February 12, 2008 Volume # 9 Issue # 4

A bi-weekly source for Association news and regulatory and legislative developments affecting the chemical distribution industry.

NACD News - Table of Contents Legislative and Regulatory Updates On-Line Registration Now Available for Washington Fly-In PHMSA Extends Deadline for Comment on Loading-Unloading Notice DHS Releases National Response Framework California Senate Passes Product Disclosure Bill California EPA Releases Options Paper on Green Chemistry Responsible Distribution Process RDP Code Coordinator Workshop: Register On-line Today! 2007 Membership & Performance Data Report RDP & Public Warehouses Presentation Reduce Number and Cost of Supplier Audits Networking and Education Mark Your Calendars for OPSEM2008, September 10-12, 2008, Orlando,FL  2008 Annual Meeting -- Westin Kierland Resort & Spa -- December 1-5 ZAP THE GAP! How to Solve the Multigenerational Puzzle Webinar The Four Pillars of the Sales Profession Seminar How to Find and Keep the Right Employees Webinar 2007 Annual Report and Year-in-Pictures Posted on Web Site  Chemical Education Foundation Mark Your Calendar - Vanguard Award Ceremony, April 7, 2008 CEF Names Lesson Plan Competition Winners     Calendar of Events   Education and Training   Annual Meeting   OPSEM On-Line Registration Now Available for Washington Fly-In   Register on-line today for the NACD Washington Fly-In to be held April 8-9. As you have been reading, Congress is already considering significant changes to the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) even though the first compliance deadline was only three weeks ago. Members of Congress need to hear from you, their constituents, about how changes to this regulation at this point would be disruptive to implementation of the significant new CFATS requirements. Your visit to Washington can truly make a difference. Numerous surveys of congressional offices have demonstrated that a face-to-face constituent visit with a Senator, Representative, or one of their staff members is more effective than any other lobbying technique, including phone calls, letters, and sending Washington lobbyists to Capitol Hill. The Fly-In, which will take place April 8-9, is the perfect opportunity for you to have these face-to-face meetings and discuss chemical security and other issues. The host hotel for the Fly-In is the brand new Hotel Palomar in Arlington, VA, just down the street from the NACD office and convenient to the Washington Metro, Capitol Hill, federal agencies, and numerous excellent restaurants. This year’s Fly-In coincides with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and rooms will sell out quickly, so make your hotel reservations today at the group rate of $249 S/D by calling 1-866/505-1001 and referencing the NACD Washington Fly-In. On-line registration is now available at /advocacy/washingtonFlyin.aspx.  Register early so NACD staff can begin scheduling your congressional appointments for you. If you have any questions or if you would like additional information on the Fly-In, please contact NACD Vice President of Government & Public Affairs Jennifer Gibson at jgibson@nacd.com or 703/527-6223, ext. 103.       Back to Top   PHMSA Extends Deadline for Comment on Loading-Unloading Notice   On Friday, February 8, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice in the Federal Register to extend the deadline to March 14, 2008 for comments on proposed recommended practices for bulk loading and unloading of hazardous materials in transportation. Comments had originally been due last Friday. The original January 4 PHMSA notice summarized incident data related to bulk loading and unloading operations, discussed recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Chemical and Safety Hazard Investigation Board, provided an overview of the current regulations, summarized the results of a June workshop held on the issue, and outlined the recommended bulk loading and unloading practices. PHMSA is seeking comment on whether additional regulatory requirements are necessary and on whether there are gaps and/or overlaps in PHMSA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Coast Guard regulations that adversely impact safety. The NACD Transportation Issues Task Group has discussed the proposal, and NACD will submit comments prior to the March 14 deadline. To access the January 4 Federal Register notice, go to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html, type “page 916” into the top box, and hit the submit key, or contact Jennifer Gibson at jgibson@nacd.com or 703/527-6223, ext. 103.       