 |
|
|
|
|
|
July 24, 2008
Red Brush Road Structural Fill Project
Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
ATTENDEES:
- Dr. Paul Doss; Chairman, Associate Professor of Geology, University of Southern Indiana
- Mary Clark; Anderson Township Board Appointee
- Mike Clayton; Warrick County Council Appointee Delegate
- Scott Darling; Alcoa, Manager, Environment, Health & Safety
William Elmer; Yankeetown Water Authority Appointee - Sally Rideout Lambert; Alcoa, Manager, Communications & Public Affairs
- Dan McIntire; Alcoa, Manager, Warrick Power Plant
GUESTS: Laurie Thering (Alcoa, Senior Mining Specialist) & Rachel Wright (Alcoa, Civil Engineer)
Chairman Doss welcomed everyone and each person introduced themselves to the group.
The Committee discussed the proposed Purpose and Structure document. Bill Elmer made the Motion to Approve. Motion was seconded by Mary Clark. Motion approved.
Dan McIntire reviewed the PowerPoint presentation that had originally been shared with neighbors in January. He and the committee focused on some items that have been updated since that time or questions that remained, including:
Equipment questions and the noise that should be generated – this is especially important now that there is quite a bit of noise coming from the mining activity south of Red Brush Road.
- The equipment used at the Structural Fill Project site will be conventional dump trucks, a rubber-tired bulldozer, a water truck, and a road grader
- Comparatively, the noise will be less from the Structural Fill project than from the mining activity
Monitoring Wells
- After gathering monthly data for a year (12 months of data) for a strong baseline, the wells will now be monitored quarterly
- After the meetings in January, three new monitoring points have been added: the surface water of the North Pit (will monitor both quality and water levels); the Conner family well; and Yankeetown Water Authority.
The Indiana Geological Survey has started their work on enhanced leaching tests beyond current industry standards to see if better, more accurate testing methods can be developed
Chairman Doss, through his research work with the University of Southern Indiana, has published data on the site that has been through peer review and is now published in the scientific literature.
Additionally, he hosted ten geologists on a Field Trip to the site during the April 2008 Geological Society of America Conference held in Evansville
Members of the Alcoa team then gave updates on current activity going on at the site.
As of the meeting, two of the four scrubbing units at the Warrick Power Plant are online and creating wallboard-grade quality gypsum. Unfortunately, the wallboard company that has contracted to take much of Alcoa’s gypsum has been hit by the downturn in the housing market and is unable to take the gypsum we are creating. This has created an immediate need for storage of this material.
Construction of the roads that will ultimately be used for hauling the fill material continues and should be complete by September 30th. In the meantime, Alcoa has received permission to use public roads to haul the gypsum to the site. Gypsum is being hauled three to four days each week with approximately 40 truck loads each day. The trucks are covered as they travel north on Hwy. 61 to east on Red Brush Road to north on Young Blood Cemetery Road taking the materials to the north west end of the “Y” of the pit. Alcoa has bonded the road and will repair any problems that arise from the hauling and water trucks are being used to control any dust.
Additionally, Alcoa has continued chemical analysis of the material necessary for application for an Agricultural Use permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. This would increase the beneficial use options for the gypsum and decrease the amount that would need to be stored at the “Y Pit” area.
Currently, we are not seeing any dust generated from the gypsum, but some dusting is occurring from the work being done to dig retention ponds and ditches that will be used to drain the “Y Pit” and rain water from the site through the life of the project.
Dewatering of the pit will take approximately 30 to 45 days and will likely start sometime in mid-August.
Mike Clayton suggested that a website be created where community members could get up-to-date information and ask questions or provide feedback. After discussion by the Committee, it was decided that we would add a special section to www.alcoa.com/warrick dedicated to this project that would list committee members and their contact information; meeting minutes; photos; and upcoming activities. Once the site is created, we will send a mailing to the neighbors letting them know about the site where they can gather information and learn how to ask questions/provide comments.
Committee members confirmed that the location of the meeting worked well for them and that Thursdays at 4:00 proved to be a good time. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 28th at 4:00 p.m.
Bill Elmer moved to adjourn the meeting and Scott Darling seconded the motion. Motion approved and meeting adjourned.
|
|
|
|
|
