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PACA Conveyor – Week of October 28, 2021
Table of Contents
Easily jump to a section in this newsletter:

1. PACA News
2. Environmental News
3. Meetings & Events
4. Safety & Health News
5. PENNDOT NEWS
6. Job Postings

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24 E Blasts
PACA wishes to thank our 2024 Corporate Sponsors for their generous support and commitment this year!
PACA News
Josie
Environmental News
As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.
Email Josie
Environmental News
New EPA Region 3 Administrator
EPA breaks down the country into ten regions. Pennsylvania is in Region 3 along with DE, MD, VA, WV and DC. The Regional Administrator positions change with presidential administration changes. EPA announced earlier this month that the new EPA Region 3 Administrator is Adam Ortiz.

Most recently, Adam was the Montgomery County MD DEP Director where he implemented programs with a focus on equity. Previous positions include Mayor of Edmonston, MD population 1500, Deputy Chief of Staff for MD Lt. Gov Brown, and Special Assistant to MD's Secretary of Labor working on workforce and immigration policies.

Earlier in his career he worked as an advocate for equity and human rights and was Deputy Director for Amnesty International's Midwest office where he worked to abolish the death penalty, stop police brutality, improve prison conditions, and fairness for asylum seekers.

Adam has a B.A. in Public Policy from Goucher College, a private liberal arts college in Towson, MD.

Should you have any questions or comments, contact Josie Gaskey.
Environmental News
EPA's Strategic Roadmap for PFAs 2021-2024
PFAS are manufactured chemicals that are used to make various types of everyday products and are resistant to water, oil and heat.

EPA has recently issued a Strategic Roadmap on PFAs for 2021-2024. Their efforts will extend across all major offices of EPA. EPA's approach to PFAS is three-pronged: Research, Restrict and Remediate.

With respect to Research, EPA believes the current scientific evidence indicates significant hazards with PFAS, but that there are gaps related to human health and the environment, so they will focus on closing those gaps.

Regarding Restrict, it is EPA's intent to place responsibility for limiting exposures not just on the manufacturers of PFAS but also processors, distributors, importers, industrial and other significant users, dischargers and treatment and disposal facilities.

With respect to Remediate, the intend to hold polluters and other parties responsible for investigations and cleanups of PFAS contamination utilizing a multi-faceted water approach. They intend to publish ambient water quality criteria for PFAS in this time period.

Governor Wolf signed an Executive Order on September 19, 2018 creating a PFAS Action Team that has already done sampling and issued a plan. We will be watching closely to see how PA moves forward now that there will be federal guidance from EPA. However, should PA adopt PFAS ambient water quality criteria limits, those limits will automatically be made part of your NPDES permits, as are all ambient water quality criteria.

Should you have any questions or comments, contact Josie Gaskey.
Kallie
Meetings & Events
As reported by Kallie Kline, PACA's Director of Member Services.
Email Kallie
Meetings & Events
Registration Rates for PACA Annual Meeting to Increase at Day's End on November 1st
Hurry and register today to save $75 per person on the PACA Annual Meeting. When the clock strikes midnight on November 2nd, PACA's registration system will automatically switch over to the new rate.

And, registration will completely close on November 11, 2021, to allow time for last minute preparations.
Register Here
Meetings & Events
There's Still An Opportunity to Meet & Mingle & Get Great Education Without Attending the Full Annual Meeting
It's called - PACAWorks! For just $50 you can meet and mingle with your peers in the industry that you may not have been able to see with all that has been happening. PLUS, you will hear highly targeted topics on technical issues, regulatory issues, sustainability, concrete promotion and more!

The $50 also includes lunch with a keynote speaker - a retired FDNY lieutenant who was buried not once, but twice, in the rubble of the two collapsed Twin Towers on 9/11 and survived!

The $50 fee DOES NOT include the full Annual Meeting however. Those who are registered for PACAWorks only will depart immediately following lunch. If you are registered for the full Annual Meeting, however, the PACAWorks sessions and the luncheon are included in your Annual Meeting registration fee - no need to pay the $50 extra.

View the PACAWorks sessions here.

To register for the PACAWorks, visit the Annual Meeting page, choose REGISTER HERE and choose the PACAWorks option only.
Register for PACAWorks
Josie
Safety & Health News
As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.
Email Josie
Safety & Health News
OSHA Heat Injury and Illness
OSHA has announced on October 27, 2021 an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to purportedly protect indoor and outdoor workers from hazardous heat conditions. Currently, OSHA does not have a specific standard for hazardous heat conditions. The ANPR begins the process to establish one.

Comments are due on the ANPR December 27, 2021 and PACA will be working with our members, NSSGA and NRMCA on this issue.

If you have thoughts or comments regarding how a heat protection rule would cause challenges within your company, please contact Josie Gaskey.
Safety & Health News
Upcoming OSHA COVID Standard
On September 9, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Directive to OSHA to require employers with 100 or more employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing as part of his new COVID-19 action plan. The president also directed OSHA to mandate paid time off for employees to get vaccinated. On Oct. 12, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it had sent its proposed regulation to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review. While OMB has 90 days to perform its analysis and approve a final rule, there is pressure from the Administration to move quickly and the regulation is expected at any time.

PACA is prepared for this and will be offering a legal webinar as soon as the information becomes available.

Should you have any questions or comments, contact Josie Gaskey.
PENNDOT NEWS
Jim
PENNDOT NEWS
As reported by Jim Casilio, P.E., PACA's Director of Technical Services.
Email Jim
PENNDOT NEWS
2021-22 Aggregate Technician Certification Program
PennDOT, in partnership with PACA, will be once again bringing you the Aggregate Technician Certification Program in 2022. Dates and course information have been announced by the Department. Please watch for an email blast from PACA's Director of Technical Services, Jim Casilio, to our Aggregate Technical Community for more information.
PENNDOT NEWS
PennDOT STIC Virtual Innovation Days Nov 2-4, 2021
Below is information and a registration link to the PennDOT STIC Virtual Innovation Days.

Jim will be presenting on Nov 2nd with an update on the Concrete Finisher Certification requirement and its important advantages it can provide to municipalities.

You are personally invited to participate in the 2021 PennDOT Virtual Innovation Days, November 2-4, 2021.

This three-day event will consist of two concurrent sessions in the morning and afternoon of each day; including a facilitated Q&A discussion. It will feature speakers from PennDOT, other state agencies, consultants, local governments, academia and PennDOT’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).

The event also features a Virtual Exhibit Hall that will showcase homegrown PennDOT and local government innovations as well as several STIC innovations.

For more information and to register for this event, visit the Virtual Innovation Days event page on PennDOT’s website.

Please email [email protected] with any questions
Job Postings
Kallie
Job Postings
As reported by Kallie Kline, PACA's Director of Member Services.
Email Kallie
Job Postings
Buffalo Wire Works is Hiring!
PACA member, Buffalo Wire Works, has posted a Territory Manager position on PACA's Job Board on our website.

The job description states:
  • Service existing customer base & cultivate new customer relationships across all BWW Divisions;
  • Cultivate strong customer relationships built on trust, consistency and value added products & services;
  • Provide technical expertise and solutions to optimize the customers operation, improve production efficiencies and reduce their total cost of ownership


If you have a job position available, contact Kallie Kline to post the position to our website. This is a free service for PACA members.
View the Buffalo Wire Works Position Available
Job Postings
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