Richard E Barnes of the AR Sandri Company has been recognized by Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin for his long-term service to the state of Vermont as a member of the state's Petroleum Cleanup Fund Advisory Committee. Barnes, who also chairs the Vermont Petroleum Association's Executive Committee, retired last month from A.R. Sandri, Inc., a petroleum distributor operating in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and headquartered in Greenfield, Mass.
The letter of recognition signed by the governor was presented during a meeting of the committee on Sept 13 by Director of the Waste Management Division at the Department of Environmental Conservation Chuck Schwer, who managed the state's underground petroleum storage tank program from its inception in 1989 until he was promoted a year ago. Shumlin noted that Barnes was appointed to the PCF Advisory Committee when it was first established and that he has served continuously since then. He thanked him for his insights and contributions over the years and added "You were a true leader for the industry and you proved that government and the private sector can work together to solve critical environmental issues. With your help the (Vermont) Petroleum Cleanup Fund is considered one of the best UST financial assurance programs in the country. Best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement."
The Vermont PCF Advisory Committee is comprised of government officials and representatives of the petroleum and real estate industries. It meets several times per year to review the status of the PCF and its effectiveness in meeting the goals of the fund, which are to protect human health and the environment from petroleum contamination caused by leaking USTs.
The problem of leaking underground steel petroleum tanks was first identified across the country in the early 1980s, and Vermont adopted UST management standards beginning in 1986. The Vermont petroleum industry was the first in the nation to meet all state and federal requirements for tank upgrades by December, 1998, and received the Environmental Merit Award from the U.S. Environment Protection Agency on Earth Day in 1999 to recognize its successful public/private partnership.
Barnes has spent 51 years working in the petroleum industry. He lives with his wife in Hinsdale, N.H.