History
A&WMA:
The Air & Waste Management Association began in 1907, when the International Association for the Prevention of Smoke held its inaugural annual meeting. The name was changed to the Smoke Prevention of America, to the Air Pollution Control Association in the 1950s and finally to A&WMA. The initial concerns were over soiling due to the burning of coal. Much has happened over the one hundred years since the organization began.
Eastern Sierra Chapter:
Since its establishment in 1992, the Eastern Sierra Chapter has kept its name, but has undergone some interesting history. The Chapter was initially a part of the Golden West Section, whose home territory was San Francisco. The Section included two other chapters that served the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley members. The Eastern Sierra Chapter provided an organization to serve northern Nevada members.
However, the regulatory programs of California were much different than those in Nevada. The primary pollutant of concern in California was ozone and in Nevada it was particulate. Nevada had mining industry, while California had refineries.
In the late 1990s, the Eastern Sierra Chapter found common ground with the Las Vegas Chapter and joined with them to form the Nevada Section; which resided in northern Nevada along with the Eastern Sierra Chapter. Recently, not needing a section and two chapters in Nevada, the home of Nevada Section moved to the Las Vegas area and the Las Vegas chapter was dissolved. The Eastern Sierra Chapter is now teaming with the Nevada Section to serve A&WMA members in northern Nevada.
