Thursday, February 6, 2014
Dunghill Chronicles: A tale of two Aeration Systems
Dunghill Chronicles: A tale of two Aeration Systems: A tale of two Aeration Systems... Once upon a time there were two identical Aeration Septic Systems. They were both the same size, i...www.ruralregime.blogspot.com
The keynote speech given by James Killion at the 2014 Onsite Wastewater Professionals of Illinois (OWPI) conference
I thought I'd share with you the transcript for the keynote address that we recently gave at the Onsite Wastewater Professionals of Illinois conference at Collinsville.
First of all, I would like to start by giving each and every one of you a personal thank you from me personally for attending this conference. As I look across the room today at this sizable crowd, I see a lot of familiar faces, and a lot of new ones as well.
Some of you are vendors with displays in the exhibition hall. Thank you for your support. With out the participation of the manufacturers this conference would not be possible. As a manufacturers representative myself, I can tell you that it is the goal of every vendor to attract your attention for a few minutes. Walk around and enjoy the booths and talk to these folks. They are here for your benefit.
Some of you are county regulators. You are here today because you are deeply concerned about how the new code and NPDES regulations are going to effect how you do your job. You want to know what your responsibilities are, both in the eyes of the State, and in the eyes of the USEPA. There is a lot of doubt and outright concern on your part. You are on the front line along side the contractors, and you are the ones who will be the recipient of the wrath of a largely uninformed public. You just want guidance from someone on what to do.
Some of you are old contractors who have been attending for many years. You have been around and heard year after year of talk from the state and federal regulatory authorities. Talk that has finally came to pass. Many of you have been engaged in the fight to stop this from happening to our industry. Now you have to face the inevitability that on Feb 10, 2014 everything changes. Some of you thought this day would never come, and some of you are still in denial but be that as it may, here we are.
Quite a few of you are new faces, here for the first time. I want to take a moment to express how much I appreciate your attendance. I want you to feel welcome at our conference. You are here in large part, because you have to be, not because you want to be and I realize that. Continuing education, or CEU'S are now the law of the land. Now, like it or not, this is what we have to do. I understand that it is a financial burden for a small contractor. However, it is the deal if you want to be a licensed septic contractor or pumper in the state of Illinois. Hopefully you can get around, and visit with the vendors and enjoy the hospitality and leave with a better feeling than you came with. Some, if not all of you, are displeased with the prospect of new regulations and you are upset with the prospect of change. Change never comes easy and it never comes free. I challenge you to educate yourselves at this conference, embrace the new normal, and become a specialist in your part of the state. Strive to set yourselves apart from the competition in your area, and be the best you can be. Do not become a part of what will inevitably become a group of under achieving bottom feeders. A group of folks who will look to skirt the rules and do the bare minimum. These individuals do a disservice to our industry. They do a disservice to the homeowner, and the environment, but most of all they do a disservice to themselves. They drive down prices, cost themselves profit, and eventually destroy their own reputations. It is imperative that we rise above the temptation to accept the mediocre. Rise above it, embrace new technologies, and be the best septic contractor in your county.
To the State and Federal regulatory folks here today, I want to thank you for your time as well. It is not an easy proposition to walk into a conference like this, where there is the potential that some hostility may be directed towards you, and it is your job to, as it were, give us the "bad news." I do not envy your job during the course of the next two days. It is a difficult task to convince a group of independent business men that more regulation, and government intrusion is acceptable. It is a challenge to convince a county regulator that more red tape and responsibility coupled with a shrinking budget is something they should be interested in embracing. I truly would hate to be you at this conference. I challenge you, that when posed with what I am sure will be many specific questions, to be specific and concise in your answers. I believe you have it within yourselves to greatly reduce the amount of uncertainty and doubt that most of the people in this room have at this time. We as contractors and regulators are ready to comply with a uniform interpretation of these new provisions. What we need from you this week is a uniform and concise interpretation in terms that we can understand. No legal jargon, no talking in circles, no cya, just tell us what we have to do to be right. That is all we ask of you.
To each and every person, regulator, vendor, and contractor who attends these break out sessions, I challenge you to ask enough questions to understand what is going to be required of you. Ask specific questions that may apply to your business. The antidote for confusion is education. The cure for the problem we are currently faced with is a definitive understanding of the new rules that will only come through the seeking out of an answer. If you leave this conference with unanswered questions and doubts, you shouldn't because the proper authorities are in the house to be able to give you the answers you need. I would ask each and every person under the sound of my voice to refrain from as it were "killing the messenger." These speakers are not themselves at fault for what we are faced with. They are representatives for a government body that is in and of itself dysfunctional to its very core. A government more concerned with appeasing a few environmental extremists that caring for the well being of its citizenry. A government that seems bent on the destruction of private enterprise and a rural lifestyle lived since the inception of this great nation. I still believe the United States is the greatest nation in the cosmos. One of God Almighty's greatest gifts to humanity.
