CUHMMC 2026
TECHNICAL SESSIONS
Battery-Related Hazardous Waste Management and Environmental Impacts at Purdue University: From Lab to Landfill
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Improper battery disposal presents significant risks to environmental health and public safety, including fire hazards, chemical leakage, and contamination. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of best practices for the disposal of common battery types used in residential and workplace settings including alkaline, lithium-ion, rechargeable, and button cell batteries. Attendees will learn which batteries may be safely discarded in municipal waste streams under specific conditions and which require specialized handling and recycling processes. The talk will also highlight institutional procedures at Purdue University, with particular attention to recent protocols for managing damaged lithium-ion batteries. Key safety considerations such as proper storage, transport, and risk mitigation will be discussed to equip participants with practical knowledge for reducing hazards prior to disposal.
PRESENTER
James Towns
Hazardous Materials Management Chemist
Purdue University
James Towns is a Hazardous Materials Management Chemist at Purdue University, where he handles the treatment and shipment of chemical waste. He earned an ACS-certified degree in Chemistry from Purdue and has three years of experience working in hazardous materials management.
Bridging Compliance and Operations: The Pennsylvania State University’s Hazardous Material Program
SESSION DESCRIPTION
This presentation outlines the operational challenges with hazardous materials management within a large academic research environment and highlights Penn State’s practical approach to managing those operations. Program scope includes oversight of a contracted third-party vendor responsible for waste handling and disposal, performance management of the contracted vendor, as well as coordination of campus-wide hazardous material collection activities. The onsite program integrates routine waste pickups, compliance monitoring, and performance evaluation of vendor services to ensure alignment with institutional policies and regulatory requirements. Emphasis is placed on maintaining safe handling practices, streamlining collection processes across diverse laboratory settings, and fostering effective communication between Environmental Health and Safety, internal stakeholders, and external partners. Key elements of the program include standardized collection procedures, routine service monitoring, improved efficiency in waste collection, tracking, and transparency with university stakeholders, and enhanced regulatory compliance through vendor oversight to support the dynamic needs of research environments will be discussed. Lessons learned and best practices will be shared to support similar institutions in optimizing hazardous materials management operations at other academic institutions including improved operational efficiency, strengthening vendor accountability, and reducing disruptions in waste handling services. Attendees will gain practical insight for enhancing hazardous materials management programs within their own institutions.
PRESENTER
Eden Crum
EHS Hazardous Materials Specialist
The Pennsylvania State University
Within my role, I oversee an onsite contracted waste vendor, support hazardous waste operations, and provide data-driven insights to improve safety, efficiency, compliance, and propose waste minimization options.
Building a Culture of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Creating a culture of compliance within an organization is essential to ensuring long-term regulatory adherence, operational excellence, and a strong ethical foundation. This presentation focuses on the four pivotal components that form the bedrock of a compliant culture: document management, risk assessments, training plans and drills, and response preparation. By integrating these elements, organizations can foster a proactive and resilient compliance environment that supports zero violations and continuous improvement. 1. Document Management - Document management is the cornerstone of any compliance program. Effective documentation ensures that all policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements are accurately recorded, easily accessible, and consistently updated. A robust document management system allows organizations to maintain a clear record of compliance-related activities, providing transparency and accountability. Key elements include maintaining up-to-date operating procedures, storing historical inspection records, and ensuring that documentation practices comply with relevant regulations. 2. Risk Assessments - Conducting thorough risk assessments is critical to identifying and mitigating potential compliance issues before they escalate. This process involves systematically evaluating the organization's processes, systems, and activities to determine areas of vulnerability and non-compliance risks. Regular risk assessments enable organizations to proactively address potential threats, allocate resources effectively, and implement appropriate control measures. By integrating risk assessments into the compliance strategy, organizations can prioritize their efforts, focusing on high-risk areas and continuously improving their compliance posture. Embedding risk assessment practices into daily operations reinforces a culture where compliance is a shared responsibility. 3. Training Plans and Drills - Comprehensive training plans and periodic drills are essential to embedding compliance into the organizational culture. Training plans should be designed to equip employees with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and adhere to regulatory requirements and internal policies. These plans should cover onboarding training for new hires, regular refresher courses, and specialized training for roles with specific compliance responsibilities. Additionally, conducting drills and simulations helps prepare staff for real-world compliance scenarios and emergency situations. Drills reinforce the importance of compliance, test the effectiveness of policies and procedures, and identify areas for improvement. 4. Response Preparation - Preparation for compliance-related incidents and violations is a crucial aspect of a resilient compliance culture. Organizations must develop comprehensive response plans outlining the steps to be taken in the event of a compliance breach or regulatory inquiry. These plans should include clear reporting protocols.
