inspection" under the EPA's National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS). After Mr. Laubenthal's presentation, we took
a break to wander the Vendor Exhibit Hall and meet with some of the vendors
like Grayling/ILC Dover (glovebags, etc.) and AMA Analytical (laboratory services).
We returned from the
break for Mr. Ed Stuber's, of Galson Laboratories, update on the
"Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Silica
regulation." One of the key points
of his presentation is that the silica standard is no longer a moving
target. Previously, the standard was
based on a formula. The current standard
has a set permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter and
a set action level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter. In additions, it is very important to ensure
you see the lab's proficiency testing data because labs that analyze silica
samples have till June 23, 2018 to comply with the OSHA standard. Dr. Chris Goulah, of EMSL Analytical,
presented on "Legionella". The
presentation was on the New York City outbreak in 2015 and the regulations created by New
York City (NYC) and New York State (NYS) to protect against Legionella. Dr.
Goulah's presentation noted that Legionnaires' Disease is on the rise since 2000 and that most cases are the result of exposure to Legionella asssociated with building water systems (potable & non-potable). Mr. Jim Redmond, of Associated General Contractors of NYS, gave us a "Regulatory Update on OSHA." Mr. Redmonds discussed the electronic submission of injuries and illnesses (goes into effect on July 1, 2017 for more information visit OSHA's website) and construction industry citations based on the multi-employer work-site policy (creating, exposing, correcting, & controlling). We then broke for the buffet lunch and another stroll through the Exhibit Hall and meet vendors like DiVal Safety Equipment and Frederico Demolition.
Brent Kynoch of EIA
The afternoon started with Dr. James Haklar, from EPA Region 2, discussing "Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCBs) Case Studies". Dr. Haklar's presentation discussed the primary sources of PCBs in buildings (caulk, fluorescent light ballasts, paints and mastics) and secondary sources (building materials contaminated by releases of PCBs from the primary sources). Dr. Haklar's presentation also discussed exposure levels for evaluating PCBs in Indoor School Air (to keep the total exposure below the oral reference dose of 20 nanograms PCB per kilogram-day) and the EPA's agreement with NYC. Up next was Mr. Brent Kynoch, of the Environmental Information Association (EIA), updating us on "What Does Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Reform Mean to the Asbestos Abatement Industry?" Mr. Kynoch discussed "unreasonable risk" and the EPA's need to take final risk management action within 2 years or 4 years if an extension is needed. In addition, Mr. Kynoch informed us that asbestos was selected in the "Top 10" chemicals for review by EPA and as of the PACNY conference the public comment period was open (it has since closed, here is the docket information: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0736). The final speakers for the day were Mr. Cole Stanton, of Fiberlock Technologies, and Mr. Fred Schauf, of Spectrum Environmental presenting on "Environmental Indicators: Changes in Policy and Practice that WILL Impact Restoration & Abatement in 2017 -2018 and Beyond." Mr. Stanton and Mr. Schauf discussed the 2016 Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) report to NYS Department of Labor (NYSDOL). This report indicated the following:
Mr. Cole Stanton, of Fiberlock Technologies, and Mr. Fred Schauf, of Spectrum Environmental
Remediators perform own assessments/final inspections
Mold Remediation Plans are incomplete:
No quantities per work area
No Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) mentioned
EPA registered biocides etc. without specifying a product
No method for remediation, only "industry standards"
No cost estimate
Non NYSDOL licensed assessors provide the inspection/assessment.
Real Estate agents are assessing and preparing Mold Remediation Plans for properties they are listing (does not appear to violate Article 32, it does appear to violate their code of ethics.)
Mold remediators are still providing homeowners with checklist used as assessment and mold remediation plan
and/or, No Mold Remediation Work Plans provided.
Training Quality needs significant improvement:
Incorrect information presented, such as: asbestos testing is not necessary as mold takes precedence over asbestos containing materials; a check list by the homeowner is OK; sampling is required; biocides are preferable to removal.
Classes last less than 5 hours a day
Mold assessment classes being taught by teachers without mold experience.
Vendor Reception in the Exhibit Hall
That ended the Technical Sessions on day 2. The Vendor Reception in the Exhibit Hall started, where further networking with the vendors and the attendees continued. It was a very informative day 2 and the amount of information was fantastic. Looking forward to day 3 and our presentation. Thank you to the Long Island contingent that attended the conference this year.
Part of the Long Island Contingent that Attended This Year
This year's Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) 21st Annual Environmental Conference was definitely more technical then previous years. The first day of the
PACNY environmental conference started with the Proficiency Workshop for
Trainers. The Proficiency Workshop speakers
consisted of Mr. Kevin Malone, Director of New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH); Mr. Don Pierce of
New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL); and Mr. Kevin Hutton of Eastcoast Resources; and Mr. Ed Smith of NYSDOL
Engineering Services Unit.