These Men and Women are not bad people, they are merely the ones selected by higher ups to be "thrown to the wolves" so to speak. If anyone is to be punished by the citizenry, it should be done at the ballot box, by firing every politician, state, federal and local, right down to the dog catcher of either party who runs scared from a radicalized environmental movement that would erode every opportunity you have to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Some of you are asking, why should I support OWPI? What are the benefits? Well I am glad you asked! Belonging to OWPI provides you with a network of the manufacturers. The best and the brightest in this industry. The best in the world. With new challenges comes new opportunity. Belonging to OWPI provides you with the benefit of having a voice. If radical extremists had won the battle, Illinois would be a zero surface discharge state and as perverse as some of these changes are, it would have been much worse, were it not for the efforts of board members, and membership, both current, and past that made many trips to hearings, at their own personal expense to fight for all of us. Men and Women like the late Larry Vansickle, Calvin and Valetta Locker, Randy Gebke, Jesse James, and many others too numerous to mention that fought the good fight to keep us with installation options we would not otherwise have today except for these good people. The truth is this, we need your help. New members, with fresh ideas and renewed energy is essential if we are to continue to stave off the more radicalized changes that will be coming in years to come. While some of the pioneers of this association have retired, or went on to meet the Almighty, I want you to know that the goals and ideals of protecting our liberties is still indeed an honorable one. I present those of you today who have not been involved in OWPI up till now with a "Call to Arms." I challenge you to be a servant to your industry for a period of time and consider becoming an active part of our organization. As the late John F Kennedy once so famously stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." I would like to take a little liberty today and paraphrase slightly by saying this... Ask not what your industry can do for you, but ask what you can do for your industry. It is imperative that we have assets and manpower in place that can be brought to bear when new industry challenges come.
One thing is certain, those who oppose our industry will never stop short of their ultimate goal, which is to eliminate all rural development through the over regulation of the private wastewater industry. We owe it to generations of the future to do our part, first and foremost by being good, reputable, and consistent stewards of the planet that God Almighty has entrusted to us. By using good industry practices that produce good results that our enemies cannot use against us in years to come. Be the best in your county. Excel to a level of greatness in your industry. Each and every one of you have it within yourselves to be a great asset to this industry, the environment, and your community. Nothing is stopping you, except you.
Thank you again for your attendance and we look forward to seeing each of you again at next years event. Your participation makes this event possible. If I do not get an opportunity to shake your hand, come over and let me speak personally to you for a few minutes. I am truly grateful for your participation. Thank You!
First of all, I would like to start by giving each and every one of you a personal thank you from me personally for attending this conference. As I look across the room today at this sizable crowd, I see a lot of familiar faces, and a lot of new ones as well.
Some of you are vendors with displays in the exhibition hall. Thank you for your support. With out the participation of the manufacturers this conference would not be possible. As a manufacturers representative myself, I can tell you that it is the goal of every vendor to attract your attention for a few minutes. Walk around and enjoy the booths and talk to these folks. They are here for your benefit.
Some of you are county regulators. You are here today because you are deeply concerned about how the new code and NPDES regulations are going to effect how you do your job. You want to know what your responsibilities are, both in the eyes of the State, and in the eyes of the USEPA. There is a lot of doubt and outright concern on your part. You are on the front line along side the contractors, and you are the ones who will be the recipient of the wrath of a largely uninformed public. You just want guidance from someone on what to do.
Some of you are old contractors who have been attending for many years. You have been around and heard year after year of talk from the state and federal regulatory authorities. Talk that has finally came to pass. Many of you have been engaged in the fight to stop this from happening to our industry. Now you have to face the inevitability that on Feb 10, 2014 everything changes. Some of you thought this day would never come, and some of you are still in denial but be that as it may, here we are.
Quite a few of you are new faces, here for the first time. I want to take a moment to express how much I appreciate your attendance. I want you to feel welcome at our conference. You are here in large part, because you have to be, not because you want to be and I realize that. Continuing education, or CEU'S are now the law of the land. Now, like it or not, this is what we have to do. I understand that it is a financial burden for a small contractor. However, it is the deal if you want to be a licensed septic contractor or pumper in the state of Illinois. Hopefully you can get around, and visit with the vendors and enjoy the hospitality and leave with a better feeling than you came with. Some, if not all of you, are displeased with the prospect of new regulations and you are upset with the prospect of change. Change never comes easy and it never comes free. I challenge you to educate yourselves at this conference, embrace the new normal, and become a specialist in your part of the state. Strive to set yourselves apart from the competition in your area, and be the best you can be. Do not become a part of what will inevitably become a group of under achieving bottom feeders. A group of folks who will look to skirt the rules and do the bare minimum. These individuals do a disservice to our industry. They do a disservice to the homeowner, and the environment, but most of all they do a disservice to themselves. They drive down prices, cost themselves profit, and eventually destroy their own reputations. It is imperative that we rise above the temptation to accept the mediocre. Rise above it, embrace new technologies, and be the best septic contractor in your county.
