Committee Members

Environment Committee

Bill Berzins, P.Eng., Chair

Firstly, the Committee recognized the need to increase awareness of APEGGA's Environmental Practice Guideline by obtaining support from Alberta Environment and the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, and communicating the requirement to the membership. To accomplish this, an issue forum is being planned with participation of invited speakers from the government and industry. The forum will focus on the regulator's expectation that the guidelines are inherent in work being submitted to the government for approvals.

Secondly, the Committee will strengthen linkages with other environment committees across Canada and with the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. The Committee is tracking the emerging national environmental certification processes currently underway to prevent encroachment on our professional practice and eliminate the need for dual certification for members practicing in the environmental business.

Finally, the Committee is strengthening linkages with other professional societies which practice environmental sciences. The Committee will participate in issue forums with other groups, including professional agrologists, biologists, foresters, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta and the Bar Association to promote the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental practice, as recognized in the guidelines.

These initiatives will build upon the momentum gained by APEGGA's receipt of a 1995 Emerald Award, in the Not-For-Profit Organization category, for its Environmental Practice Guideline and the education program undertaken jointly by the Environment, and Professional Development committees. Seminars were delivered by members of both committees to an astounding 2,500 APEGGA members throughout the province. The following members joined me in serving as instructors on the guidelines: Tibor Kaldor, P.Eng.; Mike Curtin, P.Eng.; Ron Girvitz, LL.B., P.Eng.; Hayat Ahmad, P.Eng; Kirstin Castro-Wunsch, P.Eng.; Matthew Cohen, P.Geol.; Roger Gallant, P.Eng.; Al Hingston, P.Eng.; Dimitri Papanicolas, P.Eng.; Nina Novak, P.Eng., P.Biol.; and Joel Nodelman, P.Eng. Many thanks and special recognition to the volunteers who took time out of their work day to make these presentations to their fellow professionals.