Download February 2010 Minutes - Rubbertown Community Advisory Council

RCAC February 11, 2010, meeting minutes attached; e-mail
[email protected] with questions
RCAC next meeting:
Date:
March 11, 2010
Place:
MSD Central Maintenance Facility
3050 Commerce Center Place
Enter by the Big A in the Commerce Center located on Cane Run Road
between Bells Lane and Algonquin Parkway
Dinner:
5:30 – 6:00
Agenda
6:00 – 6:05
Welcome / Introductions/Minutes/Vision
6:05 – 6:10
Open Mic – Community Related
6:10 – 6:15
Open Mic – Plant Related
6:15 – 6:20
Plant Presentation -- PolyOne
6:20 – 7:00
Program: LG&E Home Energy Conservation – Lisa Keels, manager of
Energy Efficiency Operations for EON
7:00 – 7:30
Matt Rhodes – H1N1 Flu Update
7:30 – 7:35
Announcements/Adjournment
Meeting Minutes – Rubbertown Community Advisory Council
Date: February 11, 2010 Time: 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Place: MSD
Community Members Present
Gerald Gammons
Earl Hartlage
Debra Koons
Kenneth Madison
Barbara Paulin
Matt Rhodes
Community Members Absent
Phil Ball
Peggy Bolton
Lindsey Keller
Betty Reesor
Joyce Korfhage Rhea
Gary Toole
Rich Springston
Gordon Welker
Joe Wagner
Ed White
Sharon Yates
Shakaa Zulu
Guests
Martha Gammons
Keith Mountain
Facilitator and Minutes
Dan Hicks
Jerry Woolridge
Companies
ASRC
Arkema Group
Carbide Industries
Dow Chemical
DuPont
Hexion
Lubrizol
MSD
Poly One
Zeon
Company Reps
Vince Pinnick, Rich Robinson
None
Rick Poynter
Jana Zigrye
Kendra Hersman
Cheryl Farr
Alice Simpson
Gary Kohler, Adraine Niehoff
None
Tom Herman
Key Managers
None
Steve Bader
Dan Wharton
None
None
Jeff Anderson
Arnoud de Jonge, Sam Striegel
Alex Novak
None
Bill Simpson
Agenda
6:00 – 6:05
6:05 – 6:10
6:10 – 6:15
6:15 – 7:00
7:00 – 7:45
7:45 – 8:00
Welcome / Introductions/Minutes/Vision
Open Mic – Community Related
Open Mic – Plant Related
Dr. Keith Mountain, Associate Professor and Chair of Geography and
Geosciences, University of Louisville -- Climate Change
Matt Rhodes – H1N1 Flu Update
Announcements/Adjournment
Welcome/Introductions/Minutes
President Rich Springston welcomed members and guests. He read the mission and vision and the
groundrules. Minutes for November, December, and January were approved.
Open Mic – Community Related
Loyiso Melisizwe and Clay Calloway from MSD addressed Earl Hartlage’s concern about clogged
drainage ditches that caused flooding during heavy rain. Clay said he and others from MSD visited the
site and met with Earl. He said there are drainage ditches along Campground Road, Bramers Lane, Lees
Lane, and Ladd Avenue that are in question. MSD has a DRI (Drainage Response Initiative) budget to
handle drainage problems. In District 1, which is Rubbertown, DRI provided $8 million in the past 5-6
years. One project was Ladd Avenue. Earl’s main concern is the ditch across the road from his house, but
it’s on private property and MSD needs approval from the owner to clean it out.
Kenneth Madison said a lot of gravel has washed into the ditch near Ladd Avenue and MSD had told him
there was nothing it could do about the situation. Clay said MSD would address the problem.
Earl said he heard what MSD was saying, but the response is totally unacceptable. MSD agreed that
ditches and pipes were clogged. A beaver dam near Marathon oil tanks cause water to back up in that
large ditch near Campground Road. He said it’s MSD’s responsibility and it isn’t doing it. He said MSD
isn’t doing its job and he isn’t finished with the issue.
