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What is the South Charleston Area Community Advisory Panel (CAP)?
Established in 2002 when the South Charleston Plant and the Technical Center CAPs merged, the South Charleston Area Community Advisory Panel (CAP) serves as a forum for open discussion between members of the South Charleston area community and representatives of several of the chemical companies that have operating facilities in the community. The companies represented include Bayer Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Elementis Specialties, Inc. and FMC Corp. This panel provides an opportunity for citizens to meet face-to-face with plant managers and other company officials to discuss concerns they may have about chemicals and about the chemical plants operating in the community.
This panel is the result of the Responsible Care® initiative of the Chemical Manufacturers Association which encourages member companies to communicate with their neighbors and to respond to their concerns. The purpose of this dialogue is to begin to establish a relationship built on trust, respect, and mutual understanding.
The members of the CAP are selected on a
rotating basis to
represent a broad cross-section of the community, including students, educators,
local government officials, the medical community, business owners, clergy,
senior citizens, safety services, and others.
In the course of engaging in dialogue on issues of concern, the CAP
members sometimes identify and implement projects that could benefit community
safety or improve community education around emergency response. One example of
such a project is the development of a generic shelter-in-place plan that could
be used by local schools as a model for creating plans of their own. This plan
was adopted by the Kanawha County School system as a model for all county
schools. This web site is another example of a successful CAP project.
The CAP meets on the second Monday of every month except for July and December. Meetings are facilitated by a third party. Meeting agendas may include reports on facility environmental and safety performance, or emergency response plans, as well as include a plant tour, a guest speaker, or project work. Ultimately, the South Charleston Area Community Advisory Panel seeks improved communications, community education, and trust as its goals.
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As a member of the Chemical Manufacturers Association, we are committed to support a continuing effort to improve the industry’s responsible management of chemicals. We pledge to manage our business according to these
principles:
- To recognize and respond to community concerns about chemicals and our operations.
- To develop and produce chemicals that can be manufactured, transported, used and disposed of safely.
- To make health, safety and environmental considerations a priority in our planning for all existing and new products and processes.
- To report promptly to officials, employees, customers and the public, information on chemical-related health or environmental hazards and to recommend protective measures.
- To counsel customers on the safe use, transportation and disposal of chemical products.
- To operate our plants and facilities in a manner that protects the environment and the health and safety of our employees and the public.
- To extend knowledge by conducting or supporting research on the health, safety and environmental effects of our products, processes and waste materials.
- To work with others to resolve problems created by past handling and disposal of hazardous substances.
- To participate with government and others in creating responsible laws, regulations and standards to safeguard the community, workplace and environment.
- To promote the principles and practices of Responsible Care® by sharing experiences and offering assistance to others who produce, handle, use, transport or dispose of chemicals.
Bylaws of the South Charleston Area Community Advisory Panel
Article I - Name and
Purpose
The panel shall meet regularly with representatives of the companies to discuss
issues of concern to both citizens and the companies.
The panel shall be a mechanism for the public to convey its questions,
comments or concerns to the companies.
At the same time, the panel shall provide a forum for the companies to
respond directly to residents.
The
objectives of the panel include, but are not limited to:
1. Provide
feedback from the community about the operations of and concerns related to the
sponsoring companies and identify ways to improve communications with the
communities.
2. Provide input
to the communities from the sponsoring companies about facility operations and
concerns.
3. Provide a
mechanism for the sponsoring companies to discuss community response to their
ideas and plans.
4. Address
community/industry issues that are important to the community.
5. Provide a means
to educate the sponsoring companies and their corporate management about the
community.
6.
Provide a means to educate community leadership about the
sponsoring companies.
7.
Allow for CAP expansion through
consideration of new company participants.
The panelists shall serve as an advisory group and not a decision-making body to
the companies. However, their
opinions shall be relayed and considered at the local and corporate level of
each sponsoring company. Dow
Chemical, Bayer, Clearon and Elementis shall act as the organizers and sponsors
of the panel.
The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) shall be composed of up to 25 members, but
not less than 15, from the surrounding communities.
A facilitator shall facilitate CAP meetings, be responsible for preparing
meeting agendas, and serve as a resource for the CAP in planning programs and
projects. The facilitator does not
have voting power, nor shall he/she be an advocate for any group, organization,
person and/or company.
Section 2.2 Member Selection.
Members of the CAP shall be selected by sponsoring companies based upon input
from the panel membership. Members
shall be chosen based on their participation in their community and their
representation of important community interests.
At least two members shall be
local high school students. One of
the two members shall attend
Membership will rotate through natural attrition.
An evergreen list of potential members will be kept by the facilitator
and can be added to at anytime.
Section 2.4. Resignations.
A Member may resign his or her membership at any time by written resignation
delivered to the facilitator.
Attendance is important to the CAP.
If a member misses 3 consecutive meetings, the member will be asked if he/she
wants to remain on the CAP. This
contact will be made by the facilitator
using every reasonable method.
Members shall not be compensated for their participation.
Article III -
Meetings: Format, Frequency
The CAP shall meet monthly on the second Monday of each month.
If the regular meeting date occurs on date and/or time deemed
inconvenient by a majority of members, the CAP shall designate another meeting
date for that month.
Agendas shall be prepared by the facilitator with direction from CAP members and
the sponsoring companies.
Section 3.3. Notification of Meetings.
Members shall be notified of the meetings via written correspondence sent by the
facilitator.
Section 3.4. Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the members may be called at any time by the sponsoring
companies or a majority of the CAP members.
Proper notice of the special meeting
shall be coordinated by the facilitator.
One-half of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at any meeting of the members.
Action may be taken if a majority of the members are present, and voting shall
be sufficient to transact any business.
Voice vote will be used by members to vote on business issues.
Written ballot may be utilized at the request of any member.
There shall be no proxy voting.
The goal of all meetings and discussions will be to seek consensus.
Minutes shall be kept by the facilitator and distributed to members within 10
days of the meeting date and shall be reviewed and approved at the following
meeting. The approved minutes are
available for public inspection unless restricted by a majority vote of the CAP,
and the reason must be specified.
By a majority vote of the CAP members present, members may move a meeting to Executive Session.