Celebrating 25 Years of Dialogue, Understanding & Community Outreach
CINCINNATI, OH (Oct. 25, 2018) – Community Advisory Panels (CAPs) are a proven method for effectively improving communications and understanding between industry and communities in which they operate.
In the 1980s, the Chemical Manufacturers Association – now the American Chemistry Council – developed the concept of a CAP as part of its Responsible Care initiative. This program commits member companies to responsible management of chemicals and continued improvement in their practices. In turn, this creates the opportunity for CAP representatives to communicate directly with industry management and to voice concerns of the community.
On September 26th, the BASF Corporation and Emery Oleochemicals CAP at their Cincinnati, Ohio sites, which are co-located on Este Avenue, hosted a special luncheon in honor of the Cincinnati CAP's 25th Anniversary. During the past 25 years, the CAP has served as a platform for ongoing, open, two-way dialogue between BASF, Emery Oleochemicals and the communities of St. Bernard, Elmwood Place, Spring Grove Village and Winton Terrace. CAP members represent a diverse group of community stakeholders including business owners, educators, local emergency response personnel, environmental regulators and residents from the surrounding neighborhoods.
To commemorate this milestone, CAP members and guests learned about the history of the CAP from Mike Groh, Emery Oleochemicals Global Safety, Health and Environment Manager. Each CAP member also received a crystal paperweight commemorating the 25th Anniversary.
Since its beginning in 1993, the CAP has discussed a variety of topics specific to both companies including employee training, safety, environmental stewardship, product research and development, end-uses of products, plant recycling programs, water quality, permitting and workplace wellness.
In addition to these regular company updates, CAP meetings have also provided an opportunity for other local agencies and organizations to share information on topics of interest to community members including the state of the Mill Creek, and local community safety information.
BASF and Emery Oleochemicals look forward to engaging openly with our neighbors for many years to come. We can only be successful if we enjoy the trust and support of our neighbors.
By Jay Taylor, Emery Oleochemicals Regional Managing Director, Americas & Europe; Mark Zanoni, Emery Oleochemicals Cincinnati Site Operations Director; and Tasso Rigopoulos, BASF Corporation Cincinnati Site Manager