Welcome to the first issue of the "NYSWDA NEWS".  We hope the content of our newsletter will be useful to the network and welcome comments plus suggestions for future issues. 

In case you have not heard, our Association has undergone several changes over the past few months.  Late last contract period we were awarded a contract by DHCR to begin work on the Lead NID, Trainings, etc.  We now have a new contract, staff has expanded to 3 full time positions and NYSWDA is poised to deliver real and meaningful assistance to the WAP network. 

Our staff consists of James McGarvey, Ex. Director, Earl Hicks, Program Coordinator, and Randi Smith, Weatherization Operations Manager. 

We hope you enjoy our first newsletter and for future issues we would like to have agencies contribute articles on perhaps newsworthy events at your agency, new WAP techniques your crews are using, and anything you wish to share with the network.

Our email list has gone out to directors, but if you wish to add other agency staff to our mailing list please email us the contact information at info@nyswda.org

Thanks

NYSWDA STAFF

Message from Tina Zerbian - NYSCAA Board President Click Here

Message from Dan Maskin - NYSCAA Executive Director  Click Here

Message from James McGarvey - NYSWDA Executive Director  Click Here

NOTE: Pass this newsletter on to staff, we will try to create a printable PDF format soon

Click Here for popup window with details on what NYSWDA will be doing for the Network during the current contract.

NOTE: We are currently working on the bid process for Pollution Insurance.  Stay tuned.

Elections are coming up in June for 3 Board positions,  Click Here for details

General Membership Meeting Click Here for Agenda, Time is 4:45 @ Alex Bay Conference.

We have received dues from 44 agencies as of 6/06. 

 A big thank you!! to all who have supported us.  You can see who has paid by going to the WAP Directors List page.  Each paid agency will have the red NYSWDA logo with their listing.  Again Thanks for the support

Your dues are unrestricted funds for NYSWDA and allow us to operate as an organization in ways contract dollars will not allow...

The NYSCAA/NYSWDA Professional Development Conference is coming up soon.  The dates are June 24-26th and will be held in Alexandria Bay.  We have put together a great schedule.  Click Here for more information.

Upcoming TREAT Trainings:
   June 12 Hudson - Click Here for info
   June 13 Norwich - Click Here for info
   June 17 Malone - Click Here for info

   DHCR has given NYSWDA the opportunity to survey the network to find out how widespread the problem is.  Dan Maskin (Executive Director NYSCAA) and James McGarvey are working together on the project and request that you fill out the following survey.  We will correlate the data  and report back to DHCR staff.  The data will then be brought to the next PAC meeting for discussion.  The timing is good in that we are looking at a 5 year WAP contract, starting next year. 

to fill out our survey form.  Thanks

NYSWDA is working with AEA to put into place a state-wide Lead Negative Impact Determination (NID).  This is to satisfy the OSHA requirement that would otherwise require crews to wear Tyvec suits & Respirators when disturbing lead paint during the weatherization process. 

We currently have air monitoring data from several agencies that was done over the past 2 years.  See "Current NID" sidebar story.

Our updated monitoring will now be very "technique specific" following exactly the updated NY LSW practices.  Also we are adding several techniques - Duct work, furnace filter replacement, furnace replacement, and replacement of the HEPA vacuum filter to the NID process.

Lead is a problem that is not going to just fade away.  We will be posting information soon on law suits related to contractors and lead issues to keep you informed. Also  Click Here for updated article published in the New England Journal of Medicine on study of low blood level numbers and the new findings. 

 Click Here for NY law firm perusing Lead Law Suit cases and browse through their cases to see how serious the legal profession is taking the lead problem.  Recently there was an article in the Syracuse paper concerning lead, which made the front page.  The core of the article was the consideration by the CDC to lower the limits for child blood levels to 5 ug/dl. 

For Onondaga County, this would raise the percentage of children tested, in 2002, having toxic lead levels to 26% of all children tested!!!  This has the attention of the legal profession.  One Syracuse firm advertises every day on the local TV station for free consultation if your child test high for lead.

This is why NYSWDA feels strongly that we need to follow the LSW practices closely, document our work with the Lead Log forms we have developed, and maintain updated lead training for staff.  We will be working with the network to get all your staff up to date on the issues over the next few months.

We have, as a result of several high air monitoring reading, refined the NY LSW practices.  Click Here for more information and links to lead logs, LSW manual, etc that Earl Hicks has put together. 

We will updated information in future newsletters.

Just off the wire!!  Click Here for OSHA proposed changes to their "Respirator Policies"  They are looking for comments,  Will have notice in Fed. Register on 6/6/03

We have posted the data collected from Essex, Onondaga, Cattaraugus, Niagara, and Orleans Counties from the past two years.  There is a great deal of air monitoring in the collection and you can use that data as a temporary NID. 
Click Here for a copy of the NID.

Stay Tuned, our new NID should be in place by early July.

NYSWDA will be working on many deliverables related to OSHA as it pertains to the WAP Network.  We hope to soon have templates for Safety Policies, Respirator Policies, trainings required for construction crews, all MSDS sheets needed by the network posted right here on the NYSWDA Website. etc. 

Earl attended his first OSHA training on 6/5 and will have an update for the next newsletter concerning OSHA training for the network.

Click Here for a MSDS update

Starting with NYSWDA's next newsletter, we will highlight an Agency who is demonstrating best practices in weatherization, or just has something unique to share with the network.  This could be anything from staff or agency accomplishments, awards, local media recognition, etc.

If you think that your Agency should be highlighted, please contact Randi Smith at Randi@NYSWDA.org

• Lead - lead logs, updated Lead Safe Weatherization techniques, current air-monitoring information and much more.
• Waiver for removing Asbestos Shingles
• Updated Sub-grantee list
• Upcoming events

Coming Soon

• MSDS sheets on WAP Materials
• Complete listing of WAP Materials Procurement
• OSHA Safety templates, trainings, etc
• Field guide for Best Practices
• Much more

TIP 1

Tired of holding down the shift key when you are typing all those acronyms so popular in our field?  In MS Word you can get around this.  Go to "Tools"/Autocorrect and you will get a box with several options.  In the "Replace" field type the acronym in lower case letters.  Then in the "With" field type the same acronym in uppercase and hit "OK". 
Now you can type that acronym in lower case and Word automatically changes it to uppercase.

Newsletter Index

Every time you come across a new acronym follow this procedure and you will soon have all the common ones you use ready to automatically change to uppercase with out having to hold down the shift key.

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