To the State and Federal regulatory folks here today, I want to thank you for your time as well. It is not an easy proposition to walk into a conference like this, where there is the potential that some hostility may be directed towards you, and it is your job to, as it were, give us the "bad news." I do not envy your job during the course of the next two days. It is a difficult task to convince a group of independent business men that more regulation, and government intrusion is acceptable. It is a challenge to convince a county regulator that more red tape and responsibility coupled with a shrinking budget is something they should be interested in embracing. I truly would hate to be you at this conference. I challenge you, that when posed with what I am sure will be many specific questions, to be specific and concise in your answers. I believe you have it within yourselves to greatly reduce the amount of uncertainty and doubt that most of the people in this room have at this time. We as contractors and regulators are ready to comply with a uniform interpretation of these new provisions. What we need from you this week is a uniform and concise interpretation in terms that we can understand. No legal jargon, no talking in circles, no cya, just tell us what we have to do to be right. That is all we ask of you.
To each and every person, regulator, vendor, and contractor who attends these break out sessions, I challenge you to ask enough questions to understand what is going to be required of you. Ask specific questions that may apply to your business. The antidote for confusion is education. The cure for the problem we are currently faced with is a definitive understanding of the new rules that will only come through the seeking out of an answer. If you leave this conference with unanswered questions and doubts, you shouldn't because the proper authorities are in the house to be able to give you the answers you need. I would ask each and every person under the sound of my voice to refrain from as it were "killing the messenger." These speakers are not themselves at fault for what we are faced with. They are representatives for a government body that is in and of itself dysfunctional to its very core. A government more concerned with appeasing a few environmental extremists that caring for the well being of its citizenry. A government that seems bent on the destruction of private enterprise and a rural lifestyle lived since the inception of this great nation. I still believe the United States is the greatest nation in the cosmos. One of God Almighty's greatest gifts to humanity.
These Men and Women are not bad people, they are merely the ones selected by higher ups to be "thrown to the wolves" so to speak. If anyone is to be punished by the citizenry, it should be done at the ballot box, by firing every politician, state, federal and local, right down to the dog catcher of either party who runs scared from a radicalized environmental movement that would erode every opportunity you have to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Some of you are asking, why should I support OWPI? What are the benefits? Well I am glad you asked! Belonging to OWPI provides you with a network of the manufacturers. The best and the brightest in this industry. The best in the world. With new challenges comes new opportunity. Belonging to OWPI provides you with the benefit of having a voice. If radical extremists had won the battle, Illinois would be a zero surface discharge state and as perverse as some of these changes are, it would have been much worse, were it not for the efforts of board members, and membership, both current, and past that made many trips to hearings, at their own personal expense to fight for all of us. Men and Women like the late Larry Vansickle, Calvin and Valetta Locker, Randy Gebke, Jesse James, and many others too numerous to mention that fought the good fight to keep us with installation options we would not otherwise have today except for these good people. The truth is this, we need your help. New members, with fresh ideas and renewed energy is essential if we are to continue to stave off the more radicalized changes that will be coming in years to come. While some of the pioneers of this association have retired, or went on to meet the Almighty, I want you to know that the goals and ideals of protecting our liberties is still indeed an honorable one. I present those of you today who have not been involved in OWPI up till now with a "Call to Arms." I challenge you to be a servant to your industry for a period of time and consider becoming an active part of our organization. As the late John F Kennedy once so famously stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." I would like to take a little liberty today and paraphrase slightly by saying this... Ask not what your industry can do for you, but ask what you can do for your industry. It is imperative that we have assets and manpower in place that can be brought to bear when new industry challenges come.
One thing is certain, those who oppose our industry will never stop short of their ultimate goal, which is to eliminate all rural development through the over regulation of the private wastewater industry. We owe it to generations of the future to do our part, first and foremost by being good, reputable, and consistent stewards of the planet that God Almighty has entrusted to us. By using good industry practices that produce good results that our enemies cannot use against us in years to come. Be the best in your county. Excel to a level of greatness in your industry. Each and every one of you have it within yourselves to be a great asset to this industry, the environment, and your community. Nothing is stopping you, except you.
Thank you again for your attendance and we look forward to seeing each of you again at next years event. Your participation makes this event possible. If I do not get an opportunity to shake your hand, come over and let me speak personally to you for a few minutes. I am truly grateful for your participation. Thank You!
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