

August 1 & 2, 2023
McKimmon Center
Raleigh • North Carolina
The 2023 Environmental Energy Health & Safety (EEHS) School will be live at McKimmon Center this year.
Topics presented by the most knowledgeable subject matter experts and an active in-person exhibit hall.
What is EEHS School?
Environmental • Energy • Health & Safety (EEHS) School is the region's most comprehensive annual event for environmental, energy, health & safety professionals.
Why attend EEHS School?
Now in our 22nd year, EEHS School offers:
- Two days | 27 topics | three consecutive tracks
- Sessions for novice, intermediate, and advanced practitioners covering air quality, water quality, solid and hazardous waste, occupational safety and health, energy, and sustainability
- Instruction from more than 40 recognized subject matter experts from the public and private sectors
- Presentations from regulators, attorneys, consultants, and industry representatives with practical hands-on experience
- Networking with peer environmental, energy, health & safety professionals
- Active Exhibit Hall with leading solution providers showcasing a full range of EEHS products and services
- Extended breaks between sessions, two buffet luncheons, Tuesday evening reception, and door prizes with a $1,000 grand prize drawing in the Exhibition Hall
Who attends EEHS School?
Attendees include Industry, consulting and government personnel responsible for compliance with environmental, energy, health and safety laws and regulations.
- Manufacturers
- Plant Managers
- Small Business Operators
- Environmental Technicians and Specialists
- Environmental Managers
- Compliance Officers
- Industrial Safety Managers
- Consultants
- Attorneys
- Commercial Real Estate Professionals
- Land Developers
- POTW Operators
- State and Local Regulators
Why exhibit at EEHS School?
The EEHS School Exhibition Hall is the hub of school activity. Over two days, the 2023 EEHS School offers attendees 27 courses in three consecutive tracks for a total of nine sessions covering current issues in air quality, water quality, solid and hazardous waste, occupational safety and health, energy, sustainability, and much more.
As an exhibitor at the 2023 EEHS School you will have:
- Exposure to a targeted audience of environmental, energy, health and safety professionals
- Access to the attendee database with full contact information for your pre-event and post-event mailings
- Promotion through social media, NCMA website and NCMA member eblasts.
- Visibility with mapped exhibit hall location
Topics Presented at the 2023 Environmental • Energy • Health & Safety School
Air Quality Courses
This session will serve as a refresher course on air permitting in our State. Approximately half of the session will provide an overview of the state and federal permitting requirements for stationary sources, the types of permits issued for different source categories, the procedural requirements associated with each type of permit, and the difference between state and federally enforceable requirements.
The remainder of the session will focus on providing permitting examples for the audience. The presenters will provide examples of the types of activities requiring permits and will discuss differences between the types of permits. For example, when is minor modification required versus a 502(b)(10) modification? What projects require a NSR application? What permitting options are available to small facilities (i.e., permit exemption and registration)? Audience members can bring their own permitting questions to make this session an informative and interactive learning opportunity. |
Eric Crump, DAQ Urva Patel, DAQ |
Eric Crump currently serves as TV Permitting Engineer in the Division of Air Quality, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in Raleigh, NC and has been in this position since 2018. He is a retired U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officer, and served over 25 years with EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, developing toxic and ambient air quality standards, innovative air pollution strategies, and overseeing the development of training for state and local air pollution agencies. He is a licensed professional engineer (Virginia) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a Master of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University.
