As we head toward the presidential election and the end of the current administration, it’s likely that various agencies will be pushing out rules and regulations faster than ever – and with that comes even greater scrutiny on the supply chain and the activities of our member
With this in mind, we invite you to come and join us for our 2024 Regulatory and Responsible Distribution Spring Workshops to help prepare for these inevitable changes and ensure your business continues to demonstrate high environmental, health, safety, and security (EHS&S) standards.
These workshops provide the perfect forum to break down the complexities of regulations, review new and upcoming requirements, and gain a deeper understanding of Responsible Distribution – ACD’s rigorous EHS&S program.
From March 19-21, 2024, carefully curated sessions spanning three days will offer attendees the information they’ll need, while providing the opportunity to learn from peers and connect with others who are going through the Responsible Distribution process.
While it’s ideal for Responsible Distribution Code Coordinators, Regulatory Managers, and anyone responsible for EHS&S compliance in their organizations, everyone working in the chemical supply chain is welcome. The Workshops will be held at the Sheraton – Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, conveniently located near downtown Washington, D.C. and just minutes away from the airport.
We’ll be starting the Regulatory program on Tuesday morning with an information-packed session looking at emerging threats to critical infrastructure security, with a panel of experts discussing everything from cargo theft to fraud.
Patricia Curran, Supervisory Special Agent of the Criminal Investigative Division and Major Theft Program Manager of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will kick off the session by sharing her insights into cargo and container theft. Special Agent Curran will be followed by Lisa Parnpichate, Supervisory Special Agent with the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate of the FBI, to discuss the very real threat of company impersonation and fraud. Then Matthew Fridley, Senior Director of Security and Risk of Brenntag North America will provide an ACD member’s perspective on recommended security measures and best practices in an ever-changing business environment.
Later that morning, Jeffrey Wanko, Directorate of Enforcement Programs of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will take a deep dive into common OSHA violations and how to avoid them.
After lunch, we’ll be dedicating the entire afternoon to Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – particularly poignant given the two new major reporting rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Stephanie Griffin, Team Lead at the Data Collection Branch of Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics at EPA will be setting the scene and providing an overview of the latest requirements, highlighting the key changes, and explaining what it means to you and your organization.
This will be followed by a presentation on compliance from Lynn L. Bergeson and Richard E. Engler of law firm, and ACD strategic partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. They’ll be talking about how to respond to supply chain queries regarding PFAS, and what you need to do to stay on top of the new reporting requirements.
To close the afternoon, Shawn Swearingen, Director, Chemical Products & Technology at the American Chemistry Council will walk attendees through the intricacies of dealing with PFAS and the rules in different U.S. states.
The next day, the Responsible Distribution Workshop will kick off with our customary Candidacy Class, split across two sessions.
Responsible Distribution 101 will introduce new companies and Code Coordinators to the program, outline expectations, and lay the groundwork for the next day and a half of programming. Afterward, the Verification Prep Session will take this a step further, breaking down the steps candidates and member companies should take as they prepare for verification.
Attendees will later hear from Lucinda Schofer, Chief Operating Officer at ACD and Aileen Smith, Director, Communications, about our exciting new rebrand, and how to leverage it in communicating both internally and externally about the value of Responsible Distribution.
The afternoon will conclude with an update from ACD’s Government Affairs team about what’s been happening on Capitol Hill and the effect it will have on your operations. David Rivers, Responsible Distribution Adviser from R&S Compliance, will discuss the importance of establishing a safety culture and how it is tied to each of the Codes.
The final session on Wednesday will feature a review of Code VII - Emergency Response and Public Preparedness with special insight from Jason Grubb, Transchemical Inc., on how these preplanning activities are critical when an incident occurs.
Verification results from 2023 indicated a high number of non-conformances for Code X – Internal Audits, so the final day of the Workshop will include a review of the various requirements and offer practical advice and guidance to help smooth the process.
The hot topic of sustainability will follow later that morning – marking the first time we’ll have had a chemical producer’s perspective on this important issue at one of our workshops.
Presented by Carrie Houtman, Dow Chemical’s Global Sustainability Director, she will take us through Dow’s own sustainability journey and the company’s vision for the future, offering her views on how producers and distributors can work better together.
As we wrap up the event, there will be a panel discussion featuring Code Coordinator representatives with three very distinct views and experiences of the Responsible Distribution verification process, followed by our always popular interactive roundtable session, which will split attendees into groups so they can sift through and discuss the many topics and messaging of the past few days.
To book your place for the 2024 Spring Workshops or view the agenda, visit our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Caroline Brooks at cbrooks@acd-chem.com or Analisa Puzzanghero at apuzzanghero@acd-chem.com.
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