It was a modest Day
One which started with networking during lunch. Mr. Malone started the
presentations by providing us with an update on the statistics of the asbestos
training program. As we have come to
expect the number of individuals attending asbestos courses shrinks every
year. The 2016 stats were 26,734 total
certs issued broken done 21,642 refresher certs and 5,092 initial certs issued
at 3,349 total classes held. Those
numbers are down from the 2015 stats that were 27,731 total certificates issued
with 22,074 refresher certs and 5,657 initial certs issued at 3,436 training
courses.
Mr. Kevin Malone of NYSDOH
The next presenter
was Mr. Pierce discussing the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) auditing update. For those of you who don't know, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been
providing New York State (NYS) with a grant to perform audits of public and private school's AHERA required
management plans. The presentation
included a discussion on the process of selecting schools to be audited (randomly selected and/or based upon cause {complaint}), how
the data is collected and how the information is provided back to EPA. In addition, Mr. Pierce discussed several issues the audits have found:
EPA accepts electronic record-keeping, but hard copies of the original survey and asbestos management plan must be maintained at the Local Education Agency (LEA) office.
The LEA must assign and train a designated person to oversee asbestos activities and ensure compliance with AHERA requirements. The designated person must be trained but does not require them to be accredited and does not list a specific course or specific number of hours. It does list specific training topics which include - health effects; detection, identification, & assessment of asbestos; options for controlling asbestos; asbestos management plan topics; and relevant Federal, State, and local regulations for asbestos. As a side note: Future Environment Designs (FEDTC) recommends designated persons take the asbestos inspector (3 day) and management planner (2 day) initial courses to meet the AHERA requirements.
EPA allows two methods for new additions to existing buildings. An architect or project engineer responsible for the construction of a new school building after October 12, 1988 or an accredited inspector to:
to sign a statement that no asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) was specified as a building material in any construction document for the building, or
to the best of his or her knowledge, no ACBM was used in any building material in the building.
The LEA must submit a copy of this statement to the EPA Regional Office and shall include the statement in the management plan of the school.
Deficiencies found by the audit included:
Periodic surveillances were missing or weren't well documented
Documentation of notifications not included or well documented
ACBM removal not updated in the management plan
Clearance air monitoring records not available per AHERA
Mr. Don Pierce of NYSDOL
After a short break, the Variance Writing Workshop with Mr. Hutton and Mr. Smith was up next. This nearly two-hour presentation, got into the details of submitting and writing variances that Mr. Smith's Engineering Services Unit (ESU) reviews for approval, disapproval, or modification. Some of the points discussed:
Mr. Kevin Hutton of Eastcoast Resources
According to the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Re-authorization Act (ASHARA) an asbestos project designer is required on Public and Commercial Building asbestos projects (including residential buildings with 10 or more dwellings).
When writing a variance consider your audience: DOL ESU; Abatement Contractor, Project Monitor; Asbestos Control Bureau (ACB) Inspector; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Inspector (Compliance Safety Officer); and the Courts.
Mr. Smith discussed that his department handles between 1400-1500 variances a year. About 25% are then reopened, with another 5% reopened a second time and another 5% reopened a third time. Mr. Smith also provided us with a list of Pet Peeves regarding variance applications which included:
Failing to explicitly list what code sections you are requesting relief from
Don't be lazy and simply submit someone else's variance and state you want to do what is in that variance. Own your work, your client is paying you to apply for a variance on their behalf.
"State-Wide" emergencies
Try to limit your write-up to the hardship and proposed steps to be taken to work around the hardship.
Mr. Ed Smith of NYSDOL Engineering Services Unit
Variance workshop ended the first day of the Conference. That evening we celebrated & networked at the President's Reception featuring Dan the Magic Man!
We had the honor and pleasure to speak at Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) conference this year, again. We will discuss that in a later post on the 21st Annual PACNY Environmental Conference. We also had the pleasure to speak at the Environmental Information Association (EIA) Fall Technical Conference in Orlando, Florida, last year. Our presentation regarding the New York State Mold Law Article 32 "What Happens When Politicians Write Laws They Know Nothing About?" was well received and we had many comments from the audience and afterwards. For those who wanted a copy of our presentation you can find it in our FED Training CD-Link to the Dropbox Folder under Mold and Other IAQ Documents. This year we will be attending the EIA's 34th Annual Conference & Exhibition in Orlando Florida from March 25-29, 2017. In addition, on March 26, 2017 we will be attending the American Council for Accredited Certification's (ACAC) Board Meeting.
