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em2006 annual conference & exhibition preview

Location, location, location.These “three tenets of real estate” could just as easily applyto annual conference destinations. Although some peoplechoose to attend a conference primarily on the strength ofthe program and exhibition, many also consider the site justas important. That’s what has made New Orleans one of themost popular meeting destinations for decades. As thebirthplace of jazz, the home of historic architecture, and adestination for world-renowned cuisine, New Orleanstraditionally has had much to offer.

Yet, those attractions seemed to be lost—or at least outof reach—late last summer, when Hurricane Katrina struckthe Gulf Coast region. The Category 4 storm lashed NewOrleans and flooded the city, and water surging throughdamaged levees forced residents to evacuate. As the after-math of the human tragedy played out on television world-wide, A&WMA’s Board of Directors began to wrestle withthe difficult decision of whether to move forward with plansto hold the Association’s 99th Annual Conference & Exhi-bition in New Orleans as scheduled, or to consider movingit to another venue.

Encouraged by early projections from the Louisiana De-partment of Environmental Quality that the city would soonbe able to welcome residents and visitors, combined withthe New Orleans Visitors & Convention Bureau’s assurancesthat the city could begin hosting conferences as early as thisspring, A&WMA’s Board unanimously voted in October tokeep the conference in New Orleans this June as originallyscheduled. The vote not only served as a show of supportfor the city’s rebuilding process, but also recognized the hardwork and continued dedication of the conference’s LocalHost Committee, the Southwest Louisiana Chapter. Thedecision also acknowledged that a 2006 A&WMA meetingin New Orleans provides a unique opportunity to closely

examine the air quality and waste management challengesfaced by the Gulf Coast region—and hopefully to findsolutions to aid in recovery and prepare for future naturaldisasters.

“We recognize that Hurricane Katrina was devastating,”the Association’s then-president Edith M. Ardiente said atthe time. “Yet, the city is already showing signs of returningto normalcy and has taken impressive steps down the longpath to recovery.”

RECOVERY CONTINUESThe recovery that began in September continues to gainmomentum, as exhibited by key recent developments:

• By mid-December, nearly half of the region’shotels were fully operational, and 30% ofrestaurants in the metropolitan area were open,according to The New York Times.

• The Audubon Zoo, widely regarded as one of thenation’s best, reopened on November 25.

• Rivertown Museums and Attractions reopened onNovember 28. The Rivertown complex includesthe Daily Living Science Center, Space Station,Planetarium & Observatory, Wildlife & Fisheries,Cannes Brulees Native American Center, MardiGras Museum, Saints Hall of Fame, Toy TrainMuseum, and the Children’s Castle.

• The National D-Day Museum, located in the Ware-house and Arts District, reopened on December 4.

In addition, all major flood-related debris had been re-moved from the French Quarter, Central Business District,Arts and Entertainment District, and other popular areasby December.

Health and safety issues also continue to improve. InNovember, Dr. Kevin Stevens, director of the New OrleansDepartment of Health, noted that the department was work-ing closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Qual-ity, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and otherenvironmental organizations and said that studies showedthat the city was safe for residents and visitors to return.

State and federal officials also said in December thatreports about toxic sediment were exaggerated. MikeMcDaniel, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Envi-ronmental Quality, said the deluge that covered 80% of thecity was no more polluted than typical floodwater. “Thewater was unsanitary and contaminated with sewage, as istypical in floodwater situations,” he said in a Reuters story.“But we found no chemical contaminants that would causea short-term or long-term threat of exposure.” In addition,he indicated that air quality actually was better than normalbecause of reduced industrial and vehicular activity.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM CLOSELY TIED TO KATRINAWith the city’s recovery progressing, the theme of A&WMA’sAnnual Conference, “Healthy Environments: Rebirth &Renewal,” provides the unique opportunity to feature sessionsclosely tied to the environmental recovery from HurricaneKatrina and similar large-scale natural disasters.

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The topic will benefit from the access to environmentalexperts from the Gulf Coast region, where Katrina causedsevere environmental damage and the cleanup of debris andpotentially contaminated soil and sediment has been a sig-nificant challenge. The contamination of buildings, equip-ment, appliances, vehicles, and other materials has generatedsignificant volumes of waste requiring immediate and properdisposal. The conference will include a special sessiondevoted to these unique waste management issues, includinganalysis, transportation, disposal, and cleanup. Papers also

will address environmental readiness to aid in responseto future natural disasters.

KEYNOTE PROGRAMThe conference’s Keynote Program will feature JohnHofmeister, President of Shell Oil Company, who will dis-cuss Shell’s pursuit of energy diversification, from recentprogress to plans for the future, including which alternativeenergy sources will be the most economical and environ-mentally benign. Shell, which has generously agreed tosupport the conference as the primary conference sponsor(more details in February’s EM), also recently announcedthat its Exploration & Production division will move its 1000employees back to its New Orleans headquarters this year.