Urva Patel currently serves as TV Permitting Engineer in the Division of Air Quality, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in Raleigh, NC and has been in this position since 2016. Prior to joining NC DAQ, she was a Permit Engineer for 2 years and an Environmental Health Manager for 3 years at the South Carolina Bureau of Air Quality of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Urva has also worked as Environmental Engineer with a consultant firm in India, where she assisted clients with production problems by reducing waste and maximizing production while ensuring economic feasibility of the process. She holds Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the California State University-USA and a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Sardar Patel University, India. Urva can be reached at urva.patel@ncdenr.gov or (919) 707-8405. |
This session will provide an overview of the proposed changes to the PM2.5 NAAQS, challenges industry will face with a lower standard, and suggestions for mitigating the effects of a lower standard. The first part of the session will focus on the background, possibilities for creative implementation strategies, and general thoughts on path forward under a lower standard. The second part of the session will focus on specific permitting and modeling case studies and how specific challenges were overcome, with an eye on what additional effort might be needed under a lower standard. |
Jon Hill, Trinity Consultants |
Jon Hill is a Managing Consultant/Meteorologist at Trinity Consultants’ Raleigh, NC office, with over 23 years of experience in dispersion modeling application, theory, training and support. His main job responsibility is to lead and/or execute dispersion modeling analyses in support of PSD, State Construction Permitting, State Toxics Programs and other specialized modeling initiatives (e.g. BART, SO2 DRR). Jon has also taught numerous modeling training courses throughout the US, Canada, and United Kingdom, to attendees from industry, consulting, and various regulatory agencies. |
This interactive session will share information on how to comply with your permit including how to avoid common errors, how to handle changes with SSM removal, and managing compliance and applications with DAQ staffing challenges. |
Brittany Robinson, International Paper |
Brittany Robinson is the Air Lead/Environmental Program Manager for International Paper. She has 28 years of experience in environmental compliance for pulp and paper mills. This includes a co-op with EPA Region IV, six years in environmental consulting and 22 years with International Paper. She has a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and is a Professional Engineer in the states of North and South Carolina. |
Air quality regulations are constantly in flux and knowing the latest information can help industry better plan future process expansions and modifications with respect to air permit requirements. This presentation will provide an overview of some recent changes and proposed changes to air quality regulations as they pertain to the following topics:
a general overview of proposed NESHAP Rule changes such as the one for Ethylene Oxide. |
Andy Rodak, TRC |
Andrew Rodak, P.E. has over 30 years of experience and progressive responsibility in environmental compliance, assessment and remedial design and civil/environmental engineering design and consulting. His qualifications include extensive hands-on planning, field investigation and construction management, design, permitting, monitoring, inspections, cost estimating, and project management. Mr. Rodak’s air permit experience includes assisting True Minor, Synthetic Minor, and Title V families with permit compliance through permit application preparation, stack testing support, toxic air pollutant dispersion modeling, compliance certifications, and emission control design. He currently serves in the capacity of Senior Project Manager in the Cary, NC office with responsibility for the business functions of the Engineering, Construction and Remediation and Air Emissions Groups, including technical support, deliverable quality, project financial management, and mentoring of junior staff. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University and is a Professional Engineer in five states, including North Carolina. |
Energy & Sustainability Courses
Sustainability is currently a popular buzzword, but it is significantly more than that. The marketplace is the driver that is making sustainability and ESG reporting a focus in board rooms and executive suites all over the world and here in North Carolina. ISO 14001 (along with 50001) is a widely recognized environmental management standard that provides a framework for organizations to manage and reduce their environmental impacts. By implementing ISO 14001, organizations can establish an environmental management system (EMS) to improve their sustainability performance, reduce their environmental impacts, and prioritize goals and activities. An effective EMS can also set the stage to launch a sustainability program and demonstrate progress through ESG reporting.
This course will review the ISO standards and present ways to use an EMS to launch and maintain a sustainability program. There are key elements of an ISO program that, if not addressed, will limit the usefulness of the program and doom its impact. The goal of this course is to enable students to recognize the inherent benefits of an EMS to drive an effective sustainability and ESG program. |
Mike Walker, EI Group |
Mr. Walker has been providing environmental and safety consulting services to manufacturers for over 40 years. He has assisted numerous industrial clients with multimedia permitting needs, including air quality permits. As a licensed civil and environmental engineer, Mr. Walker has been involved with various conservation efforts and projects, including water conservation while in Corporate Engineering at Nabisco to designing water treatment and reuse system for two zero-discharge power plants to waste reduction and recycling projects for various clients. In the past fifteen years, Mr. Walker has added other sustainability credentials and projects to his resume. As a Certified Energy Manager, he has conducted numerous energy conservation studies both for manufacturing operations and commercial buildings. Mr. Walker is also a certified auditor for ISO 14001, 45001, and 50001, and has completed gap assessment and audit projects for various manufacturers along with developing a complete 14001/45001/50001 management programs.
Mr. Walker has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Master of Engineering degree from Clemson University.
ESG and Environmental Justice practices and policies include common elements that seek to protect vulnerable communities from the burdens of environmental harm. There is an increased risk of legal consequences when industries fail to incorporate EJ within their ESG strategies and can results in lack violation of state and federal laws and regulations, lack of community trust and damage to company’s brand / reputation. This course will highlight the basics of ESG, EJ and the synergy between the two practices for session participants to leave the sessions knowing how to become practitioners of ESG and EJ can positively affect their operations with respect to market access requirements, investor expectations, compliance obligations and reputational risk to develop ESG and EJ strategies accordingly. |
Todd Roessler, Kilpatrick Townsend
Khrystle Bullock, AECOM |
Todd Roessler focuses his practice on a wide range of matters related to environmental litigation, regulatory counseling, and transactions. Mr. Roessler has nearly 30 years of diverse environmental experience. Since 2002, Mr. Roessler has practiced environmental law and before that he was an environmental consultant and coastal geologist. In these capacities, he has represented national and international companies in the manufacturing, energy, and environmental sectors. His experience covers a broad spectrum of environmental matters, ranging from environmental permitting of large, complex industrial facilities to remediation of contaminated sites.
