ACD Press Release

The Woodlands, TX
August 19, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Matthew McKinney
(703) 527-6223 x3074
mmckinney@acd-chem.com

Chemical Distributors Redefine Excellence and Focus on Safety at ChemEdge

NACD’s National Conference and Trade Show in The Woodlands, TX Brought Together Chemical Distributors and Suppliers from Across the Country

More than 400 chemical distributors from across the country descended on The Woodlands, TX this week for ChemEdge. Hosted by the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), ChemEdge is the leading chemical distribution operations and management conference in the United States. This week, a near-record breaking number of attendees discussed and collaborated on the critical information needed to manage complex regulatory and operational issues affecting the chemical distribution industry.

Taking place from August 16-19, this year’s ChemEdge focused on safety and compliance by celebrating the 25th anniversary of NACD Responsible Distribution^®, a third-party-verified environmental, health, safety and security program mandatory for all NACD distributor and chemical handler affiliate members.

“Once again, ChemEdge was another great success with so many new and returning attendees. It continues to be one of the most valuable resources for the chemical industry,” said NACD President Eric R. Byer. “We’re proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Responsible Distribution, which for decades has played an essential role in ensuring chemicals move through the chemical supply chain by the safest methods possible.”

During the conference, NACD Vice President, Regulatory Affairs Jennifer Gibson addressed the myriad of regulations and rules by federal agencies on the industry and shared the NACD resources available to help members in their compliance needs. Byer joined her in discussing the current legislative landscape and provided an overview of regulatory initiatives and enforcement trends that impact chemical distributors.

Other key sessions at the conference included:

Learning from the Experts: Excellence Award Winners and Nominees: A blue-ribbon panel of Responsible Distribution Excellence Award winners and nominees shared what the award means to their companies and discussed innovative policies and procedures other companies can implement to continuously improve their day-to-day operations.
General Duty Clause: Case Studies in Regulatory Response: When the EPA first enacted the General Duty Clause (GDC) of the Clean Air Act in 1990, it was used largely in the context of accidents after they occurred. Now, the agency is increasingly trying to use it as a means to prevent accidents before they occur and, as a result, continues to step up its enforcement efforts. In this presentation, lawyers Thomas Kunes and David R. Tripp highlighted recent case studies in which chemical distributors have had to respond to GDC enforcement.

For more information on ChemEdge, visit http://www.acd-chem.com/meetings/ce/2016-chemedge.

###