January 2020                                                                                   www.newmoa.org
In This Issue
Northeast Conference on the Science of PFAS: Public Health & the Environment

NEWMOA has partnered with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), and others to organize a regional Conference on "The Science of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Public Health and the Environment" . The Conference will take place March 31-April 1, 2020 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center, in Framingham, MA. The goals of the Conference are to:
  • Ensure that local, state, and federal action to address PFAS contamination is informed by the most current and reliable science
  • Facilitate networking and information-sharing among key stakeholders on PFAS topics
  • Identify important gaps in the science and policy to help inform future research
NEWMOA expects Conference attendance to be approximately 400 people, including:
  • Government officials
  • Academic researchers and students
  • Consultants and vendors
  • Companies that use, make, or sell products that contain PFAS 
  • Non-governmental and environmental organizations
Agenda (as of January 2020): www.newmoa.org/pfasscienceconference/agenda.cfm.

The Conference will include plenary and concurrent sessions and an exhibit and poster area. The concurrent sessions will cover:
  • Toxicology and Health Effects
  • Environmental Behavior
  • Treatment, Remediation, and Disposal
  • PFAS Uses and Alternatives 
  • Environmental Sampling and Analysis
Sponsors & Exhibitors
Conference sponsors will have high visibility prior to and during the Conference. NEWMOA will include the sponsors' names and logos on its Conference webpages and social media postings and on handouts and signs during the Conference. During the Conference, the sponsors will be prominently displayed on PowerPoint slides during the plenary sessions and will be acknowledged during those sessions and others. There are four levels of sponsorship, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Conference Sponsors as of January 2020 include:

Platinum



Gold





Silver

ECT


Many of the attendees buy products and services, such as and would benefit from knowing more about available vendors:
  • Analytical instruments and services
  • Monitoring and sampling equipment and services
  • Remediation and treatment equipment and services
  • Consulting services
  • Training and education products and service
A limited number of exhibit spaces are available. For more information on sponsoring and exhibiting, contact Jennifer Griffith.

Conference Planning Committee
  • Ann Battersby, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM)
  • Rich Bizzozero, Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (Mass OTA)
  • Mary Butow, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES)
  • Meghan Cassidy, U.S. EPA Region 1 Superfund Technical & Enforcement Support Section
  • Sheau-Yun (Dora) Chiang, CDM Smith
  • Daniel D'Agostino, U.S. EPA Region 2, Clean Water Division
  • Barbara Firebaugh, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC)
  • Jennifer Guelfo, Brown University, Superfund Research Program, Texas Tech. University
  • Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Boston University School of Public Health, Superfund Research Program
  • Steve Maybury, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP)
  • Michele McCaughey, RI DEM
  • Jennifer Miller, Vista Analytical Lab
  • Barbara Morin, NESCAUM
  • Kara Murphy, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM)
  • Geoffrey Pellechia, SGS North America
  • Frank Ricciardi, Weston & Sampson
  • Lynn Rubinstein, Northeast Recycling Council (NERC)
  • Laurel Schaider, Silent Spring Institute
  • Tiffany Skogstrom, Massachusetts OTA
  • Mark Smith, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP)
  • Richard Spiese, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC)
  • Christina Stringer, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)
  • Elsie Sunderland, Harvard University Arts & Sciences, Superfund Research Program
  • Steve Woodard, ECT
  • Melissa Zych, NH DES
Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2)

IC2 recently launched the High Priority Chemicals Data System (HPCDS) , an online platform that supports reporting of information on the presence of chemicals of concern in children's products. This reporting is required by the  Oregon Toxic-Free Kids Act (TFKA)  and the  Washington Children's Safe Products Act (CSPA) .

Compared with independent, state-specific reporting systems, the HPCDS reduces manufacturers' reporting burden and should result in fewer reporting errors and inconsistencies. It also provides easy public access to a single source of the information reported by companies to the states. In addition, the HPCDS establishes a framework for implementation of similar reporting programs at greatly reduced cost and thereby eliminates the need for other IC2 members to build and maintain independent reporting systems. NEWMOA staff worked for more than four years on this effort. The IC2 team has been working with the IT contractor, Eastern Research Group (ERG), for the past year to develop the system.

Project funding was provided by an  EPA Exchange Network grant  to the Oregon Health Authority, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Ecology and NEWMOA.

To search reported data, visit the  Search Product Category Data  page.
 
For more information, contact Topher Buck.

Webinar
On November 19, the IC2 held a webinar on "Firefighting Foams: Practical Consideration for Going Fluorine Free".  The webinar covered:
  • Why fluorine-based firefighting foams are a concern
  • Regulatory scan: global, US
  • Alternatives: performance and their environmental profiles
  • Practical considerations: training, equipment, and costs
  • Cleanout and disposal methods for fluorinated foams
The speakers included:
  • Ian Ross, Arcadis (from the United Kingdom)
  • Nigel Holmes, Queensland (Australia) Department of Environment and Science
  • Captain Kurt Plunkett, Seattle Fire Department
  • Niall Ramsden, LASTFIRE (from the UK)
  • Peter Storch, Arcadis (Australia)
  • Jen Jackson, San Francisco Department of the Environment
Slides and recording: http://theic2.org/ic2_webinar_ffff .

