The Marine Chemist Association held a Board of Directors (BOD) meeting March 21, 2026. This was preceded by our spring sectional seminar. Information on the seminar, board meeting, along with general information, follows.
Our spring seminar was presented to 15 chemists, including 4 BOD members, 3 presenters. This number remains down from our pre pandemic average of 25 attendees and is in line with a drop in numbers at fall sectional meetings in recent years. In an effort to increase attendance at seminars the BOD has requested that a line item be added to the 2027 budget which will provide a similar incentive to attend the sectionals with the requirements similar to the annual. At this point it is too early to determine if this proposal will be accepted. The topics were on the standard safety designation (SSD) Safe for Shipbreaking. The topic for the fall sectional will be the same. You can only get credit for one sectional seminar per year at the two locations offered. The BOD continues to use the sectional seminars to review the requirements in NFPA 306 associated with the Standard Safety Designations (SSD). This year the topics were as follows;
WELCOME BY MCA CHAIR GEOFFERY JENNY
EXPLANATION ON EVALUATION FORMS, JOSH MARSHALL
0815-0915 BUSINESS MEETING, DONALD RAFFO
1000 – 1100 HOW TO CLEAN FOR SHIPBREAKING, JOSHUA MARSHALL
1115 – 1200 HOW TO INSPECT FOR SHIPBREAKING
GEOFFERY JENNY
1200 – 1230 LUNCH
1230 – 1300 HOW TO INSPECT A VESSEL FOR SHIPBREAKING (CONTINUED)
1300 -1400 WHAT MUST BE ON A SAFE FOR SHIPBREAKING CERTIFICATE, DONALD RAFFO
1400 – 1500 CERTIFICATE WRITING EXERCISE, LARRY RUSSELL
1500 – CONFINED SPACE FATALITIES PHILIP DOVINH
The only change to the fall sectional will be that the last presentation will revert to an open discussion. Philip Dovinh gave an informative presentation of a fatality investigation on a deck barge where he was the chemist advising the USCG. All presentations will be available online after the fall sectional (Philip’s will not be available). These presentations are for member use as you see appropriate.
As in the past, Chairman Elect Joshua Marshall provided evaluation forms for the sectional seminar. The purpose is to make future presentations better for the attendees. While information on the property, food, etc. is important, much of this is out of the BODs control. However, if a property is not suitable for a seminar please let us know and we may not schedule at the location. This year’s spring seminar was at the Hilton Chicago, O’Hare Airport Hotel. The property was easy to get to from the airport (and quick). The property was clean and the rooms were nice. The meeting space was easy to get to and functioned perfectly for the needs of the seminar. The MCA has had many seminars at the property as it is centrally located and provides easy access to the airport.
Your Board of Directors — The following is your BOD.
As of March 2026
| Person | Position | Term Starts/ Ends* |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Giles | Past Chair | July 2024/July 2026 |
| Geoffery Jenny | Chair | July 2024/July 2026 |
| Josh Marshall | Chair Elect | July 2024/July 2026 |
| Greg Gadbois | Pacific | July 2024/July 2026 |
| Max Chou | Pacific | July 2023/July 2027 |
| Eric Moore | Gulf | July 2024/July 2026 |
| Chris Thompson | Gulf | July 2023/July 2027 |
| Mark Bruff | Atlantic | July 2024/July 2026 |
| John Loprino | Atlantic | July 2023/July 2027 |
| Scott Hernandez | Pacific Alt. | Term starts July 2026* |
| Whitney Cerilli | Atlantic Alt. | Term starts July 2026* |
| Jason Taylor | Gulf Alt. | Term starts July 2026* |
*Term starts and ends after the Annual Meeting.
BOD Positions
The Gulf and Pacific sections are currently looking for an individual to fill the alternate position. This is normally a three-year commitment. You will spend one year as an alternate which will involve attending meetings (up to 3 per year) only in the event that your sectional representative cannot attend. Following that year, you will move up to being a voting sectional representative and attend the three meetings per year. If you are interested in serving, please contact your sectional representative. In the event two or more individuals are interested in serving there may be a sectional election. A second option is that if two or more individuals are interested one could serve and the other become the alternate then move up. The Atlantic section recently did just that.
Only one person applied to become Chairman by the end of 2025.If this happens then the BOD can vote on the Chairman Elect as outlined in the by-laws. This is what happened and the next Chairman Elect will be Jason Babin CMC 684. Congratulations to Jason, he will begin his term after the annual seminar.
2026 Annual Seminar Incentive Payment
About $25000 has been paid out in seminar incentives for 2025 and the average incentive payment was $1,100. This payment comes directly from the surcharges and helps to offset the cost to attend the annual for chemists and is provided by the Marine Gas Hazards Control Program.
