The co-hosted networking Happy Hour event held on Tuesday December 5th at a local bar in downtown Pittsburgh was a great success! 

The SWEP Greater Philadelphia Chapter co-hosted the event with the SWEP Three Rivers Chapter, and both groups brought out SWEP members & friends for a fun evening of networking. 

The event was scheduled during the 2017 National Brownfields Conference, held this year in Pittsburgh, PA, and provided the perfect opportunity for a successful, after-hours networking event. 

There were nearly 50 SWEP members and friends who attended, and SWEP members even posed for a photo! 

SWEP of Greater Philadelphia is pleased to announce our selection of the 2017 Touchstone Award — Ms. Betsy Schamberger, PG. 

Betsy is the founder and owner of Moonstone Environmental, a Lehigh-Valley based environmental consulting firm. She is active in her business efforts, knowledgeable in her field of expertise, and promotes collaboration, entrepreneurial development and environmental stewardship for women in the industry.

Please join us on November 8th, 2017 to honor this exceptional woman.

SWEP of Greater Philadelphia is pleased to announce that the 2017 Touchstone Award Reception will be held at the Fairmount Water works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, November 8th, 2017.

The Fairmount Water Works (FWW) is a National Historic Landmark nestled at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art with stunning views of Boat House Rowe and the Center City Skyline. Please join SWEP for an unforgettable evening of enjoying the neoclassical revival architecture of the Water Works and panoramic waterfront views.

As always, there will be plenty of time for reconnecting with friends and colleagues and networking with new ones over cocktails, hors oeuvres, dessert and coffee. Prepare to be inspired on this remarkable evening. The schedule for the evening is:

• 6:00pm to 7:00pm Open Happy Hour (featuring wine/beer and a Signature Cocktail) with Networking and heavy hors d'oeuvres
• 7:00pm to 8:00pm Keynote Speaker and Touchstone Award Presentation
• 8:00pm to 9:00pm Event conclusion, a dessert and coffee/tea selection and post-event networking.

The PA DEP Regulatory Update Meeting originally marked as a SAVE THE DATE for Tuesday, September 26, 2017 has been postponed to a future date, TBD. Please look for another posting for the evening in early 2018.

Bringing the beauty of the planet to Philadelphia through moving environmental films, The Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival showcases powerful new shorts and features that entertain, inform and inspire personal action. The Festival will be held at the historic Prince Theater on April 21-23. On opening night, join a free dance party with WXPN host David Dye from 10 p.m. to midnight upstairs at the Prince. For a full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit www.philaenvirofilmfest.org. Use the discount code EARTH5 to purchase tickets at a special discounted rate!

CLE - Addressing the Challenge of Climate Change: The Role of Law and Lawyers

Co-presented by the Philadelphia Bar Association, A Call to the Bar: Lawyers for Common Sense on Climate, and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council

This full-day event focuses on the challenge of climate change, the legal framework for addressing the challenge, the need for much stronger and quicker action, the economic case for action, legal and economic issues specific to Pennsylvania, and the ethical and philosophical argument for action by lawyers and others. We intend that this event serve as a catalyst to the legal community to become more heavily engaged in climate change awareness, education, and action. Hear from industry leaders at this groundbreaking one-day conference on the role of law and lawyers in addressing the challenge of climate change: Jeffrey D. Sachs, world-renowned economist and University Professor at Columbia University John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, former Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection John C. Dernbach, Commonwealth Professor of Environmental Law and Sustainability and Director, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, at Widener University Commonwealth School of Law Program Agenda:

• 8:30-9:05 - Introductions and Setting the Tone The International Framework: UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement

• 9:05-9:30 - The Challenge
• 9:30-10:30 - Local Government Efforts to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change
• 10:30-11:45 - Morning Break
• 10:45-12:00 - Legal and Regulatory Framework at the Federal and State Level: Implementing the Paris Agreement and the Clean Power Plan
• 12:00-12:15 - Lunch
• 12:15-1:00 - Luncheon Address: Pennsylvania's climate future--perils and possibilities
• 1:00-2:00 - Deep De-carbonization: The Economic Implications of the Future Legal and Regulatory Framework
• 2:00-3:00 - Deep De-carbonization: The Technical and Policy Challenge
• 3:00-3:15 - Afternoon Break
• 3:15-4:15 - Ethical Framework: Achieving Environmental and Intergenerational Justice through Legal Action
• 4:15-5:00 - Conclusion: What Can Lawyers Do?
• 5:00-6:00 - Cocktail Hour

Pre-Registration: ONLINE HERE 

Location:  AECOM Offices, 625 West Ridge Pike, Suite E-100, Conshohocken, PA 19428 

Check-in: 10:30 am - 11:00 am 

Technical Seminar Program:  11:00 am to 1:00 pm 

Cost:  Free for members and non-members (Registration Required, No Walk-ins

RSVP:   RSVP by close of business Friday, October 14, 2016 (Space is limited) 

CLE:  SWEP is applying for CLE credits for this program. 

Credits: Please indicate if you require a certificate of attendance for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits, Continuing Education Units (CEU), or Professional Development Hours (PDH) 

About the Program:  Please join SWEP of Greater Philadelphia at AECOM’s Conshohocken Office for a technical seminar and lunch.  Poly- and perfluoralkyl substances (PFASs) are used in diverse manufacturing processes, intermediary products, and articles of commerce which historically contained and still may contain PFASs and have resulted in high potential exposures. These compounds are soluble, recalcitrant, and persistent.  As a result, large dilute plumes represent potential financial and receptor risks.  In addition, investigation and characterization for PFASs faces numerous challenges, including the potential for cross-contamination during sampling and analysis, multiple sources, and multiple transport pathways (bedrock, air, surface water).  A regulatory history overview, introduction to PFAS, analytical technique and challenges from a commercial laboratory perspective, and data validation information will be presented.

Agenda for the Poly- and Perfluoralkyl Substances Technical Seminar

• 10:30 am – Registration and Lunch Collection
• 11:00 am – Welcome from SWEP
• 11:05 am – PFAS Regulatory History Overview - Joanna Waldron, Esq., Land Air Water Legal Solutions, LLC
• 11:15 am – Introduction to PFAS - Dr. Katherine Davis, AECOM – Principal Geologist & PFAS Technical Practice Group Leader
• 12:00 pm – Break
• 12:10 pm – PFC Analytical Technique, and Challenges from a Commercial Laboratory Perspective - Trent Temperly, SGS – Ultratrace Client Solutions Manager
• 12:25 pm – PFC Data Validation - David R. Blye, CEAC, Environmental Standards – Principal Chemist
• 12:40 pm – Questions

This course will explore the current drivers and challenges to brownfields redevelopment projects. Topics discussed will include: New Jersey regulatory update, the LSRP Program and brownfields, pre-development activities, funding programs/options, and integrating development and remediation

Faculty Coordinators: Leah Yasenchak, PhD., BRS Inc. Michael Sylvester, Executive Vice President, EWMA Laura Conradi, P.E., GEI Consultants, Inc. BCONE Members may register at the reduced LSRPA Rate - More Information & Registration Link