PRESENTER
Dr. Frederick White
Industrial Hygienist/CX Advisor
Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Frederick G. White Jr. is an Industrial Hygienist currently serving as a Supervisory Management Analyst within VA. Dr. White served as a Compliance Officer & Environmental Manager where he managed the environmental and compliance programs for VA Portland and helped the facility achieve the VA Environmental Excellence Award & recognition as the first VA EPA designated Performance Track member.
Exciting and Safe: A Comprehensive Approach to Chemical and Waste Management in Academic Lecture Demonstrations
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Lecture demonstrations are often integral components of science lectures at many colleges and universities across the country. These large-scale experiments help bring the world of science and engineering to a larger audience and students are often enthralled by the flashy, and occasionally explosive, experiments presented. As lecture demonstration managers, we are familiar with the issues of making science experiments, both large and small scale, exciting and safe. A major consideration that must be taken into account when presenting these experiments is that typical lecture halls and classrooms cannot provide controls commonly found in traditional research laboratories. In this presentation, we will perform a number of experiments offered at UMN that exhibit a variety of hazards, including heavy metals, toxic gases, and explosives. We will also review the challenges of performing such demonstrations in front of large audiences, and the steps involved to incorporate safety before, during, and after the lecture. Topics will include proper handling of chemicals and hazardous waste in compliance with standards including OSHA 1910.1450 and NFPA 45, and providing controls to protect both the presenter and audience from potential chemical exposures or other hazards.
PRESENTER
Brian Andersson, MS, ASP, CLSO
Research Safety Professional
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Brian Andersson, MS, ASP, CLSO, is a Research Safety Professional and Certified Laser Safety Officer at the University of Minnesota. With over 20 years at the University, he conducts annual safety audits of research and teaching labs in the College of Science and Engineering. He also manages the laser safety program, covering both research and clinical spaces. He holds an M.S. in Physics.
Harrison Frisk, Ph.D.
Lecture Demonstration Coordinator
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Harrison Frisk is the lecture demonstrations coordinator for the Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. He performs chemistry demonstrations for lectures and outreach programs, oversees chemical inventory and hazard mitigation, and advises on departmental safety. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona.
From Cradle to Grave - How We Process Controlled Substances Waste
SESSION DESCRIPTION
The University of Minnesota is unique in that we pick up controlled substances waste from our researchers and store them at our Waste facility for further disposal. In this talk we will illustrate all the aspects of this process by following controlled substances from the research lab to our facility and beyond to demonstrate the changes we had to implement. This includes updating the DEA license for our waste facility and reinvigorating our electronic submission system. Our talk will detail the alterations we had to make to our facility to satisfy DEA requirements and the additional reporting requirements that came with this change. We will share lessons learned and goals for the future of this program.
PRESENTER
Sabine Fritz, MPH, CSP
Controlled Substances Program Coordinator
University of Minnesota
Sabine is the Controlled Substances Program Coordinator for the University of Minnesota. Sabine has been at the University of Minnesota for over 25 years in various roles. She took on the Management of the Controlled Substances program in 2016, becoming the Controlled Substances Program Coordinator for UMN in 2023.
Klara Peterson
Senior Environmental Health and Safety Technician
University of Minnesota
Klara Peterson is a senior EHS technician at the University of Minnesota where she assists the hazardous materials team in pharmaceutical and waste pickups, lab packing/bulking, and disposal of controlled substances. With a background in research botany and laboratory management, she is passionate about the education of researchers to promote proper waste disposal and safer lab environments.