Open Mic – Plant Related
Tom Herman announced a series of PBS environmental articles that will be broadcast and available on the
web. In conjunction, a public forum will be held at the Science Center in February. He mentioned the
West County Task Force auction (which later was cancelled) and the need to raise funds for the continued
air monitoring in Rubbertown despite state budget cuts.
Kendra Hersman said DuPont’s safety streak ended on January 17th when an employee required medical
treatment for an abrasion to his ankle. On a positive note, she said DuPont hired a class of 10 people on
February 1.
Arnoud de Jonge introduced Sam Striegel as the new site manager for Lubrizol. Arnoud will be returning
to The Netherlands within the next two weeks for a new assignment with Lubrizol. He praised Louisville
and RCAC for making his stay here a good experience.
Jeff Anderson announced that Hexion has been accident-free for one year.
Program: Dr. Keith Mountain -- Climate Change
Dr. Mountain explained that there has always been climate change. Glaciers have flowed and receded
several times. There’s no arguing the science. Climate change is more than a change in temperature and
precipitation. We live on a highly complex planet where there is interdependence. If you change one
thing, something else will change as well.
We can study climate systems in a number of ways such as soil, sea life, and glaciers. We chose to study
glaciers. He pointed out that he hasn’t used the term “global warming.” There have been periods of
warming, there have been periods of cooling. The question is whether the warming is caused by nature or
by people.
The atmosphere is very thin. If you were to walk upward for four miles, you’d have gone through 50% of
the atmosphere. It is very thin at 8-10 miles. Carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gasses make
up only about 1% of our atmosphere, but they are necessary to balance the climate.
How can we go back in time and study climate in the past? We looked at ice masses around the world.
We drilled and studied differences in the bandings of the ice to learn about the climate. Each year, so
much precipitation falls on these glaciers. The snowflakes capture information about what is in the
atmosphere. Studying the water in the different layers tells us about atmospheric and climate change year
to year. We also can look at pollen and dust particles that have blown onto the ice. We have to act fast.
These glaciers are melting at an unbelievable rate.
Other Announcements/Adjournment
We were short on time, so Matt Rhodes didn’t speak about the H1N1 virus.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45.
Program Guide for 2010
Location
Host
(meal)
Jan 14
MSD
Carbide
Feb 11
MSD
Mar 11
MSD
Date
Program
Presenter(s)
Action point by:
Safe Place Services
Subcommittees
Matt Reed
Lindsey Keller
Hexion
Climate change
H1N1 flu
TBD
Matt Rhodes
Tom Herman
Matt Rhodes
PolyOne
LG&E home energy conservation
LG&E/contractor
Cheryl Farr
Plant tour
PolyOne or Carbide
Karen Finn or Rick
Poynter (Tom
Herman)
NA
Dan Hicks
Apr 8
PolyOne or
Carbide
Lubrizol
May 13
TBD; finish
MSD
Zeon
Neighborhood cleanup
Jun 10
MSD
MSD
Hazardous material transportation
through neighborhoods
ASRC bird sanctuary
TBD
Rich Robinson
Rick Poynter
Rich Robinson
Jul 8
MSD
DuPont
Aug 12
MSD
ASRC
Homeland security: plants &
transportation
Cane Run Road/Ralph Ave. followup
Diesel – manufacturer’s
perspective
ACC
TBD
Jana Zigrye
TBD
Cummins Engine
Tom Herman
Subcommittees
APCD updates
CPI grant presentations?
Lauren Anderson
TBD
Dan Hicks,
Arkema
Cane Run Elementary outreach
programs
Principal/environmen
tal coordinator
Tom Herman
MSD
Carbide
Section 8 housing renewal in
Shanks/Shagbark
Budget and planning meeting
TBD
Tom Herman,
Dan Hicks
TBD
Tom Herman,
Dan Hicks
TBD
RCAC
Topic TBD
Appreciation dinner
TBD
Dan Hicks
Sep 9
MSD
Dow
Oct 14
Cane Run
Elementary
Nov 11
Dec 9