Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Your Environment. Your Health.

Implications for Safety and Health Training in a Green Economy

October 15-17, 2008
Chapel Hill, NC

NIEHS WETP Fall Awardee Meeting and Technical Workshop: Implications for Safety and Health Training in a Green Economy October 15-17, 2008 Chapel Hill NC

Conference Details

The NIEHS WETP 2008 Fall Conference: Implications for Safety and Health Training in a Green Economy took place October 15-17, 2008 in Chapel Hill, NC. The conference brought together over 100 NIEHS and WETP awardee representatives and interested parties to explore issues in the green economy, including green jobs and industries, green remediation, green chemistry and the safety and health training that will be needed in each area.  On October 15 the Awardee Meeting took place. On October 16 and 17 technical workshops were held. Below are the conference agendas, attendees list, and links to each day's presentations and breakout group reports.

Agendas

Attendee List

Workshop Report

Workshop Documents and Links

Presentations

Awardee Meeting:

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 

Meeting Notes: October 15, 2008 (26KB)

Time Topic
12:30-12:45 p.m. Welcome
Joseph "Chip" Hughes, NIEHS
12:45-1:45 p.m. NIEHS Update (421KB)
Joseph "Chip" Hughes, NIEHS WETP; Sharon Beard, NIEHS WETP; Ted Outwater, NIEHS WETP; Jim Remington, NIEHS WETP; Carolyn Mason, NIEHS DERT
  • Strategic Plan, Past Year Accomplishments, Next Year Plans, RFA
  • HWWT, HDPTP
  • Minority Training Program Transition
  • SBIR Awards
  • Technology Issues - DMS, Curricula Catalog and 508 Compliance
  • Progress Report
  • NIH Update and NIEHS Grants Management Update
1:45-2:15 p.m. Clearinghouse Update (19KB)
Deborah Weinstock, National Clearinghouse/MDB, Inc.
  • Last Year's Accomplishments
  • Activities Planned for the Upcoming Year
2:30-3:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions
Business Official Meeting: Grants Management Issues (60KB)
Carolyn Mason, NIEHS DERT

Program Official Meeting: Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWT)/Hazardous Materials Disaster Preparedness Training Program (HDTP)/Department of Energy (DOE) Issues
Joseph "Chip" Hughes, NIEHS WETP
Ted Outwater, NIEHS WETP
Jim Remington, NIEHS WETP

Minority Worker Training Program (MWTP) Issues (187KB)
Sharon Beard, NIEHS WTP

Workshop: Protecting Workers from Hazardous Chemical Exposures through Training

Thursday, October 16, 2008 

Meeting Notes: October 16, 2008 (80KB)

Time Topic
9:00-9:10 a.m. Welcome and Overview
Joseph "Chip" Hughes, Director, Worker Education and Training Program, NIEHS
Sam Wilson, Acting Director, NIEHS
9:10-9:40 a.m. Key Note
Dave Foster, Executive Director, Blue-Green Alliance (retired USW District 11, Director)
9:40-10:50 a.m.

Plenary 1: Key Policy Drivers for Green Initiatives

This panel discussed some of the key policy drivers for the emerging green economy, including which policy drivers have funds attached to them, policy drivers besides legislation to pay attention to, and how these drivers may impact safety and health training.

Moderator: Joseph "Chip" Hughes, NIEHS
11:10-12:15 p.m.

Plenary 2: Green Chemistry

This panel addressed such questions as "What is green chemistry? What are the exposure effects of green technologies? What is the connection between green chemistry and hazardous materials training?"

Moderator: Paul Renner, Labor Institute
1:30-2:40 p.m.

Plenary 3: Environmental Justice and Good/Green Jobs for All

Examples of transformations being made by traditional environmental justice organizations as they embrace green jobs programs were shared, as well as opportunities for collaboration and funding from foundations and other organizations. The changes being made by community colleges in preparing for the green jobs revolution were also discussed.

Moderator: Sharon D. Beard, NIEHS
2:50-4:20 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions
  • Green Chemistry
    Facilitator: Paul Renner, Labor Institute
  • Environmental Justice and Good/Green Jobs
    Facilitators: Amanda Allen, OAI, Inc.
    Jerry Repka II, Louisiana Carpenters Regional Council Apprenticeship & Training
  • Green Remediation and Construction
    Facilitator: Tim Fields, National Clearinghouse/MDB Inc.

Friday, October 17, 2008 

Meeting Notes: October 17, 2008 (36KB)

Time Topic
9:00-9:10 a.m. Welcome
Joseph "Chip" Hughes, NIEHS
9:10-9:40 a.m. Keynote (978KB)
Raquel Pinderhughes, Author Green Collar Jobs: An Analysis of the Capacity of Green Businesses to Provide High Quality Jobs for Men and Women with Barriers to Employment, A Case Study of Berkeley California
10:00-11:15 a.m.

Plenary 4: Green Remediation and Construction

This panel answered questions such as "What is green remediation and will new remedies require new skills from workers? Will new remedies bring new hazards for workers?" It also considered issues around green construction and retrofitting.

Moderator: Tim Fields, National Clearinghouse/MDB, Inc.

  • Green Construction (838KB), Jim Platner, CPWR- The Center for Construction Research and Training
  • Gary Gustafson, Laborers - AGC
  • Green Remediation (506KB), Carlos Pachon, EPA, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation
  • Mark Burzinski, Bechtel Corporation - ES&H Services
11:15-12:00 p.m.. Summary Panel: Insights and Future Directions
Moderator: Donald Elisburg, National Clearinghouse
  • Green Chemistry
    Paul Renner, Labor Institute
  • Environmental Justice and Good/Green Jobs
    Craig Slatin, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Green Remediation/Green Construction
    Gary Gustafson, Laborers - AGC
Back
to Top