Genesee Valley Chapter
Industrial Issues Committee

Mission

The Industrial Issues Committee is a group of multi-disciplined professionals who come together to discuss and share ideas addressing environmental, health, and safety issues facing our community, as well as providing educational opportunities on these topics.

History

The GVC Industrial Issues Committee’s roots stretch all the way back to the late 1970’s. In those days New York State’s SPDES program and Monroe County’s Industrial Pretreatment Program were fairly new, and key individuals within both organizations saw the need for outreach and training. To this end, educational seminars were organized and permittees were invited to attend. Through these seminars, the early IIC members began to recruit other members from both industry and local consulting firms and to expand their focus from just hosting several seminars a year, to more regular meetings focused on information sharing. The group quickly found that in addition to planning seminars, there was great benefit in just sharing experiences. This sharing became important enough to the IIC members that they established bi-monthly meetings to focus on what is today termed the “round table”, where everyone attending the meeting is given an opportunity to talk about recent successes, challenges and lessons learned.

Structure

Our committee meets on a bimonthly basis, and meetings are hosted by on a rotating basis. Our morning-long meetings are centered on a substantive roundtable discussion; followed by regulatory updates, subcommittee reports, and routine committee business. The structure of our group is purposely informal, with the positions of chair and vice-chair filled by volunteers for a period of one calendar year. The vice-chair assumes the chair position as it is vacated. Subcommittees are formed as needed to address issues or activities the committee has an interest in. The committee’s finances are managed by the chapter treasurer, with all funds held in the Chapter’s accounts. We also rely on the Chapter for our Web presence, maintenance of our mailing list, and distribution of news and event notices.

Activities

Over the years the GVC IIC has undertaken a number of initiatives that benefit both our members and our community. In May we hold a Compliance Awards Luncheon recognizing IIC members with exemplary wastewater compliance records. And in April of each year, we partner with the local AWMA chapter to host an annual environmental conference. This event attracts over 250 environmental professionals from throughout New York State and has become one of the premier environmental conferences in the region.

A portion of the proceeds from the annual seminar are directed into community grants and academic scholarships. Community grants are made available to local not-for-profits to support activities that promote environmental awareness and good works, and funds are donated to a local college to support scholarships for students pursuing a degree in environmental science. Our committee members also donate time to a variety of community efforts, involving everything from trail maintenance to watershed monitoring. All of our activities are designed to enhance networking among our members, promote environmental awareness, and give something tangible back to our community.

——————————————————————————————–
IIC Programs

Annual Joint AWMA/NYWEA Seminar

First held in 1998, the Annual Joint Seminar has become one of the premier environmental gatherings of environmental professionals in New York. This event typically draws over 250 participants, including industrial EHS managers, consultants, state and local regulators, environmental contractors, and a variety of service providers. The seminar format is comprised of a morning-long plenary session focused on major trends/issues in the environmental field, followed by an afternoon of breakout sessions specific to air, water, and solid waste. Professional development hours (PDHs) are made available to professional engineers, and training contact hours are offered for wastewater treatment plant operators.

Seminar topics are selected by a committee made up of GVC NYWEA and GFL AWMA members. Every effort is made to choose topics that are both timely, and of maximum benefit to our attendees. The result is an agenda that includes something for everyone. Of course, all work and no play make for a very dull day, so we also build in plenty of time for networking. In short, this seminar provides the perfect blend of technical education, and a relaxed atmosphere old friends and acquaintances can reconnect.

Compliance Recognition Awards Luncheon

Each year the IIC recognizes local facilities that have achieved exemplary compliance with their wastewater discharge permit. Candidates must be Genesee Valley Chapter members or regular participants in the Industrial Issues Committee. First time non-members can also apply, with the provision that they fulfill membership/participation criteria going forward. Award winners are individually recognized during the luncheon ceremony and receive a signed certificate suitable for display.