The environmental profession covers hundreds, if not thousands, of topics ranging from groundwater pollution to mold contamination. This profession is an ever-expanding arena that interfaces and overlaps more and more with safety, health and environmental (SH&E) professionals. An understanding of environmental regulations is a must for most SH&E professionals. Whether you are a pure environmentalist, a safety director at a manufacturing plant or an inspector for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a strong knowledge of environmental issues will make you a more marketable professional. With such a vast field of knowledge to cover, ASSE created the Environmental Practice Specialty.

ASSE has always recognized the need for environmental professionals in the SH&E arena. The Environmental Practice Specialty was founded in 1991 with the goal of developing and disseminating a Body of Knowledge for the SH&E community. This Body of Knowledge also serves those who wish to become SH&E professionals with interests in environmental topics. Each day, it becomes more important for SH&E professionals to increase their knowledge and awareness of environmental issues. The Environmental Practice Specialty provides resources to bridge the traditional gaps between SH&E professionals.

The Environmental Practice Specialty provides many resources. A brief overview of our resources is as follows:

EnviroMentor —The Environmental Practice Specialty publishes a tri-annual newsletter that includes timely articles on issues affecting environmental professionals. Past articles have covered such topics as:

The newsletter also includes hard-hitting and insightful editorial commentary from the Environmental Practice Specialty Administrator. Article submission is encouraged. For information, contact the Newsletter Editor.

Environmental Practice Specialty Website—The website contains links to many environmental topics, including Air, Water, Emergency Planning and Response, Environmental Management, Chemicals and Pollution, Certifications and Training and Hazardous Wastes. A committee coordinates each topic area. ASSE members are encouraged to actively participate in a committee. Additional information found on the website includes Professional Development Conference (PDC) information, Body of Knowledge links, committee activities, current projects and volunteer requests. The Environmental Practice Specialty welcomes your involvement in projects and committees.

PDC Events—The Environmental Practice Specialty sponsors pre- and post-seminars and sessions. Previous pre- and post-sessions have included “CHMM Preparatory Workshops” and “Introduction to Indoor Air Quality.” Our involvement in providing environmental presentations during general sessions has increased in number and attendance each year, and member involvement during the PDC is encouraged. Previous presentations sponsored by the Environmental Practice Specialty include:

Members who would like to participate in future PDC events sponsored by the Environmental Practice Specialty should contact the Administrator.

The Environmental Practice Specialty Advisory Committee—The Advisory Committee is a group of dedicated professionals who give direction to the Environmental Practice Specialty. They meet quarterly to discuss goal setting, assign responsibilities and approve actions. Current projects include the ongoing development of a Body of Knowledge, website expansion, newsletter content and outreach to other professional associations and organizations.

New member initiatives include the formation of a Mold Taskforce, which is funding a literature review of technical mold issues to be performed by graduate students. Members and students who would like to participate in this project should contact Tom Butler.

Another recent success was the development of a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) technical committee composed of EPA employees. Another project assigned Environmental Practice Specialty representation on several standard-writing committees on behalf of ASSE. We also just recently revised and expanded the Environmental Practice Specialty's entire strategic plan. The strategic plan now includes a regulatory and legislative oversight committee, the formation of a student mentoring program and other initiatives. Members who would like to participate in any of these initiatives or who would like a copy of the Environmental Practice Specialty's strategic plan should contact the Administrator.

Technical Committees—The environmental profession covers thousands of topics. In order to better serve our members, the Environmental Practice Specialty has developed technical committees. Each technical committee consists of a chairperson and several members with experience in a given environmental field. To date, our technical committees include Air, Water, Wastes, Emergency Planning and Environmental Management. We have also recently created an EPA technical committee that is chaired by EPA staff. The technical committees contribute newsletter articles, PDC presentations, website updates and special projects. Members are encouraged to join a technical committee and to gain experience by working with other seasoned environmental professionals.

This is a brief explanation of how the Environmental Practice Specialty provides value to its membership. There are many ways in which you can benefit by helping us. Your participation in projects, committees and events will not only help us reach our goals, but will provide you with invaluable experience and contacts as you grow with the SH&E profession. Let us know how we can assist you.

Key Contacts

• Administrator: Judy L. Freeman
• Assistant Administrator: Mary Prisby
• Publication Editor: Rennie Heath