Overview

The AFPM Environmental Conference program focuses on regulatory and policy issues at the plant level. Environmental representatives from refinery and petrochemical plants and service organizations attend, providing an excellent opportunity to network with peers who share similar problems, challenges, and opportunities in the refining and petrochemical industries.

We look forward to having you join the discussion and be part of the 2026 Environmental Conference.

Please check back regularly for the conference program and registration information.

AFPM’s Environmental Conference kicks off on Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Salt Lake City and will spotlight regulatory and policy issues at the plant level. The meeting format covers both technical presentations and question and answer (Q&A) sessions. AFPM designs each session to address the impacts of various environmental regulations and technologies on refineries and petrochemical plants and to provide practical solutions and compliance mechanisms. 

The AFPM Environmental Program Planning Committee is pleased to solicit abstracts for this year’s Environmental Conference that will address crosscutting issues between federal regulation and plant operations. The deadline for abstract submissions is Friday, June 5, 2026. 

Submit your abstract

Timely Topics

The committee has identified the following topics. However, we invite you to submit an abstract on any timely issue relevant to environmental challenges facing the refining and petrochemical sectors.

A. Technology

  • Water Reuse: Several areas in the US are facing water scarcity. This is especially true in America’s refinery row, as illustrated by the water shortage plaguing Corpus Christi. What are the legal, regulatory, and technical aspects of water scarcity? How has the emergence of data centers changed the playing field? How can refineries and petrochemical facilities reuse or conserve water? And what needs exist for advancing reuse?
    • Recycling/reuse projects that lower the overall water usage and consumption at our facilities.
    • Water treatment, including new or innovative technologies or processes that are success stories. 
    • How have policies related to microplastics and MAHA impacted strategies for water reuse?
  • Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR): Emerging technology and expediting repairs. 

B. Regulatory

  • EPA’s “Compliance First Policy”: Diagnosing compliance issues and possible audit items. The advantages of coordinating with state agencies. Establish solid industry-EPA enforcement dialogue. Case studies would be instructive.  
  • Title V Operating Permits: How have recent reforms to the NSR program impacted permitting? What steps have you taken to institute control measures to comply with the 2024 PM2.5 standard, which is now under reconsideration? How might legislation related to flexibilities tied to exceptional events and international transport improve the permitting process, assuming the bills cross the finish line? 
  • Benzene Waste Operations National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) (BWON/QQQ): BWON audits. Practical strategies and tools to minimize air emissions from wastewater systems at refineries and ethylene manufacturing plants. 
  • Climate Policy, State Level: Reporting under state and international programs. How are you dealing with patchwork requirements? What are the impacts of rescission of EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program? What are the impacts of state level superfund fund laws, including those in New York and Vermont.
  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

C. Leadership

  • Multitasking: Emerging leaders and industry veterans share perspectives. 

Taking a Deep Dive: The Pre-Conference Sunday Workshop

We also invite you to propose a relevant environmental or management topic that is appropriate for a 4-hour workshop on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

  • Pitching Environmental Achievements to Management: Teach environmental professionals how to translate compliance obligations and risk reduction into clear business value for managers and executives. Participants will learn why pitches fail, how to build the business case for their projects, and how to frame environmental projects in terms of cost, risk, operations, and reputation and frame environmental performance so they can secure resources, influence decisionmakers, and move priority projects forward. 
  • Best Practices for Environmental Audits: Provides a practical, step‑by‑step look at best practices for planning, conducting, and responding to environmental audits, whether internal, corporate, or regulatory‑driven. Participants will learn how to identify common audit pitfalls, prepare effective documentation, manage auditor interactions, and translate audit findings into corrective actions that reduce risk and improve compliance performance. 
  • Air Compliance, Tips Operators Can Use: Explore air monitor bias and calculation of pollutant concentrations. How helpful are current guidance documents related to CEMS? To what extent do flaws in air monitoring software create uncertainty in the permitting process? How does monitor placement inside the fenceline impact measured concentrations? The session will also explore how regulatory policy changes and A.I. tools can expedite compliance.   

The Program Planning Committee is primarily interested in panel discussions addressing real-world case studies. We recommend that a panel includes participants who offer a comprehensive view of the topic based on unique perspectives. Panel participants may include, for example, a speaker from an operating company, a technical/legal consultant, an agency regulator, and/or an environmental non-governmental policy organization. We invite you to propose a full panel discussion with multiple speakers. However, our strong preference is to have one speaker from each organization. Although we will consider individual presentations, we may add individual speakers to a panel session.

To ensure adequate time for each speaker, the time allotted for each session will depend on the topic and number of panel participants. We encourage presenters to facilitate discussion among panelists rather than relying solely on PowerPoint presentations. We will also have the ability to conduct audience polling, and we encourage participants to provide ample time for Q&A and to consider methods to solicit audience participation.

Papers are not required and will be optional.

The Program Planning Committee also welcomes submissions for Reception Table-Tops.

The deadline for abstract submissions is June 5, 2026. Submit your abstract here. Please be sure to review your submission carefully to ensure that you submit for the correct conference. Authors will be notified of whether their abstract was accepted by June 30, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Brendle at Bbrendle@afpm.org.

Submit your abstract