Our Presentation at the EIA's Fall Technical Conference
We are looking forward to the usual networking we get to do with the members of the ACAC and the EIA. Like the Fall Technical Conference we are looking forward to some of the presentations at the EIA's 34th Annual Conference. The brochure has quite a list of speakers, we are looking forward to Steve Compton's presentation on the "Resuspension of Settled Asbestos Dust - A Review of Exposure Assessments Related to Cleaning Asbestos"; David Branch's presentation on "Operating A Successful Environmental Business"; David Matson's presentation "Go Team! Consequences of Owners Picking the Wrong Team"; Andreas Saldivar's presentation on "Drywall Joint Compound by Visual Estimation, Point Counting and TEM"; and Lee Poye's presentation "Effectiveness of NIOSH 7400 for Post-Abatement Clearances - Do PCM Clearances Adequately Protect Public Health?" These are just the one's we're interested in, the brochure has over 21 sessions that all sound interesting. We hope to see you there!
The next conference after EIA is the 13th Annual Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference being held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Virginia from April 7-9, 2017. Another excellent conference that delivers some excellent presenters discussing the hazards of asbestos and providing information regarding asbestos internationally. Presenters this year include Dr. Barry Castleman, Alex Farquhar, Dr. Arthur Frank, Fernanda Giannasi, Dr. Richard Lemen, & Michael Borowick. In addition, Linda Reinstein, the President of ADAO, is a fantastic speaker. Visit ADAO's blog to learn more about the speakers.
We always enjoy conference season because of the networking and camaraderie that occurs at these events. It does involve some time away from the business, but we find that it renews us and we always bring something back from the conferences that keeps our training new and up to date. We highly recommend you take the time and attend these events. We hope it rejuvenates you as much as it does us.
This year the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) Conference seemed to sneak up on us. It's only two weeks away. The first day of the 21st Annual PACNY Environmental Conference is on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 11:30 AM. To register for the conference visit PACNY's website. The conference will start with lunch from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, with Kevin Malone of New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) kicking off the presentations. Mr. Malone is in charge of the division that regulates asbestos training providers. Next up will be Don Pierce from NYS Department of Labor (NYS DOL) updating us on the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) auditing (an EPA grant allows NYS DOL to perform the auditing for Environemtal Protection Agency (EPA)). Then the first day of the conference will end with a Variance Writing Workshop led by Kevin Hutton of Cornerstone Training.
Dival's Booth at PACNY
The second day of the conference has another great lineup of speakers. Dr. Marty Rutstein returns speaking about "Talc with Tremolite and Other Amphiboles"; and Tom Laubenthal also returns speaking about "Using ASTM E2356 to Meet "Thorough Inspection Requirements" Prior to Renovation and Demolition Activities". Dival Safety will be doing Fall Protection Demonstration, considering OSHA's emphasis on fall hazards it will be intereasting to see the different equipment avalable. Ed Stuber of Galson Laboratories will update us on the OSHA Silica standard; Dr. Chris Goulah will discuss "Legionella"; Jim Redmond will update us on OSHA; and Jim Haklar will discuss PCB Case Studies. Brent Kynoch of the Environmental Information Association (EIA) eill update us on EIA and the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). Then Cole Stanton of Fiberlock Technologies will update us on Mold/Fire/Water. That will close out the second day bringing us to the Vendor Reception and Happy Hour!
Vendor Reception
Angelo Garcia, III of Future Environment Designs, Inc (FEDTC) will start the last day of the conference. "Changes Are A Coming" is the title of our presentation and it will be about all the changes occurring in our industry this year. We will hand off to Jack Springston of TRC who will speak about the "Pitfalls with Doing Mold Clearance Sampling as Part of a Post-Remediation Verification" We are very much looking forward to Jack's presentation! Then the culmination of the conference with the NYSDOL panel consisting of Dr. Eileen Franko - Director of Division of Safety and Health; Kirk Fisher - Licensing and Certification; Ed Smith, PE - Engineering Services Unit; and James Meacham, PE - Asbestos Control Bureau. There is a rumor going around that the release of the new Industrial Code Rule 56 (ICR56) might happen at this meeting. As usual, we are excited about the event and several people behind the scenes do a significant amount of work to make the conference such a success each year. Very big thank yous to Lisa Brown and Deborah Sanscrainte for all the work they do to keep everyone focused and moving forward in putting this event together!
Deborah Sanscrainte Welcoming Everyone to PACNY
Future Environment Designs is a sponsor of the event and we will have our booth in the vendor hall. Kimberly Granmoe and Sheryl Esposito will be ladying booth 19 (next to Dival Safety Supplies) as they have in the past. So come and visit us. Our Twitter feed for the conference will be #FEDTCPACNY, we will tweet photos and major speaker points during the conference. We hope to see you at the conference!
Kimberly Granmoe, Sheryl Esposito, Veronica and Angelo Garcia, III
PACNY's Environmental Conference - Day 1 - And So It Begins!(futureenv.blogspot.com)