From Group Chats to Structured Communication: Strengthening HazMat Team Communication at a Large University
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Purdue University’s Hazardous Materials Management team includes a program manager, operations manager, three chemists, six technicians, and one administrative assistant. The team operates in a highly distributed environment, with staff moving between campus buildings, laboratories, and the University’s treatment, storage, and disposal facility throughout the workday. In this setting, reliable communication is not just efficient too, but essential to maintain safety, coordination, and regulatory compliance. Historically, the team relied on email and a group text message thread for day-to-day communication. While functional, these tools created predictable challenges. Technicians frequently work in locations with limited or no cellular service, such as basements and interior lab spaces, which disrupted real-time communication. In addition, critical operational information, such as spill notifications, safety concerns, and photographic documentation, was difficult to organize, retrieve, and act on when needed. In summer 2025, the team transitioned to a structured Microsoft Teams environment designed specifically around operational needs. Rather than a single communication stream, Teams was configured with dedicated channels for key work areas including spills, lab safety issues, post-pickup issues, and universal waste, among others. This structure improved clarity, reduced information loss, and enabled faster, more targeted responses. The shift also improved field accessibility by allowing communication over Wi-Fi, which is more consistently available across campus than cellular service. Beyond the digital platform change, the team strengthened operational awareness through additional communication tools and routines. A physical location board was implemented in the main office to track daily team member whereabouts, improving coordination for urgent requests and emergency response. Monthly communication meetings were also introduced to identify workflow barriers, share lessons learned, and reinforce consistent communication practices across roles. Together, these changes have improved situational awareness, reduced communication breakdowns, and strengthened both operational efficiency and safety culture within a hazardous materials program at large research university.
PRESENTER
Betsy Nelson, MS
Senior Hazardous Materials Chemist
Purdue University
Betsy Nelson is a Senior Hazardous Materials Chemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a master’s degree in Environmental and Ecological Engineering, both from Purdue.
The Hunt for Picric Acid
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Legacy Chemicals pose a significant challenge at universities. Professors are notorious for stockpiling chemicals in the off chance that one day they might need them. Sometimes, the chemical left sitting at the back of the cabinet could become an explosive nuisance. “The Hunt for Picric Acid” will detail the University of Miami’s efforts to identify and remove this potentially explosive legacy chemical before any dire consequences occur. The presentation is an exciting case study about the actions taken by the Hazmat and Chemical Hygiene team at the University of Miami.
PRESENTER
Brian Cumbie
Hazmat and Environmental Protection Manager
University of Miami
Brian Cumbie is the Hazard Material and Environmental Manager at the University of Miami. Brian has over 10 years of experience working with regulatory agencies and higher education institutions.
Innovative Strategies for Engaging Laboratory Safety Training Through Interactive Models
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Laboratory safety training can be difficult to engage learners in, especially when procedures are complex or delivered in traditional lecture formats. This presentation explores two interactive models developed at Florida Gulf Coast University that use gamified, scenario‑driven learning to strengthen engagement and support clearer understanding of laboratory safety expectations. The first workshop uses a narrative investigation format to guide participants through spill‑response challenges, encouraging collaborative decision-making and reinforcing key concepts through themed scenarios. The second workshop applies an escape‑room style structure to help learners practice hazard recognition and reporting pathways through a series of progressively linked tasks. Both approaches blend teamwork, hands‑on problem‑solving, and real-time discussions that help participants connect required procedures to realistic laboratory situations. Attendees will gain insight into how these models were developed, how they support participant learning and confidence, and how similar strategies can be adapted to a wide range of safety programs. Practical design considerations, facilitation techniques, and implementation tips will be shared for institutions interested in bringing interactive methods to their own laboratory safety training efforts.
PRESENTER
Jennifer Marsico, M.Ed.
Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator
Florida Gulf Coast University
Jennifer Marsico is an Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator II at Florida Gulf Coast University, where she supports laboratory safety, hazardous materials management, and EH&S training for instructional and research laboratories. Her background includes public health, industrial hygiene, and science education, and her work focuses on practical implementation and clear communication to support safe laboratory operations. Jennifer holds a B.S. in Environmental Health and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.
The Invisible Radioactive Bear: Radon on a College Campus
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, surpassed only by smoking. While public awareness of radon hazards has increased significantly, particularly concerning residential exposure, less attention has been given to radon risks on college campuses. This presentation delves into the multifaceted radon issue in higher education settings, exploring its health impacts, effective measurement methodologies, and mitigation strategies. To illustrate the challenges and complexities of radon management in such environments, Kevin will present a detailed case study involving government intervention, a challenging building, and the crucial role of effective communication with employees and other stakeholders. This presentation aims to raise awareness of radon risks in higher education and provide practical guidance for measurement, mitigation, and regulatory compliance.
PRESENTER
Kevin Dolge, MS
Chemical Hygiene/Radiation Safety Officer
Carleton College
Kevin Dolge joined Carleton College in 2022 as the Chemical Hygiene/Radiation Safety Officer. His workplace hats include chemical safety, radiation safety, hazardous waste management, air quality, training, fire safety, and other duties as assigned.
Keep Your Cool with the New HFC Management Rule
SESSION DESCRIPTION
40 CFR 84 Subpart C, the HFC Refrigerant Management Rule, was recently finalized with requirements for appliances containing HFCs. Potentially applicable sites include any entities that own, operate, service, repair, recycle, dispose, or install equipment containing HFCs or their substitutes. This presentation will provide a background on HFC regulations, applicability provisions for 40 CFR 84 Subpart C, and a summary of requirements under the rule. Compliance dates and best practices for HFC management will also be discussed.
PRESENTER
Jena DeRung
Senior Consultant
Trinity Consultants
Jena DeRung is a Senior Consultant with Trinity Consultants. She has 5 years of experience in the environmental consulting field, with a focus on Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin state air permitting. She also specializes in refrigerant management regulations and synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry regulations.
Lessons Learned and Tools Developed from a Decade of Lab Cleanouts at Vanderbilt University
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Vanderbilt University is a dynamic and rapidly changing environment. This is especially true in the area of laboratory moves and changeovers. These can happen from retirements, investigators leaving the University, renovations, deaths, and often new investigators coming in with special research needs. The chemical safety/waste management end of this is very involved. Typically there has been some amount of chemical hoarding. Depending on the age, composition, and labeling status of these items, there are often special problems. This talk would mainly explore the typical movements of wastes/unwanted items, how to process these items efficiently such that any one lab move/changeover can be handled without undue interruption to normal activities in waste management. Special attention would be given to a decision tree and use of a waste database and should serve as a decent model for comparison given the universal nature of these types of events at colleges and universities.
PRESENTER
Stephen Trundy, CHMM
Hazardous Waste Program Manager
Vanderbilt University
32 years in waste management, 10 years with Vanderbilt, BS Biology/Chemistry University of Arkansas-Monticello 1990. CHMM since 2005. Some experience in Industry and Radioactive waste transportation contracting, but mostly worked in Education (24 years experience).
Modcan - Is it worth the hype?
SESSION DESCRIPTION
New EPA regulations surrounding exposure limits on chemicals such as methylene chloride have left organizations scrambling to figure out how to implement monitoring, chemical substitutions, or other creative solutions to stay in compliance with lower exposure limits. This presentation will cover Ohio State's implementation of the new Modcan containers at various research centers at the university and what we have seen, both good and bad, so far.
PRESENTER
Jason Luu
Regulated Waste Program Coordinator
The Ohio State University
Over 18 years of boots on the ground experience in ER response, industrial cleaning, chemical segregation, unknowns testing, chemical stabilization, and lab packing. Hazmat Manager at OSU.
Preparing for Your Replacement or What Happens if You Get Hit by the Bus?
