Special Sessions and Workshops
AIR WORKSHOP
SESSION CHAIR:
Suresh Raja
Providence Engineering and Environmental Group
1200 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 1000
Irving, TX 75063
BIOGRAPHY:
Suresh Raja is an air quality research scientist at Providence Engineering and Environmental Group (Providence). Currently, at Providence, he is involved in a variety of air quality projects. Before coming to Providence, he was a research assistant professor at Clarkson University. As a research faculty he has taught classes on air pollution control and engineering, atmospheric chemistry and air pollution measurement and has over five years of post-doctoral experience in several areas of air quality management. His contributions of the air quality management field includes development of methods to monitor and model spatial distribution of ambient particulate matter, indoor air quality and its effect on asthma symptoms, and development of methods to test emissions of criteria pollutants from new advanced high efficiency stationary combustion systems. He has published over 16 peer-reviewed journal papers and presented over 30 conference papers. He currently serves as a reviewer for journals such as atmospheric environment, environmental science and technology and Canadian journal of environmental engineering.
Advances in Air Pollution Measurement Methods - Suresh Raja
ABSTRACT:
Air pollution typically consists of pollutants that may be present either as a gas or a solid, or they may be entrained in the liquid phase (e.g. rain, fog or snow). Depending on the phase of the pollutant(s), an appropriate sampling technique needs to be chosen. In this proposed workshop, commonly used techniques in air pollution measurement will be discussed. A brief outline of the workshop is outline below.
Workshop Objectives:
(1) Provide exposure to commonly used air pollution measurement methods
(2) Gain knowledge to design and execute an air pollution measurement campaign
(3) Understand general data analysis methodology
Workshop Outline:
(1) Statistics and its uses in air pollution measurement
(2) Trace gas sampling methodology
(3) Introduction to Aerosol Science
(4) Particulate Matter (PM) size distribution sampling methods
(5) PM measurement: Active Filter Based Methods
(6) PM Measurement: Passive Sampling
(7) Speciation of PM composition
(8) Precipitation Sampling Methods
TSCA/REACH WORKSHOP
SESSION CHAIR:
Rebecca Luman P.E., LEED® AP
Healthy Tweaks LLC
BIOGRAPHY:
Ms. Luman has over 21 years experience of experience in the environmental field, consulting and managing projects. As a consultant, she has conducted site assessments at industrial and petroleum facilities and managed investigations and removal actions at State Superfund sites. Ms. Luman has performed multi-media compliance audits within the aerospace, semiconductor, food, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and utility industries, and has prepared numerous environmental plans, permits, and regulatory reports. She has also managed efforts to identify environmental, health and safety legal obligations for various business and industries across the U.S., and maintained them up-to-date with the regulations. Prior to entering the private sector, she was involved in a federal Superfund remedial investigation which involved groundwater contamination over a 60-square mile area. Ms. Luman is currently lead author on Site Auditing: The Environmental Assessment of Property and was previously lead on various other regulatory publications covering federal EPA, federal OSHA construction, and California OSHA regulations. Ms. Luman is a Professional Engineer in Texas, California, and New York, and her interests in sustainable development led her to become a LEED® Accredited Professional in 2009. Most recently, she formed her own business, Healthy Tweaks, LLC, to promote awareness of the impacts of chemicals in consumer products and their health effects on people, particularly children. Her goal is to educate consumers and industry to make healthy, sustainable choices in purchasing products to improve their health and help them reduce their own footprint on the environment.
SPEAKER:
Sara Selber Speer,
President
PM Team, LLC
BIOGRAPHY:
Sara Speer Selber, president of the PM Team, LLC., has more than 25 years of experience managing people and organizations for excellence and success. Her career with for-profit and non-profit entities has been characterized by entrepreneurial innovation, and she has been recognized repeatedly by professional and community groups for her business achievements and many contributions to the welfare of others. The PM Team has expertise in communications, brand awareness, social media and networking, organizational change management, due diligence, philanthropic advisory tools, business development and sales; Social Responsibility, transparency and creative thinking and collaborative design work.
The PM Team, LLC., facilitates and helps groups conceptualize and implement new business models, collaborations and communication strategies, which yield a high impact result for those wanting to experience change. Sara has led numerous businesses through organizational change, restructuring and how to ethically close a business.
Sara is well known for her public speaking where she has been called one of the most inspirational, humorous and thought provoking speakers one can engage.
Ms. Speer Selber has received numerous awards, including The Shelby Hodge Woman of Vision Award, Woman on the Move, Inside Houston's Twenty Five Most Powerful List, NCCJ Hanna Solomon Woman of the Year Award, 002 Magazine CEO of the Month, AJC Max Nathan Award, The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Award for Uplifting the Human Spirit and The Jewish Federation's Young Leadership Award. She also participates actively on a number of community advisory boards and committees. She is a proud Sustaining Member of the Junior League, A Senior ALF Fellow and a Graduate of The Center for Houston’s Future.
Green Chemistry, European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) Update and proposed update to Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)... What does it mean to you? - Rebecca Luman, PE
ABSTRACT
The Toxic Substance Control Act has not been update in decades (since its inception). While U.S. Federal regulations revising TSCA are only in the proposed stage, recent European rules (REACH) and U.S. state regulations are forcing industry throughout the U.S. and globally to evaluate the ramifications of these requirements to their business practices. This session will provide information on the implementation and lessons learned in adopting REACH practices; compelling reasons for chemical reform in business, and a summary of what's happening within a coalition of states that support the chemical reform and Green Chemistry. Included will be a summary of the “30-and-counting” states' policies and initiatives that immediately impact US businesses and an update on the status of the proposed changes to the federal TSCA.
PE / PG Environmental Ethics
SESSION CHAIR:
Austin Cooley, P.E., P.G.
Chief Engineer, Brown and Caldwell
BIOGRAPHY:
Austin Cooley is Chief Engineer and Senior Associate for Brown and Caldwell’s Houston office. He has 30 years of diverse experience in engineering, consulting and management. For the past 21 years, Mr. Cooley has worked primarily on site assessment and corrective action for contaminated soil, groundwater and sediment, with an emphasis on risk-based corrective action and litigation support. He has been active in the development of the Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP), the rules that govern corrective action regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). In addition, Mr. Cooley has been active in assisting TCEQ developing guidance documents for the implementation of TRRP. He has a BSc. in Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, is a Professional Engineer in Texas and Oklahoma and a Professional Geologist in Texas.
PANELISTS:
Michael Dobbs, Esq. Jackson Gilmour and Dobbs, PC
Reif Hedgecoxe, P.G., ERM
Myna Letlow, P.G., Baker Hughes, Inc.
Ethics Issues for Environmental Professionals
ABSTRACT:
Virtually all aspects of environmental engineering and geosciences involve environmental regulations. Environmental professionals are often asked to assist in providing regulatory interpretations. However, regulatory interpretation is also the purview of the legal profession. Therefore, environmental professionals must be careful not to engage in practicing law when assisting with regulatory interpretations. This panel discussion explores the interface and interaction of the legal, geoscience and engineering professions in this important area.