Khrystle Bullock attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for my B.S. in Public Health and Wake Forest University for my M.S. in Neuroscience with a concentration in Health Disparities. Her profession and passion are centered at the intersection of public health, environmental and climate science to drive equitable, just policies and initiatives that will positively impact and equip vulnerable communities to promote community resiliency and sustainability. She currently works at AECOM as a Social Performance & Resilience Scientist and has over 7 years of experience as a practitioner of public health and environmental initiatives. |
This course will provide an overview of the various state and federal programs and initiatives to move industry and the public, overall, closer to a green energy future. Topics to be discussed will include the federal funding mechanisms available to offset electrification costs, the clean energy plan, and other means at the state level to provide incentive toward sustainable energy solutions. |
Ben Smith |
Benjamin Smith concentrates his practice around energy regulation and related energy policy and regulatory work. Prior to joining the firm, Benjamin was Regulatory Counsel and then Associate General Counsel at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) in Raleigh, North Carolina where he developed policy goals, positions, and desired outcomes including implementing initiatives, campaign plans, and strategies to achieve policy goals and desired outcomes related to the future of energy in North Carolina. Benjamin led NCSEA’s regulatory work including matters litigated at the North Carolina Utilities Commission, FERC, and other venues, and headed its appellate work, and managed dozens of litigated dockets. He also assisted the General Counsel and Director of Policy in government affairs leadership work for the NCSEA, including research and drafting legislative language. |
This session will focus on case studies and direct experience with manufacturing approaches toward recycling and moving toward zero waste solutions. As continued pressure exists in the marketplace to demonstrate commitment to reducing waste, the presentation will provide insights on what is successful, challenges for implementation, and how/whether zero waste goals can be achieved. |
Mike Green |
Mike Greene, NCDEQ. Mike Greene has been a Business Development Specialist with NC DEQ’s Recycling Business Assistance Center (RBAC) since 2013. He spent seven years prior with the City of Greensboro’s recycling program and helped to launch their ABC recycling service in 2008. Mike is a graduate of Appalachian State University. |
The push for wind and solar energy increases every year as we face climate change issues and the drive toward sustainable solutions to decrease or offset demand for fossil fuel sourced energy. This talk will explore the state of the industry for wind and solar energy as it exists now, likely near term innovations, and the projected future of wind and solar in North Carolina for the manufacturing industry as well as the general public. |
Art Samberg, NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NCSU |
Art Samberg is a meteorologist and a Program Director at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University. In his role, Art manages projects that provide technical assistance on renewable energy technologies and its viability to industrial, institutional, and residential clients throughout the Southeast. Art also is the Assistant Director of the US DOE’s Southeast CHP Technical Assistance Partnership where he helps energy end users determine if combined heat and power is a viable technology to meet their goals whether its energy cost reduction, resilience, or carbon reduction. Art also have over 35 years of air permitting experience for a wide range of industrial clients with a concentration on the energy sector. |
Occupational Safety & Health Courses
NC Occupational Safety & Health overview and update of priorities. |
Scott Mabry, Chief of Staff NC Department of Labor |
Scott Mabry serves as chief of staff for the N.C. Department of Labor (NCDOL). Mabry is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Commissioner’s policies and departmental operations.
Mabry initially joined the N.C. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Director’s office in December 2016 as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner for OSH prior to becoming chief of staff in August 2022. His previous experience includes 30+ years in both private industry and public service in the health and safety field. During Mabry’s career, he has worked in safety and health consulting, construction safety, compliance and consultative services at NCDOL; safety and health at N.C. State University; and as director of safety and risk management with the N.C. Department of Transportation. Mabry is a native of Norwood, NC and moved to Raleigh to attend N.C. State University. |
An overview of the most widely utilized EHS management software platforms for management of occupational safety and health programs. The course overview will cover software selection, implementation, and customization to specific workplace operations for safety training, occupational health monitoring, accident recordkeeping and investigation, risk analysis, industrial and occupational hygiene, PPE management and SDS data bases, among others. New technology updates in these programs, and the future direction they are heading will also be addressed, including a large focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) integration. |
Heidi Bramblett and Larry Rockefeller, EI Group |
Mr. Larry Rockefeller, CIH, CSP is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Certified Safety Professional with more than 20 years of professional experience. Mr. Rockefeller is an effective project manager and skilled health and safety professional whose professional experience involves all facets of occupational safety, occupational health, and industrial hygiene. Specific areas of competence include industrial hygiene, biological and chemical safety, indoor air quality, and risk management. Mr. Rockefeller holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science from Plattsburgh State University in Plattsburgh, New York.