Some general information on obtaining the incentive in 2026 follows;
Seminar Incentive Program Requirements
- The seminar fee will be reimbursed. However, you must register and pay the seminar fee initially.
- Room fees will be reimbursed (Either partially or fully. The amount will depend on the number of chemists attending the seminar).
Stipulations are as follows.
- You must be a regular MCA member (contribute to the Fund) for the past 5 years in accordance with the rules, (new members must have continuous membership) and attend the entire seminar (100%) and obtain credit for attending. (If this is met the seminar fee will be refunded) Note: The 90% attendance waiver will not apply to be eligible for the incentive payment. You must attend the entire seminar to qualify for the incentive, however if you only attend 90% you will still get credit for attending the seminar.
- You must stay at the seminar hotel under the MCA room block. This requires you to book a room through the website. (If you book a room outside of the MCA website you will not be eligible for the incentive payment). The reimbursement does not include incidentals.
- You will be required to pay the fees up front and then submit your hotel receipt. At the conclusion of the seminar and when credit for attending is obtained, your receipt for the hotel must be submitted. Please email copies of the document to dvraff@comcast.net and a check will be sent out. (The MCA can now also do ACH transfers, normally these funds transfer to your account within 5 days. A check will take 2-4 weeks to reach you.
- If you are not able to get into the MCA room block you must stay at the same hotel as the seminar to obtain a refund. Stays at other properties will not be reimbursed for the hotel portion. (Contact D. Raffo if you are not able to get in under the room block before the cutoff date)
- You must make your own arrangements.
If the proposal to provide an incentive to the sectional seminars is approved the requirements will be similar.
Seminars
Our next sectional seminar is scheduled for October 17, 2026 at the Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel in Albuquerque, NM. The cutoff date for the room block is September 18th 2026. This is also the last date to register without a price increase. Finally, this is the last day to request a refund for this seminar if you had previously paid but cannot attend.
The hotel offers a 24-hour shuttle and is about a 10-minute walk from the airport. The shuttle can be reached by calling the hotel at 508-843-7000.
As previously mentioned, the topic for the seminar will be Safe for Shipbreaking.
MCA Business Update
How to Clean Spaces for the Shipbreaking SSD
How to Inspect a Vessel of the Shipbreaking SSD
What is Required on a Certificate when using the Safe for Shipbreaking SSD
Presentation on Shipbreaking Certificate Evaluations.
Open discussion
The following day will be the BOD meeting starting at 0730 with breakfast at 0700.
Meeting rooms for the seminar and BOD meeting have not been firmed up yet but they are reserved. Information will be provided as it becomes available.
Information on the Annual.
This year’s annual seminar will in the Atlantic section from August 24-26 with the BOD meeting and registration on the 23rd. The seminar will be held in Portland, ME at the Regency Hotel and Spa in the Old Port area.
Information on the seminar follows;
In Portland, Maine you’ll find a metro hub with cobblestone streets, nationally-lauded eats, and a scenic working waterfront in the heart of the Old Port. Go from the middle of the action to the middle of just about anywhere with neighborhoods + nearby towns boasting beaches, arts + culture, shops/boutiques, lighthouses, outdoor adventures, and world-class accommodations.
Things to do
The LL Bean flagship campus is in Freeport, ME is 17 miles from the hotel, less than 30 minutes away.
Portland has become known for its shopping, restaurants and its working port. Things to do can be found at https://www.visitportland.com/visit/ If you wish to go to a specific restaurant, you should make reservations early as they fill up quickly. Many restaurants in Portland can be found by doing a Google search.
How to Get to Portland
Portland International Jetport, locally known as the Jetport, is a public airport two miles west of downtown Portland. It is owned and operated by the City of Portland. A portion of the Jetport’s property, including the main runway, is located within the neighboring city of South Portland. Our hotel has a shuttle and you can call for pickup once you have landed (207) 774-4200.
To register for the seminar and book a room please go to; www.marinechemistassociation.com
Please note that you must register for the seminar and book a room. Also, if you are bringing a guest, you must also register them. The cutoff date for the room block and the last date to request a refund is July 29, 2026. This is also the last date before a price increase to attend is implemented.
