A&WMA's Annual Meeting & Exhibition will attract environmental professionals from around the world. This year's meeting in Toronto marks the 90th Anniversary of the founding of the Association by a group of Canadian and American smoke inspectors. By holding the meeting in Toronto on this momentous occasion, the Association is confirming the strong bond that endures between American and Canadian members, says Richard Baldwin, A&WMA President.

In addition to celebrating its anniversary, the meeting will continue to present cutting-edge environmental papers and exchange of critical technical information. The 1997 Technical Program Committee, headed by John Martin of NOVAMANN International Inc., has prepared a program of nearly 1,100 papers that will provoke discussion and present accounts of environmental issues and programs in dozens of countries.

The Annual Meeting offers an opportunity to strengthen professional relationships, deepen knowledge of advancements in the field, and participate in discussions of environmental issues.

This year's theme, Science and Technology: The International Language, reflects the spirit of the air, waste and environmental management fields, and the opportunities that lie within.

Some 450 exhibitors of environmental services and equipment are expected. Professional development events include continuing education courses, the QEP certification exam, and a number of technical tours to nearby facilities.

The guest program this year will feature a dinner cruise, winery tours, a visit to Niagara Falls, and of course, the culturally diverse nature of the host city.

Photo courtesy CH2M G&S

The Annual Meeting officially begins in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, June 9, with the Opening Session, including the Association's Annual Business Meeting and comments from Association President Dick Baldwin and First Vice President Bill Zegel. Following the Business Meeting will be the Keynote Address by David Crombie, a leading Canadian policymaker and former Mayor of Toronto.

Air issues

• Critical Review: Ambient Particles and Health: Lines That Divide, presented by Dr. Sverre Vedal, Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia.
• Biogenic Nonmethane Hydrocarbons in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer.
• Recent Developments in Air Quality Modeling.
• Residential Indoor Air Quality ­ Emissions and Exposure.
• US/Canadian Acid Rain Update: Trends in Emissions and Deposition.
• Recent Developments in Computer Programs for Noise Impact Assessments.
• Relationships between Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality.
• Atmospheric Chemistry: Emerging Issues.
• Current Research in Atmospheric Visibility.

Other areas to be discussed include:

• Emission Control Technology
• Optical Sensing
• Sources
• Toxic Air Pollutants
• Measurement

Environmental Management

• Effects
• Industrial Processes
• Program Administration
• Pollution Prevention

Waste Issues

• Hazardous, Radioactive & Mixed Waste
• Municipal & Medical Waste
• Site Remediation & Closure

Business Risk Management

• How to Avoid and Control Environmental Liability

Education

To provide opportunities for attendees to participate in ethical dilemma discussions, Ethical Moments will be scheduled into sessions where open time periods are available again this year.

These are only a few of the papers and subjects to be discussed and debated at this large international conference.

Highlights include:

International Workshop which deals with Innovative Environmental Technologies from a Regulatory Perspective, Tuesday, June 10.

Government Employee Forum gives an opportunity for government employees to discuss important air and waste management issues, Sunday, June 8, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The forum will be open to government officials only and will be led by a panel of Canadian and US government agency leaders who will facilitate discussions on issues such as permitting, enforcement, and training.

International Forum will discuss International Environmental Agreements and Business ­ What's Happened and What's Next, Wednesday, June 11, 7:00 p.m. This is a special forum, organized by the Canadian Global Change Program (CGCP) of the Royal Society of Canada.

Is the Air Killing Us? A public forum will be held Wednesday, June 11, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Brownfields Redevelopment Workshop, Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8. Recent brownfields initiatives seek to unleash the power of the marketplace to turn a societal problem into a benefit.

For more information, contact the Association at Tel: (412) 232-3444, Fax: (412) 232-3450.