FINAL EPA PUBLIC HEARING IN KNOXVILLE OCTOBER 27
 American Coal Ash Association members will be in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, October 27, for the last of eight public hearings sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed rules for coal ash disposal.
It’s not too late to make plans to attend and testify. The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Knoxville Marriott Hotel and will continue until 9:00 p.m. Although EPA’s web site indicates that pre-registration is closed for all times prior to 6:00 p.m., in previous hearings the Agency has been very efficient at accommodating people who register to testify on site.
In keeping with its practice at the previous hearings, ACAA has reserved a speaker preparation room immediately adjacent to the EPA hearing room. A light breakfast will be served in the room and refreshments will be available throughout the day, as well as facilities for editing and printing testimony for the hearing. Citizens for Recycling First will also use the room for a display and to distribute informational materials, including campaign buttons that identify hearing attendees as opposed to any “Subtitle C” designation for coal ash.
Additionally, ACAA is organizing a news conference at the Knoxville hearing venue. Speakers will include ACAA Executive Director Thomas Adams, Citizens for Recycling First Chairman John Ward, and AECOM Senior Toxicologist and Vice President Lisa Bradley, who will provide much-needed scientific information on coal ash toxicity.
ACAA members have contributed hundreds of hours to mobilizing witnesses for previous hearings in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Many members have traveled long distances to testify at more than one hearing and have worked hard to attract a wide variety of allies, including local government officials, chambers of commerce, architects, engineers, ready mixed concrete producers, farmers, and more. Despite the expected large numbers of anti-coal environmental activists at each hearing, the coal ash beneficial use industry has succeeded in making its voice heard loud and clear.
“Thanks to the hard work of many ACAA members at these public hearings, the EPA cannot claim that ‘the people’ are in favor of a Subtitle C designation for coal ash,” said Adams. “We have shown that a wide array of people and businesses large and small are opposed to any form of a ‘hazardous waste’ label for coal ash. We need to finish our effort with a strong showing in Knoxville and then focus on the final push to the November 19 deadline for written public comments.”
ACAA WINTER MEMBERSHIP MEETING SET FOR LAS VEGAS
 February 1 and 2, 2011, has been selected for the Winter Meeting of the American Coal Ash Association. The meeting will be held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel.
Registration details and information on how to receive reduced room rates at the MGM Grand will be distributed and posted on the ACAA web site soon.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR WORLD OF COAL ASH 2011
 While you’ve got your calendar out, also take note of these key dates for the biennial World of Coal Ash that will be held in Denver, Colorado, December 9-12, 2011. This major event attracted 537 American and international attendees when it was last held in 2009.
The call for papers deadline is December 1, 2010. Abstracts for both oral and poster presentations can be submitted by following the instructions on the World of Coal Ash web site here.
Sponsorships and exhibit booth space can now be purchased by contacting ACAA at 720-870-7897 or info@acaa-usa.org. (Exhibitors will receive one complimentary and two reduced rate full conference registrations as part of their exhibit fees.)
Discounted early bird registration will be available through April 1, 2011.
Detailed information about the conference can be found at www.worldofcoalash.org.
TVA SEEKS CANDIDATES FOR DAM SAFETY REVIEW BOARD
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is seeking candidates for one position on its Dam Safety Independent Review Board (IRB).
The current TVA Dam Safety IRB consists of three industry recognized engineers in dam engineering who participate in periodic reviews of the analysis, design, inspection, instrumentation, construction, operation, and rehabilitation of TVA owned and operated dam safety structures. The selected candidate will be required to collaborate with the other IRB members at quarterly meetings held at TVA offices or project sites. Additionally, the engineer may be called upon to participate in special reviews of projects or programs or to support the TVA staff during dam safety emergencies.
The position is for a civil engineer with specific in-depth experience in the design, analysis, construction, operation, maintenance, remediation, and closure of coal combustion byproduct impoundments.
Persons interested in participating in this challenging opportunity should e-mail a resume with qualifications, experience, and references to Mike Scott, TVA Dam Safety Officer mtscott2@tva.gov. Expression of interest should be sent by October 27, 2010.
ACAA MEMBER AND COMMITTEE NEWS
In Memoriam
Greg Keenan, American Electric Power’s Manager of Reagent and CCPs, passed away Monday, October 18, 2010 following complications arising from brain tumor surgery.
Greg was a 32 year employee of American Electric Power and a longtime member of ACAA. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and three grandchildren.
Services for Greg are scheduled for Saturday, October 23, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses at 570 Robinwood Avenue, Whitehall, OH 43213. A family and friends visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. and a short funeral service of about 15 minutes in duration is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. after the visitation. Condolences to the family can be sent to 6742 Axtel Drive, Canal Winchester, OH 43110.
ACAA sends its condolences to Greg’s family and friends. We will greatly miss his support and friendship.
Eric Soetens, a past Chairman of ECOBA who represented Belgium, passed away on September 19, 2010. Longtime ACAA members may remember Eric as chairman of ECOBA – the European Coal Combustion Products Association – from 1994 to 1999. He was instrumental in helping to bring ACAA and ECOBA together for joint meetings and information sharing.
ACAA Members in the News
Frequent flyers should check out page 124 of the October issue of Delta Air Lines’ Sky magazine. Former ACAA Chairman Al Christianson is listed as one of “Six to Know” among business leaders in North Dakota. Al is currently Manager of North Dakota Business Development and Government Affairs for Great River Energy.
ACAA Committee News
A new time has been established for the weekly update conference calls for the Government Relations Committee. The Committee’s call is now held each Friday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Each calls lasts anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour, depending on current issues. The Committee is currently primarily engaged in responding to EPA’s proposed coal ash disposal rules on the Agency, Congress, and Executive branch levels.
Anyone desiring to participate in the Government Relations Committee can sign up by contacting the ACAA office at 720-870-7897 or info@acaa-usa.org.
NEWS AFFECTING COAL ASH
Changes Loom from November Elections
Two interesting news stories appearing this week discuss the potential impact on the Environmental Protection Agency if Republicans regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the November elections.
An article entitled “EPA in the Crosshairs” appeared in Politico October 19 and outlined plans Republicans are making to force the EPA to “defend policies the GOP contends are unpopular and anti-business.” (Coal ash is mentioned.) Read the complete story here.
An opinion article authored by U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) in The Washington Times on October 18 was entitled: “Declaring war on the regulatory state:
Pelosi's Congress ignores the red-tape brigade but the GOP won't.” Rep. Upton is widely expected to become the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee if Republicans win control. Read his opinion column here.
More News Affecting Coal Ash
The American Coal Ash Association routinely posts articles pertaining to coal ash and coal ash utilization on its web site. Visit the archive by clicking here.
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Learn more about ACAA and coal combustion products, please visit: www.acaa-usa.org
The ACAA’s mission is to advance the management and use of coal combustion products in ways that are environmentally responsible,
technically sound, commercially competitive, and more supportive of a sustainable global community.
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