Heidi Bramblett, MPH has held the position of industrial hygienist within The EI Group for the past five years. With a solid foundation in this field, she brings a substantial amount of expertise to her role. Concentrating on industrial hygiene, Heidi plays a crucial part in recognizing and addressing potential hazards, crafting thorough sampling plans, and recommending efficient control measures to ensure the safety and welfare of employees. Ms. Bramblett effectively utilizes industry leading EHS software solutions such as Cority, Benchmark/Gensuite, Velocity EHS, and others to drive comprehensive sampling plans, facilitate permitting and reporting processes, and support ESG initiatives. These software platforms streamline planning and offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of control measures, allowing Ms. Bramblett to identify areas for improvement across all aspects of EHS. By leveraging these software tools, Ms. Bramblett helps her clients optimize data management, make informed decisions about control adequacy, and drive continuous improvement in their EHS practices. These efforts align with their broader ESG initiatives, enabling the promotion of sustainable practices and the cultivation of a safer work environment. |
EHS professionals continue to utilize the hierarchy of controls to minimize or prevent employee exposure to chemical and physical stressors in the workplace. Engineering controls continue to be the most effective control option in the EHS professional’s toolbox to reduce risks and minimize human factors that impact exposures. This session will review engineering control options to minimize exposures to airborne contaminants (dusts, mists, fumes) and physical hazards (noise, vibration, etc.); selection, engineering, and design of controls, managing residual risk after implementation and preventative maintenance to ensure the continued effectiveness of controls. |
Phil Fincher, EI Group |
Mr. Fincher is the Senior Vice President of Operations for The EI Group, Inc. (EI) where he leads the Industrial Hygiene, Environmental, Occupational Health, Safety and Compliance Divisions for Operations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with 25 years of professional experience. His professional experience involves all facets of occupational safety, occupational health, and industrial hygiene. Mr. Fincher previously served as Co-Director of Environmental, Health and Safety Services (EHSS) at Virginia Tech and Manager of the Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Division. Mr. Fincher’s project experience has included all aspects of industrial hygiene, safety and occupational health. His career has included EHS consulting for clients in the South East, Mid-Atlantic and abroad (Trinidad, Vietnam, and Abu Dhabi) conducting mock compliance audits, qualitative and quantitative industrial hygiene assessments, training, and expert witness/consulting. He has worked for clients in Transportation (Class 1 Rail Roads), Oil & Gas (Off Shore), Semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceutical manufacturing, R&D, light and heavy industrial, property management and construction industries. |
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) remains one of the most common occupational diseases in the US manufacturing environment. The prevalence of hearing loss has continued to improve but remains a recognized hazard that has proven hard to control in the aging industrial environment with an aging workforce. This session will review the current trends in NIHL, advancements in noise dosimetry, modernization of audiometers, and control strategies. Modern noise dosimeters, sound level meters, and octave band analyzers allow EH&S professionals to accurately evaluate and characterize noise sources and task-based noise exposures. These tools allow us to select hearing protection devices and sound absorbent materials more accurately. New generation audiometers are also improving the accuracy and accessibility of reliable audiometric testing for employees in a hearing conservation program. This session will provide the attendee with a deeper understanding of these issues and how to improve your efforts to minimize the risk of NIHL:
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Phil Fincher and Josh Dunbar, EI Group |
Mr. Fincher is the Senior Vice President of Operations for The EI Group, Inc. (EI) where he leads the Industrial Hygiene, Environmental, Occupational Health, Safety and Compliance Divisions for Operations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with 25 years of professional experience. His professional experience involves all facets of occupational safety, occupational health, and industrial hygiene. Mr. Fincher previously served as Co-Director of Environmental, Health and Safety Services (EHSS) at Virginia Tech and Manager of the Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Division. Mr. Fincher’s project experience has included all aspects of industrial hygiene, safety and occupational health. His career has included EHS consulting for clients in the South East, Mid-Atlantic and abroad (Trinidad, Vietnam, and Abu Dhabi) conducting mock compliance audits, qualitative and quantitative industrial hygiene assessments, training, and expert witness/consulting. He has worked for clients in Transportation (Class 1 Rail Roads), Oil & Gas (Off Shore), Semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceutical manufacturing, R&D, light and heavy industrial, property management and construction industries. |
This presentation explains the fundamentals of ergonomics. It is a practical approach to the art and science of ergonomics including an explanation of common workplace ergonomics stressors, associated illnesses (tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet, etc.) and early warning signs. Depending on how accidents/injuries are recorded, ergonomics can generally account for over 50% of all industrial accidents. This presentation will provide attendees with the tools to recognize stressors and implement corrective actions to reduce ergonomic stressors in the modern work environment. |
Barry Maxwell, EI Group |
Mr. Barry Maxwell has 30 years of experience in developing and facilitating occupational safety programs for the fields of general industry, construction, education, and healthcare. He has a Bachelor of Science in Production and Marketing Management and a Master of Science in Occupational Safety.
