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Summary of the 2016 AHMP National Meeting in Washington DC August 26-31, 2016

The Alliance of Hazardous Materials Managers (“AHMP”) held its Annual Conference at the Omni Shoreham in Washington DC. As Chapter Delegate from NEOCHMM, I can report that:

The AHMP is under new leadership Joe Jenkins, President and the new Board appeared to be well received at the Conference. The Conference included a robust Chapter Development Training Program, a reinvigorated Awards presentation and a realistic Emergency Response demonstration. The day-to-day management of the AHMP is under Management Solutions Plus (“MSP”), an association management firm. Leslie Edsall from MSP is the Executive Director for the AHMP. Angie Foreman is the day-to-day service contact. MSP appeared to be able to operate the National Conference smoothly.
About 450 persons attended the National Conference. This is down from about 750 persons that attended in the about 5 years earlier. With the new management firm, AHMP hopes to get conference attendance back up to the more recent averages.
For the first time in many years, the AHMP Treasurer, presented a detailed financial report. A. John McDonald is the current Treasurer. His report showed that AHMP has a profit about $ 20K on revenues of about $ 765K. This was supposedly the best profit in many years. However, the AHMP is still not in good financial position, because it is essentially “borrowing” from dues and conference fees anticipated later in the year, to pay the expenses in incurred earlier in year. The better model would be the dues and conference fees received in the current year would be banked to pay expenses in the following year. To reduce expenses, the AHMP cut its staff and went with MSP. Its lease on its office also expires at the end of the year and will not be renewed, as the operations are now run out of the offices of MSP.
Next year’s 2017 Annual Conference is at the OMNI in Fort Worth, Texas. This will be the 30th Anniversary of the AHMP. Special Events are planned to celebrate this Anniversary. The 2018 Annual Conference will be in Reno, Nevada. Attending the Conference every year is often a good way to accrue all the educational certification points necessary to renew your certification.
In a related matter, in support of the AHMP, The IHMM held their third quarter Board meeting at the Conference. To facilitate a closer working relationship between the organizations, many AHMP Officers also attended the IHMM Board Meeting and a joint reception after the meeting. IHMM also provided a status Report on the Institute at the Conference. The IHMM announced a “Reinstatement Policy,” where persons that have been decertified can be re-instated without retaking the certification test, assuming they meet the requirements of the policy. Some of key elements of the policy include that the person has not been decertified longer than 3 years and all back fees and late fees are paid.

Submitted by: Mark T. Baumgardner, CHMM Chapter Delegate

Details: Written by Mark Baumgardner, CHMM; Created: 01 September 2016; Last Updated: 01 September 2016

George V. Voinovich Innerbelt Bridge Tour

On July 28, 2016, 12 members of various local EHS organizations, including NEOCHMM, NEOAIHA, Northern Ohio ASSE and McKinley ASSE attended a tour of the George V. Voinovich Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio. The tour was presented by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and covered the eastern approach to the bridge, from Canal Road to the Cuyahoga River.

This bridge project is the largest bridge project undertaken by ODOT. The bridge is the second of two that will link Interstate 90 across the Cuyahoga River Valley and is being constructed by Trumbull Corporation, Great Lakes Construction Company and the Ruhlin Company. The span replaced a 1959-era steel truss bridge that had a 50 year lifespan.

On the way, the visitors were given a lesson in the transportation history of the area, with discussion of the safety, sustainability and special logistic challenges that were faced in all phases of the demolition of the former bridge as well as the construction of both phases of the current Innerbelt Bridge. The project has had to contend with challenging safety, the logistics of keeping a busy railway operating and maintaining an open waterway, endangered species, economic and community impacts and ecologically sensitive areas.

The bridge project is expected to open to traffic later this fall. Tours of the worksite are open to the public by prior reservation two days per month or by special arrangement.

For more information on the bridge and its completion, visit Innerbeltbridge

A link to the video of the bridge being cut and dropped can be found here

Details: Written by Erik A. Shamberger, MEng, CIH, CSP, CHMM; Created: 05 August 2016; Last Updated: 05 August 2016

Summer 2016 IHMM News

The institute of Hazardous Materials Management (“IHMM”) will be supporting Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals at the AHMP National Meeting in Washington DC in late August.

Following the realignment of the AHMP Management Structure, with Joe Jenkins as President and using an Association Management Company, rather than an Executive Director, to run the day-to day operations of AHMP, the IHMM wanted to renew its support of AHMP. To do this, IHMM is holding its Third Quarter Board Meeting on Friday, August 26, 2016 at the AHMP National Meeting. This will be followed by a joint dinner with the IHMM Board and the AHMP Board.

The IHMM will also be a paid sponsor and exhibitor at the Meeting. Allison King, CHMM, the IHMM Board Chair, will provide a report on the Status of IHMM at the National meeting. This will take place on Tuesday, August 30, at the 9 AM general session, after the AHMP Awards Ceremony.

The IHMM has a double booth at the AHMP Exhibitors Area. IHMM will again be featuring our “Dr. Recert” exhibit, where Certificants can get all their questions answered about recertification; can even start a recertification application on –line and have questions answered in real time.

Likewise, Applicants, that is, new applications for certification, can also start their application on line and have questions answered in real time. Even if you are do not need to make an application for certification or recertification, stop by the booth and meet the IHMM Staff. It is always good to match a name with a face.

IHMM will be seeking nominations for Fellows for the Institute and Members of the Board. Check the IHMM Web site for nomination forms and fast approaching deadlines.

Details: Written by Mark Baumgardner, CHMM; Created: 05 August 2016; Last Updated: 05 August 2016