American Institute of Chemical Engineers - Northern California Section

Mr. Benz will summarize current efforts worldwide to destroy chemical weapons - nerve gas, mustard and arsenicals. He will discuss types, quantities, and locations of these munitions, and the technologies being used to treat and detoxify them, including safety and health issues.

Mr. August (Gus) Benz is the recipient of this years NorCal AIChE Excellence Award for Professional Achievement.

We will also recognize all award winners at the June meeting.

Gus Benz has over 50 years experience in chemical process design, project engineering, research and development, feasibility studies, process plant start-up and operations, engineering management, and project management. He joined Bechtel in 1954. He has over 30 technical papers and presentations, plus six patents related to chemical process engineering and project execution. He was recently elected a Bechtel Fellow in Chemical Process Design and he was also recently elected to Oregon State University College of Engineering Hall of Fame as an Eminent Engineer.

Gus's fields of experience include organic and inorganic chemicals, petrochemicals, polymers, fertilizers, petroleum refining, natural gas, chemical warfare agent destruction, waste treatment, environmental remediation and regulatory compliance, and alternative energy systems.

His present assignment at Bechtel is Senior Project Manager & Principal Technologist, Bechtel National Inc. He is responsible for programmatic reviews, technology development, operability & reliability assessments and technical proposal preparation related to new and advanced technologies. Recent experience has focused on chemical agent destruction projects in Aberdeen Maryland, Pueblo Colorado, and Lexington Kentucky. Other areas of recent effort include design review and optimization of nuclear waste treatment and vitrification processes, coal upgrading process development, solid rocket motor destruction, plus numerous other design and safety reviews.

Gus's past assignments include Manager of Environmental Technology Department (contaminated site investigation & remediation), Manager of Process and Environmental Department (chemical process design and development for major chemical, petroleum, petrochemical and synthetic fuels projects), Project Manager (design and construction of several petroleum & petrochemical projects), Engineering Design Manager and/or Supervisor (many refining and chemical process plants), and Plant Startup or Operations Manager (several process plants).

Gus received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1954, and has received a Business Management Certificate from University of California in 1970. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in California and is a Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Reservations requested by End of Day June 17, 2008.

Menu: Mixed Green or Caesar Salad
Chicken Entree - Chicken Breast Jerusalem
Seafood Entree - Baked Salmon
The above entrees come with rice pilaf and fresh vegetables.
Vegetarian Entree - Pasta Primavera
Dessert - Carrot Cake
On-Line RSVP

June 2008 North Bay Meeting Notice