His professional specialties include inspection and evaluation of construction sites and industrial facilities for potential safety hazards, development of safety and occupational health programs, conducting safety training programs, and scaffolding and trenching inspections. Some specific training experience includes: (1) develop, market, and present occupational safety & health programs to train personnel from the general industry, construction, and healthcare fields on any / all occupational safety topics, such as confined space, fall protection, trenching, scaffolding, respiratory protection, and cranes & rigging; (2) teaches the OSHA 10 / 30-hour Voluntary Compliance courses for General Industry and Construction since 1996; (3) taught an undergraduate safety class at East Carolina University |
Presentation will focus on fundamentals of facility security, including perimeter fencing, IT security surveillance and physical intrusion detection, tracking ingress/egress, doors/locks and internal facility security and ISO 27001 Standard for Security Management |
Ryan Smith, RONK Security Solutions |
Ryan Smith is the Operations Manager for RONK Security Solutions. He is responsible for conducting facility assessments, active shooter threat education and training, emergency action planning, and security consulting for various industries such as manufacturing facilities, educational facilities, religious facilities, and special events throughout North America. Prior to joining RONK Security Solutions, he served in the United States Marine Corps, and later transitioned to law enforcement as a SWAT officer, specializing in threat identification, facility assessments and active shooter response. Ryan’s vast knowledge and experience are evident in his long and successful career devoted to safeguarding lives and assets. |
Special Topics Courses
This course will provide an overview of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) and focus on the evolving science and regulation surrounding Microplastics in the environment. The course will focus on how regulations are evolving around these classes of contaminants and how the contaminants impact manufacturing and industry. As with other emerging contaminants such as PFAS, this new class of contaminants known as microplastics are being targeted as the next major environmental contaminant of concern. This course will focus on what manufacturers can do now to evaluate their operations and supply chains to reduce their future liability as it relates to microplastics in the environment. |
Todd Roessler, Kilpatrick Townsend
Jake Wilhelm, GSI |
Todd Roessler focuses his practice on a wide range of matters related to environmental litigation, regulatory counseling, and transactions. Mr. Roessler has nearly 30 years of diverse environmental experience. Since 2002, Mr. Roessler has practiced environmental law and before that he was an environmental consultant and coastal geologist. In these capacities, he has represented national and international companies in the manufacturing, energy, and environmental sectors. His experience covers a broad spectrum of environmental matters, ranging from environmental permitting of large, complex industrial facilities to remediation of contaminated sites.
Jake Wilhelm is an Environmental Scientist and Certified Ecologist with expertise in developing environmental risk management strategies and solutions to solve his client’s concerns at contaminated offshore, estuarine, wetland, riverine, and upland sites throughout the U.S. Mr. Wilhelm applies his experience in promulgated regulatory processes (both RCRA and CERCLA) to unregulated and emerging contaminants, including microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). His expertise includes site inspection and remedial investigation design and implementation, developing risk frameworks for emerging contaminants, and tracking and evaluating rapidly evolving regulatory determinations. Mr. Wilhelm’s more recent work has focused on PFAS ecotoxicological reviews and risk assessments at PFAS-impacted private and Department of Defense facilities. Mr. Wilhelm has significant experience supporting ecological and human health risk assessments, natural resource damage assessments, and environmental litigation. |
EJ has emerged as a key component to permitting and permit renewals for North Carolina manufacturing facilities. NCDEQ has been working to optimize and improve their publicly available tools and resources, such as the online Community Mapping System, and the Publication Participation Plan and Limited English Proficiency Language Access Plan, and even offers an “Anonymous Comment Tool” on their EJ homepage. As of March 2023, there are 37 EJ reports posted for new and existing permits through the State. The Secretary’s EJ and Equity Advisory Board is holding public meetings bimonthly, with meeting materials and recordings posted online. This session will provide an update on recent EJ changes. |
Carrick Brook-Davidson, Williams Mullen
Maya Hoon, Title VI & EJ Coordintaor, NCDEQ |
Carrick Brooke-Davidson’s practice focuses on environmental law and litigation under federal and state environmental programs, including cases brought by private parties, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal and state agencies.