INTRODUCING THE SYMPOSIUM ONPARTICULATES AND HEALTHAnother exciting feature of this year’s conference will bethe debut of the Symposium on Particulate Air Pollutionand Health. With the anticipated release of new particulatematter (PM) standards and the expected promulgation ofnew EPA regulations, 2006 promises to be pivotal for thestate of PM measurement knowledge. The symposium willinclude:

• “Particulate Air Pollution and Health: Lines thatConnect,” the 2006 Critical Review, presented by

www.awma.org/ace2006

The French Quarter in late 2005, courtesy of Will Glass.

Still Only $100 for A&WMA Members—Subscription to Atmospheric Environment Online

A&WMA Members: Take advantage of this great offer to get the online version of ElsevierScience’s Atmospheric Environment for just US $100 per year. Not only will you have electronic accessto the full text of all articles published in the peer-reviewed journal in 2006, but your subscription alsoincludes access to articles dating back to 1995!

For more information or to subscribe, contact A&WMA Publications, One GatewayCenter, Third Floor, 420 Ft. Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222; fax: +1-412-232-3450; or visit the A&WMA Web site at www.awma.org. You can also e-mailyour request to nbernheisel@awma.org or call us at +1-412-232-3444, ext. 3179.Please have your member number and payment information available.

Once your information has been processed, you will be issued a password andinstructions for accessing the publication online. Please note: By subscribing toAtmospheric Environment online, you are agreeing to the subscription terms andconditions contained on the Elsevier Web site, www.elsevier.com/locate/atmosenv.

2006Subscription Ends

12-31-06

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Featuring the latest technologies used in the Katrina cleanup,the Exhibition will also be the most dynamic showcase ofenvironmental products, technology, and services in 2006.The Exhibition will include analytical, instrumentation, labo-ratory, and monitoring equipment—to name a few.

In addition, EPA will maintain a strong presence, pro-viding an opportunity for networking with representativesfrom several agency programs and initiatives, includingthe Environmental Technology & Verification Program,the National Environmental Performance Track, andWasteWise, EPA’s voluntary waste-reduction partnershipprogram.

MORE DETAILS ON THE WAYThe 2006 A&WMA Annual Confer-ence & Exhibition promises to bethe year’s premier environmentalnetworking and solutions event.Future articles in EM will addressNew Orleans’ continued recoveryand other conference topics. To stayupdated on all conference-relateddevelopments, visit and bookmarkwww.awma.org/ace2006, or callA&WMA Member Services at 1-412-232-3444 or 1-800-270-3444.

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

The Air & Waste Management Association grate-fully acknowledges the generous support of the cor-porate sponsors of the 99th Annual Conference &Exhibition, which will take place in New Orleans, LA,June 20–23, 2006.

CONFERENCE SPONSOR

PLATINUM CIRCLE SPONSORS

SILVER CIRCLE SPONSORS

BRONZE CIRCLE SPONSORS

Emission Testing Services, Inc.LFR Levine-Fricke

Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, L.L.P.

C. Arden Pope III, Brigham Young University; andDouglas W. Dockery, Harvard University.

• A plenary lecture on the review process, stan-dards, and public environmental policy as itrelates to PM air pollution.

• A series of five panel presentations and discus-sions by leading experts on characteristics of PMand related considerations, short- and long-termexposure on health and mortality, air pollutionand cardiovascular health, and other healthoutcomes and susceptibility.

• A technical session on PM basic sciences, includ-ing PM measurement and characterization,ambient monitoring, chemistry, meteorology,visibility, and indoor air quality.

U.S.–MEXICO WASTE MANAGEMENT ISSUESTo give proper focus to another issue that’s highly relevantto the Gulf Coast region, an entire morning of sessions,including a plenary session, will address U.S.–Mexico wastemanagement issues, including trans-boundary waste move-ment. Sessions will address new waste management rulesrecently instituted by Mexico, with insight into these newregulations from regulatory officials from the United Statesand Mexico.

TECHNICAL PROGRAMThe rest of the Technical Program, with 160 sessions cover-ing a range of air, environmental management, and wasteissues, is taking shape and will focus on topics relevant to awide range of environmental professionals. From climatechange to renewable energy to indoor air quality—topics inthe paper and panel sessions are geared toward profession-als in government, academia, and consulting. Other high-lights include sessions on NSR reform, Title V permittingcompliance, and environmental risk assessment and riskmanagement.

THE EXHIBITIONFor those looking for the latest environmental products andservices, this year’s Exhibition will bring together hundredsof companies in the fields of air and waste management.

Historic New Orleans in late 2005, courtesy of Will Glass.

em2006 annual conference & exhibition preview

Copyright 2006 Air & Waste Management Association