Mark your calendars for our April AWMA-RMSS meeting on Thursday, April 11th, at the conference room of the 1801 California Street Building in downtown Denver. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Doug Cox of GHD, Inc. and his talk is titled: “PFAS: What Are They, Why You Should Care, and What’s Being Done About Them.”
Time: 11:30 lunch (no cost); 11:50 welcome and introductions; noon presentation
Place: Main floor conference room of the 1801 California Street Building in downtown Denver.
DIRECTIONS:
Doug Cox, PhD, is a Senior Toxicologist and Environmental Risk Assessor in GHD’s Golden, Colorado office who supports projects in North America and Australia. Doug has managed risk assessment groups and projects for environmental consulting companies in both the US and Australia and has worked for clients in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, property development, and others. While living in Melbourne, Doug led an air pathway risk assessment for all emissions sources associated with the Port Kembla Steelworks, then the largest steel facility in Australia. He has also worked as a toxicologist for the US Air Force Civil Engineering Center and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
He is a full member of the Society of Toxicology and has been an adjunct faculty member in Environmental Health at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Doug is part of GHDs PFAS team and provides toxicology evaluations, human health and ecological risk assessment support, as well as risk management and risk communication strategy.
Dr. Cox holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the State Univ. of New York at Geneseo and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Kansas.
ABSTRACT: Dr. Doug Cox will present on PFAS (perfluorinated alkyl substances), the latest “hot topic” in environmental circles. These chemicals are present in 99% of the US population due to their wide commercial and industrial use. Most exposure to PFAS comes from contaminated drinking water sources and everyday products such as non-stick cookware, paper cups, food packaging, and clothing. Their use as a fire suppression agent has led to contaminated ground water and surface water near some military bases and airports. Concerns regarding their toxicity have generated extensive media coverage sparking the attention of regulatory agencies like EPA who are looking into ways to address this emerging contaminant. Dr. Cox will cover the latest scientific and regulatory findings regarding PFAS drawing from his experience on how these chemicals are being regulated elsewhere in the world.
Industries that will likely be affected by new regulations on PFAS include oil and gas, refineries, airports, military, electronics, and other manufacturing and processing operations. An article on PFAS was recently included in the Denver Post (https://www.denverpost.com/2019/03/06/high-costs-perfluoroalkyl-water-contaminant/). Dr. Cox will discuss what these industries can do to prepare for the new PFAS regulations looming in the horizon.
If you plan to attend this meeting, please RSVP to Sergio Guerra ([email protected]) by Wednesday, April 10th. Feel free to share this announcement with other colleagues who may be interested.