Rcac meeting Minutes – July 8, 2004

RCAC August 13, 2009, meeting minutes attached; e-mail [e-mail] with questions
RCAC next meeting:

Date: September 10, 2009

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 – 6:15 Open Mic – Community Related

(Sharon Yates – Nia Community Connector)

6:15 – 6:25 Open Mic – Plant Related

6:25 – 7:30 Subcommittee Meetings

7:30 – 7:45 Subcommittee Reports
7:45 – 8:00 Other Announcements/Adjournment

Meeting Minutes – Rubbertown Community Advisory Council

Date: August 13, 2009 Time: 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Place: MSD Maintenance Facility

Community Members Present Gerald Gammons Earl Hartlage Lindsey Keller Kenneth Madison Barbara Paulin Betty Reesor Joyce Korfhage Rhea Rich Springston Gary Toole Joe Wagner Gordon Welker Jerry Woolridge Sharon Yates	Community Members Absent Peggy Bolton Dan French Matt Rhodes Shakaa Zulu	Guests Phil Ball Martha Gammons Scott Nofsinger, Dow Ronald Slaymaker Michael Wagner Facilitator and Minutes Dan Hicks
Companies ASRC Arkema Group Carbide Industries Dow Chemical DuPont Hexion Lubrizol MSD Poly One Zeon	Company Reps Vince Pinnick, Rich Robinson J. J. Edwards Rick Poynter Jana Zigrye Blake Burchell, Kendra Hersman Cheryl Farr Arnoud de Jonge Gary Kohler Joe Laskosky Tom Herman	Key Managers Brad Karas None Dan Wharton None Gerald Thomas None Alice Simpson Alex Novak None None

Agenda

6:00 – 6:05 Welcome / Introductions/Minutes/Vision

6:05 – 6:15 Open Mic – Community Related

6:15 – 6:25 Open Mic – Plant Related

(ASRC Fine)

6:25 – 7:15 Program: The State of Business for Rubbertown – Plant Managers and Representatives

7:15 – 7:45 Subcommittee Meetings

7:45 – 7:55 Subcommittee Reports

7:55 – 8:00 Other Announcements/Adjournment

Welcome/Introductions/Minutes

President Rich Springston welcomed members and guests. He read the mission and vision and the groundrules. The July minutes were approved as submitted.

Open Mic – Community Related

Brad Karas, ASRC, speaking as a member of the community, suggested that all interested should take advantage of the ongoing meteor shower in August. Find a dark spot away from city lights.

Open Mic – Plant Related

Jana Zigrye, Dow Chemical, introduced Scott Nofsinger, the plant’s new Environment, Health, and Safety manager.

Joe Leskowski, PolyOne, announced that Plant Manager Paul Reger retired. Karen Finn is filling in.
Rich Robinson responded to a question that arose last month regarding ASRC’s settlement with the Air Pollution Control District. The plant built and opened a new powerhouse to generate steam in 1992 after seven years of a painstaking permitting process. The facility has been running within its permit levels since it opened. When ASRC was reissued an operating permit in 2000, there was a misunderstanding between ASRC and APCD about how sulfur dioxide was being calculated. Discussions went on for several years. Ultimately, APCD suggested a compromise that the plant decided would be less costly in the long run. It paid a $112,500 administrative fee. Rich emphasized there have been no emission violations, even under the new agreement that has more stringent requirements.
Tom Herman distributed copies of a Business First profile of Matt Rhodes.
Alice Simpson, Lubrizol, said last week’s rain storm caused the Bells Lane complex to close from Tuesday until Saturday. A key issue was a loss of electricity caused by a power outage at the OxyVinyls-operated powerhouse, which was under water.
Program – Plant Presentations

ASRC, Brad Karas

• 
  Division of Michelin Tire
  
• 
  NA Headquarters: Greenville, SC
  
• 
  Located on Campground Road
  
• 
  60 acres (not on the Ohio)
  
• 
  Site developed by US government in 1943
  
• 
  350 employees
  
• 
  5 labor unions
  
• 
  Makes synthetic rubber for tires and liquid rubber polymer used as fuel binder in solid rocket fuel
  
• 
  Two 911s due to environmental releases (1 was reportable)
  
• 
  Reduced waste rubber to the landfill from 2007 – 2008 by > 48%
  
• 
  40% reduction in OSHA accidents
  
• 
  Market conditions level but not stable
  
• 
  100 employees laid off for 2 weeks; 25 employees voluntarily laid off for 12 weeks (All are back to work)
  

