August 2025 Newsletter

The Marine Chemist Association held a Board of Directors (BOD) meeting July 27, 2025. This was followed by our annual seminar. Information on the seminar, board meeting, along with general information, follows along with many pictures.

Our annual seminar was presented to 24 chemists, three trainees, one GFE and one NFPA person (Larry Russel). This number remains down from our average of 34 chemists. The topics were on general shipyard safety and the presentations can be found on the website. The BOD continues to use the sectional seminars to review the requirements in NFPA 306 associated with the Standard Safety Designations (SSD) and the annual to provide general safety-related information. This year the topics were as follows;

MCA Business Outline

Bob Henderson, GFG Instruments
Instrumentation Errors

John Edgar CMC 686,
Ballast Water Treatment Systems

Dan Bowen. Dupont Mfg.
Types of Protective Suits

Nick Morrill, CavCom
Hearing Protection and Communication for Shipyards

Matt Lampron, Auburn Mfg.
Performance Tested Blankets for Critical Hot Work

James Bruff CMC 671
Respiratory Protection Factors for Benzene

Larry Russell NFPA
Incidents and Occurrences

Joe Cox, Chairman MGHCP
MGHCP Overview

Rick Sterling EMCC Program Update

Larry Russell, NFPA Updates

Jeremy Fuchs, OSHA Maritime Enforcement Update

Bernard Diaz, MCQB Chair, MCQB Update

Registration was on Sunday night with beverages, food and a reunion of friends.

Our welcome breakfast was held on Monday morning and featured Frank Calabrese Jr. from the Las Vegas Mob Museum speaking on The Mob Life.

After breakfast the Spouse and Friends tour began with a visit to Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, a gondola ride at the Venetian Hotel, followed by lunch at Brea restaurant.

Your Board of Directors — The following is your BOD.

As of August 2025

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

During 2026, membership will install a new Chairman elect. The nomination process has begun and voting will begin at the end of this year. Traditionally the Gulf Section is in line to fill the position, however anyone can apply. Our Past Chairman Philip Giles is in charge of this process and has already sent out information to apply. If only one person applies the BOD will appoint the Chairman Elect as outlined in the by-laws. If more than one person applies there will be an election. All requirements are set out in the by-laws. Currently, one person from the Gulf section has sent in the required paperwork to be considered as Chair (elect).

2025 Annual Seminar Incentive Payment

If you met the requirements for the incentive payment listed below you are eligible for the incentive payment. Please send your hotel portfolio to draffo@comcast.net and you will be sent a check to cover the cost of the seminar and some of the hotel fee. ($1100 is the maximum 2025 payment to eligible chemists)

Seminar Incentive Program Requirements

The seminar fee ($400) will be reimbursed. However, you must register and pay the seminar fee.
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 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. 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 can be submitted. Please email copies of the document to dvraff@comcast.net and a check will be sent out.
If you sign up after July 5th and 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.
You must make your own arrangements.
All requests for the incentive payment must be made by October 30, 2025.

Seminars

Our next sectional seminar is scheduled for November 8th at the Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel located at 2081 Convention Center Concourse, Atlanta, GA. 30337. The cutoff date for the room block is Thursday October 10, 2025, which is also the last day to request a refund for the seminar. To register for the seminar and book a room please go through the MCA website under events. As stated before, the topics for the seminar will be the same as the spring sectional seminar.

Sunday July 27th BOD Meeting
Sunday July 27th Registration
Monday 7/28 Welcome
Breakfast and speaker
Monday 7/28 Spouse and Friends Tour.
Monday 7/28 Chemist Business meeting.
Monday 7/28 1300 – End. Chemist technical sessions
Monday Evening, Free night, on your own.
Tuesday 7/29 Chemist technical sessions
Tuesday 7/29 Insurance Lunch for Chemists and guests
Tuesday 7/29 Chemist technical sessions
Tuesday 7/29 Social event hosted by the MGHCP and the MCA at the Flight Club
Wednesday 7/30 Chemist technical sessions
Wednesday 7/30 Farewell Lunch

Our social event this year was held at the Flight Club where the MCA rented out a room for our group where food, drinks and darts were available. Some pictures from the event follow.

NFPA 306

There was a site on the forum to permit members to post comments on suggested changes to 306. Two comments were received and the BOD endorsed both suggestions. This endorsement has been added to the NFPA site. You as an individual are still able to comment and suggest changes to 306. The closing date for comments is June 3, 2026.

MCQB Report

A rule change requiring a physical examination for initial training and a change to allow Nurse Practitioners to conduct a physical was approved by the board.

