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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-02-2026 Meeting Minutes EIAC Environmental Issues Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Person County Senior Center Social Hall, 87 Semora Road, Roxboro, NC 27573 April 2, 2026 Voting Members Present: Bob Brauer, Holly Emerson, Bailey Hunt, Sammy Clayton Other Attendees: Nancy McCormick, Marnie and Matt Schwartz The monthly meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Bob Brauer, Chairperson. A quorum of voting members was present. BUSINESS DISCUSSION: ● Meeting Minutes Approval: March 2026 minutes were approved with no further discussion or changes. ● Guests/Special Announcements: Marnie and Matt Schwartz attended the meeting. They are concerned with our roadside litter problem and are considering joining our committee. They are from Woodsdale township. ● Spring 2026 Litter Sweep: Plans are moving forward for our Spring Litter Sweep scheduled for Saturday April 18th. Fliers have been created and published to social media with positive response. Bob will email fliers to all members for distribution within their social networks. Nancy received 24 trash grabbers approved at our March meeting. These were delivered to Bob for our upcoming sweep. ● Household Hazardous Waste Day: Discussions are underway for a possible September 2026 event. No further updates. ● Book Distribution: Cheryl reported that all three sets of books have been prepared for distribution with the next one occurring later this year prior to the start of the 2026/2027 school year. No further updates. ● Logo Shirts: No updates. ● Solar Projects: The proposed changes to county regulations limiting utility solar installations to 100 acres is currently scheduled for review by the BOC on April 6th, 2026. Bob prepared a statement from EIAC for the BOC. The statement was discussed and concerns were raised about how excessive large solar installation would be prevented. Subsequent to the meeting, Bob researched controls that would be available to prevent this issue. Bob revised the statement and requested everyone’s approval via email. Unanimous approval was provided by all members. ● MEC Project Update: Community members are continuing to pursue answers to the water questions associated with this project through the County Manager and Enbridge. On March 24th Enbridge provided the following update: 1 We can confirm that the project team plans to use water from the City of Roxboro—not well water—for both the LNG tank test and the firewater storage tank test. At this point, we anticipate needing that water in mid-to-late summer, though the exact timing may shift as our schedule is finalized. As those details become more certain, we’ll update our website and use additional channels to keep nearby residents informed well ahead of any hydro test activity. Regarding water testing, the water will be tested before it is released to help confirm it meets the necessary environmental standards. The controlled discharge will occur over several days in well‑vegetated upland areas and will flow through our sediment basins designed to manage the volume. We will also have a variety of erosion‑control measures in place—such as rock‑lined outfalls, silt fencing, compost filter socks and other best‑practice tools. ● Microsoft Megasite: Bob and Holly attended the community meeting on March 12th coordinated by Clean Water NC. Community concerns on power usage, water usage and noise were discussed. ● Hyco Coal/Gas Conversion: No updates. ● 2025 CT article plans and status: Discussion on ideas and plans for future articles for the CT newspaper. ○ January - 2025 Climate Update (Published) ○ February - Burn Ordinance (Published) ○ March - New Recycle Center (Published) ○ April - Air Quality impacts on respiratory health (Drafted) ○ May - Litter Sweep Review ○ June - State of Nuclear Power Plants Possible future topics include: Data Center Environmental Impacts, Return of Nuclear Energy, Hydrogen as a fuel source There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:30p.m. The next meeting is May 7, 2026 at the Senior Center Social Hall at 5:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bob Brauer Chairperson EIAC Approved 5.7.2026 2