Source: RISK newsletter,
Fourth Quarter 1995, published by the Society for Risk Analysis
East Tennessee Chapter meets monthly for brown-bag luncheons and, generally, two short presentations. In July, J. Randall Kirchner of H&R Technical Associates Inc. discussed the risks of handling vs. transporting dangerous goods, and Steven V. Kaye of Popoo Technical Services Inc. presented the risks to biota from radioactivity released to the environment. In August, William R. Rhyne of H&R Technical Associates Inc. spoke on writing and publishing a book on transportation risk, and David C. Kocher of Oak Ridge National Laboratory compared the regulatory approaches employed by the radiation protection and environmental protection communities. In September, Alvin M. Weinberg, former director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, spoke on strengthening the tradition of non-use of nuclear weapons.
Metropolitan Chapter (Connecticut--New Jersey--New York) organized and co-sponsored a seminar on "Electromagnetic Fields: An Update" with the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. The chapter is currently planning other seminars on risk benefit/cost analysis and treatment-resistant infectious diseases. A recent amendment to the chapter bylaws extends the terms of the chapter's officers to two years, including the president, Wayne Tusa of Environmental Risk and Loss Control Inc., and the president-elect, Rao V. Kolluru of CH2M Hill.
Michigan Chapter met October 26 at the Ford Motor Company World Headquarters for a program titled "Risk and Regulations," which included discussions on recent changes to Michigan's groundwater and soil remediation criteria (Act 307) and the Federal Air Toxic Rules 112(g) and 112(r).
National Capital Area Chapter hosted a networking reception on October 5 at the American Industrial Health Council, where the chapter's new president Cindy A. Jengeleski is the manager of scientific programs. The chapter's bi-monthly meetings offer a forum for regulators, the regulated community, and other interested parties to meet one-on-one and debate the future of health, safety, and environmental decision making.
New England Chapter is now transmitting its monthly communications via electronic mail to those on its e-mail mailing list. The chapter's joint seminar series with the Boston Risk Assessment Group will run monthly through June 1996. The 1995-96 series, which the new chapter president Michael J. Hutcheson has planned, began in September with James K. Hammitt of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis speaking on cost-benefit analyses in risk assessment and Tsedash Qewdie and Michael J. Hutcheson of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection presenting an update on health risk evaluation methodology. The October seminar included Penelope Schafer and Michael Fisher of Abt Associates Inc., who presented examples of cost-benefit analyses in support of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, and Douglas Smith of ENSR Consulting & Engineering, who spoke on dioxin movement in the environment. The next seminar will be November 15.
Northern California Chapter will hold a joint meeting with the Society of Toxicology's Northern California Chapter on November 1. Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, will speak on "New Directions and Controversies in Risk Assessment." The chapter will hold elections in December. The chapter's Pro Bono Committee, chaired by Bruce Siegel, is surveying the membership for individuals interested in providing pro bono services. To learn about this program, contact Siegel at APTECH Engineering Services, telephone (408) 745-7000, fax (408) 734-0445, e-mail aptechjh@ix.netcom.com.
Philadelphia Chapter will hold the first meeting of its 1995-96 program year on November 9 at the University of Pennsylvania Faculty Club. Hugh L. Spitzer of Environmental Network, who is the science advisor to U.S. Representative Dick Zimmer (R-NJ), will present an overview, from the Republican point of view, of the ongoing environmental debate and a discussion on how regulatory reform could change current risk assessment practices. The chapter's meeting in January will feature the Democratic point of view. Chapter officers who began new terms in September include the president, Clay B. Frederick of Rohm and Haas Company, and the president-elect, Kenneth R. Foster of the University of Pennsylvania.
Research Triangle Chapter met in September at the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology (CIIT), with Douglas J. Crawford-Brown of the University of North Carolina Institute for Environmental Studies speaking on "Assessing Risks from Several Pollutants Simultaneously: The Case of Risk Analysis for Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Radon in Indoor Air." In October, the chapter and the institute co-sponsored a panel discussion on "EPA Risk Assessment Guidelines: Where to from Here?" The speakers included SRA members William H. Farland of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Adam M. Finkel of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Rory B. Conolly of CIIT, and Clay B. Frederick of Rohm and Haas Company.
Southern California Chapter has been searching for a
way to serve its members and other interested professionals who
are too dispersed geographically to regularly attend chapter
events but are willing to attend professional meetings nearby. To
address the situation, the chapter began to focus last year on a
theme of "building bridges" with other professional
organizations interested in applications of risk analysis and to
establish itself as their resource for risk analysis topics.
Currently the chapter is publishing information about the other
organizations and their risk-related programs in "Risk
Forum," a new column of the chapter's newsletter Risk
Resources that informs readers about risk-related events in
their localities. By establishing the best source of information
about risk activities in Southern California and becoming known
to more risk professionals, the chapter hopes to benefit by
increased attendance and support of its functions. For more
information on this initiative, contact Larry R. Froebe of IT
Corporation (see U.S.
Chapter Contacts).