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SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION HAZARDOUS WASTE PROFESSIONALS
For a number of years concern has been expressed in the pages of NEHA's publica tions and in discussions among NEHA members over the subject area of hazardous waste and toxic substances. During his term as president in 1979-1980, Harry Steigman led the effort within NEHA to turn more attention in the activities of the association to chemical and radiological hazards. In addition, he stressed how important continuing education was in enhancing the skills of those professionals who were not proficient in these relatively new areas of responsibility. Steigman also encouraged accredited schools to develop training programs in these areas and further advocated an effective public information program designed to inform the public of hazards from chemical and hazardous substance exposure. The 1980 annual educational conference focused on these subjects. Renowned speakers were heard on Love Canal, Three Mile Island and the tremendous occupational and general environmental hazard of asbestos. Also during 1980, the association supported Superfund legislation as a partial remedy for the hazardous waste problem. NEHA was active through its contacts with key members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the House Sub committee on Transportation in the United States Congress. In addition, the associa tion developed a model letter for its affiliates to use in support of this legislation with key members of Congress. A position paper developed in 1981 by the NEHA task force on specialty programs recommended that the National Accreditation Council develop a specialty curriculum and disseminate its recommendations to educational institutions. It also recommended that NEHA develop a profile of the knowledge/skills/attributes that specialists in this field should possess and that such profiles be distributed to state and federal agencies. .. In addition the task force recommended that NEHA develop training programs in specialty areas to include modules and other materials and techniques that could serve as resources for agencies to use in elevating the skills of their staff. Finally, the task force recommended that a certification program for technical specialists be developed. Within the association in the early 80's there was considerable interest in a more substantive role in hazardous waste and toxic substances. There was, however, uncer tainty on what such a role should involve. NEHA President Boyd Marsh in 1981 appointed a task force to study NEHA's role in hazardous waste and toxic substances and chemical epidemiology. One of the goals of the association as adopted by the 1982 Board of Directors called for the establishment of a credentialing (certification) mechanism for specialists in addition to the generalist (R.S.) program already in place. That goal was accompanied by yet another goal which called for increasing profes sional competency on the job through programs of national registering, training, and continuing education. During the 1982-83 year, Dr. Trenton Davis, NEHA President, appointed Jim Snyder of Pennsylvania to prepare a position paper on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
These efforts combined to illustrate that the association was coming to grips with how it might contribute to the resolution of the serious hazardous waste dilemma.
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