Southern California AIChE

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Topic: WILL ChE's BE ALLOWED TO WORK IN CALIFORNIA? The Battle Continues, i.e. what you can do to promote your future career plans.

Speaker: Bob Katin, PE

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I ATTEND THIS MEETING?

For years, I have claimed that the State Engineers' Act arbitrarily restricts us from conducting chemical engineering because activities which we conduct have been defined by California law to be the exclusive practice of civil engineers (CE's). I have further claimed that the State Engineers' Act requires that work conducted by ChEs either has to be "supervised" by a CE or conducted by a CE. The lawyer for the California State Legislature just reviewed the State Law and said I was wrong.

o A CE must conduct all engineering and science in California.

Even a ME PE nor a EE PE is legally allowed to conduct engineering in California.

o You say too bad, good thing I am an employee of industry.

WRONG. The Lawyer for the State Legislature said according to the State Law, work conducted on geographically fixed sites is civil engineering, and the industrial exclusion does not apply to civil engineering. In other words, the industrial exclusion as we knew it no longer exists!

We were hopeful that Senate Bill 1061 authored by Senator Mimi Walters in February 2012 would be the tool by which the Engineers' Act will be changed. However, currently we have very strong opposition from Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), predominately CalTrans engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies, California (formerly known as CELSOC), predominately a group of civil engineering firms in Southern California. They claim there is no public health or safety risk in any work conducted by Civil Engrs.

We have strong support from the California Legislative Council of Professional Engineers (CLCPE) and ten Deans from Schools of Engineering (USC, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, Cal State Long Beach, and Cal State Northridge). National AIChE has requested support from WSPA.

National IEEE was been asked to request support of utility companies.

The California Chamber of Commerce was asked to tell their industrial members that based on the lawyer for the State Legislature's review of the State Engineers' Act, they may be breaking the law using the engineers and scientists that work for them. Meanwhile the State Law is still restricting activities ChE's can perform. The law currently says that if you write reports, manage employees, manage contractors, or work with equipment that is geographically stationary (such as chemical plants, petroleum refineries, food plants, environmental remediation, water or wastewater treatment plants, biopharmaceutical plants, energy production plants, and other process industries), you must be a Civil Engr. You may not even do the work and be "supervised" by a Civil Engr. All engineering and science in the State of California, by law, must be conducted by a Civil Engr. By California law, industry cannot hire their favorite consultant unless they are Civil Engr's, because after all, only Civil Engr's know about process industry. DOES THIS AFFECT YOU?

If this notice got your attention, attend the meeting to learn about the current status of chemical engineering in California and what you can do to promote your future career plans.

WHY IS THE SPEAKER QUALIFIED TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION?

Bob Katin, PE is California AIChE's Government Relations Committee Chair (affectionately know as KeepUs). He represents us as CLCPE's President and served as NorCal AIChE's Chair twice. He is a licensed chemical engineer with over 35 years of experience. Due to downsizing and company buyouts, Bob not only has changed jobs, he has changed careers. Bob has operated nuclear power plants, chemical plants, and refinery units; been project manager of many jobs including a $40 million expansion; has been Chief Engineer for DuPont environmental, and now own his own company. Bob was a key member in the group that brought us numerous State bills starting with AB 4002 in 1990; has testified at numerous hearings in Sacramento; and has met with State legislators and their consultants to increase their awareness of the engineering employment issues.

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 15, 2012
5:30 p.m. Social Hour
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:20 p.m. Break
7:30 p.m. After-Dinner Program

WHERE: The Quiet Cannon Restaurant; located on the grounds at the Montebello Golf Course. The golf course is adjacent to the 60 Fwy., on the south side of it at Garfield in Montebello. The entrance is from Garfield, 200 feet or so south of the freeway. The address is: 930 Via San Clemente.

COST: Local Section Members, $25; Others $30 with a reservation, $35 at the door; Students $5 with reservation, $10 at the door; Unemployed/Retired, $15 with reservation, and $20 at the door.

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