Before joining Williams Mullen, Carrick served as counsel in the environmental and natural resources practice group at Vinson & Elkins in Austin, Texas. For more than a decade before moving to the private sector, Carrick was an attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, which he joined under the Honors Program, including serving as a Senior Attorney and Acting Assistant Chief in the Environmental Enforcement Section. Carrick earned his Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During law school, he founded and served as president of the Environmental & Natural Resources Law Society and as editor-in-chief of The Review of Litigation. He was also a member of the Order of the Coif and the Board of Advocates. Prior to attending law school, Carrick was an environmental engineer with Trinity Consultants where he was a consultant on Clean Air Act technical and regulatory matters. Carrick is authorized by the State of Texas to mediate court-referred disputes in that state based on his completion of 40-hour mediator training at the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas School of Law. Maya Hoon is the Title VI & Environmental Justice Coordinator with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. She received her M.S. in Environmental Sciences & Engineering from UNC Chapel Hill and her B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Toxicology from NC State University. As a daughter of low-income immigrants and as a first-generation college student, she is grateful for the education and first-hand training she was able to experience and for the NC community leaders and members who have been influential teachers in her life. Maya is driven to use her accumulated skills, learnings, and experience to ensure environmental equity and help address pertinent environmental issues for the health and prosperity of all North Carolina communities. |
Panel session focused on challenges with emerging chemicals of concern for consumer and industrial products, and pathways to market and related obstacles. The panel will review potential market limitations for chemicals of concern (PFAS would be one, but not the only chemical of concern), expanding domestic and international regulatory programs targeting chemical of concern in consumer and industrial products, and chemical content registration and disclosure programs. Attendees will learn about specific key chemicals of concern that are being targeted and how to assess their supply chains for risk; critical relevant regulatory programs at the Federal, State, and international levels and how to comply; and building product stewardship systems into their compliance and risk management programs. Still a broad idea that could be refined as needed. Panel could include attorney(ies), consultant, and manufacturer rep. involved with GPS. |
Mark Heaney, Geosyntec
Noelle Wooten, Nelson Mullins |
Mark delivers EHS expertise focused on product safety and compliance as well as facilities operations to clients across sectors including consumer products, industrial chemicals, automotive supply, pesticides, industrial products manufacturing, energy utilities, and law firms. For a wide variety of clients, Mark brings experience in both environmental regulation and product stewardship. His practical approach to regulatory challenges is focused on achieving his clients’ business objectives within applicable regulatory and supply chain frameworks. He has successfully guided clients through product and chemical registration efforts as well as multimedia facility EHS compliance audits. Mark’s deep experience in facilities EHS, supply chain management and product stewardship has led him to focus on system-wide approaches to managing compliance for clients from the factory to the shelf.
As a leader in product safety and compliance and facilities EHS management, Mark helped establish and served on the Board of Directors for Northwest Green Chemistry, a public-private partnership focused on innovations in green chemistry and sustainable chemical and product design. Mark has also been an active member of the Household and Commercial Products Association’s antimicrobial and cleaning products committees, as well as a member of the National Association of Environmental Managers. He has applied regulatory knowledge of pesticide, hazardous substance, and chemical management laws at the federal and state levels to support development of numerous new products and expanded production and sales of consumer and professional level cleaning and disinfecting products for clients Noelle counsels clients in several areas of environment and product regulation law, including environmental litigation, environmental due diligence, risk assessment and negotiation strategies in real estate transactions, and environmental compliance and regulatory counseling in matters involving hazardous substances, waste management, chemical control, pharmaceutical and retail product management, and drug packaging. Noelle is also a trained mediator. For more than 20 years, Noelle has assisted clients in solving litigation matters involving complex toxic tort issues, private party disputes, and administrative penalty matters. She has appeared and argued before federal, state, and administrative courts and commissions, including the Supreme Court of North Carolina, the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings, and the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission. Noelle also negotiated one of the first prospective purchaser agreements under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Initiative. Before law school, she was an environmental protection specialist at EPA’s Office of Solid Waste, where she wrote portions of the 1990 Toxicity Characteristic Rule and served as Co-Chairperson for the FIFRA / RCRA Policy Issues Committee. |
