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Minutes of Meeting -- Tuesday 6th February 2001

Minutes of Meeting
Tuesday 6th February 2001

Members present:
Chuck Bond, Bud Carpenter, Maureen Donker, Greg Dorrien, Lin Dorman, Connie Killingbeck, Steve LaLonde, Bob Markey, Jack Maddox, John Marsh, Brenda Sauve, Mike Snyder, Barb Stamiris, Eileen Starks, Will Wright

Members absent:
Vic Finch, Brent McCumons, Beth Nash

• The minutes of the meeting held on January 9, 2001 were accepted.
  Start-up/Announcements:
• • Maureen announced that Dr. Dan Sorenson will be replacing Dr. Will Wright on the CAP panel. Will is retiring at the end of the month. Dan is very involved with the medical profession having over 25 years experience in the Emergency Room. We look forward to having him.
• Gary Anderson, OCEO, President & CEO, gave a presentation on "DC Products". It included slides from our key locations around the world, total number of employees, the emphasis on bringing in more skills over the next several years, and our top 25 customers. The top three for the U.S. included OSI, Procter & Gamble & Shin Etsu Handotai. Gary also mentioned that DC is a supplier to the following industries: Aerospace, Automotive, Construction, Consumer Products, Food Processing, Personal, Household & Automotive, Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Plastics, Medical Products, Pharmaceuticals, Paint & Coating, Textiles & Leather, Industrial Maintenance & Production, Electrical/Electronics Industries. More information can be found @ www.dowcorning.com
• • Action: To obtain samples from Victoria Secret's "dream angels" line as a DC product is a key ingredient in this formula.
• Gary also gave the panel an update on Chapter 11. DC filed bankruptcy in May of 1995. In November of 2000, DC received a successful ruling from Judge Hood. It may take up to 1 year before DC can be released from this.
  Gary also spoke on the recent Organizational changes. Dick Hazelton is retiring. Siegfried Haberer plans to retire at the end of 2001. Stephanie Burns has assumed a role in the OCEO.
• • Action: Have Stephanie come and speak with the panel in the next 6 months or so.

Comments from Gary:

• • The Union Carbide/Dow Chemical merger is bringing 358 new families to the area. This means increased need for housing/real estate for the tri-county area. This merger will hopefully broaden the product line, and possibly gain more market share in Japan.
  • SAP conversation: working hard, but more of a struggle with SAP, vs. our legacy systems. DC would not have been able to make it through Y2K without it. We did a good job implementing it.
  • He recently attended a World Economic Forum. They discussed the social responsibilities of larger corporations. We need to help relieve poverty. We need to be role models in solving these problems. We're not contributing enough, but there will be changes to come.
• Jack Maddox discussed a study that we be forthcoming with DC and the EPA. It will be published in late February.
  NATA background. Under 1990's Clean Air Act Amendments, the EPA regulates 188 listed air toxics. Through the NATA study, the EPA collected data from 1996 on the 33 air toxics that present the greatest public health threat in the largest number of urban areas. After estimating the ambient concentrations of air toxics in the U.S., the NATA study will also estimate population exposures and the public health risks due to the inhalation of these chemicals. The next step includes a review of these estimates by a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Currently, the data in draft form is available to the public, with the SAB review planned for March 2001. The results of this study will be used to identify areas of the country and pollutants where additional investigation is needed. The EPA will collect data every three years to measure progress, with data from 1999 as the next focus.
  Dow Corning Succeeds at Reducing Targeted Emissions:
• • With its 2000 data recently compiled, Dow Corning has again succeeded at reducing air emissions for targeted chemicals. These specific chemicals are part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study: the National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA). The study focuses on 33 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and diesel particulates across the U.S. The only Dow Corning location that uses these chemicals is the Midland, Michigan, site, which uses seven (benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane or ethylene dichloride, manganese, and tetrachloroethylene).
  • The 2000 figures show that we have reduced air emissions of these target compounds. We've seen more than an 89 percent reduction in these emissions between 1996 and 2000.
• Chuck Bond thanked the three CAP members, (Beth Nash, Eileen Starks & Lin Dorman), who volunteered to critique DC's new EHS site on DOWCORNING.COM. Their input was greatly appreciated.
  
  On March 26, there will be a special on PBS featuring Bill Moyer. The subject will be a special report on the Chemical Industry.
  
  Midland Plant's contract negotiations are off to a good start. The current contract expires on March 19, 2001. DC does have a pre-negotiations agreement, which prevents strikes and lockouts. A big concern is Expense Reduction. Union leadership is actively participating in these discussions.
  
  Annual Report: Proposal for consideration, Maureen to prepare highlights for the upcoming 10th Anniversary "A Decade of Dialogue". Chuck will arrange to have a photographer come to the March meeting and take a group photo.
• Scott Seeburger said that the National Merit Scholarship recipients will be announced soon. These are children of DC employees in the U.S. The winners were all graduates of Midland Public Schools. Scott also mentioned that DC donated $800,000. of software to CMU & MSU.
• Maureen discussed the options with having CABOT as part of the DC CAP panel. She listed the panel member's viewpoints and they briefly discussed them. The possibility that we may include them quarterly, every 6 months, or possibly not at all is still up for a decision.
• • Action: Chuck Bond will present a proposal at the March meeting on CABOT's involvement with the CAP.
    Future Agenda items:
  • • March 6 - State of the Plant Address - Jack Maddox
    • April 3 - Lone Tree Council - Terry Miller
    • May 1 - undetermined at this time - ?
    • Action: Samples of DC 200 fluid, 350 cst. are also being looked at for CAP members.

Meeting ended @ 5:00p.m.
Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 6, 2001