32nd Annual
Technical Conference
November 14, 2024
Chevron Energy Center
9525 Camino Media, Bakersfield
The 2024 Conference will feature presentations on the coming challenges for industry and regulators in the Central Valley, as well as strategies and tools being utilized to meet them.
Featured Speakers
Brad Biagini
Vice President, Technology Renovo Recources, LLC.
As Renovo’s vice president of technology, Brad is responsible for technology selection and validation of produced water treatment solutions. Prior to joining Renovo, he served in leadership, process design, technology development, and management roles at Veolia. With more than 20 years of industrial water treatment experience, Brad’s technical credentials include two published technology patents and several other patent-pending processes in relation to the treatment of upstream oil and gas-produced water. He has also served as the lead process engineer for three large, produced water treatment projects. Brad has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, a master’s degree in materials science and engineering and is a licensed professional engineer.
AnnieLu DeWitt
Water Filtration & PFAS Product Line Director for North America Clean Harbors
AnnieLu DeWitt is the Senior Director of the Total PFAS Solution team for Clean Harbors. AnnieLu brings her 25 years of experience in the environmental laboratory and remediation fields to Clean Harbors to assist clients in interpreting their analytical results to evaluate their options for treatment utilizing varied medias and pre-treatment equipment to achieve project objectives. Having worked as a GC/MS and also most recently as a LC-MS/MS chemist for PFAS compounds she believes in the importance of evaluating the project as a whole, from suggesting the most valuable testing methods at the beginning of the project that help determine the best treatment trains and medias for complex waste streams to informing clients on their options for final deposition of their spent media and solids. AnnieLu DeWitt holds a BS in Chemistry-Geology from Bridgewater State University.
Lorelei Oviatt
Director, Kern County Planning & Natural Resource Department
Lorelei Oviatt, AICP, is Director for the Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department in California and has worked in both the public and private sector of land development. Her years of professional planning experience in the public and private sectors focuses on project management of large scale, multiagency planning, moving extremely complex projects through the system under accelerated timeframes to streamline business permitting and support quality of life for communities. She has permitted over 20,000 MW of renewable energy wind and solar projects with over 4100 MWh of battery storage in operation and 4000 MWh in process of permitting. She led the team that produced the first comprehensive Environmental Impact Report for over 2.8 million acres of oil and gas operations and developed an ordinance that provides enhanced environmental protection for communities while providing certainty for timelines for the oil industry. Currently she is leading the team for permitting three Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in Kern County, the first in California, with a total capacity of over 80 million tons of CO2 capacity as well as new carbon management industries. Her work on natural resources land use for agricultural land use policy, renewable energy, mining, alternative fuels and oil and gas production as well as streamlining industrial and housing projects has made Kern County a center for business development in the U.S, while ensuring environmental protections for communities and certainty for investors. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University (CSUB) Bakersfield and been selected to represent local government on the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Carbon Dioxide Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CCUS) Non-Federal Lands Task Force.
Yasmeen Sultana
Chief Operating Officer, Spheros Environmental
Yasmeen is an air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG), and ESG expert with 18 years of experience in consulting for GHG programs at several large oil and gas, power, and industrial clients. Yasmeen serves as a strategic advisor to global clients dealing with existing and emerging air quality, GHG, and climate issues. Yasmeen has been assisting large clients with developing their greenhouse gas portfolio and carbon programs for various corporate, voluntary, and regulatory reporting needs. Yasmeen also assists large clients with identification of GHG emission reduction opportunities, development of reduction and net zero plans including plans for reducing energy use at facilities, electrification of fleets, and use of alternative fuels. She is also an expert in the cap & trade markets for carbon and has collaborated with emissions credit brokerage firms to assist clients with emissions credit trading.
Lisa Beckham
Control Measures Manager, US EPA Region 9 Air & Radiation Division
Lisa Beckham is the manager of the Control Measures Section in the EPA Region 9 Air & Radiation Division. Lisa has been working at EPA since 2011 and has extensive experience with Clean Air Act permitting programs and with air pollution control technologies. Prior to EPA, Lisa worked for the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection and has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.
Schedule
8:00am – 9:00am
Main Room
Welcome & Refreshments
9:00am – 9:15am
Main Room
Board Announcements
9:15am – 10:00am
Main Room
10:00am – 10:15am
Main Room
Grants & Scholarships Announcements
Exhibitor Presentations
10:15am – 11:00am
Main Room
Beneficial Reuse of Oilfield Produced Water
By Brad Biagini, Renovo Resources
11:00am – 11:15am
Main Room
Break + Networking
11:15am – 12:00pm
Main Room
Kern County – Builiding the Carbon Management Future
By Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County Planning & Natural Resources Department
12:15pm – 1:15pm
Main Room
Lunch: US EPA Region 9 Updates
By Lisa Beckham, US EPA Region 9
1:15pm – 1:30pm
Main Room
Exhibitor Presentations
1:30pm – 2:15pm
Main Room
Evolving Landscape of Methane Regulation in California’s Oil and Gas Sector (2024)
By Yasmeen Sultana, Spheros Enviornmental
2:15pm – 2:30pm
Main Room
Break + Networking
2:30pm – 3:15pm
Main Room
PFAS Treatment and Disposal Decisions
By AnnieLu DeWitt, Clean Harbors
3:15pm – 3:30pm
Main Room
Closing & Adjournment
About the Conference
The AWMA Golden Empire Chapter’s 32nd Annual Technical Conference has been scheduled for Thursday, November 14, 2024.
Sponsors & Exhibitors
Interested in sponsoring the 2024 Technical Conference?
About the Organizers
The A&WMA was established in 1907 and has chapters throughout the United States and Europe. The organization is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional organization that enhances knowledge and expertise by providing a neutral forum for technology exchange, professional development, public education and outreach to more than 13,000 environmental professionals in 65 countries. The A&WMA also promotes global environmental responsibility and increases the effectiveness of organizations to make critical decisions that benefit society.
The Golden Empire Chapter of the A&WMA consists of members from the manufacturing, chemical, agriculture and oil and gas industries as well as numerous local government agencies. All meetings and conferences are open to the public (membership is not required) and open attendance is encouraged. All proceeds from the Technical Conference fund our scholarship and educational grant program, which provides money to local schools and students to pursue science-related endeavors in the hope of preparing a new generation for environmental stewardship. The Golden Empire Chapter provides thousands of dollars each year to Central California schools and students through this program.
GET INVOLVED
NETWORK
P.O. Box 22545
Bakersfield, CA 93390
info@awmagoldenempire.org
P.O. Box 22545
Bakersfield, CA 93390
info@awmagoldenempire.org