For more information, contact Topher Buck.
Waste Site Cleanup & Hazardous Waste
RCRA Compliance at Cleanup Sites Webinar: Onsite Management of Remediation Waste
NEWMOA is offering a free webinar on January 24, 1:00 EST that covers what waste site cleanup staff and managers need to know about "Onsite Management of Remediation Waste". Ross Bunnell, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) and Martin Sanchez, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) will be the presenters. Both of these presenters have many years of experience in the RCRA program, having worked in RCRA permitting, enforcement, policy development, education, and outreach. They will include case studies and examples to illustrate key points in their presentations. In developing their presentations, they have worked with colleagues from the other states in the Northeast to make sure the information applies to all of the states in the region. There will be ample time for questions and comments during the webinar.

 
RCRA Compliance at Cleanup Sites Webinar: Waste Treatment & Land Disposal Restrictions
NEWMOA is offering a free webinar on February 25, 2019, 2:00 EST that covers what waste site cleanup staff and managers need to know about "Waste Treatment and Land Disposal Restrictions". Mike Ellenbecker, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will be the presenter. He has many years of experience in the RCRA program, having worked in RCRA permitting, enforcement, policy development, education, and outreach in Wisconsin. Mike will include case studies and examples to illustrate key points in his presentation. There will be ample time for questions and comments during the webinar.

 
These webinars are the final two in a four-part series that started in the fall of 2019 and cover key RCRA compliance topics that can affect site cleanups.

The PowerPoint slides from and the r ecording of the first webinar in the series, which focused on "Waste Characterization and Listed Hazardous Waste" is available:  www.newmoa.org/events/event.cfm?m=390 .

The PowerPoint slides from and the recording of the second webinar in the series, which focused on "Area of Contamination and Contained-in Policies" is available: www.newmoa.org/events/event.cfm?m=391 .

For more information, contact Terri Goldberg.

NEWMOA is sponsoring the Revitalizing New England: Brownfields Summit 2020 in partnership with the brownfields and economic development programs in the New England states as well as EPA Region 1 and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Summit will take place October 7 and 8, 2020 at the Devens Common Center, in Devens, MA.
 
This Summit will bring together key Brownfields stakeholders to help advance and accelerate redevelopment of contaminated properties. The goals of the Summit are to:
  • Share information about the financial incentives, liability protections, and technical and other assistance available for brownfields development from federal and state governments
  • Promote best practice and lessons learned across New England
  • Provide an opportunity to increase networking in the region and information-sharing among key stakeholders
The two-day Summit will include plenary and break-out sessions and an exhibit area. There will be ample time during the breaks for networking and viewing the exhibits. If funding is available, there will be a reception during the evening of the first day. More information about the Summit is available at: www.newmoa.org/brownfields2020.
 
The organizers expect approximately 300 people to attend, including representatives from:
  • State, tribal, and federal government brownfields and waste site cleanup programs
  • Local, regional, and state economic development agencies
  • Real estate developers, financial institutions, and legal firms
  • Planning and economic development consulting firms
  • Local governments
  • Job training grantees
  • Environmental professionals
The Call for Presentations and Sessions will be  released soon.
   
NEWMOA is seeking Summit sponsors. For more information about the Summit, contact Jennifer Griffith.
Solid Waste & Sustainable Materials Management

The Using Recycled Content Materials in Road & Infrastructure Projects Workshop is co-sponsored by NERC and NEWMOA in partnership with the  Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), Maine Resource Recovery Association (M RRA), the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and Department of Transportation, and the New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center. The Workshop will take place on April 15, 2020 in Concord, NH.


For more information, contact: Terri Goldberg.
EPR for Packaging & Paper Products Fact Sheet
NEWMOA and NERC published a new Fact Sheet, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Products: The Basics" in November 2019. This resource is part of a joint initiative to provide an educational basis for conversations and decision-making about extended producer responsibility for packaging and paper products (EPR for PPP). 

The Fact Sheet is designed to communicate basic information about this complex 
topic. NEWMOA and NERC's EPR Implementation Workgroup oversaw the development of the Fact Sheet, and members shared informational resources 
and comments on it.

For more information, contact Terri Goldberg.


NEWMOA Board of Directors
NEWMOA's Board of Directors met in December via webinar to discuss state and EPA waste, toxics, PFAS, and pollution prevention challenges and NEWMOA's FY 2020 projects, funding, and strategic priorities.
 
The NEWMOA and NERC Boards updated and reaffirmed their Joint Strategic Action Plan during the fall. Both Boards approved a 2020-2022 plan that provides a road map for joint projects and activities.
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news@NEWMOA  is designed to help our members and colleagues keep informed about the Association's projects and activities. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you are a member of a NEWMOA working group, committee, or program; invitee to NEWMOA events; a colleague at a related organization or EPA; connected to the Association in some other way; or have expressed interest in our work. n ews@NEWMOA contributors include: Andy Bray, Topher Buck, Terri Goldberg, Jennifer Griffith, and Lois Makina.

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Leading the Northeast to a Sustainable, Waste-Free Future

NEWMOA provides a strategic forum for effectively solving environmental problems through collaborative regional initiatives that advance pollution prevention and sustainability, promote safer alternatives to toxic materials in products, identify and assess emerging contaminants, facilitate adaption to climate change, mitigate greenhouse gas sources, promote reuse and recycling of wastes and diversion of organics; support proper management of hazardous and solid wastes, and facilitate clean-up of contaminant releases to the environment.
 
NEWMOA is a non-profit, non-partisan, interstate association whose membership is composed of the state environment agency programs that address pollution prevention, toxics use reduction, sustainability, materials management, hazardous waste, solid waste, emergency response, waste site cleanup, underground storage tanks, and related environmental challenges in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

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