Back to Top   DHS Releases National Response Framework   The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released  a new National Response Framework (NRF) to replace the National Response Plan (NRP). The purpose of the NRF is to provide structures for implementing national-level policy and operational coordination for domestic incident response. Incidents include modest events within a single community as well as national catastrophes. The NRF will take effect and officially replace the NRP on March 22, 2008. For a copy of the NRF and a wealth of additional information, go to http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf.       Back to Top   California Senate Passes Product Disclosure Bill   On January 30, the California State Senate passed a bill, S.B. 509, sponsored by Sen. Joe Simitian (D), to require manufacturers and wholesalers to disclose all substances in consumer products. Specifically, the bill would require manufacturers and wholesalers to publish on the Internet lists of ingredients going into consumer products intended for household use. All substances making up more than one-tenth of one percent of each product would need to be listed. The Assembly has not yet taken up the bill. For a copy of S.B. 509, go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov , click on the ‘Bill Information” box, mark “Bill Number,” type SB509 into the box, and hit the search button.       Back to Top   California EPA Releases Options Paper on Green Chemistry   On January 31, the California Environmental Protection Agency released a report detailing the results of the first phase of the state’s Green Chemistry Initiative to identify, catalogue, and characterize ideas. The report identifies elements from options submitted by industry, environmental groups, academics, labor organizations, and the general public. Several of these elements will form the basis for the policy frameworks to be evaluated within the coming weeks including training future scientists in Green Chemistry at CA universities, incorporating the principles of Green Chemistry into the CA Education and the Environment Initiative, developing global chemical information using CA IT leadership and strategic partnerships through MOUs with Canada and the European Union, expanding pollution prevention assistance to CA businesses, moving the CA state procurement process to incorporate cradle-to-cradle life-cycle costs in purchasing, strengthening consumer protection laws for toxics in products, improving information for consumers so they have the ability to choose safer products in the marketplace, and creating a new framework for consideration and action on chemicals and their product applications. For a copy of the report, go to http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/GreenChemistryInitiative/upload/Executive_Summary.pdf. For more information, or to learn about the chemical industry's involvement in this initiative, visit the Chemical Industry Council of California Web site at http://www.cicc.org.       Back to Top   RDP Code Coordinator Workshop: Register On-line Today!   Mark your calendars for the RDP Code Coordinator Orientation and Workshop in Chicago, IL, on May 5-6, 2008. New this year is a mock audit! Register on-line for both the workshop and hotel at /dist_process/workshops.aspx. Space is limited and the workshop is expected to sell out!       Back to Top   2007 Membership & Performance Data Report   Did you receive the e-mail from NACD Chairman Peter Hess yesterday requesting completion of the 2007 Membership & Performance Data Report survey? The data that will be collected for the 2007 report will be the same as 2006.       Back to Top   RDP & Public Warehouses Presentation   If you missed the Feb. 4 Webinar, you can download the presentation slides at /dist_process/documents.aspx under "Presentations."       Back to Top   Reduce Number and Cost of Supplier Audits   Distributors: Do you experience multiple audits from your suppliers? Suppliers: Do you have to audit your distributors? If you answer “yes” to either of these questions, you could save time and money by inquiring about NACD's RDP Verification program. Eliminate multiple audits and multiple audit protocols. Visit /dist_process/srdpv.aspx for more information.     Back to Top    Mark Your Calendars for OPSEM2008, September 10-12, 2008, Orlando,FL   The OPSEM Committee is working out the logistics for a facility tour at Florida Chemical. For more details on the preliminary schedule go to www.nacd.com/events/opsem. It's not too early to book your rooms now. For sponsorship opportunities or to exhibit at OPSEM, please contact Roselle Foley at rfoley@nacd.com or by phone at 703/527-6223 ext. 112. Early-Bird booth rates of $1,095 are available until April 14.        Back to Top   The 2008 Annual Meeting will be held at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, December 1-5   The Annual Meeting planning meeting will be held next week. If you have any speaker and topic suggestions in addition to your survey responses, please e-mail them now to Roselle Foley at rfoley@nacd.com.        