Letter from the Conference Chair

March 2012

Letter from the Conference Chair

36th Annual Stationary Source Sampling and Analysis for Air Pollutants Conference

Dear Attendees:

I want to say what an honor and privilege it has been for me to serve as your 36th SSSAAP Conference Chairperson. I believethis Conference is the most professional and comprehensive forum aimed at the sharing of technical information on the subject of measurement and analysis of air pollutant emissions!

One of the first items on our agenda was a tribute to a long-time friend, participant and contributor to our Conference and the Stack Sampling Community, Tom Rose, who passed away in October of 2011. In memory of Tom, Yves Tondeur put together a tribute and presented a eulogy.

The continuing trend of the conference selling out months in advance with a record setting attendance was again a challenge this year.The informal setting promoting the free exchange of ideas and information between members of Federal and State Agencies, Industry, Laboratories, and of course, Stack Testers makes this conference very unique and popular. The total attendees for the 36th Conference were approximately250 persons. TheConference sold out within 45 days of registration opening.

So, I encourage all of you to be responsive in a timely mannerfor next year’s Conference registration announcements. You will be advised in future emails and on the SES website concerning next year’s Conference registration open period. Registration will be on a first come, first served basis.

The technical presentations at this year’s conference were very strong and addressed the latest topics and challenges we are facing as a testing community. I believe this has been the standard we have strived for and achieved through the past 36 conferences, spanning 41 years. As professionals involved in the field of source sampling and analysis, we are facing a host of topics and new regulations for the measurement of particulate matter, metal, mercury, and HCl, to name a few. The SSSAAP Conference offers the best forum for discussion and debate to address these new challenges we are facing.

Serving as the Conference Chairperson was a very rewarding experience. I had the privilege to work with Dr. Laura Kinner as my Conference Co-Chairperson. Laura’s technical knowledge and experience, along with her strong leadership ability, was invaluable during the year-long planning of the 2012 Conference. I know the 2013 Conference is in great hands and will be a success.

The Session Chairs and Co-Chairs were alsovital to the success of this year’s Conference. They performed an outstanding job soliciting the papers pertinent to the issues identified by what you wanted to hear during the 2011 Conference. Our presenters were all leading experts and professionals in their respective fields of interest. The presentations were well organized, with informativecontent and data. We were given updates on the EPA ICRs, Part 75 AETB requirements, and Accreditation issues just to name a few. We also received information on the SSAS Audit program, metals, and mercuryalong with PM measurements, including issues using the ‘New’ Method 202 along with comparisons of the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Method 202.

The importance of the Session Chairs and the roles they play cannot be overstated. The Session Chairs are the backbone and key to the Conference success. My gratitude goes out to:Jeff Burdette, Troy Burrows, Robin Segall, Gerri Garwood, Angela Hansen, Rachel Agnew, Mike Hartman, Theresa Lowe, Natalie Hornsby, Tom Baldwin, Alexandra Sipershteyn, Kevin Crosby, Daniel Person, Scott Swiggard, Brad Pracheil, Robert Baxter, Scott Hajek, Bob Davis, Larry Fisher, Ron McLeod, Mike Hayes, Bill Mullins, Derek Brewster, Glenn England, Robert Mann, and Tommy Leach.

Another important group of contributors to this Conference are the endorsing organizations, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Source Testing Association, and the International Society for Automation – Analysis Division. Their continued support and recognition of the SSSAAP Conference reinforces the credibility of the conference, especially with those individuals and organizations that may not be so familiar with SES or our profession. We have growing professional relationships with each of these organizations.

An Important aspect of each year’s conference is the extracurricular activities. Time spent with fellow SES members on the golf course, the volleyball court, at dinner, multiple social hours and elsewhere away from the conference room are important opportunities to exchange ideas and information. Airgas and Apex Instruments were very generous sponsors to the social events this year. If you are having problems remembering the social events they sponsor, perhaps that is an indication of a job well done by each sponsor. The always popular golf tournament was co-sponsored by Enthalpy Analytical Inc. and California Analytical instruments. Airgas again sponsored the volleyball tournament this year, which was a success contributed to the fact that no one was injured by Chuck Duncan. “An Excellent Bottle of Whiskey” sent over the Pond by Dr. Leslie Sloss was joined this year by five bottles of fine Italian wine donated by TCR Tecora Pollution for the winners of the Motivational Caption Contest, organized by our own Scott Swiggard.

Behind the scenes are several individuals that are instrumental to making these conferences what they are, year after year. Recognition and salutes go to Bob Finken, Peter and Gail Westlin, Glenn England, Angie Hansen, and many others for their long time efforts and dedication to this organization.

I would also like to recognize of Antoinette Chartier and the Hospitality Management Systems team for all of their hard work and efforts organizing the activities and events throughout the week.

Following in the footsteps of Larry Cottone, I elected to venture away from the beaches and ocean views for the 36th SSSAAP Conference and headed to the Hill Country of Texas. From the comments submitted, the venture was well received. My sincere appreciation is extended to the Horseshoe Bay Resort staff for their hospitality hosting our conference.

I wish Lauraall the success with next year’s conference, and look forward to seeing all of you at Hilton Head.

Bill Hefley

36th SSSAAP Conference Chairperson