President's Message
The California Waste
Association (CWA) welcomes you,
CWA offers a network of professionals who seek to
understand how to comply with regulations, to network, to
keep apprised of new legislation, and to communicate with
regulators. There is a heightened sense of industrial
responsibility to reduce environmental liability, to reduce
cost, and to manage public relations. The CWA provides its
attendees with knowledge about environmental regulations,
with the intricacies of being ethical, and a forum to
exchange ideas.
In the 1980s, there was rapid change to regulate waste
water and hazardous waste. Through the 1990s there was
change to gather information about air and water quality.
In the 2000s, there has been change to regulate financial
transparency and air quality that has been coupled with
improved technology which allows the reduction of hazardous
material usage. Where possible, the CWA seeks to promote
technical developments to improve environmental safety and
cost effective legislation.
The CWA examines a broad scope of best management
practices. We do not forget the basics of inspecting
hazardous waste storage areas for emergency response
equipment, closed containers, and the proper markings
showing the date of generation and a description of the
contents. We cover waste characterization with the
intricacies of lab analysis, filling out a manifest, and
preparing containers for shipping with the proper label and
markings. Non-hazardous waste management, storm water,
industrial waste water, groundwater, spill prevention
control counter measure programs, storage tank programs,
and the fate of hazardous materials are examined.
CWA will continue to be a conduit to educate generators,
consultants, transporters, and TSDFs about changes such as
the uniform hazardous waste manifest seminars conducted in
2007 across the State of California for DTSC. There are six
local chapters across the State. The very successful and
recent establishment of the Bakersfield Chapter is
testimony to the economic and driving force that propels
the CWA. Certifying classes for the tasks of “Lab Pack
Technician”, “Hazardous Waste Driver”, and “Waste
Characterization Specialist” have been in the planning
stages and are ready to be rolled out. There are a host of
issues such as green house gasses, the disposal of
radioactive waste, management of aluminum coating
wastewater sludge, emissions related to cement kilns and
clinker coolers, and the federal government’s interest in
the SPCC – which the CWA can present. The CWA Board of
Directors is also in the state of change, having retired
two members and added three new members in the last year.
CWA encourages its attendee’s involvement in any capacity
that they are comfortable, including the annual golf event
on the first Monday every August.
This is a fun association, look forward to your
camaraderie,
Dale W. Botts
CWA President