Back to Top   ZAP THE GAP! Solve the Multigenerational Puzzle Webinar   Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST If you think you have heard all there is to hear about the four different generations in the workplace, you have not heard this hilarious spin on how to attract, train, market, manage, and retain people from every generation. You get to laugh while acquiring tools you can use immediately to improve your multi-generational relationships with clients, customers, and co-workers. For more information and to register, go to /events/development/.       Back to Top   The Four Pillars of the Sales Professional Seminar   March 18-20, 2008 Just like professional athletes, Sales Professionals require ongoing practice and training in order to succeed. Sales managers who understand this critical concept believe in providing their salespeople with opportunities to acquire new skills, increase productivity, and reach their goals. Sales Professionals will learn how to document their organization’s value-added services and sell them to their customers. With the help of the logical and systematic “SELL Process,” attendees will work on a target account of their choice to gain practical, hands-on tools for better face-to-face selling. What you will learn: - Relationship building - Pre-call tactical planning - Presentation skills - Active listening - Overcoming price sensitivity For more information and to register, go to /events/development/.       Back to Top   Finding and Keeping the Right Employees Webinar   March 21, 2008, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST Dr. Kathryne A. Newton is Professor of Industrial Distribution and Head of the Department of Industrial Technology at Purdue University. She also serves as the Coordinator of the University of Industrial Distribution. She frequently works with distributors, manufacturers, and trade associations nationally and internationally, and is widely published in academic and distribution trade journals. Distributors typically spend about half of their gross margin dollars on employee wages and benefits -- a huge investment. Yet they rarely invest a commensurate amount of time and energy on selecting and retaining them. Important management activities such as employee selection, screening, and programs for keeping employees motivated must all be working together effectively towards improving productivity. This seminar is a practical examination of practices which may be working against your organization rather than for it, and teaches the tools needed to hire and develop a highly motivated staff positioned for success. For more information and to register, go to /events/development/.       Back to Top   2007 Annual Report and Year-in-Pictures Posted on Web Site   Go to nacd.com/about/ to download a PDF of NACD’s Annual Report and a PowerPoint photo presentation of NACD’s 2007 activities. The Annual Report was distributed at NACD’s 2007 Annual Meeting and meeting attendees viewed the 2007 Year-in-Pictures during the Opening Ceremonies.       Back to Top   Mark Your Calendar - Vanguard Award Ceremony, April 7, 2008   CEF invites you to join us at the Hotel Palomar in Arlington, VA, to honor another worthy recipient with the Vanguard Award. The award ceremony will take place on April 7, 2008, beginning with a 6:00 p.m. reception followed by dinner. The event kicks off NACD's Washington Fly-In week. Attendees will include members from the chemical distribution and supplier communities. In addition to the event recognizing a valued member of the industry, it will also provide an excellent opportunity to network with industry colleagues.  To reserve your seat, please respond to cbradley@chemed.org or 703/527-6223 ext. 116.        Back to Top   CEF Names Lesson Plan Competition Winners   Nine outstanding educators have been named the 2007 You Be The Chemist Lesson Plan Competition winners for their innovative teaching ideas. First-, second-, and third-place honorees will receive $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively, for their winning submissions in one of three categories: Scientific Inquiry, Structure of Matter, and Human & Environmental Chemistry. The school of each first-place winner will receive $250 to be spent on educational materials. Educators from all over the country submitted lesson plans. This year CEF even received an international submittal from Hong Kong, China, and a winning lesson plan from Auckland, New Zealand! For a complete list of winners and to read their creative lesson plans, visit CEF's Web site at http://www.chemed.org/Lesson_Plan.html. CEF is currently accepting submissions for the 2008 Lesson Plan Competition.       Back to Top