This hands-on course will provide an overview of environmental tools that can be used for streamlined assessment of a facility’s operations and environmental impact. Demonstration of tools will include online and e-learning tools as wells a physical tools which may include use of drones and LiDar for assessment of properties, inventory and evaluation of compliance issues and sampling. This will be a hands-on session with demonstrations offered. |
Brittany Robinson, International Paper |
Brittany Robinson is the Air Lead/Environmental Program Manager for International Paper. She has 28 years of experience in environmental compliance for pulp and paper mills. This includes a co-op with EPA Region IV, six years in environmental consulting and 22 years with International Paper. She has a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and is a Professional Engineer in the states of North and South Carolina. |
Waste Management Courses
This course presents an opportunity to learn from someone else’s mistakes. Compliance Inspectors from the NC DEQ Hazardous Waste Section will walk students through the good, the bad, and the ugly things they have found during compliance inspections at hazardous waste management facilities. Complete with pictures of the best and the worst, this session leaves a lasting impression. |
Aram Kim, NCDEQ/HWS |
Aram Kim is an inspector covering 10 counties in the northeastern region of the State. Aram spent six years inspecting dry cleaners across North Carolina before joining the Hazardous Waste Section in 2020. She has a bachelor’s in environmental science from the State University of New York in Binghamton. Aram is originally from South Korea and lived in different parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and Central America. She enjoys practicing yoga and Zumba dance and exploring local parks with her dog, Tofu. |
This is a full overview of RCRA requirements to manage hazardous waste in satellite and central accumulation areas. |
Richard Concepción, NCDEQ/HWS |
Richard Concepción is an Environmental Chemist with the Hazardous Waste Section covering 44 counties on the Western side of the State. He has been with the Section for 7 years. He has over 35 years’ experience in the environmental management field, for both private and government entities. He taught as a part-time professor for Mortuary Science for 15 years. Richard has a master’s degree in Environmental Science with a Major in Risk Assessment and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He is also a Registered Environmental Manager and member of the American Chemical Society. He enjoys music and plays string instruments. |
This session is about best practices in the management and disposal of your hazardous wastes. If the designated facility you select to take your hazardous wastes does not comply with the law and becomes a Superfund Site, your facility is liable under the Superfund statute for cleanup of the designated facility, and the liability joint and several regardless of fault. This program will cover what is a Superfund Site and steps you can take to avoid sending your plant’s wastes to a site that may trigger liability. |
Brian Toth, Montrose Environmental
Ethan Ware, Williams Mullen |
Brian Toth is a Senior Principal with Montrose Environmental Group and has over 25 years of project management and technical experience in the energy, utility and environmental, health and safety consulting industries. His experience includes multi-media environmental permitting and compliance management, merger and acquisition due diligence, corporate reporting, disclosures and governance, capital project analysis and decision making, strategic resource planning and scenario analysis, and regulation and policy assessment. Brian is currently managing the update of waste stream determinations, Hazardous Waste Contingency Plans and Management Plans, and the preparation of RCRCA Part B Permit Renewal applications for a major client across seven facilities. Throughout his career, he has managed complex environmental and regulatory approval projects and led numerous individual asset and enterprise-wide merger and acquisition EHS / ESG due diligence reviews in the industrial / commercial, energy, and fossil and renewable power generating market sectors. Brian has managed the development and continuous review of least cost strategies for portfolios of sites facing compliance with multiple air, water and solid / hazardous waste rules. His work on energy and environmental policy issues at the state, regional and national level has allowed the development of relationships with stakeholders and regulators at all levels.