A rough schedule of events is as follows;
8/23 Registration in the Mariner’s Church from 5:30 to 7:30pm (see location above)
8/24 Welcome Breakfast 8:00 to 10:00 in the Mariner’s Church
8/24 Spouse and Friends tour begins at 10:30 at the property, lunch included. More to come on this
8/24 Business meeting for regular members 10:15 to 12:00. Armory Room
8/24 Lunch on your own
8/24 Seminar begins at 1:00 Armory Room (all seminar presentations will be in the Armory Room)
8/25 Spouse and friend’s light breakfast 8:00 – 9:00 Ironside lounge
8/25 Seminar starts with breakfast from 0700-0800 followed by the seminar at 0800
8/25 Lunch by the Insurance Fund 1200-1400
8/25 Seminar begins at 1400
8-26 Spouse and friend’s light breakfast 8:00 – 9:00 Ironside lounge
8/26 Seminar starts with breakfast from 0700-0800 followed by the seminar at 0800
8/26 Farewell Lunch at 12:00 in the Mariner’s Church
NFPA 306
The closing date for the next revision of 306 is June 3, 2026. Comments must be submitted by that date. All of you use 306 daily and if you have any comments please submit them. The BOD solicited comments and has placed comments on the NFPA site. The time has passed to send comments to the BOD; however, you can still make revision comments as an individual.
MCQB Report
The Board met in Washington, DC. November 3 and 4th. However, due to the government shutdown some members were not able to attend.
Larry Russell reported that the USCG is working on a document on benzene FAQ. However, it will be an internal document and will not be for publication or available to the general public. It will reportedly state that the chemist is the subject matter expert and the USCG should follow their advice. Benzene testing may not be required for cargoes with less than 0.1% benzene as determined by the product SDS. MARPOL 78 lists products that contain benzene and it may be used as a reference.
Certificate Information
Certificate count information is as follows; The first chart shows the certificates issued to date according the EMCC purchases with estimated numbers for 2026. This is only an estimate as traditionally the number of certificates issued in the fall quarter falls off. This is slightly different than the NFPA numbers which only count the actual certificates issued versus the number of certificates purchased.
Note; The paper certificates come in packages of 25, so to obtain the actual number of certificates purchased multiply the packages by 25.
Note; This information was provided prior to all chemists reporting. The final number is about 30,600 certificates written during 2025
All chemists are encouraged to submit your monthly reports in a timely manner. These reports are used to calculate the number of certificates issued.
Seminar and Meeting Dress Code and Information
The BOD reminds you that we are a professional organization and all members are expected to dress properly for meetings. Business casual dress is required at all seminars and BOD meetings. Additionally, when coming before any Board you are reminded to dress professionally and use appropriate language. This is especially true when going before the MCQB.
Dress for all seminars is business casual which is defined as;
- Neatly pressed tweed, khaki, clean denim or cotton pants/skirts
- Knit shirts, polo shirts, cardigans or long-sleeved button-downs
- Knit sweaters
- Tie (optional)
- Close-toed shoes for men
- No shorts of any kind
Insurance Fund Information
The insurance fund reminds every chemist that if appearing before the MCQB for any type of a review you are permitted and encouraged to bring counsel, documentation, or any information to make your case. The MCQB also encourages this practice.
While the Insurance Fund is not part of the MCA many chemists participate in the fund. Any questions on contracts (for members of the fund) should be addressed to the attorney Matt Peirce. “Matthew F. Pierce” mpierce@gordontilden.com.
Marine Chemist Physical Ability to Perform Duties
NPFA sends the following reminder to Chemists who may not be able to perform their work due to a temporary physical limitation.
The NFPA Marine Field Service wishes to remind all Marine Chemists, the Rules for the Certification and Recertification of Marine Chemists, as amended 01 September 2023, Section II. Qualifications – General, Paragraph A, requires all Marine Chemists to “be of an maintain good character, and physically able to perform the duties of a Marine Chemist”. In the event that a Marine Chemist is unable to physically perform his or her duties due to injury or illness; the Marine Chemist should be examined by a licensed physician and obtain a statement attesting to the Chemist’s physical ability to perform the duties of a Marine Chemist. The General Medical Examination Form (Form No. CMC-MD-01) may be used for this purpose.
Ethics
Past chair Philip Giles (Ethics Committee Chair) reported that there are no ethics issues before the board.
MCA Insurance
The MCA has both D&O and Liability insurance for the Board and any associated activities held by the MCA. While the MCA has liquor liability insurance the BOD has chosen to have the site provide any liquor to attendees at the welcome reception.
Certificate Surcharges
Currently, a committee has been formed to review the certificate surcharge amount which is currently $25 per certificate. The committee is made up of the past chairman; chairman elect and the current chairman along with three MGHCP members. Please remember that the surcharge subsidizes seminars, the incentive, and operation of NFPA and the MCA.
With the number of certificates on the low side the fund may be in danger of not taking in enough money to fund all of its requirements. It does have a reserve and the committee is looking at the big picture. It was said in the past that 30,000 certificates were needed to maintain the fund, however due to inflation it now may require up to 32,000 certificates to maintain the funding. The committee will make a recommendation to the program who has the ultimate say in the surcharge rate.
