35th Annual Convention Oct. 29-31 in Hot Springs: Award-winning National Geographic photographer

Arkansas Business, Oct 21, 2002 by Amy L. Wilson

Clips from wildlife films will be used to illustrate the relationship between business and the environment when Dr. John Paling provides a keynote presentation for the Arkansas Environmental Federation's 35th Annual Convention & Trade Show. The event is Oct. 29-31 at the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs. The theme this year is "Celebrate America." Dr. Paling will give his presentation at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 30.

Dr. Paling is author of "Up to Your Armpits in Alligators? How to sort out what risks are worth worrying about!" The award-winning National Geographic Society wildlife photographer is a former Oxford University biology professor and frequent consultant to large corporations. Dr. Paling will introduce his "Richter Scale for Risks" that enables environmental, health, and safety professionals to effectively communicate with non-technical people, the public, regulators, and the media. He will illustrate his talk with segments from his wildlife-filming career.

Founded in 1967, the AEF is a 501c(3) non-profit education association with more than 350 members, the vast majority of them businesses and industries that deal with environmental, safety, and health regulations on a day-to-day basis. The AEF focuses on practical laws and regulations based on sound science, a teamwork approach to compliance, and waste minimization and pollution prevention. The AEF enables information to be exchanged on a daily basis between its members, government regulators, and policy makers.

Other speakers will include Gregg Cooke, Regional Administrator of Region. 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency; Marcus Devine, Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality; Richard Fedrizzi of the. U.S. Green Buildings Council; and Ken Smith of Audubon Arkansas. In addition, Nick Macchiarolo will introduce E-Plan, the new EPA Region 6 online tool designed to make industry hazmat information available to front-line responsders; staff from the ADEQ will discuss thermal treatment units, generators standards, wastewater treatment unit exemption, and sludge dryers; Don Curran of award-winning Virco Corporation, will provide a detailed case study on waste minimization/pollution prevention practices; Dr. Jane Watson of EPA Region 6 will overview trends in water quality standards, what new criteria are in the works and why, and what criteria Arkansas industries can expect to see in the future; Allan Gates of Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard will review what the recently disclosed Bush Administration turnaround on Total Maximum Daily Load and Watershed Management will mean for Arkansas; and ADEQ Air Division staff will present a session on how-tos on air compliance.

The AEF also is excited to present Enviro 101: A General Introduction to All Things Environmental. Instructors will be Ann Faitz of Chisenhall, Nestrud & Julian, and Ron Alexander, Manager of the Business Assistance Program for ADEQ. This workshop is designed for those who have little experience with Arkansas environmental regulations.

There will be plenty of social activities as well -- a golf tournament, a live band, great food and drinks at receptions, as well as door prizes worth thousands. To register, visit the AEF's website at www.environmentark.org or call 501-374-0263 in Little Rock.