Brian holds a BS from Clemson University, an MS from the University of Alabama, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in South Carolina. Ethan Ware is chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Group at Williams Mullen and represents clients in a broad range of matters involving environmental issues. Located in the Columbia, South Carolina office, Ethan has defended cases, both in courts and before administrative agencies at both the state and federal level. Those cases have included class action lawsuits, federal and state enforcement actions in the courts, cost recovery actions, permit appeals and administrative investigations and litigation. As part of his background, Ethan has defended mining, manufacturing, and importers/distributors in all facets of EPA regulation. His cases have involved exposures to and releases of heavy metals from manufacture and fabrication, organic chemicals, paint, pesticides, asbestos, PCBs, hazardous wastes, air and water emissions, animal waste and regulatory requirements. Ethan has defended cases arising under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, EPCRA, RCRA, CERCLA, TSCA, and their state counterparts. He has also represented clients in connection with criminal prosecutions and investigations. His experience also includes review of environmental issues in transactions and environmental and health and safety training and auditing programs. As part of service to the mining industry, Ethan has defended cases for mine safety and exposure liability. Ethan is listed as a leading environmental attorney by Chambers USA (2016-present), © and he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for environmental law and environmental litigation (2013-present). In 2013, Ethan was named theBest Lawyers Columbia Lawyer of the Year for both environmental law and environmental litigation. In addition, Martindale-Hubbell has rated Ethan an AV attorney, its highest rating available. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Wofford College. |
Water Quality Courses
This presentation will provide an overview of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Industrial Stormwater Program regulated under the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR). Topics discussed will include applicability, regulated industries, general permits, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), sampling, inspections, discharge monitoring reports (DMRs), tiered responses, no exposure certifications, and site-specific examples. |
Greg Kanellis, Hart & Hickman |
Greg Kanellis is a Professional Engineer and Project Manager at Hart & Hickman with over 15 years of environmental consulting experience. He has a diverse background within the environmental consulting field with a significant focus on environmental compliance and permitting. Industrial stormwater permitting and compliance support is a subset of this focus and Mr. Kanellis has assisted numerous clients with stormwater permitting, resolution of violations/non-compliance, no exposure certifications, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), stormwater sampling and reporting, internal audits, and inspection assistance. |
This presentation will discuss what to expect when NCDEQ conducts an on-site inspection of an NPDES or Non-Discharge wastewater treatment facility. It will review how inspections are planned, documents that are reviewed prior to and during the inspection and key processes and equipment evaluated by our staff. We will also review various issues discovered during the inspections, along with those encountered by our staff when responding to citizen complaints. |
Tom Tharrington, NCDEQ |
Tom Tharrington is the Assistant Regional Supervisor for the Water Quality Regional Operations Section in Wilmington and has worked in various positions in this office for 19 years. Prior to coming to North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Tom spent 20 years working in fiber production, the electric power industry and bulk chemical production facilities at E.I. du Pont de Nemours, Cogentrix Energy, Takeda Chemical Products USA and BASF Corporation. Tom has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies/Geology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and maintains Grade IV Biological Wastewater, Land Application of Residual Solids, Spray Irrigation, Subsurface and Physical Chemical operator certifications. |
Overview of sample collection practices, coordination with certified laboratories, and maintenance/calibration of sampling equipment. This will describe how to select an appropriate analytical laboratory and sample analysis methods, as well as procedures to collect representative samples to comply with these methods. The course will also review typical field measurements and equipment and identify procedures to maintain these instruments so that they provide representative measurements. |
Chris White, Stantec |
Chris White is a Senior Associate at Stantec. He has broad experience in equipment and system operation throughout the water and wastewater industry, including field experience at over 115 facilities. Chris held pilot and start-up program management positions for equipment manufacturers, and consulting engineering positions focused on bench-scale testing, pilot studies, and full-scale start-ups. Active in operator training as both a consultant providing O&M guidance and as a volunteer with NC One Water. |
“The focus of “Why PFAS in Biosolids is a concern, even if You Don't Treat Wastewater” will be on the uncertainties and unknowns surrounding PFAS in Biosolids. It will discuss:
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Mike Hicks, Ramboll |
Michael Hicks has over 35 years of experience in the engineering and management of industrial wastewater projects. He has broad experience in the aeration field and has conducted hundreds of oxygen transfer tests for major aeration equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, and contractors worldwide. He has been responsible for the process design for numerous water and wastewater treatment facilities in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. Design projects have involved constituent sampling programs; flow, load, and mass-balance evaluations; selection and design of unit operations from pre-treatment through tertiary polishing and sludge handling; and physical and biological process configurations to achieve regulatory compliance. Biological treatment designs have included complete mix activated sludge, oxidation ditch activated sludge, sequencing batch reactor, anoxic/oxic configurations, and anaerobic systems. |
This course will provide a summary of the ongoing PFAS Investigations being performed by the Division of Water Resources. |
Julie Grzyb, NCDEQ, DWR |
Julie Grzyb (pronounced Gribb) is the Deputy Director for North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality - Division of Water Resources. She has worked for DWR since 2009, first as a NPDES permit writer and later as Supervisor over the Municipal & Industrial Permitting Branch. Her focus has been on addressing emerging compounds in the Cape Fear, remediation at the Chemours facility in Fayetteville, and implementation of the state's dissolved metal standards. Prior to working at DWR, Julie was a Water Resource Manager for Virginia, DEQ and the Industrial Permitting Supervisor for Ohio EPA's southwest regional office. Julie earned her B.S. degree from the College of Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. |
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