Dow Chemical – Jana Zigrye

Employees: 200 (about 130 by the end of 2009)

Contractors: about 30

Number of facilities in the US 120

Headquarters: Midland, Michigan

Products:

• 
  Distilled methyl methacrylate
  
• 
  Paraloid® Plastic Additives - Solid grade additives for PVC and engineering resins
  
• 
  Paraloid® Thermoplastic Solution and Solid Grade Acrylic Resins for solvent-based Industrial finishes
  

Employee Injuries

• 
  Significant decrease in injuries in 2009 (1 this year)
  
• 
  Major emphasis area during the plant downsizing
  

Production will increase as economy recovers
DuPont, Gerald Thomas

• 
  Corporatewide:
  

Employees: Approx. 55,000

Headquarters: Wilmington, Delaware

Founded: 1802

DuPont Core Values:

- Safety & Health - Environmental Stewardship

- Highest Ethical Standards - Respect for People

• 
  Louisville plant:
  

Employees: 156

Resident Contractors: 30 - 100

Founded: 1941 (Polychloroprene Plant)

• 
  Products & End Uses:
  

- Freon R-22 - Raw material for Teflon® and other DuPont products

- Refrigerant – Industrial & Commercial

- Hydrochloric Acid - Food industry

- Metals processing, etc.

- Freon R-23 - Fire extinguishers

- Vinyl Fluoride - Raw Material for Tedlar®

- Solar Panels construction

- Airplane cabin linings

Safety & Environment:

- No environmental permit deviations – YTD 2009

- Days since last recordable injury: 587

- Trained 3 groups of FPS (Federal Protective Services ) inspectors since 2008

• 
  DuPont Performance Elastomers LLC:
  

• 
  Shut down in Feb. 2008
  
• 
  Reduction of > 200 jobs
  
• 
  Facilities demolition & removal underway – Completion by 1Q 2010
  

• 
  DuPont
  

• 
  Freon & Vinyl Fluoride units operating at business demand levels
  
• 
  No economy-related DuPont job losses nor layoffs YTD2009
  

Arkema, J. J. Edwards

• 
  Total Employees = 46
  

• 
  Number of Facilities in U.S. = 14 + 5 pending from acquisition (Acrylic Acid Monomer & Polymer plants)
  

• 
  Headquarters Location: Worldwide - Paris, France
  

North America- Philadelphia

• 
  Major markets for Plexiglas® resin are in automotive, lighting, medical, signs, and displays
  
• 
  Reduced emissions of methyl methacrylate & ethyl acrylate from over 50 tons per year in 2000 to 2 tons per year in 2008
  
• 
  Safety Performance – 0 recordable or lost time accidents in 2007 & 2008
  
• 
  Significant volume decrease (9 million pounds to less than 4 million pounds per month)
  
• 
  Site losing money prior to restructuring
  
• 
  Restructuring entailed shutting down KM1 process
  
• 
  Resulted in personnel reductions
  

• 
  4 Voluntary Severance (1 Salary, 3 Hourly)
  
• 
  7 Severance (Salary)
  
• 
  13 Layoff (Hourly)
  

• 
  After restructuring, plant is currently stable
  
• 
  Small improvements in volume have been seen in last few months
  

Hexion, Cheryl Farr

• 
  124* Total employees (116 Hexion / 8 Contract)
  

* Includes Quality, EHS, HR, Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain Support

* Excludes ~28 Scientists in the R&D Lab

• 
  49 manufacturing and distribution facilities, as well as executive sales and administrative offices in the United States.
  
• 
  Global Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio
  
• 
  Epoxy and Phenolics Resin Division (EPRD)
  

• 
  Phenolic Specialty Resin
  
  • 
    Industrial Resins
    
  • 
    Electronics
    
  • 
    Non-Wovens
    
• 
  Oilfield
  
• 
  Epoxy
  
• 
  Forest Products (FPD)
  

• 
  Achieved 0.6 OII rate for Hexion/PYI
  
• 
  Zero Contractor injuries
  
• 
  Zero recordable spills or releases
  
• 
  15% reduction in total plant waste
  
• 
  Installing two thermal oxidizers
  
• 
  Even though volume has reduced by ~37% and headcount has reduced by ~19%, Louisville has positioned itself well and is viewed as core site for the company
  