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Throughout the years, Virginia Tech’s Environmental Health and Safety has encountered both planned and unplanned turnover of experienced program managers. The office, especially the Hazardous Materials Group, has an entirely new group of technicians. Training them and preparing a succession plan has historically been a challenge. This presentation will examine lessons learned based on Virginia Tech’s experiences as well as facilitate a discussion about both successful and unsuccessful succession strategies based on audience members’ experiences. Most importantly, this presentation will provide the audience (and mostly the presenter) ideas on how to improve your university’s onboarding and succession planning processes.
PRESENTER
Kenny Osborne, CHMM
Hazardous Materials Manager
Virginia Tech
Kenny is bald, throws darts, supervises all the wastes and serves as the therapist for VT's Chemical Hygiene Officer.
Trash Talk: Fast and Furious (Tokyo) Drift Happens
Good Programs Plan for It
SESSION DESCRIPTION
We have all quietly enforced some rules and not others while maintaining the illusion of total enforcement. This talk is permission to stop pretending—and start designing around that reality. Every hazardous waste program starts the same way: big plans, fresh SOPs, and the optimistic belief that everyone will read them. Then reality kicks in. Research priorities shift. Budgets tighten. A veteran retires and takes thirty years of institutional knowledge with them. EHS then finds itself walking a fine line: protect compliance and safety without becoming the barrier that slows business, interrupts care, or alienates stakeholders. That tension creates drift—not just in the labs, but inside EHS programs too. Sometimes drift looks like shortcuts at the point of generation. Sometimes it looks like selective enforcement shaped by institutional politics: which areas get coached, which get corrected, which get “handled later,” and which get held to the letter because the visibility is higher or the relationships are more fragile. Drift is not a failure. It is the predictable result of running real programs with real people under real constraints. This presentation takes an honest (and occasionally entertaining) look at the gap between the hazardous waste program you plan for and the one you end up with. That gap is not due to laziness or incompetence, but because programs are designed for conditions that have never and will never exist. The mythical lab where everyone follows every SOP and never panic orders chemicals at the end of the fiscal year, is not real, and your program shouldn’t pretend that it is. We’ll share real examples, including some of our less glamorous moments, and talk about what happens when SOPs collect dust, enforcement ability is lackluster, institutional politics force you to play nice while still getting the job done, and when the metrics you’re collecting don’t actually tell you anything useful. The gap between fantasy and reality isn’t the problem. Ignoring it is. We will talk about designing programs around the expectation of error instead of the expectation of perfection. Prioritizing harm reduction over total compliance. Building trust and a culture instead of over relying on endless rules. And collecting data that can actually help drive decisions instead of just gathering it because you can and it looks good graphed out on a board. Accidents happen. Programs drift. The professionals who manage them adapt, reprioritize, and rebuild.
PRESENTERS
Meagan Thibodaux, MS, REM, CESCO, MS4-SCP, QSI
EHS Supervisor
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Meagan Thibodaux is the EHS Supervisor at UTMB, leading environmental compliance across multiple programs. She manages hazardous and pharmaceutical waste, pollution prevention, stormwater/MS4 coordination, inspections, and regulatory reporting. Known for practical training and strong customer service, she partners with teams to turn requirements into clear, workable processes.
Travis Chrisman
Sr. EHS Specialist
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Travis Chrisman is a Senior Environmental Health & Safety Specialist with the University of Texas Medical Branch, working within the Environmental Protection Management program. His work focuses on hazardous waste management, regulatory compliance, and environmental protection across a complex healthcare, research, and academic environment.
What to Expect When OSHA Is Inspecting
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Have you ever had a campus building that just wasn’t suitable for the teaching or research activities currently occurring? Have you ever had OSHA (or your state’s OSH) show up because of complaints regarding personnel safety due to building infrastructure? If you haven’t had the pleasure of an impromptu OSHA inspection, join me for a regaling tale of fume hoods, a 40+ year old building, and the fallout that ensued.