Charms
A survey was recently sent out to determine if charms and bracelets should still be purchased. The BOD noted that spouses no longer wore or brought their charm bracelets to the seminar. The cost to purchase these along with the time and effort to distribute these was significant. A survey was sent out to membership asking if charms should still be purchased. 73% of respondents said the purchase of charms should be discontinued. At this time the purchase of charms has been discontinued.
Website
The MCA website (marinechemistassociation.com) now has become the central location for all MCA information. If you encounter any issues first contact the support email at support@marinechemistassociation.com. If you still have an issue, email Don Raffo and I will contact the web person for a resolution.
The MCA has acquired the website www.marinechemist.org You may remember it was our old website which was lost upon the passing of Ed Willwerth and it was bought by a third party Recently the domain name became available and the MCA was able to purchase it. If you log into that website, it will direct you to our current website.
The forum is now the primary way for communication with members. Information for chemists is posted on the website. Failure to sign up for the Forum indicates consent to not receive meeting notifications. Any member can post on the Forum and this is the best way of increasing information and interactions.
To access the website, you must log in with your password. Once that is done you will be automatically logged in after that. If you have problems logging in, please contact the webmaster at: support@marinechemistassociation.com.
One of the changes is the ability for more control over your account, information, and membership. You now can change your personal information on the website and no longer need to contact Donald Raffo or the web person. It can be accomplished by going to the My Dashboard section (located in the upper right of the home page) and making the changes. It will then appear on the site.
All members may view the forum and post to the forum. It is an area where news and technical discussions may be posted. If you are registered, you will get a text message and/or email whenever there is new information. Information on seminars, newsletters, events or general information also can be found on the site. If you have not registered you must enter the site to obtain the latest news and posts. We encourage all chemists to join the forum and obtain notifications.
Additionally, all billing and seminar registration is on the website. You may also book a room at a seminar via the website.
All information on seminar attendance (for members) can be found in the My Dashboard section of our website. Note that you must click on the year tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet to view by year. If you attended a seminar and have a question on attendance, please contact D. Raffo. If you recently attended a seminar, please verify that the information is correct. It is requested that you review your attendance sooner than later after a seminar. A screenshot follows;
All membership renewals are now on the website and all chemists were able to renew their memberships on-line. While there were some initial problems these were quickly corrected and information on how to renew was placed on the site. During the membership renewal period there will be a link on the home page permitting you to renew easily.
MCA Committee Appointments
The following individuals represent the MCA on various committees. This is for general information.
Control of Gas Hazards – NFPA 306. (Appointed Positions by BOD)
John Edgar principal pending NFPA approval. The MCA is currently looking for an alternate. Please email D. Raffo if you are interested in the position.
Jim Bruff, principal, Phil Giles, alternate pending NFPA approval
Hot Work Operations – NFPA 51B. (Appointed Positions by BOD)
Greg Grondin principal
Robbie Walker, alternate
Tank Leakage and Repair Safeguards – NFPA 326 & NFPA 329. (Appointed Positions by BOD)
Brian Axelrad, principal
Vince Pempeit, alternate
NFPA 350 Guide for Safe Work in Industry Confined Spaces (Appointed Positions by BOD)
Robbie Walker, principal
Vince Pempeit, alternate
MCQB (Voted in by membership)
Brian Axelrad, principal
John Edgar, alternate
Marine Field Service Advisory Committee (Appointed Positions by BOD)
Donald Raffo
Chairman elect
SSRAC (Volunteers)
John Ward, principal
Robbie Walker, alternate
MACOSH (Appointed by BOD)
All OSHA advisory groups have not been rechartered and have been suspended.
Code of Conduct for Meetings
During any official MCA meeting there should be no discussion of personal matters, private disputes, or business pricing. Discussion should be limited to technical matters and the business of running the MCA.
Facebook Page
For those of you who are on Facebook, visit Friends of Marine Chemist Association. It is a closed group and only chemists, spouses and friends may view and post on the page. If you’d like to access the page, send a friend request to the group. We encourage all to post information, photos, comments or anything else related to our profession, seminars, and events. Please consider sharing some on-the-job photos with the group. It proved very popular when posting information about our annual seminar especially with spouses and friends. Currently updated information on the Vegas seminar is available here.
A QR code with a link to the association website follows;
This QR code can be used anywhere by anyone and it will bring them to the Associations website.
Anyone wishing to view various MACOSH/OSHA publications can use the following link;
These publications can be downloaded or printed and can be used for tool box safety talks and include longshoring links.
Another valuable link is the OSHA link to Maritime Publications.
Conclusion
If you have any comments, thoughts or ideas on any aspect of the MCA please submit them to me and I will present them to the BOD for consideration. Remember, you are the MCA and without your participation it will not work. Be safe all.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald Raffo
Secretary/Treasurer
Marine Chemist Association
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