All chemists are encouraged to submit your monthly reports in a timely manner. Several are still delinquent,

The newest NFPA Certificated Marine Chemist is Christopher Telusma, CMC 750 who was certified during the July 2025 meeting of the MCQB.

Chris is from Jacksonville, FL and will be working with Brent Campbell, CMC 724; and David Bennet, CMC 681. Pictured below (L to R) Bernard Diaz, MCQB Chairman: Chris Telusma, CMC 750; and Vince Pempeit, CMC 719, MCQB – Independent Marine Chemist.

Certificate Information

Certificate count information is as follows;

The following count does not include 2019 numbers as they were skewed due to the change in surcharge method which had many chemists ordering paper certificates to have them available if needed.

It should be noted that the NFPA count is for actual certificates issued and the MCA count is for purchased certificates. This is why there is a difference in the numbers. In the past it was assumed that 30,000 certificates per year was enough to cover costs. That may no longer be true due to rising costs and an estimate based on current numbers suggests that the number may be closer to 32,000 certificates per year. The MGHCP has established a committee to review the current surcharge and determine if it remains adequate to support the program. These numbers indicate that the number of EMCC certificates and users is growing.

The use of the EMCC certificate has become very popular and using the program makes it difficult (not impossible) to make an error. Information on the program follows.

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

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.

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.

Insurance

The MCA has both D&O and Liability insurance for the Board and any associated activities held by the MCA. 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.

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;

Finally, some chemists asked to be able to list additional locations on the website. The web person has made these changes and you can now add an additional location. The first location listed is free, additional locations will be charged at a rate of $50.00/year. Video instructions on how to do it are as 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. All members received three emails asking them to pay their annual dues. (The emails stopped once you paid) Going forward during the membership renewal period there will be a link on the home page permitting you to renew easily.

This year three chemists decided not to renew their memberships. Two were going to retire in the future and one person just decided not to renew. This brings the total number of MCA members to 93. (94 now that Nick Hernandez has become certified and is a member).

The BOD has made a new category of payments which permits certified chemists who are not MCA members to attend seminars for the actual cost of the seminar. To pay member rates you must have five years of continuous membership. (New chemist’s with less than 5 years membership must have continuous membership.)

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)
After more than 40 years on the 306 committee, John Bell has decided to retire from the committee. His knowledge and experience on the committee will be missed and he was a valuable member representing the MCA. The MCA thanks John for his years of invaluable service. John was replaced by John Edgar and Phil Giles is the alternate elected by the BOD.

Greg Grondin, principal, Jim Bruff alternate
John Edgar, principal, Philip Giles, alternate

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)
Donald Raffo’s position as overall chairman of the committee ended and he has decided not to reapply. The MCA BOD submitted Amy Liu as their representative. As of yet OSHA has not announced selections to MACOSH and the last two meetings of MACOSH have been canceled. Based on comments from the OSHA representative there is no funding for meetings and the future of the committee is unknown.

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.

OSHA Update

The presentation by OSHA/MCQB representative Jeremy Fuchs is available on the website. In summary, OSHA staff cuts have impacted the ability to conduct safety inspections and the focus now is on cooperation instead of inspections. The agency is still in transition and the future is unknown.

Anyone wishing to view various MACOSH/OSHA publications can use the following link;

https://www.osha.gov/publications/bytopic/maritime-industry
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.
https://www.osha.gov/maritime/resources

Seminar Voting Information.

The following was voted on and passed by membership at the 2024 and 2025 annual meetings.

To increase the room rate for the annual from $350 per night to $500 per night. (Most if not all of this will be offset by the incentive payment.)
To increase the cost of a spouse/friend to attend the seminar to $300 (without a tour) and $325 (with a tour)
Maintain providing charms to female spouses/partners who attend and pay the full amount. (12 and under are not eligible)
To increase annual dues to $350 and eliminate the sectional fund and roll it into the general MCA account.
The current fee of $1000 for non-members to attend the annual will remain the same.
For CMC’s who are not MCA members. The charge will be $2500 for an annual and $1500 for a sectional seminar. They must be MCA members for the past 5 years to obtain a member rate. (Approved by the BOD)
The Annual seminar can be held any month of the year and may not be in July as in the past. There will still be two sectional seminars held around the annual. The location of the 2026 annual has not been selected yet but will be on the east coast.

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,

Any opinions, policies or statements expressed in this newsletter are the personal opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policy of the Marine Chemist Association.

Time to Renew Your Membership