MSD, Alex Novak

Operationally, MFWQTC is as healthy as ever:

• 
  Consistent solids removal rates from primary
  
  • 
    253,000 average gallons per day
    

• 
  Consistent solids removal from secondary
  
  • 
    567 gpm average per day
    

• 
  Consistent flow rates through dewatering and drying
  
  • 
    76 Dry Tons per day
    

Zeon, Tom Herman

• 
  Employees: KY Plant – 103; Corporate, R&D, etc. – 115; Total Louisville area -- 218
  
• 
  Average number of contractors – 20
  
• 
  Facilities in the U.S. – 3
  
• 
  Headquarters – Zeon Chemicals L.P. – Louisville
  
• 
  Zeon corporation – Tokyo
  
• 
  Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
  
  • 
    Products: Slab, ground, pelletized, liquid, powder, latex
    
  • 
    End Uses: Vehicle hoses, belts, gaskets, brake shoes/pads, NASA Shuttle booster rockets, Vibram shoe soles, underground electrical cable, milking machines, food conveyor belts
    
• 
  Polyacrylate Rubber (ACM)
  
  • 
    Products: Slab, sheet
    
  • 
    End Uses: Vehicle hoses, belts, gaskets
    
• 
  Styrene-Acrylonitrile (SAN) Resin
  

• 
  Products: Powder
  
• 
  End Uses: Plastic window shades, building siding
  

• 
  Operated at very low level of capacity utilization during the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first half of 2009. While net income for 2008 was positive, a substantive loss has been incurred in 2009.
  
• 
  Projections for the second half of 2009 are more positive.
  

Carbide Industries, Dan Wharton

• 
  HEADQUARTERS: Louisville
  
• 
  U.S. FACILITIES: 2, Louisville and Calvert City
  
• 
  EMPLOYEES: 163
  
• 
  AVERAGE NUMBER of CONTRACTORS: 5
  
• 
  Products/End Uses
  

• 
  Calcium Carbide
  
  • 
    Fuel Gas
    
  • 
    Metal fabrication
    
  • 
    Construction
    
  • 
    Metallurgical
    
  • 
    Hot metal desulfurizer
    
  • 
    Slag conditioner
    
• 
  Acetylene Gas
  
  • 
    Specialty chemicals
    
  • 
    Raw material
    

• 
  Fully compliant with all permits and standards
  
• 
  Comprehensive Safety Program
  
• 
  Market Conditions
  

• 
  Fuel Gas - flat
  
  • 
    Construction
    
• 
  Metallurgical - down
  
  • 
    Steel industry
    
  • 
    Foundries
    
• 
  Chemical Feedstock - down
  
  • 
    Consumer goods
    

• 
  Layoffs in both Louisville and Calvert City
  

Lubrizol, Alice Simpson

• 
  Headquarters in Cleveland OH
  
• 
  130 employees (40 salary and 90 hourly employees)
  
• 
  TempRite® CPVC and Performance Coatings businesses
  
• 
  Union plant (1 production and 3 craft unions)
  
• 
  24/7, 4 shift operation
  
• 
  3 manufacturing areas:
  
  • 
    TempRite® Resin
    
  • 
    TempRite® Compound
    
  • 
    Vycar Latex
    
• 
  Cost control has high focus, but:
  
  • 
    No layoffs during recent recession.
    
  • 
    Market conditions relatively good, signs of recovery.
    
  • 
    Lubrizol is investing capital in Louisville plant.
    
  • 
    Lubrizol stock value has more than doubled over past 6 months.
    
• 
  Our TempRite heat-resistant plastics are commonly used in home and commercial plumbing and fire sprinkler piping systems.
  
• 
  Vycar™ end uses:
  
  • 
    Deck primer, wall coverings, commercial fishing net coating
    

PolyOne, Joe Laskosky

• 
  34 employees
  
• 
  22 U.S. plants, five make PVC
  
• 
  90% of the product goes into wire and cable markets
  
• 
  No hazardous materials are handled at the plant
  
• 
  The last lost-time injury was six years ago
  
• 
  The plant experienced a layoff in March. Normal production is 9 million pounds a month, but it dropped to 2 ½ million in February. Three U.S. facilities closed and the company is experiencing no growth.
  

Other Announcements/Adjournment

Because we ran out of time, subcommittee meetings were postponed to September. The meeting adjourned at 8 p.m.