PRESENTERS
Autumn Timpano, MPH, CHO
University Chemical Hygiene Officer
Virginia Tech
Autumn Timpano earned her bachelor's in biology and biochemistry, as well as her MPH from Virginia Tech. Prior to her safety career, she worked in research as a Fermentation Microbiologist and Molecular Geneticist. She has served in EHS roles in both industry and academia. She has been with Virginia Tech for over 19 years.
Where's The Money, Christopher? Explaining the Arcane Runes of Hazardous Waste Manifests and Invoices, Forecasting Future Costs, and Gathering Funds
SESSION DESCRIPTION
As costs of services rise, it becomes increasingly relevant to be able to explain the pricing and costs associated with disposal of materials. The difficulties with this lie in trying to explain the technical aspects and jargon associated with the hazardous waste industry and regulations to non-technical audiences. The ability to translate the complicated aspects of a hazardous waste manifest to leadership that might not fully understand it is more and more relevant these days. Beyond that, developing the ability to forecast future costs as the university grows and adds new labs can help prevent surprises as new labs get started and can help justify additional budget. Finally, finding ways to account for that budget are more relevant than ever, and a few ideas will be presented and discussed regarding ways to help with that.
PRESENTERS
Chris Jeffrey, MS, CHMM
Environmental Programs Manager
The University of Texas At Dallas
Chris has been managing the hazardous waste and environmental aspects with The University of Texas at Dallas for 4 years. He works with labs to help them better understand their roles in the hazardous waste process, and with campus as a whole to manage their environmental aspects.
Zero Tolerance: Strategies for No Compliance Violations
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Ensuring that a facility operates without any compliance violations is a critical goal for administrators aiming to maintain regulatory standards, safeguard the environment, and promote worker and public safety. This presentation, titled ""Zero Tolerance: Strategies for No Compliance Violations,"" offers a structured approach in three fundamental steps: evaluating the baseline, training staff and creating an audit schedule, and building robust relationships with environmental auditors. By following these steps, facilities can significantly reduce the risk of compliance problems and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. 1. Evaluate Baseline - The first step towards achieving zero compliance violations is to comprehensively evaluate the facility's current baseline. This involves a thorough audit of all existing processes, procedures, and records to identify any gaps or areas of non-compliance. A detailed baseline assessment provides a clear understanding of the current state of the facility's operations and compliance status. This includes reviewing past inspection reports, noting areas of previous violations, and conducting a risk assessment to pinpoint potential vulnerabilities. By establishing a well-documented baseline, facility managers can prioritize areas that need immediate attention and create a roadmap for addressing these issues systematically. 2. Train Staff and Create Audit Schedule - Once the baseline has been established, the next critical step is to train staff and design a comprehensive audit schedule. Training should focus on educating employees about regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and the specific compliance areas relevant to their roles. Regular training updates and refresher courses should be implemented to keep staff informed about any changes in regulations or internal policies. Concurrently, an audit schedule should be created to ensure continuous monitoring and compliance checks. This schedule should include regular internal audits, periodic third-party assessments, and spot-checks to verify adherence to compliance protocols. The audit process should be meticulous, well-documented, and designed to detect even minor infractions before they escalate into significant violations. By combining thorough training with a robust auditing system, facilities can create a proactive compliance culture that mitigates risks effectively. 3. Build Relationship with Environmental Auditors - The final step involves building a collaborative relationship with environmental auditors. Transparency and open communication with external auditors can lead to valuable insights and recommendations for improving compliance. Facilities should engage auditors as partners rather than adversaries, fostering an atmosphere of cooperation and shared goals. Regular dialogue with auditors can help facilities stay updated on regulatory changes, best practices, and industry trends.
PRESENTER
Dr. Frederick White
Industrial Hygienist/CX Advisor
Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Frederick G. White Jr. is an Industrial Hygienist currently serving as a Supervisory Management Analyst within VA. Dr. White served as a Compliance Officer & Environmental Manager where he managed the environmental and compliance programs for VA Portland and helped the facility achieve the VA Environmental Excellence Award & recognition as the first VA EPA designated Performance Track member.