LEPC Meeting was held at ECOFLO and hosted by Ken Webb.  Introductions were made from those attending.  There were no corrections or additions to the November 2003 meeting minutes.

Council members, Laura Wiley from High Point and Tom Philips from Greensboro, could not attend the Jan 2004 meeting.  We hope to see them in February.

December Social was held at Dow Corning Corporation with a lot of fun had by all. Thanks to Penny Partido and Dow Corning for the wonderful time and great food.

New web page links concerning regulation changes are being sent to Clarice.  If anyone has anything new concerning a regulation, please forward to Clarice Garrett or Alice Rimmer.

Balance as of 12/31/03 is $15,488.20.

We have not been invoiced the $5000.00 for the computers as of Jan 8th.  Bill is checking with Barry for the computers.

Barry Tilley reported that if applying for a CERT Grant, application must be turned in this month. 

Ron Campbell mentioned that the grants go up to $10,000.00 to use for training, equipment (outfit CERT Teams), etc.  If industries would like to be a CERT Team, please see Jenny. 

Change LEPC/Industry Forum to read LEPC only - this was approved.  The name change will not change the format of the LEPC or anything else.

Any industry member can apply to become a voting member of the LEPC.

Nothing to report at this time.  If anyone has anything they would like to add to the web page, please see Dorothy.

Working on speakers for future meetings.  If you have any special interest in a topic, please let Kirk know.

Kevin has pictures from the Sept. EH&S Conference and would like to receive some photos from the fire depts.  Hopefully this information can be introduced to the Board of Commissioners. 

No report - Barry could not attend.

Chief Teeters is on the SERC Committee.

CERT delivered a program to the Guilford Seniors at the Adult Center in Lindley Park

Response was general.

Joel reported that in Davidson County they are looking at vaults/safes that contain teargas to run out "intruders".  This has been a nice fact finding mission for them.  They are going into the old vaults to collect and dispose the chemical.

Things are quiet. 

They had a report of about 14 barrels of petroleum based product to attend to and about 2 quarts of paint to cleanup at a Reddy Fork Creek.  These 2 incidents are not related.

Quite--nothing major to report.

Severe Weather Information was sent out to LEPC Members.

Ron would like to have Blast Emails to send out to us if terrorist threat levels increase, threatening weather, etc.  Being proactive is something Ron is really pushing for in his new job.

There will be a NC Emergency Response Committee Meeting on Friday, Jan. 23rd at 9:00 a.m. in Raleigh, NC.  Meeting will be held in the Archdale Bldg Hearing Room on the ground floor.  This committee will meet once a quarter and we are hoping some members will be able to attend the meeting this Friday and show support from our LEPC. 

Wake County Conference will be held on February 3rd.

Looking at inviting environmental reps from local universities and other companies so they can learn more about the LEPC.  Please feel free to invite new companies to our meetings.

Starting another study group so anyone interested can study and prepare for the CHMM Exam.  More information to follow.

Weather, fire, terrorist, riots, transportation incidents, plane crash, train derailment, etc. are all examples of emergencies that Ron's group prepare for and look at all aspects.  They look at what happens if the disaster exceeds our area’s capability.  We have an Emergency Operation Plan for the entire city and depend on all agencies to come together.  One thing that Ron hopes to change is don't look at lines.  At times, departments & agencies will need to go beyond their jurisdiction and work together to save people and property.  We must continue to be proactive.  

Emergency Management has brochures written in 31 foreign languages regarding safety and health.

Does the average company or resident have an emergency plan at their workplace or home?

Emergency Management wants to work with closely with our state agencies.

Complete a resource manual for companies/industries that would help out with emergencies---for example, equipment.  Does a company own a piece of equipment that could be used by someone else during an emergency situation?   These things would be listed in the manual.

Ron's group looks at, prepares for, and monitors situations with the elderly, shelters, and emergency generators needed around our area.

Do we know what is coming in and out of our city on our streets and highways?  What types of chemicals or hazards pass through Guilford County?  These are major concerns and Emergency Management works hard to have us prepared for any emergency.

All floodways have changed.  If needed, the public can contact Ron's office and they will come out and evaluate the area.

Hopefully there will be grant money to purchase a Mobile Emergency Operations Center.

How can the LEPC help out?  Keep them with up to date information at the local, city, and state level.  Departments need to share major things they respond to, but also on situations that seem routine to them, but could be valuable information to someone else.    

Food borne illnesses have increased through the years because of emerging pathogens and foods which today are imported from around the world, often from countries without the same sanitation standards as the U.S., particularly regarding water and sewage. These factors make following safe food handling standards more important than ever before in our history. Our fleet of Environmental Health Specialist's conducted over 6,000 unannounced quarterly inspections for food establishments last year. They aid in the assurance that standards of sanitation, temperature controls, avoiding cross contamination, etc. are being followed.

Lead poisoning is the # 1 environmental health threat our children face today. If children ingested tiny particles of lead the size of only three granules of sugar on a daily basis, it would be enough to poison a child. There have been numerous studies demonstrating the negative impact of lead to the intellectual performance and development of a child. It is 100% preventable. Guilford County has an aggressive prevention program involving environmental assessments during home visits of children with elevated levels, educational efforts, supervision of abatement efforts, etc.

Underground Storage Tanks are monitored to assure they do not leak petroleum products and contaminate our groundwater. Guilford County has more registered contaminated sites involving soil and groundwater than other counties in NC because of our aggressive surveillance, monitoring and assurance of proper cleanup. Example was given of residences in the Oak Ridge community who were found to have contaminated wells from an abandoned leaking UST over 2 miles away and how our HERA team aided in working with DENR and other gov't sources to aid in obtaining a community well.

Asthma has increased dramatically in the past few years in the U.S. The exact causes of this escalation in cases are unknown, however environmental "triggers" have been identified which can exacerbate asthmatic episodes such as dust mites, roaches, indoor smoke, mold & mildew, etc. We accept referrals from children diagnosed with asthma and conduct free environmental assessments to aid in the reduction of incidence and severity of asthmatic episodes. Asthma is the # 1 cause of school absences.

Vector program includes mosquito and rat control efforts. Rats have 64 internal and external parasites that cause disease. One pair of rats can produce 1,000 offspring in one year. If you get rid of the "food source", you will get rid of the rats. Often it is pet food left outside.

West Nile Virus and other mosquito borne diseases are here and this vector must be controlled by eliminating stagnant water sites around homes and businesses. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as 2 teaspoons of stagnant water. Also, citizens must begin to use repellents and wear protective clothing during mosquito season.

There has been an epidemic of rabies in Guilford County. Public Health officials knew it was coming, as surrounding states with confirmed cases were heading our way but didn't know exactly when. Hit NC in 1990. It is accurate to assume it is prevalent throughout the wildlife in Guilford Co. The most important way to protect your family from rabies is to vaccinate your pet. They are the liaison between your family and wildlife population.

Radon - The # 2 cause of lung cancer in the U.S. This invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas comes up from decaying radium rock through foundation cracks in homes. Any house can have a radon problem. A drafty home, well-sealed homes, homes with basements, homes without basements, etc. Screening is the only way to know for sure if your home has a problem.

Wells & Septic Tanks - This unit is responsible for permitting sewage disposal systems, regulating construction, repair and the abandonment of wells, etc. Well regulations are designed to protect the County's groundwater supply.

The next LEPC Meeting will be held at The American Red Cross in High Point, NC. 

Meeting was adjourned.